Chapter 8: Who Needs a Wife When You Have Gardevoir?
"Boss, you're the one selling Pokémon here, right?"
Yan Bang stepped into Pokémon Home, scanning the store with visible skepticism.
He had heard the rumors—Pokémon were creatures that could use elemental power and possessed high intelligence.
But when he looked around, he didn't see a single Pokémon.
"That's right. You've come to the right place," Li Pan responded calmly.
"You mean… the kind of Pokémon that can use elemental abilities and are really smart?"
"Yes, exactly."
"But… I don't see any Pokémon anywhere?"
Yan Bang was on the verge of getting on all fours to search for Pokémon under the furniture.
Li Pan nearly burst out laughing.
Is this guy serious…?
"Customer, the Pokémon aren't on display. You have to use the Pokédex to draw one."
With a raised eyebrow, Li Pan pulled Yan Bang off the floor and handed him the Pokédex.
Yan Bang dusted off his uniform as if nothing had happened and took the device.
"Boss, can I get one of those Shinx?"
Li Pan immediately understood—so this was all because of Keqing's Shinx.
He chuckled.
"That depends on your luck. I don't control what you draw."
"Alright, alright. So how do I do it?"
Yan Bang fiddled with the Pokédex like a kid with a brand-new toy.
"Just press the button in the center of the screen."
Without hesitation, Yan Bang pressed it.
The screen flashed as silhouettes of various Pokémon spun rapidly before finally stopping.
A small, brown shape appeared.
Yan Bang's expression turned complicated.
It… looked like a regular dog.
A fluffy one, sure, but… still a dog.
"Boss… are you absolutely sure this is a Pokémon?"
Yan Bang held up the Pokédex, pointing at the image of the tiny pup.
"Of course! And you're actually quite lucky. This Pokémon is called Lillipup. Its final evolution, Stoutland, ranks among the top-tier Pokémon in battle!"
Stoutland had a base stat total of 500, with a well-balanced stat spread—a solid choice.
Yan Bang, however, wasn't convinced.
As a Millelith officer, he had dealt with plenty of shady merchants before.
And this sounded exactly like the kind of sales pitch those fraudsters used.
"Boss, can I see Lillipup first?"
If not for Keqing's experience, he would have already assumed this was a scam.
"Of course. Please wait in the lounge area."
Li Pan led Yan Bang to the waiting area, then disappeared into the backyard.
Moments later, he returned with a small, brown puppy trotting beside him.
"Here you go—this is Lillipup."
Yan Bang stared at the tiny Pokémon as it circled his legs, tail wagging happily.
"Boss… I'm not saying I don't believe you, but this looks exactly like a regular dog. I came here for a Pokémon that can use elemental abilities—not this."
Yan Bang sighed.
As adorable as it was, he needed a Pokémon that could fight.
More importantly, this was his chance.
For ordinary people in Teyvat, elemental power was unreachable.
And yet, Pokémon offered an alternative.
If he had a Pokémon that could use elemental attacks, he would be one step closer to that dream.
Li Pan wasn't surprised.
He had already researched the market and understood that Pokémon with elemental abilities were in high demand.
"Customer, why not give Lillipup a chance first? Pokémon aren't like Teyvat's creatures—just because one doesn't use elemental energy doesn't mean it's weak."
Yan Bang glanced down, meeting Lillipup's big, watery eyes.
Faced with such an innocent expression, he found it impossible to refuse.
He let out a long sigh.
"Alright, alright. Let's see what it can do."
Li Pan clapped his hands.
"Alright, Lillipup, show him what you've got!"
Li Pan picked up a rock from the ground and tossed it into the air.
"Woof!"
Suddenly, a white light enveloped Lillipup's body.
Like a bullet, Lillipup launched itself forward, colliding head-on with the rock.
CRACK!
The stone shattered into pieces, mid-air.
At the same time—
Yan Bang's expression also shattered.
He stood there, mouth wide open, unable to form a coherent sentence.
Several seconds passed.
Finally, he snapped out of it.
His eyes sparkled with excitement as he scooped up Lillipup in his arms.
"Boss, I'm buying it!"
Success.
Li Pan rubbed his hands together, grinning.
"That'll be 530,000 Mora."
"Done."
Yan Bang didn't even blink—he wasn't paying with his own money anyway.
Spending other people's money felt great.
"Here's your Pokédex and Poké Ball. If you ever need a replacement, come back here to get a new one."
Taking the items, Yan Bang left Pokémon Home, satisfied.
---
System Notification
As soon as Yan Bang walked out the door, a mechanical voice echoed in Li Pan's mind.
[Ding! Congratulations, Host! You have completed five sales orders. The Main Quest has been unlocked.]
[Main Quest: Pokémon Descend]
[Phase One: Sell 20 Pokémon in Teyvat. Once completed, Pokémon will begin appearing naturally throughout the world.]
[Reward: Unlimited Pokémon Draw +1]
"Huh? A main quest?"
Li Pan's eyes widened, a flicker of excitement flashing in them.
For the past few weeks, the system had been silent.
But now, it had dropped a huge bombshell.
After the initial excitement, Li Pan leaned back into his chair.
He wasn't in a rush—business took time.
If he could relax and wait, why not?
---
Meanwhile, in the Backyard…
"Li Pan, do you have any seeds?"
Landorus floated into the shop, holding a shovel.
It had just used Earth Power to till the entire backyard and was now itching to plant something.
Li Pan waved lazily.
"Do I look like a seed vendor? There's some Mora at the counter—go buy some yourself."
"Got it. You're getting lazier by the day. Keep this up, and you'll never find a wife."
"Just go buy your seeds."
Li Pan yawned and waved him off.
"Besides, who needs a wife when you have Gardevoir?"
Landorus froze.
Then turned to glare at him.
Speechless.
With a huff, Landorus snatched the Mora and floated out the door.
---
Meanwhile, at Yuehai Pavilion…
Keqing had just returned when she was stopped.
"Lady Keqing, Lady Ningguang requests your presence at the Jade Chamber."