A New Pokémon Companion
Alex carefully helped Lily, the affluent young woman, load the energy cubes she had purchased into the trunk of her car. He watched as she settled into the driver's seat, her excitement still evident.
"Goodbye, little brother~ If I have any questions about feeding Squirtle, I'll get in touch," Lily teased playfully.
She placed the innocent-looking Squirtle in the passenger seat, carefully fastening its seatbelt. Squirtle blinked up at her with a look of adorable confusion. Lily leaned out the window to wave goodbye.
"Goodbye~ You're welcome anytime! And don't forget to send more customers my way!" Alex replied with a grin.
"Don't worry about that," Lily said, sticking her tongue out at him mischievously.
She made a playful face before her luxury car disappeared down the street, leaving Alex standing at the curb with a satisfied smile.
As soon as Lily was out of sight, Alex took a Poké Ball out of his pocket. He had debated whether to give the Poké Ball to Lily now, but in the end, he had decided against it. The technology was too unfamiliar for this world, and introducing it too early could raise suspicion.
The system had assured Alex that people's resistance to Pokémon and their related items had been minimized through subtle perception shifts, but he still wanted to take things slow.
"No rush," Alex muttered to himself. "Lily is only my first customer, and only one Pokémon has been sold so far. There's no need to reveal everything just yet."
With a stretch and a contented sigh, Alex headed back into his store.
Business had been slow. The pet shop's unconventional inventory—no cats, dogs, or other familiar animals—hadn't drawn much attention. The only other customer who'd tried their luck had walked out the moment they saw the price of Larvitar.
"Crazy," the customer had said, though their tone was oddly polite.
Alex chuckled to himself, shaking his head. "They'll regret it one day. Missing out on Larvitar? That's their loss."
Even he had been surprised at how rare a Pokémon Larvitar was to draw on a first try.
---
A Legendary Reward
"System, settle the novice task," Alex said as he settled into his chair and sipped his tea.
"The first Pokémon sold in the novice mission is complete. The reward is being processed."
"Rewarding the host with an unlimited lottery ticket. Would you like to start?"
"Absolutely!" Alex responded eagerly.
Although he had just sold Squirtle to Lily, he still didn't have a Pokémon of his own. But that was about to change.
An unlimited lottery ticket meant the possibility of drawing any Pokémon—including legendary ones!
Ho-Oh, Lugia, Rayquaza, Kyurem—the possibilities were endless!
"The draw begins."
A translucent virtual wheel appeared before Alex, spinning rapidly as shadows of various Pokémon flickered across it.
Slowly, the wheel came to a stop. As the shadow became clearer, Alex's heart leaped.
"Congratulations to the host, you have drawn Diancie."
"Haha! My luck is incredible today!" Alex exclaimed, a wide smile spreading across his face.
He held up the Poké Ball containing Diancie, admiring it.
Diancie was no ordinary Pokémon—it was a legendary being, revered in the Pokémon world as the princess of the Diamond Mining Country. Classified as a Mythical Pokémon, it was in the same tier as Mew and Celebi.
"Come out, Diancie."
Alex tossed the Poké Ball, and with a flash of white light, a radiant and elegant figure appeared before him.
Diancie sparkled brilliantly. She had a pink, round diamond on her head, a crown of octahedral diamonds, and a dress-like lower body made of crystalline ore. Her ruby-like eyes shimmered as she regarded Alex curiously.
"Hello, Diancie. I'm Alex. We'll be family from now on, so let's take care of each other," Alex said warmly, bowing slightly in greeting.
"Please take care of me, Alex."
Diancie's melodic voice resonated in Alex's mind. It was telepathy—a rare and beautiful form of communication that transcended language and species.
Her gentle, refined demeanor perfectly matched her elegant appearance, making Alex smile even more.
"Your voice is lovely, Diancie. Here, try this," Alex said, offering her a box of energy cubes from the counter.
"Thank you, Alex. Diancie loves it."
Diancie delicately picked up an energy cube and nibbled on it. Her delight was evident, communicated through her telepathy.
Every movement of hers exuded grace and poise, as though she were a noble princess.
Alex couldn't help but feel a swell of pride. "So cute," he murmured to himself, his heart melting.
Yes, his first Pokémon wasn't just special—it was legendary.
"My Diancie is the most beautiful and cutest of them all," Alex thought with a grin.
And so, Alex's journey into the world of Pokémon truly began.