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

At this moment, the entire group found themselves in an awkward and precarious position.

There wasn't any proper path to the summit of the mountain—they were climbing up a nearly seventy-degree icy slope, clinging to whatever surface they could find.

And then—following the piercing screech of Articuno, a majestic figure burst from the snowy peak, soaring on an icy gust of wind!

"S-So beautiful…"

Murong Nan stared in awe at the approaching figure.

Articuno's breathtaking form was nothing short of otherworldly.

Its dazzling blue feathers shimmered with a crystalline glow, reflecting the biting light of the ice around them.

Three deep-blue diamond-shaped crest feathers adorned its head, while its long, flowing tail feathers trailed behind like a silk ribbon fluttering in the wind.

In terms of sheer elegance, this was perhaps the most beautiful Pokémon any of them had ever seen—save for the few in Su Bai's private team.

But right now, this Articuno was enraged and out of control!

Gripped in its talons was a severed arm, encased in thick, ominous ice—dark, dense death aura churned violently within the crystal, surging with malevolence.

And within Articuno's eyes—sharp, clear black-and-white irises—burned a storm of fury!

As everyone stood frozen in shock, Articuno suddenly beat its wings with tremendous force.

In an instant, a massive, spiraling wind vortex materialized in front of them.

The swirling air devoured the falling snowflakes, transforming in the blink of an eye into a visible cyclone of ice and snow.

"Brrrrreeeehhh—!!"

With a piercing cry, Articuno unleashed the frozen whirlwind—a full-force Blizzard attack, studded with lethal ice shards, roaring toward the climbers with terrifying speed!

"D-Defend!!"

At the front of the group, Pei Jingguo's expression changed instantly. He plunged his longsword into the icy cliffside to brace himself.

The next moment, the Blizzard hit.

The overwhelming storm engulfed the team in an instant—the biting cold and sharp ice tearing through everything in its path.

Back at the Pokémon Center, the monitor went entirely white.

This wasn't a malfunction—the futuristic, high-tech holographic system of Paradise Era could easily endure all kinds of weather.

No, what the viewers saw was the color of the snowstorm itself—so intense and thick it blanketed the entire screen.

Instantly, the Pokémon Center was thrown into a panic.

From the moment Articuno appeared to the moment it attacked, only seconds had passed.

And within those seconds, the trainers they'd pinned their hopes on were completely overwhelmed by its attack!

"T-That's a Tier 2 Legendary…?!"

"I was just admiring how beautiful it looked… This is terrifying!"

"They're not gonna die, right?! No, no, don't jinx it!"

"You can't see a thing! This is torture!"

The audience erupted into chaos—startled by Articuno's power and sheer ruthlessness.

Some even covered their eyes, unwilling to watch further.

Tier 2 Legendary Pokémon… were on a completely different level.

"That move… it's Blizzard!!"

"Power 110! Even if the Pokémon survive… can the trainers?!"

Even Su Bai clenched his fist tightly. "Have Charizard and Zeraora not arrived yet…?"

He glanced anxiously toward the Pokémon Center's main gate.

Those two had left not long ago—but clearly, they hadn't made it in time.

If they were here, they should've shown up in the camera feed by now.

To Su Bai, his friends' lives mattered far more than any system mission.

A Tier 2 Legendary's AOE attack… wasn't something you could just "tank."

In the games, Blizzard wasn't often picked outside of Hail teams because of its 70% accuracy.

But in reality—especially when unleashed by an Articuno of this caliber—it was absolutely devastating.

And in this terrain, with the team climbing an unstable cliff, Blizzard's area denial became even deadlier.

Even in its maddened state, Articuno still retained its battle instincts—and immediately chose the most crippling move.

And Blizzard wasn't just strong—it had a high chance of freezing its targets.

On a seventy-degree slope… a frozen statue would be instant death.

Then, from the blinding storm, a soft, childlike voice echoed out—

"Gooo~my~~~!"

Next came a loud, crackling sound—the unmistakable clink-clink-clink of ice shards colliding with something solid.

Suddenly, amidst the swirling chaos, a strangely shimmering barrier emerged.

Ice spikes slammed against it, breaking apart with loud snaps—the sound of survival.

Thanks to that barrier, the holographic system finally managed to pierce through the storm and show what was happening again.

At the front, Pei Jingguo gripped his longsword tightly, sweat pouring down his forehead.

Inches away from him—a massive ice spike had embedded itself in the barrier, pointed directly at his head.

Just one more inch…

He would've been impaled.

Crack—!

With a sharp snap, the ice spike broke and fell to the ground.

Pei Jingguo turned, pale-faced, to the one who had saved him.

"T-Thanks…"

Zhang Qun wore an expression that was both tense and pained. He gently nodded, holding his partner close—

—his Goomy, who had just saved them all with a single move: Protect.

Just in time, Zhang Qun had commanded it to shield the team.

Su Bai, watching, finally exhaled and held a hand over his racing heart.

He knew far too much about Pokémon—but the panic had almost made him forget: Goomy learns Protect at level 15!

It was a slow-leveling pseudo-legendary, sure—but Zhang Qun had been training it for a while.

Of course it knew the move!

"I see… But judging by Goomy's condition, it looks completely wiped out…"

Pei Jingguo nearby didn't fare much better.

These were Haicheng's future elite trainers.

"Well… it is a Tier 2 Legendary's signature move. Protecting us from it is already amazing."

Everyone in Haicheng's military Pokémon corps was familiar with Protect—it was even a signature move of their Formation Guard unit.

In the games, Protect nullified all attacks when used.

But in reality, the effectiveness depended on the Pokémon's strength and training, as well as the power of the attacker.

The fact that Goomy had stopped this Blizzard meant it was already pushing its limits.

If Articuno had used even a bit more force, the shield might've shattered.

Now, the adorable Goomy was nothing more than a slimy puddle, completely exhausted in Zhang Qun's arms.

It didn't even want to move.

The little guy had poured every ounce of energy into that Protect—it was completely spent.

"Good job, Goomy!"

Zhang Qun gently recalled it into its Pokéball, his face full of pride despite his concern.

"Who says pseudo-legendaries are useless in the early game?!"

"Goomy just saved our lives!"

"Well done, Zhang Qun!"

Su Bai's voice came through the communicator from the round Pokéball camera.

But then, his tone grew stern:

"Don't lower your guard just yet."

"You're not in a good position for battle—you need to reach the summit. Fast."

On a sixty- to seventy-degree slope, grounded Pokémon like Torterra couldn't fight properly.

But a flying monster like Articuno?

It had no restrictions whatsoever.

Note:

Is 10 chapters a day enough for an update? I still want to enjoy my one-week break because another semester starts next week.