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

Talonflame's charge sliced through the sky like a blazing comet, its fiery trail drawing every pair of eyes to it.

Flare Blitz, already known as the most powerful Fire-type move among all the trainers' Pokémon, made Talonflame the undisputed center of attention.

And now, with the added Fire Spin armor, its destructive potential had soared even higher.

Inside the Pokémon Center, the audience had already begun to cheer in anticipation:

"So that's how you use Fire Spin? That's genius!"

"Guess Liu Yunlan isn't just some edgy show-off after all!"

"This is it! Flare Blitz—who can possibly stop it!?"

"Talonflame's the strongest, hands down!"

"Don't forget Infernape! That Fire Spin combo was next-level!"

The cheers echoed through the center, wave after wave.

Su Bai, however, stayed dead silent—his eyes locked on the screen.

Despite the clear gap in power, even Articuno would struggle to take a full-force, suicide-style Flare Blitz head-on—especially one amplified by Fire Spin and Umbreon's Helping Hand.

All the conditions were maxed out.

But…

"That's still Articuno we're talking about…"

Su Bai muttered, his fists clenching.

This wasn't just any legendary bird—it was a tier-2 divine beast, and it was angry.

Sure, Talonflame's momentum was monstrous… but could Articuno possibly not have a countermeasure?

PAK!

As Umbreon's Helping Hand boost landed, Talonflame burst forward at even greater speed—a fiery meteor streaking through the sky.

And then, just as it hurtled toward its target, Articuno opened its beak.

A chilling aura gathered rapidly within.

"That's—Ice Beam!?"

"Of course! There's no way Articuno would just sit there and take it!"

Su Bai's eyes widened in alarm.

He finally understood what had felt off earlier.

If Articuno wanted to, it could've attacked at any point. But it didn't.

It waited—waited for Talonflame to commit to a straight-line charge.

Only then did it strike—because now, there was no dodging.

"Shit… it baited them!"

"Talonflame!"

Ding Yue cried out, drenched in cold sweat despite the freezing wind.

"Dodge! Dodge now!"

One arm waved frantically; the other clutched Talonflame's Poké Ball.

Flare Blitz was already dangerous—it damaged the user as much as the target.

If Talonflame took a direct hit from Ice Beam at this moment…

She wouldn't even have time to recall it. The result would be instant death.

But once Flare Blitz begins, there's no turning back.

That's the cost of its overwhelming power.

Even now, Talonflame couldn't glance back at her—its mind and body were fully committed.

Articuno's Ice Beam erupted—a pale blue spiral, sharp and deadly.

"BREEEEE!!"

With a majestic cry, the beam exploded from its mouth.

A direct hit meant certain death.

Ding Yue's heart shattered in despair.

But then—

"Gyarados, use Hyper Beam!"

A calm but forceful voice rose from behind her.

It was Zhou Xiaofei.

Still clutching his aching head, he pointed at Articuno without hesitation.

"ROOOAAAR!"

Gyarados reared back with a ferocious roar.

From its gaping jaws surged a blinding beam of destructive energy—

Hyper Beam.

An ultimate Normal-type move with a massive cooldown—but enough power to erase S-tier deathbeasts from the battlefield.

BOOM!

The beam split the air, burning hot and roaring with force.

Ding Yue flinched, nearly deafened by the shockwave—but her heart ignited with hope.

She hadn't seen Gyarados in action before.

But she knew its record—a solo win against three S-class death beasts.

BOOM!

The two beams collided—Ice Beam vs Hyper Beam—in a dazzling explosion of energy.

A high-stakes beam clash began.

Talonflame's fate now hung on a razor's edge.

"Talonflame—move! Just shift your path slightly! Please!"

Ding Yue shouted through tears, clutching the Poké Ball like a lifeline.

The beam clash had bought them time, but Talonflame was still on a collision course with the deadliest part of the crossfire.

"Just a little to the side… please…"

And Talonflame heard her.

"TA-LOOOON!!"

With a cry of determination, it forced its wings open mid-charge.

The wind resistance tore at it instantly.

CRACK!

A sharp snap echoed through the air—its wing had broken.

But that broken wing was enough to nudge it off course.

Its trajectory shifted—just barely—but enough.

The pain was unbearable, but Talonflame pressed on.

"Crack… crack…"

The sound of bones splintering was nearly constant.

But with every painful adjustment, its flight path curved—avoiding the deadly crossfire.

Ding Yue could barely believe it.

"Talonflame…"

Tears streamed down her cheeks.

This was her first Pokémon.

She'd once resented it for being just another regional bird.

But now?

She wouldn't trade it for any pseudo-legendary in the world.

Even if Zhang Qun offered her his top-tier Pokémon, she'd refuse without hesitation.

This wasn't just a battle.

This was a bond.

Talonflame, even with a shattered wing, was determined to complete her command.

"BREEEEEE!!"

Articuno shrieked again—infuriated.

These insignificant Pokémon had pushed it this far?

Even in its madness, it was a noble legendary beast.

And now it was being pushed back?

Its icy feathers glittered with rage.

The Ice Beam swelled in power.

The Hyper Beam, already straining, was pushed back.

"What the hell!? I thought the left side always wins in beam clashes!"

Su Bai pounded his fist on the table.

Clearly, Articuno had been holding back this whole time.

Now even Gyarados was in danger!

"Gyarados! Lapras—help him!"

As panic surged, Liu Qiaoqiao, who had been quietly hiding behind Torterra, suddenly stood up.

Her necklace's glow had dimmed in the bitter cold.

A mere human without powers, she'd been shielded all this time.

But now, she stepped forward.

"Laaaaa~!!"

Lapras shook off its dizziness from earlier and responded instantly.

A massive jet of water erupted from its mouth.

"Empoleon, Scald!"

Wang Tao's voice rang out at the same time.

Empoleon's Water/Steel typing had endured the Ice Wind surprisingly well.

It now added its own scalding saltwater to the attack.

Water, steam, heat—all surged into the beam clash.

And finally—

CRACK!!

A blazing fireball smashed directly into Articuno's chest.

Talonflame's Flare Blitz had landed.

Back in the Pokémon Center, no one dared cheer.

After watching Articuno rebound again and again, no one was sure if it was over.

Even Su Bai had abandoned his chair, watching the smoke rise with bated breath.

SHOOP!

A beam of red light burst through the mist—returning Talonflame to its Poké Ball.

Ding Yue caught it with trembling hands, tears still streaming.

It had survived.

But the Pokédex showed a full red screen.

Talonflame was critically injured, on the brink of death.

The Flare Blitz's recoil, plus the wing injury, had pushed it to its limit.

"After all that… please tell me Articuno is finally down…"

Wang Tao's throat was dry.

Even Torterra, standing firm despite its quadruple weakness to Ice, was barely hanging on.

He hadn't recalled it—not while it stood guard over Zhou Xiaofei and Liu Qiaoqiao.

"Bree… ee…?"

From the smoke, a confused chirp emerged.

Articuno slowly flapped its wings, scattering the mist.

It glanced at the scorched battlefield.

At the exhausted, wary Trainers surrounding it.

It tilted its head—confused.

The blue feathers on its chest were scorched black.

That was Talonflame's parting gift.

"Don't! Don't attack again!"

Zhou Xiaofei raised his hands quickly.

"Articuno's calm now!"

He walked toward the legendary bird.

And gently laid his head against its chest.

Articuno's eyes flickered—then softened.

Its expression… turned embarrassed.

A legendary beast—just moments ago a rampaging god—was now blushing.

Comical as it seemed, no one laughed.

Everyone was too emotionally drained.

Wang Tao dropped to the frozen ground with a tired laugh.

"It can blush? Legendary-tier Pokémon are too much…"

"All that power… and Talonflame only managed to singe a few feathers…"

Xiao Zhang collapsed next to him, still holding his exhausted Lucario.

Everyone was sprawled across the battlefield—physically, emotionally drained.

But in the Pokémon Center—

A wave of cheers finally erupted.

They had survived.

Zhu Jianyuan looked at Su Bai, his gaze heavy.

Su Bai met his eyes and nodded silently.

Off to the side, Lu Liangpeng said nothing—but the same thought echoed through their minds:

"If Articuno is this powerful…

What the hell did that Sub-beast do to piss it off so badly?"