Everyone Else Awakened, But I Just Opened a Pokémon Pet Shop

"Finally—solid ground!"

Wang Tao stepped off Torterra's back and planted his foot on the icy summit. The rare feeling of standing firmly on solid earth made him sigh in relief.

Then, without missing a beat, he tossed out a Poké Ball.

He had recalled Hippopotas earlier to hasten their climb, but now, it was time to change the battlefield.

"Hippa~~hiii!"

With a loud cry, Hippopotas stomped down, kicking up a cloud of sand.

Sand whipped around in a growing storm—the result of Hippopotas's Sand Stream ability activating.

From behind the sand curtain came Wang Tao's voice, full of confidence:

"I don't know what moves this Articuno can use, but altering the battlefield is always a good start!"

Watching the screen, Su Bai's eyes lit up.

Currently, the summit was locked in snowy weather.

Under hail or snow, Ice-type Pokémon like Articuno received a 1.5x boost to physical defense—not just in games, but here in real-world simulations, it gave them a clear advantage.

Changing the weather—even if it slightly inconvenienced their own team—was worth it if it could suppress Articuno.

Articuno, being a pure Ice-type Legendary Pokémon, thrived in cold climates. Shifting the battlefield to sandstorm might just be enough to level the playing field.

Wang Tao might usually act like a slacker, but when it counted, he showed the sharp instincts of a born Trainer.

"He really is a natural…" Su Bai thought with admiration.

But then doubt crept into his mind.

"Still… will it even work?"

In the games, weather effects could override one another based on certain priorities.

But that was game logic—limitations of coding.

This was real life.

Could a weather effect brought on by a baby-stage Pokémon like Hippopotas really overwrite the battlefield dominance of a Tier-2 Legendary?

The answer came swiftly.

And it wasn't the one Su Bai had hoped for.

Articuno, facing the incoming sandstorm, narrowed its eyes and let out a sharp, mocking cry.

"BRRREEAAAHH!!"

Its massive wings beat once, and the winds howled.

The temperature plummeted again, undoing the slight warmth brought by the sand.

Crackling sounds echoed across the summit.

The grains of sand—created by Hippopotas's elemental rules—froze instantly, turning into countless tiny ice crystals that clattered to the ground, then vanished into nothingness.

The battlefield was Ice's domain once more.

"Damn it! Of course it wasn't going to be that easy!" Wang Tao cursed, slapping Torterra's shell.

But he didn't stop. Immediately, glowing green leaves began forming across Torterra's body—countless Leaf Blades, sharp as daggers.

"What are you waiting for?! Beat some sense into that thing!"

At his command, the leaves shot forward like a storm of blades.

In truth, even before Wang Tao's rallying cry, the others had already begun to move.

Years of living under the shadow of Death Beasts had drilled one thing into every Trainer and soldier's head:

Hesitation equals death.

React fast, act faster.

Even rookies fresh into Awakener Academy knew that.

"Empoleon—Aqua Jet!"

"Infernape—Flame Wheel!"

"Arcanine—Extreme Speed!"

"Honedge—Shadow Sneak!"

"Machamp—Double Chop!"

"Cubone—Throw!"

"Talonflame—Flame Charge!"

"Ponyta—Flame Wheel again!"

"Gyarados—Waterfall!"

"Corviknight—Drill Peck!"

"Lapras—Body Slam from above!"

"Umbreon, Jolteon—hit it with Thunder Shock again!"

Shouts erupted across the summit.

The Trainers gave their commands almost in unison—Pokémon bursting into action with synchronized fury.

Close-range Pokémon surged forward, their bodies glowing with flames, water, or shadowy energy. Sparks flew. Fire blazed.

Snowflakes touched their burning bodies, instantly vaporizing into mist.

Fire countered Ice. That advantage was about to be fully exploited.

Two massive Flame Wheels spun toward Articuno.

Talonflame's Flame Charge and Arcanine's Extreme Speed were like twin blazing arrows, flying directly at their target.

Steam filled the air.

From within the mist, Gyarados roared, riding a reversed waterfall like a warship breaching the sea. Its jaws opened wide.

Above it, Lapras, despite its massive body, moved with surprising grace—stepping onto the waterfall and leaping into the air with perfect timing, blocking Articuno's retreat skyward.

Ranged attackers struck faster.

Before the melee fighters even arrived, Empoleon's Aqua Jet struck true.

A sharp crack rang out—lightning arcing overhead.

Jolteon's Thunder Shock exploded once more, lightning lashing down upon Articuno's head.

The battlefield turned into chaos—yet within the madness was order.

Despite conflicting elements—fire and water, electricity and shadow—their attacks somehow flowed together.

Years of surviving deadly battles had trained both Trainer and Pokémon alike in something deeper than tactics: instinctual coordination.

Each move found its place, weaving into a deadly net.

Even Su Bai, watching the screen, nodded repeatedly in approval.

Zhu Jianyuan, standing beside him, threw a fist into the air.

"Yes! That's it! That's the Haicheng City Pokémon Trainers for you!"

Su Bai blinked, a realization hitting him.

Right—he had nearly forgotten.

These Trainers—though young—had all served as instructors in the Pokémon Corps.

Not only had they trained others in raising and battling with Pokémon, but they themselves had learned something just as important:

How to fight as one.

The flurry of attacks left no room for escape.

Every direction was blocked.

These Pokémon were not random wilds.

They were elite companions—painstakingly trained and evolved under pressure and war.

In the blink of an eye, the melee attackers had surrounded Articuno, their blows hammering down like rain.

At the final moment, just before impact—

Su Bai caught a glimpse of Articuno, eyes cold as ever, wrapping its massive wings around itself like a shield.

BAM!

BOOM!

CRACKLE…

The attacks struck true.

Explosions, shocks, and crashes overlapped chaotically.

Steam clouded everything—resulting from water and fire colliding mid-strike.

A thick mist rolled across the summit.

And then—

Cheering erupted inside the Pokémon Center.

No one could even see the aftermath.

But to them—it didn't matter.

Because…

"There's no way it can take that and stay standing!"

"Even a Tier-2 Legendary can't handle a full-scale beatdown!"

"Can't win in a duel? Then let's gang up on it!"