For instance, the one detailed on the paper she now held—a Spirit Beast called the Foolkrow—stood out.
This was a Fire-type Spirit Beast, rescued by the patrol officers of Solvale Town from a forest near Avis Lake, on the far side of Azure Bay Mountain.
Despite the "Fool" part of its name, it was a genuinely swift and agile Spirit Beast.
Among its skillset, it even had a move called [ Aerodynamic ], which is an exclusive skill to winged Spirit Beasts.
The skill significantly enhanced its mobility in the air.
Combined with its natural Fire-type, Foolkrow could potentially learn several powerful offensive Fire-type skills later on, turning it into an effective airborne bomber.
Unfortunately, Ash's current financial situation did not allow her to consider adopting this Fire-type Spirit Beast.
Not only was the adoption deposit for Foolkrow was as expensive as 8,000 Beastdollar, but the ongoing costs of raising a Fire-type Spirit Beast were far beyond what she could afford.
In the end, it all boiled down to one simple fact: she didn't have enough money!
"Ahhhhh!!!" Ash let out a frustrated cry, grabbing at her hair as if trying to vent her despair.
The 20,000 Beastdollar she had saved up might seem like a lot at first glance, but when she thought about it carefully, it wasn't nearly enough to cover all the costs.
"Larvanine?"
A Larvanine, which had been silently observing Ash for some time, tilted its small head curiously as it watched her outburst.
It started crawling toward her, planning to climb up the chair leg to see what was wrong.
Before it could make much progress, however, Ash, hearing the soft buzzing noise it made, scooped it up in her hands and began stroking its round body.
"Larvanine!!"
Larvanine let out a surprised squeak but didn't resist Ash's affectionate touch.
"Have you been gaining weight recently?" Ash teased, giving Larvanine's noticeably plumper body a gentle squeeze.
Her sour mood from struggling to find the right Spirit Beast instantly improved.
Larvanine, now flipped over and cradled in Ash's arms with its belly facing up, wiggled indignantly at her remark, letting out a series of high-pitched noises as if protesting that it hadn't gained any weight.
"Alright, alright, you haven't gained weight," Ash relented with a grin, loosening her grip slightly while still cradling the creature. "How about this—you flip yourself over and show me. If you can turn yourself upright, I'll believe you haven't gotten any heavier."
"Larvanine!"
Larvanine squeaked, wiggling its five pairs of stubby legs frantically in an attempt to flip itself over and prove its point.
Unfortunately, given its awkward position lying in Ash's lap, no amount of effort was enough to succeed.
"Hahaha!" Ash burst into laughter at the worm's comical struggle.
"Alright, alright, you don't have to flip over. I believe you haven't gained weight," Ash said with a grin, gently setting the still-squirming Larvanine back on the floor. "Be good now. Go play on your own."
Although Ash had originally brought Larvanine home as a gesture of gratitude for saving her life back on Azure Bay Mountain, the days spent together had turned the little creature into a family in her eyes.