Chapter 24

"Then continue," Takumi said, nodding toward Ningguang.

Ningguang was the first customer to skip her initial Pokémon since the store opened.

The second Pokémon revealed in the lottery was Timburr, a little beast carrying a heavy piece of wood. It looked cute, but its name and demeanor made it seem like a hardworking laborer.

Ningguang's eyes dimmed slightly. This time, she didn't even ask Takumi for his opinion and clicked to skip, moving on to the third draw.

Soon, the result of the third round was revealed.

"Eh?" Hu Tao and Xiangling, who were watching, leaned forward in curiosity.

"What is that?"

"It looks strange! Why does it look like an arm sculpture? What kind of Pokémon is that?"

On the illuminated Pokédex, the Pokémon certainly didn't look impressive. It resembled a dumbbell, with a long body and large claws attached to its front. A massive red eye was set into its head.

"Another one that's not great…" Ningguang sighed, ready to press the "Skip" option to initiate the fourth draw.

She moved a bit too quickly.

Takumi, startled, immediately reached out and grabbed Ningguang's wrist, stopping her.

"Wait!"

Ningguang didn't seem to mind the skin contact; instead, she seemed to sense something significant, her eyes lighting up with a mix of anticipation and excitement as she looked at Takumi.

"Doesn't the name appear on the Pokédex?" Takumi asked.

"It's called Beldum," Takumi pointed out. "This is its initial form. Right now, it's not very strong and has limited combat abilities. But if it evolves into Metagross, it transforms into a true pseudo-legendary—a Pokémon that's tough, can fight, and even has the potential to stand up against legendary Pokémon."

Pseudo-legendary!!

Ningguang herself was stunned, let alone those around her.

Hongyi and the three secretaries hadn't expected that Ningguang would draw a pseudo-legendary on her third attempt.

"Ah—!" Xiangling exclaimed, a pang of jealousy surging through her.

Though she wouldn't turn into "lemon essence" right away, Xiangling couldn't hide her envy and stared longingly at the image of Beldum on the Pokédex.

After Hu Tao recovered from her surprise, she turned to Takumi and asked:

"Store Manager, both Beldum and Gible have pseudo-legendary potential. If they evolve to their final forms, which one would be stronger?"

This question puzzled Takumi.

It was like asking who was stronger, Steven's Metagross or Cynthia's Garchomp.

However, Takumi didn't want to directly compare them. Instead, he smiled and shared the story of Steven Stone, the Champion of the Hoenn region, and Cynthia, the Champion of the Sinnoh region.

During his storytelling, Xiangling, Hu Tao, Hongyi, and the others couldn't help but express their amazement:

"Wow, Garchomp is Cynthia's main partner? That's incredible!"

"Steven's Metagross can even fight Kyogre, a legendary Pokémon?!"

The story left both Hu Tao, who owned the Gible, and Ningguang, who had just drawn Beldum, with different feelings.

Hu Tao was thrilled.

Cynthia, the Champion of Sinnoh in the story, was a powerful figure—dignified, virtuous, elegant, and awe-inspiring. She carried herself with a noble grace.

In Teyvat, she'd be seen as a goddess-like figure.

"I want to train my Gible to be as powerful as Cynthia's Garchomp!" Hu Tao clenched her fists.

Ningguang, on the other hand, saw a reflection of herself in Steven Stone, the Hoenn Champion.

Calm, composed, and collected. Truly charming.

The key difference was that Steven later retired from his role as Champion to pursue a hobby of mineral excavation.

This made Ningguang wonder if she should find a new passion beyond her duties in business and with the Liyue Qixing Cabinet.

"Hmm?" Ningguang suddenly noticed the red mark on her wrist where Takumi had grasped it. It seemed he had held her wrist a bit too tightly.

"Store Manager Takumi, you seem a little excited..." Ningguang said, with a half-smile.

It was a double entendre.

Was he excited by the close contact? Or was it the fact that she had drawn Beldum, which had caused Takumi's excitement?

Takumi's emotions were indeed complex at the moment, but it wasn't because of Ningguang's teasing.

"Steven's Metagross is a shiny Pokémon," Takumi added. "It has a pure white body with claws that are golden."

Upon hearing this, everyone's pupils shrank as they all turned their eyes to Beldum on the Pokédex.

Then...

A sense of awe spread through the room.