Chapter 3

"Can I touch it?"

Hu Tao, excited by the prospect, could barely contain herself, her cheeks flushed with anticipation.

Takumi knelt down and rubbed Gible's round little head.

"Gible, do you like this young lady?"

Gible made a fierce but cute cry.

"Gabite~!"

Takumi raised his eyes and smiled at Hu Tao.

"It said it thinks the young lady would be an excellent trainer."

"So, say a friendly hello, Gible."

Hearing this, Gible nodded seriously and waved its stubby arms in greeting to Hu Tao.

"Gabite!"

Its fierce roar was filled with affection.

"So spirited!"

Hu Tao's eyes were shining, and she almost jumped up in excitement.

"Much smarter than those monsters in the wild!"

Takumi held back his laughter and said to Gible.

"Gible, show your future master a special move. Alright, perform the Earthquake move."

With that, Gible jumped up and then dived downward.

"Boom!"

The marble floor cracked under the impact, sending slight tremors throughout the store. Gible stood straight, acting as if nothing had happened, and continued to make fierce cries as if it wanted praise.

"Gabite~!!"

Hu Tao was stunned.

The floor was paved with marble.

It was incredible that a baby Pokémon could have this kind of power!

"Isn't it a bit much to damage the store like this?"

Hu Tao was a little embarrassed.

It was all just to impress her. Manager Takumi had gone above and beyond.

When Takumi saw Hu Tao's expression, he smiled, scratching his head.

"This shop is enchanted; just click 'Repair,' and it'll be as good as new."

"How about it, Master Hu Tao? It seems like you don't need to worry about Gible not liking you anymore. This little guy is willing to follow you. Would you like to take it away as your initial Pokémon?"

Hu Tao took a deep breath. After seeing Gible's move, her last bit of hesitation was gone.

She finally made up her mind and spoke seriously.

"Manager Takumi, could you reserve Gible for me? I'll head back to the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor to get the Mora!"

Takumi smiled and said, "Go ahead, but don't take too long."

"Half an hour! I'll be back in half an hour at most!"

Hu Tao reluctantly waved to Gible before dashing away like the wind.

Within half an hour, a carriage stopped outside the shop.

Hu Tao, who had driven the carriage, asked the driver from Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, Lao Meng, to help carry two heavy boxes into the store.

"Mora, I just withdrew it from the bank. Here's a deposit receipt too."

Hu Tao patted a large deposit receipt onto the counter with pride.

"Hmph, if I wasn't worried that you wouldn't accept deposit receipts, why would I bother carrying two big boxes of Mora!"

"I'm exhausted!"

Takumi's mouth twitched slightly. Poor Lao Meng, the one actually moving the boxes.

Payment without a bank transfer or any mobile convenience sure was inconvenient.

Luckily, Liyue Harbor had banking services. For this first transaction, Takumi saw room for improvement.

"From now on, all transactions over ten million Mora will require deposit receipts."

After slapping the deposit receipt on the counter, Hu Tao couldn't wait any longer and hugged Gible tightly in her arms, a happy smile on her face.

"Come on, Gible, let's go home!"

Takumi called out just in time.

"Hey, wait a minute!"

He went back to the counter and packed some bonus items into a bag.

"Here's a training manual for novice trainers and two boxes of energy cubes, free of charge."

"I strongly recommend you read the Novice Trainer Manual carefully."

"Additionally, while Pokémon are omnivorous and can eat human food, if you want them to grow stronger and thrive, energy cubes are essential!"

Pet rations too?

Hu Tao opened one of the boxes. It was full of small cubes, emitting an enticing aroma.

"Gabite~ (I'm so hungry)!"

Smelling the aroma, Gible became excited and began to struggle, staring intently at the box in Hu Tao's hand.

Inexplicably, even Hu Tao found herself drawn to the scent, her throat twitching.

"Why do I suddenly want to compete with my pet for food?"

Takumi smiled. "You can try it if you want. Energy cubes are made from berries, pure and natural."

Curious, Hu Tao took out one and pinched it. She found that the small red cubes were like soft candy.

Putting one in her mouth and chewing it, Hu Tao found it quite tasty.

And then a spicy flavor hit her senses.

"Energy cubes... come in different flavors?"

Takumi nodded. "Of course, energy cubes have four attributes to consider: flavor, level, color, and properties."

"There are five flavors: spicy, dry, sweet, bitter, and sour."

"These are primary energy cubes, carefully tailored to suit the tastes of different Pokémon."

Gible's big mouth was already drooling, its big round eyes looking up at Hu Tao pitifully, like a child begging for food.

"Gabite~ Gabite!"

Seeing this, Hu Tao's heart melted, and she quickly opened a box of energy cubes.

The pseudo-legendary baby pounced, happily munching on the energy cubes.

Seeing Gible's good appetite, a kind smile crossed Hu Tao's face.

A voice in her heart said:

How cute!

Ah, I have such a girlish heart!

Hu Tao rubbed Gible's head playfully.

"Hee, it seems you like spicy food. Eat more, eat more!"

"This Hu Tao won't let you go hungry!"

Then she looked up at Takumi.

"These two boxes of feed—well, energy cubes—can I buy a few more boxes? Gible seems to have a good appetite, and I'm afraid two boxes won't last long."

Takumi nodded.

"In fact, I recommend buying a few more boxes to keep at home. Energy cubes provide nutrients necessary for Pokémon's healthy growth, and you'll only find them in our store."

Fifty million Mora, and the heavy boxes had already been transported.

And now more money for feed?

Hu Tao waved her hand generously. "Alright, give me ten more boxes!"

Takumi displayed a satisfied smile. "Energy cubes, basic level: 2,000 Mora per box, intermediate level: 10,000 Mora per box, advanced level: 100,000 Mora per box..."

"As for the master level..."