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

"That's… Aura Sphere!"

Su Bai's eyes lit up with recognition—this was a move he knew all too well.

In the anime, Aura Sphere made frequent appearances.

As a move that even evolved Lucario had to train hard to master, its power was not to be underestimated.

For this Lucario to wield it so proficiently—its strength clearly exceeded expectations.

But even more commendable than its power… was its courage.

To strike against Articuno, a raging Tier-2 Legendary Pokémon?

Most wild Pokémon would be paralyzed by the sheer pressure.

Not this one.

Lucario, with its Hidden Ability: Justified, stood tall without hesitation!

Before Articuno, the green glows floating in the air had begun to solidify, emanating a chilling aura.

Each flickering light was turning into a blade of wind—razor-sharp and deadly.

Even for a Tier-2 legendary like Articuno, this move—Hurricane—required mere seconds to charge.

These emerald lights were now fully formed and ready to launch.

"Breeeyaaa!!"

With a furious cry, Articuno flapped its wings once more.

The gathered wind blades trembled violently, seconds away from unleashing.

"Luuuuu—KAAA!!!"

At that exact moment, Lucario let out a defiant roar!

The swirling blue aura burned brighter than ever, spiraling into its palms.

Suspended in the air, Lucario assumed a familiar stance—like a martial artist channeling energy.

In an instant, the sphere in its hands ballooned into a massive cylindrical blast, nearly the size of Lucario itself.

BOOM!

A deep, muffled impact thundered through the air as the Aura Sphere rocketed forward.

Direct hit.

It struck Articuno right in the forehead, a perfect bullseye!

This was the power of Aura Sphere—it never missed.

Caught off guard, Articuno's screech died in its throat.

Its head jerked to the side, stunned by the sudden blow.

While the damage itself wasn't enough to truly injure a Tier-2 legendary, the timing…

The timing was flawless.

In the games, Hurricane had a base accuracy of just 70%.

In this world, it functioned more like a chaotic AOE blast—flooding an area with dangerous wind blades.

Normally, a Pokémon like Articuno could control the general area well enough to strike effectively.

But once a target was caught in the storm…

It would be shredded endlessly by those relentless blades.

Even the heavily fortified Torterra, trained by Wang Tao as a frontline tank, couldn't possibly withstand such a barrage.

And yet—

Lucario had struck at the precise moment Articuno was about to release its storm.

The blow disrupted Articuno's concentration.

Its control over the wind blades snapped.

In an instant, the glowing green lights spiraled out in every direction—uncontrolled and wild!

BOOM!

BOOM!

BOOM!

BOOM!

Each wind blade exploded across the cliffside, carving through the frozen wall.

Chunks of ice flew through the air as the slope shattered beneath the onslaught.

Lucario, having expended all its strength on that powerful Aura Sphere, began to fall—exhausted and limp.

One wind blade, flying straight toward it, left Lucario helpless. It could only close its eyes and brace for impact—

CRASH!

A massive block of ice came soaring through the air, slamming into the wind blade just in time!

From the base of the cliff, Machamp had leapt into action.

At some point, it had jumped down from Torterra's back and begun digging furiously into the icy ground with all four arms.

One after another, it hurled huge chunks of ice toward the flying blades.

BANG!

BANG!

BANG!

BANG!

Explosions rang out with every collision.

Up above, Xiao Zhang tensed his legs and stomped hard on the ice.

CRACK!

The surface cracked underfoot as he launched himself upward—arms outstretched.

Just in time, he caught the falling Lucario.

"Are you okay, Lucario?!"

Xiao Zhang's voice was full of gratitude as he looked at the brave Pokémon who had saved them all.

Without that Aura Sphere at the crucial moment…

They'd be overwhelmed by the storm of blades.

"Go! Now's our chance! Clear out the wind blades and get to the summit!"

Pei Jingguo glanced at the dazed Articuno.

Though stunned, it hadn't snapped out of its rage—its eyes were still burning with hatred.

It still held that lifeless, cursed arm tightly in its claws—refusing to let go.

But there was no need for more orders.

Everyone had already moved.

Machamp, with its four arms, dug and climbed rapidly.

The ice it hurled smashed into the remaining wind blades as the group advanced.

They were so close to the mountaintop now.

"Almost there! We're nearly at the summit!"

Li Xiaoyu shouted in excitement.

This steep terrain had been especially difficult for her team.

Umbreon, being a support-type Pokémon, was better suited for formation-based battles.

Beside her, Jolteon fired repeated bolts of electricity, zapping the remaining wind blades out of the sky.

Things were finally starting to turn around.

"Once we reach the top… I'm going to make that crazed bird SNAP out of it!"

Li Xiaoyu clenched her fist, glaring at the wavering figure of Articuno.

She had nearly become "Xiaoyu Sashimi" today.

As an Electric-type, Jolteon had the type advantage here.

This was its stage to shine.

Once they cleared this hurdle, everyone would see what Eevee's evolution line was truly capable of.

"Breeee!!"

Just as Li Xiaoyu was psyching herself up, Articuno's furious cry pierced the air once more.

The legendary bird had recovered.

Its eyes locked onto the fleeing trainers—fury burning hotter than ever.

Two green glows still floated near it—unfired blades that hadn't received enough energy to launch before.

Now, under Articuno's furious gaze, they began to swell again—sharp edges forming around them.

Then, with a chilling cry—

They fired.

Straight toward Li Xiaoyu.

Electric-types were its biggest threat.

And the human beside Jolteon was likely the trainer.

She was the obvious target.

CRACK!

One wind blade was intercepted mid-flight by a lightning bolt—Jolteon's quick reflexes saving the day.

But the second blade suddenly accelerated, narrowly dodging a chunk of ice Machamp had thrown.

It hurtled straight toward Li Xiaoyu.

Her expression froze.

A deep, primal fear rose in her chest.

Only one thought echoed in her mind:

"I should've checked the horoscope before leaving today…"