Pokemon: A New Era Begins

c8: Your Friend Is Very Outgoing

Inside a Luxury Villa

"Come on, Squirtle! Aim right here."

A lively girl with a high ponytail held up an empty bottle, gesturing excitedly to the small, blue turtle Pokémon in front of her.

"If you hit the target, there's a reward waiting for you."

"Jenny! Jenney!"

Squirtle patted its round chest confidently, then placed its tiny hands on its hips, exuding pure determination.

"Haha~ Look at that attitude, Qianqian, he's so adorable."

The girl watching from the side beamed at Squirtle's spirited demeanor, speaking to Bai Qianqian, who was busy recording the scene on her phone.

"Hmph~ Of course! My little Squirtle is super smart."

Bai Qianqian hummed proudly, her bright smile never fading.

"Alright, Squirtle, let's do this!"

The high-ponytailed girl, Chu Pity, tried to hide her envy, but the sourness in her voice betrayed her feelings. Still, she was eager to see what would happen next.

Squirtle's eyes narrowed in concentration as it locked onto the bottle in Chu Pity's hand.

Chu Pity gave a slight feint, swinging her arm twice before launching the empty bottle into the air.

Whoosh!

A sharp jet of water shot out from Squirtle's mouth with pinpoint accuracy, striking the bottle dead center and sending it flying across the yard.

"Nailed it!"

Bai Qianqian clenched her fists in excitement. That was a perfect hit!

"Wow~ That was spot on."

Chu Pity ran over to pick up the bottle, staring in awe at the precise dent left behind by the Water Gun attack.

"And it packed a punch, too."

She glanced over at Squirtle, who was currently basking in the endless praise from Bai Qianqian. The little Pokémon had a smug, satisfied grin as it enjoyed its trainer's affectionate pats.

Squirtle was like a little bodyguard loyal, strong, and smart.

What Chu Pity didn't realize, however, was that Squirtle had actually been holding back. If it had used its full power, that soft plastic bottle wouldn't have just been dented it would have been blasted to shreds.

Even though it was still young, Squirtle had excellent control over its strength.

"Hee hee~ When Squirtle evolves into Blastoise, it'll protect me even better, right?"

"Jenny Jennie~!"

Hearing Bai Qianqian's words, Squirtle puffed out its chest, nodding with absolute confidence.

Chu Pity rolled her eyes, though deep down, she couldn't help but feel jealous.

"Hey, Qianqian, did you really buy this Squirtle from the pet shop I recommended?"

Chu Pity knelt beside Squirtle, pinching its chubby cheeks curiously.

"Yes, but it was totally different from what you described. I didn't just pick Squirtle—I had to draw for it."

"There was a Squirtle there?"

Bai Qianqian had expected Chu Pity to ask that and simply shook her head.

"I don't know. The store works in a special way. The Pokémon you get is determined by a draw. It's all random, so you never know what you'll end up with."

She touched her chin, recalling her visit.

"But there were definitely a lot of Pokémon there. I couldn't see clearly because of the shadows, but I could make out their outlines. Some of them even looked like Western-style dragons."

Could it be…?

Bai Qianqian glanced at Squirtle, who was happily munching on an energy cube.

A real dragon?

That would be insane!

"Random draws? Qianqian, let's go check it out together."

Chu Pity's eyes sparkled with excitement. Her curiosity had officially taken over.

"Alright." Bai Qianqian nodded in agreement.

---

Pokémon House Pet Shop

"Boss, can't you lower the price just a little?"

Lin Sheng clung to the little Vulpix in his arms, completely unwilling to let go, but his face showed deep distress.

He had fallen in love with this six-tailed fox at first sight, but…

"180,000 yuan is just too much for me, boss. I'm still a student."

"I understand, but please believe me this Vulpix is one of a kind. You won't find another like it anywhere else."

Gu Xin sighed, knowing this wouldn't be an easy sell.

"Tell you what, if you buy Vulpix, I'll throw in an extra box of energy cubes. They'll help it grow stronger and even speed up its evolution into Ninetales."

Gu Xin smiled as he made his offer, but he wouldn't budge on the price.

He needed to hit 100 million yuan in sales as soon as possible to upgrade his system.

Lin Sheng hesitated.

Looking down at Vulpix, who was licking its tiny paws, his heart wavered.

Damn it!

This had to be fate!

Meeting Vulpix today meant he was meant to take it home.

"Alright, I'll find a way."

Lin Sheng gritted his teeth.

"Yes! Trust me, you won't regret it."

Gu Xin grinned.

Lin Sheng sighed, knowing full well that this wasn't just any ordinary fox—it was a Vulpix! And one day, it would evolve into a majestic Ninetales.

180,000 yuan wasn't expensive for something this rare.

The only problem?

He had just spent most of his money on a game.

Now, he was 40,000 yuan short.

Who could he ask for help?

Parents? No way.

If his mom and dad found out he was spending hundreds of thousands on a pet, they'd kill him.

"Guess I'll have to call my cousin…"

Lin Sheng sat down, placing Vulpix gently on the table. Taking out his phone, he scrolled through his contacts.

"Hello? Hey, bro, did you eat yet? No, no, this isn't about a game…"

Gu Xin handed him a glass of juice and was about to step outside for a smoke when the doorbell rang again.

Ding!

"Welcome oh? Miss Bai, it's you again."

Gu Xin quickly stuffed the cigarette back into his pocket and greeted the new visitor with his signature smile.

To his surprise, Bai Qianqian had returned.

"Hi, boss~ Still looking as handsome as ever."

"Jenny Jennie~"

Bai Qianqian playfully greeted him, while Squirtle waved its little arms, calling out happily.

It clearly remembered Gu Xin.

"Haha~ Miss Bai, you're too kind. Squirtle looks like it's doing great."

Gu Xin chuckled, bending down to rub Squirtle's smooth little head.

"This is my friend," Bai Qianqian said, gesturing toward Chu Pity. "She also wants to buy a Pokémon from you huh?"

She turned to introduce her friend, only to realize…

Chu Pity was already gone.

Bai Qianqian's eyelid twitched as she glanced toward the back of the store.

Sure enough.

Chu Pity was standing inside, staring intently at Diancie.

Gu Xin followed Bai Qianqian's gaze and chuckled.

"Your friend seems very outgoing."

"…Haha."