Chapter 5: The Starters!

"Welcome!" 

As soon as they stepped into Pokémon Home, Baishi, Baixiao, and Baiwen were immediately startled by the sight of a talking Landorus. 

"Ah!!! You… you can talk?!" 

Baishi let out a shriek. 

Talking animals weren't unheard of in Liyue. But without exception, those who could speak were all referred to by one name—Adepti! 

Was the clerk in this shop an Adeptus?! 

Suddenly, Baishi felt her scalp tingle. 

Who could possibly command an Adeptus? 

Ever since the Geo Archon, Morax, had waged his campaigns, vanquished numerous gods, and established Liyue's dominion, there had only been one entity capable of such a feat. 

The founding Adeptus of all Adepti—Rex Lapis! 

Was the owner of this store actually Rex Lapis?! 

Just thinking about it made Baishi dizzy. 

On the other hand, Landorus simply looked at her in confusion, unsure why this girl had suddenly clutched her head like that. 

"Girl, what's wrong? Not feeling well?" 

A deep, aged voice rumbled from Landorus's mouth. 

"N-No, it's nothing… Esteemed Adeptus, are you… working here as a shopkeeper?" 

Baishi asked hesitantly. 

But Landorus only scratched its head with a puzzled expression. 

"Adeptus? What's that?" 

"You're… not an Adeptus?" 

Baishi's eyes widened as she stared at the humanoid Pokémon before her in disbelief. 

"It's called Landorus. It's my Pokémon." 

A gentle voice came from inside the shop as Li Pan stepped out. 

"Welcome, dear customers. Are you here to purchase a Pokémon?" 

Li Pan raised an eyebrow. He recognized these three—they were Baiwen, Baixiao, and Baishi, the personal secretaries of Ningguang, the Tianquan Star of the Liyue Qixing. 

But he quickly set aside any unnecessary thoughts. He was just a humble shop owner. It wasn't like he was planning to become some notorious outlaw. 

Baishi, still skeptical, looked between the friendly-smiling Landorus and Li Pan. 

"Boss, can all Pokémon talk?" 

"No, not at all. Landorus can speak because of its unique nature. Of course, there is a chance that the Pokémon you draw might also learn to speak. However, everything comes at a cost—if a Pokémon invests all its potential into learning human language, its combat ability will suffer." 

"That said, Psychic-type Pokémon can communicate with humans via telepathy without affecting their potential." 

Hearing this, the three women exchanged glances. 

This… doesn't quite match our assumptions. 

"Then… Boss, how do we purchase a Pokémon?" 

Baixiao glanced around the shop but saw no other Pokémon besides Landorus. 

Seeing this, Li Pan smiled and took out the Pokédex. 

"Please press this button. Once you start the draw, you will be given the right to purchase whichever Pokémon you obtain. Each person can draw five times per day—the first draw is free." 

Looking at the unfamiliar device, Baiwen stepped forward first. 

"I'll go first." 

Without hesitation, she pressed the button. 

The screen flickered rapidly, displaying numerous silhouettes—some familiar, others completely unknown. The speed increased, and Baiwen's gaze grew more focused. 

[Beep!] 

A soft chime rang out, and the spinning silhouettes stopped, revealing a green, bipedal lizard. 

"Boss, what kind of Pokémon is this?" 

Baiwen handed the Pokédex to Li Pan. 

Li Pan's expression showed slight surprise. 

"Customer, you have good luck! This is Treecko, the Grass-type Starter from the Hoenn region." 

"Boss, where is this Hoenn region, and what does Starter mean?" 

Baiwen's natural curiosity kicked in as she caught onto the key details in Li Pan's explanation. 

"The Hoenn region is where Treecko naturally inhabits. As for Starter Pokémon, they are specifically chosen from Water, Fire, and Grass types to be the most suitable for beginners to train." 

Baiwen's eyes lit up. 

"So that means Treecko has excellent potential?" 

When Li Pan nodded, she immediately made up her mind. 

"I'll buy it! Can I see it now?" 

"Of course. Please wait a moment." 

Li Pan turned and walked into the back. When he returned, a cautious, green lizard peeked out from behind his legs. 

"So… so cute…" 

The moment Baiwen saw Treecko, she fell head over heels. 

At that moment, her decision was final—no one could change her mind! 

"Boss, how much is it? I'm buying!" 

She slammed a pouch of Mora onto the counter. 

"Customer, the price for Treecko is 530,000 Mora." 

"Buying it!" 

"Would you also like to purchase corresponding Pokéblocks? Pokémon have strong digestive systems and can eat human food, but to maintain balanced nutrition, I highly recommend Grass-type Pokéblocks." 

"Buying! Give me the best ones!" 

Seeing Baiwen's irrational enthusiasm, Li Pan didn't say anything more. He swiftly packed up her purchases, fearing she might change her mind. 

"Tree… tree!" 

Treecko flinched at Baiwen's overwhelming excitement, quickly hiding behind Li Pan. 

Seeing this, Baiwen finally calmed down a bit. She smiled apologetically, crouched down, and extended her hand. 

"Sorry, Treecko. Did I scare you? Would you like to come with me?" 

Treecko looked at Baiwen thoughtfully before finally placing its tiny paw in her palm. 

A surge of pure joy flooded Baiwen's mind. 

She immediately lifted Treecko into the air and spun around in delight. 

"Ahh~~ Treecko, you're too adorable!!" 

Watching this unfold, Li Pan chuckled softly. 

After a while, Baiwen finally settled down, and Li Pan handed her a Pokédex. 

"Customer, this is your Pokédex. Simply point its camera at your Pokémon, and you'll see its information." 

Baiwen eagerly pointed the Pokédex at Treecko. 

[Beep!] 

[Treecko] 

[Type: Grass] 

[Level: 5] 

[Ability: Overgrow (Boosts the power of Grass-type moves when HP is low)] 

[Moves: Pound, Leer, Leafage] 

"This thing is incredible!" 

Baixiao and Baishi huddled around to examine the Pokédex screen, marveling at the displayed details. 

"Boss, it's my turn! Hurry, hurry, I want to draw my Pokémon too!" 

Seeing Baiwen's usually calm demeanor crumble into excitement, Baixiao was already itching to take her turn. 

"Of course. Please proceed, customer." 

A sale was a sale—there was no reason to refuse. Li Pan handed over the Pokédex. 

Baixiao pressed the draw button. 

A moment later, the screen let out a crisp chime— 

[Beep!]

And a new Pokémon silhouette appeared…