Chapter 4

Hu Tao's curiosity was piqued.

"There are also master-level energy cubes?"

Takumi replied sincerely, "Yes, they are for high-level trainers who pursue perfection. Each box is very expensive."

"Of course, Pokémon raised with these cubes will be more powerful, reaching or even exceeding the limits of their base stats in some attributes."

"But, I'm afraid we currently do not have master-level energy cubes for sale. If you're interested, I will notify you when they become available."

Hu Tao muttered to herself and asked Takumi to repeat the prices of basic, intermediate, and advanced energy cubes.

"It's really expensive, but as you said, Manager, I, Hu Tao, can't go for anything less than the advanced energy cubes."

"Otherwise, how could I be worthy of being the trainer of Gible, a pseudo-legendary Pokémon, right?"

"If word gets out that my Gible is fed cheap feed worth 2,000 Mora, my reputation as the Hall Master would be ruined."

"Manager, give me ten boxes of advanced energy cubes!"

The ten boxes were packed and handed over to Hu Tao. She noticed the detailed labels on each box:

Dragon and Ground (Attributes) / Advanced (Level) / Spicy (Taste) / Red (Color).

Hu Tao suddenly felt very professional.

"Forget the 905 types of Pokémon; just understanding energy cubes seems to be quite a profound knowledge!"

Takumi smiled slightly.

"In the future, when Pokémon culture spreads throughout Teyvat, a new profession called 'Breeder' will emerge."

"Because Pokémon are like humans, each with different attributes, tastes, and personalities, breeders exist to handle all these complexities."

At the end of their discussion, Takumi packed the tablet that Hu Tao had used to register and handed it to her.

"Since you are the first major customer of our store, this Pokédex is provided free of charge. It's under warranty but will not be replaced if lost. You'll need to pay an additional 100,000 Mora to purchase another one."

The Pokédex is considered essential for trainers in the Pokémon world.

Hu Tao's curiosity was sparked again.

"How do you use this Pokédex?"

"Like this—"

Takumi scanned the Pokédex over Gible.

"Beep!"

「Gible」

「Attributes: Dragon and Ground」

「Abilities: Sand Veil」

「Hidden Ability: Rough Skin」

「Classification: Pseudo-Legendary」

「Level: Cub (Lv. 1)」

「Moves: Tackle, Earthquake, Take Down」

「Gible, the Land Shark Pokémon, is a popular pseudo-legendary Pokémon known as the pride of the Dragon Clan.」

A mechanical voice came from the Pokédex.

This was a simplified version available for customers. As the store manager, Takumi had access to a more detailed version, which included personality traits, stats, breeding suggestions, and evolution paths.

At this moment, Hu Tao was holding the Pokédex, looking rather puzzled.

What do abilities mean? What's the use of 'Sand Veil' or 'Rough Skin'?

Dragon and ground attributes?

So Gible is a dual-type Pokémon.

Hu Tao had many questions, but right now, all she wanted was to take Gible home.

"Lao Meng, settle the bill with Manager Takumi!"

With grandeur, she instructed Lao Meng, her attendant, to handle the rest. With Gible in her arms, Hu Tao rubbed its head and walked out of the store with a delighted smile.

Outside the store, because the carriage and camel were transporting two large boxes of Mora, a group of onlookers had gathered at the store entrance.

There was never a shortage of people curious to see what was happening.

Moreover, Hu Tao was a well-known figure in Liyue Harbor, and her eccentric behavior could easily draw a crowd.

"Look! She's coming out!"

"I went into that store earlier today. It's just a pet store. Do you know how much the boss asked for my Qingxin Turtle?"

"How much?"

"Two million Mora!!"

"Hiss... How dare he! That's ridiculous!"

"What do you think? Should we head to the wild and catch some wild creatures to sell too?"

At this point, the onlookers were full of envy. When they saw Hu Tao emerge, they couldn't help but admire her wisdom.

Someone shouted, "Hall Master Hu Tao, did you really get scammed this badly?"

Hu Tao curled her lips disdainfully and patted Gible, who was well-behaved and not naughty after eating the energy cubes.

"What do you know?"

"To tell you the truth, I spent fifty million Mora on this Gible..."

Fifty million.

As soon as they heard the price, the crowd fell silent.

Hu Tao didn't feel at all that she had been deceived.