Chapter 79: Ranking of Veteran Trainers' Nurturing Points! Jigglypuff Evolves!

"…Damn! This is sick!"

Wang Tao stood speechless in front of the newly opened Pokémon Center, letting out a heartfelt exclamation.

The architectural style of the Pokémon Center was drastically different from that of this world. Due to the influence of Death Beasts, buildings here were typically rugged and utilitarian.

But this place—while simple in lines—had a unique warmth in its interior design. Just one glance gave people a comforting, almost homely feeling.

In a world like this, such warmth was incredibly rare.

"Pretty awesome, right?"

Ding Yue stood proudly, hands on her hips, admiring her Ding Corporation's craftsmanship with satisfaction.

City Lord Zhu Jianyuan, being a busy man, snapped a few ceremonial photos before promptly returning to the City Lord's Mansion.

Before leaving, Su Bai briefly mentioned the meeting he wanted to have at the mansion later, and Zhu Jianyuan agreed without hesitation.

For Zhu Jianyuan, Haicheng's future now largely rested on this young man's shoulders.

As a city lord standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Lu Liangpeng against oppressive mandates from the capital, Zhu was under immense pressure.

If Haicheng failed to produce results, he'd be the one to take the fall.

—

"What are these items? Never seen anything like them!"

"What's this one?"

"Quick Claw… 'A light, sharp claw that occasionally lets the holder strike first in battle'?"

"And this—Charcoal? 'Fuel for burning. Boosts the power of Fire-type moves when held'?"

"This one's great—I want it!"

Liu Yunlan stood at the counter, practically drooling.

These item effects… why did they all sound so powerful?!

Her Monferno and Growlithe were both Fire-types—this Charcoal was practically made for her!

"There are even evolution items!"

Li Xiaoyu cried out in excitement, eyes gleaming as she looked at the rows of glittering stones on display.

Eevee has eight evolution forms. Aside from special cases like Sylveon, Umbreon, and Espeon, which required specific conditions, the other five forms all relied on Evolution Stones!

Even the elegant and composed A-rank singer Liu Yunshuang couldn't stay calm any longer.

She took a step forward, eyes locking onto the Moon Stone, and shoved her crystal card directly into Su Bai's hands.

"I want that Moon Stone. Right now! Immediately!"

" Jiggly~Jigglypuff!!"

Even the Jigglypuff on her shoulder was just as excited as its trainer!

Liu Yunshuang had had her Jigglypuff for quite a while.

Over that time, it had become closer to her than even her own younger sister, Liu Yunlan.

Now that the evolution item she'd dreamed about was finally in sight, how could she not be thrilled?

"…Ahem. Sorry, but evolution items have to be exchanged with Nurturing Points," Su Bai said apologetically, handing the crystal card back to Liu Yunshuang.

Then, he stepped behind the counter and retrieved the Pokédex.

"Nurturing Points? What's that?"

Liu Yunshuang blinked. "Why haven't I heard of this before?"

Su Bai smiled. "Don't worry. You just need to update your Pokédex."

"Place your hand on the Pokédex. Once updated, your personal Nurturing Points will appear in your synced version."

"Nurturing Points are a new feature introduced by the Pokémon Center, a type of token system."

"They're used to redeem evolution items, battle gear, or access services like the Pokémon Daycare."

"Relax. If you've been properly raising your Pokémon, you should have plenty of points."

"Come on, give it a try."

He tapped the device. "I'm also curious who has the highest Nurturing Point total among you."

After all, most of the current 10% on the progress bar likely came from these early trainers.

Su Bai was certain—no matter what, Liu Yunshuang should at least have enough to afford one Moon Stone.

"This is real?"

Liu Yunlan leaned in curiously, pressing her palm onto the Pokédex.

A moment later, a line of text appeared:

"Update successful. Trainer: Liu Yunlan. Current Nurturing Points: 4,200."

"4,200?! I've got enough to buy that Charcoal!"

Liu Yunlan jumped up in joy.

With the Charcoal priced at 3,000 points, she could easily afford it.

Su Bai nodded, patting the Pokédex and gesturing to the crowd. "Alright, don't rush. One at a time."

—

After a flurry of activity, all the first-generation customers had their Nurturing Points synced and updated.

Just as Su Bai expected—

Wang Tao topped the charts with 5,600 points, well ahead of second and third place, Murong Nan and Liu Yunlan, by over a thousand.

His natural talent as a Trainer was clearly undeniable.

But the real surprise was who came in fourth.

Zhang Qun.

Even though his Gible still hadn't evolved, Nurturing Points reflected a Trainer's actual effort and investment.

And Zhang Qun clearly took Pokémon raising very seriously.

With a pseudo-legendary like Gible in his hands, Su Bai felt assured—it wouldn't go to waste.

Next came Liu Yunshuang.

She looked at her 3,000 points and let out a long sigh of relief.

"Exactly 3,000… enough to buy a Moon Stone."

Overjoyed, she leaned down and kissed her Jigglypuff.

"We can finally evolve!"

"Jiggly~puff!"

Feeling its trainer's excitement, the pink ball of fluff joyfully rubbed against her cheek.

She had gotten her wish.

After her were Pei Jingguo, then Ji Wei, followed by Li Xiaoyu and Ding Yue.

At the very bottom were the newer trainers from Haicheng No. 1 High, who had only recently acquired their Pokémon.

Interestingly, during the siege against the Death Beasts, Pei Jingguo's Pawniard had defeated more enemies than Ji Wei's Sandile, making his higher ranking both unexpected yet understandable.

As the results came in, whispers filled the Pokémon Center.

Especially from Li Xiaoyu, who only had 1,800 points—not enough to afford even a single Evolution Stone.

Su Bai chuckled and clapped his hands.

Once everyone turned their attention to him, he said:

"Nurturing Points can be earned through Pokémon battles, fighting Death Beasts, and regular training."

"If your points are low now, don't worry. All items at the Pokémon Center are available in unlimited quantities."

"There's no rush—buy them whenever you're ready."

"But…"

His eyes swept over the room—then paused on Liu Yunlan, who looked ready to snap up the Charcoal immediately.

"…Some of you are already fixated on what you can afford. That's not always the best strategy."

"For example, Charcoal does give a strong boost to Fire-type attacks."

"But for an Monferno, it might not be the optimal choice."

"Each Pokémon can only hold one item."

"And that item could drastically influence its entire combat style."

"For instance, once Monferno evolves, there's a powerful strategy using a Focus Sash combined with Stealth Rock for fast-paced setups."

"Nurturing Points are precious. Aside from evolution items you truly need, think carefully and plan your tactics before making purchases."

Liu Yunlan glanced at the display counter… and her face twitched.

The Focus Sash was priced at a whopping 50,000 points!

Yeah. Better save those points.

Su Bai smiled, then took a Moon Stone from behind the counter and handed it to the eagerly waiting Liu Yunshuang.

She carefully brought it over to her Jigglypuff.

The round pink Pokémon leaned in close.

As Jigglypuff approached, the Moon Stone floated into the air.

A soft, glowing light enveloped both the stone and the Pokémon.

Jigglypuff… was evolving!