NOVEL WEB Chapter 31: Chapter 31
"Boss, is this Zigzagoon really as good as you say it is?"
Inside Pokémon Home, a middle-aged man named Tic, accompanied by a delicate little girl, was staring skeptically at the Pokédex, which displayed a brownish-gray... raccoon?
Originally, Tic hadn't planned on buying a pet.
After all, pets were too much trouble. Not only did they make a mess everywhere, but if they got sick, you'd have to find a professional doctor to treat them. Add in the cost of food, and the expenses could easily surpass what a grown man like him spent.
But there was no helping it.
His little princess at home had been pestering him relentlessly, so he had no choice but to come and take a look.
He randomly walked into a pet store, thinking he'd just buy a cheap cat or dog and be done with it. But who knew that this store had a gimmick where you had to draw a lottery first, and whatever you drew was what you could buy?
This was really throwing him for a loop.
Tic didn't know what expression to make. This was clearly a scam, wasn't it?
Before he could say anything, his little princess had already excitedly started the draw.
At this point, all he could do was pray they didn't get some weird pet. His wife was terrified of crawling creatures, and if he brought one home today, he'd probably end up sleeping on the streets.
The screen on the device the shopkeeper called a Pokédex spun and finally landed on a brownish-gray creature that looked like a cross between a hedgehog and a raccoon.
A raccoon was fine, at least it was a normal pet.
But the next moment, the rather handsome shopkeeper claimed that this raccoon could eventually master elemental powers. Wasn't that just nonsense? This guy was clearly trying to scam him!
In an instant, any goodwill Tic had felt toward Li Pan vanished, replaced by wariness.
"Let's go, sweetie. We're not buying this."
He pulled the excited little girl and prepared to leave.
"...Oh..."
The little girl's face visibly fell. She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but obediently followed Tic.
"Sir, please wait. At least take a look at the product before deciding whether to buy it or not. You won't lose anything by doing so."
Seeing this, Li Pan called out to Tic, who was already at the door.
Tic's reaction didn't surprise him. In fact, it was the normal response. After all, Visions and elemental powers, after thousands of years of history, had become something everyone in Teyvat either admired or envied.
Now, here he was, suddenly claiming that his pets could use elemental powers. It was only natural for people to be skeptical.
"Oh?"
Hearing this, Tic's eyes shifted. He glanced at his daughter's reluctant expression and reluctantly agreed.
"Please wait a moment, sir."
Li Pan smiled and walked into the backyard, where the Zigzagoon, materialized by the system, was already waiting for him.
Soon, Tic saw Li Pan walk out with a small brownish-gray raccoon at his feet. It looked just like the one on the Pokédex and was quite adorable.
The little girl's eyes lit up the moment she saw the Zigzagoon. She ran over on her short legs, squatted beside it, and blinked her big, bright eyes.
At the same time, the Pokédex's voice rang out.
[Zigzagoon]
[Level: 5]
[Type: Normal]
[Ability: Pickup (Sometimes picks up items used by opponents or found during adventures)]
[The Tiny Raccoon Pokémon. It walks in a zigzag pattern because of its strong curiosity, which makes it interested in everything it sees.]
[Moves: Tackle, Growl, Sand Attack]
Seeing his daughter's reaction, Tic's heart softened, and he wanted to buy the Zigzagoon. But on his face, he maintained a look of indifference.
"Boss, is this the pet you said could master elemental powers?"
Li Pan wasn't annoyed. He simply smiled and said, "Of course. But right now, the Zigzagoon is still too weak. It only has a strong physical constitution. Here, Zigzagoon, use Tackle on this rock."
As he spoke, Li Pan took a fist-sized rock from the counter drawer and tossed it toward the Zigzagoon.
To convince potential buyers, the counter drawer was always stocked with fist-sized rocks.
The Zigzagoon's eyes focused, and its small body turned into a gray flash, shattering the rock in mid-air.
"Wow, the bear is so strong!"
The little girl watched excitedly.
"Tsk..."
But Tic's pupils contracted. He quickly ran over to the Zigzagoon, squatted down, and picked up the rock fragments. After pinching them, he confirmed they were genuine. His face showed even more shock, especially since the rock was of a particularly hard type.
He looked at the Zigzagoon in disbelief. How could such a small creature shatter such a large rock? What would happen if it hit a person?
"Boss... is this pet dangerous?"
He quickly shielded his daughter and looked at the Zigzagoon warily.
Li Pan reminded him, "Sir, Zigzagoon is a Pokémon. Also, Pokémon are highly intelligent, almost on par with humans, and can communicate. So you don't need to worry about it going berserk and harming your family."
Tic looked at the Zigzagoon skeptically. "Zig... Zigzagoon, can you understand me?"
The Zigzagoon sat on the ground and nodded with a smile.
Now, Tic was completely stunned. This little creature could actually understand him. But at the same time, he felt relieved. If it could communicate, that was a good thing.
The next moment, Tic's mind started racing. Even if the little guy hadn't shown any elemental powers yet, its physical abilities alone were impressive.
He was a miner working in The Chasm, a particularly dangerous place.
Aside from occasional cave-ins, there were countless monsters.
Bringing this little guy along might not help against Hilichurl Berserkers, but it could definitely handle Hilichurls and Treasure Hoarders.
Spending money on such a small, obedient bodyguard seemed like a great deal.
"Boss, how much is this Zigzagoon?"
Now, the only thing stopping Tic was the price. He asked cautiously, afraid he might hear a number he couldn't afford.
"Sir, the Zigzagoon costs 420,000 Mora."
It's a pity it's not the Galarian Zigzagoon. The Galarian variant can evolve twice, and its final form, Obstagoon, has a base stat total of 520, making it a solid main fighter.
On the other hand, when Tic heard the price of 420,000 Mora, he breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, the price wasn't too outrageous. He could manage it if he gritted his teeth.
"Alright, boss, I'll take it."
After capturing the Zigzagoon, Tic left with his overjoyed little girl.
Not long after they left, Ningguang, that sly woman, walked in with the Baiwen, Baixiao, and Baishi sisters.
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