“What's this?”
“It kind of looks like an ant, but its eyes look like stars...”
Chu Kelian frowned slightly at the Pokémon in her hand, while Bai Qianqian curiously leaned over to get a closer look.
“Not very cute though…”
“Boss, can you take a look at this for me?”
When in doubt, ask the boss! Chu Kelian called out to Gu Xin, who seemed to be deep in thought.
“Let me see.”
Gu Xin snapped out of his thoughts, took the Pokédex from Chu Kelian, and glanced at it. He was momentarily stunned.
“This is a Trapinch, a Ground-type Pokémon.”
Gu Xin cast an odd glance at Chu Kelian. This girl had some seriously good luck.
“Ground-type? Can I redraw?”
Chu Kelian frowned even more. She wanted a Dragon-type Pokémon, not this.
While the Trapinch looked kind of cute, it didn't quite match her aesthetic. She pursed her lips and shook her head. Nope, not this one—time for a redraw.
“Well, it's your right as a customer, so I won't stop you,” Gu Xin said, shaking his head. “However, as a responsible shop owner, I must remind you: Trapinch has great potential, and its evolution is Dragon-type.”
Gu Xin offered her this piece of advice. He wasn't the type to exploit his customers' unfamiliarity with Pokémon to make a quick buck—that would be far too low.
“This big-headed ant evolves into a Dragon-type?”
Chu Kelian was stunned for a moment, then her eyes lit up. Her earlier hesitation and disappointment vanished instantly.
Bai Qianqian and Lin Sheng were also taken aback. Another Dragon-type?
“Indeed. During a Pokémon's growth, there's a process called evolution. After evolving, a Pokémon's abilities improve significantly, and its appearance, typing, and even abilities may change,” Gu Xin explained in detail. “Trapinch evolves into Vibrava and then into Flygon, a Dragon-type Pokémon.”
He elaborated that Flygon was a very powerful Dragon-type Pokémon. While it couldn't rival the pseudo-legendary Dragons, Flygon's strength still ranked among the top tiers—excluding Legendary and Mythical Pokémon, of course.
“So, which one would be stronger in the future, this one or Charmander?”
Chu Kelian listened attentively. She was sure she'd never paid this much attention in school!
But she was curious: which one would be stronger—this big-headed ant or her Charmander?
“Uh… well…” Gu Xin hesitated. How should he answer that?
“If we're only comparing their final evolutionary forms, their strengths are roughly equal,” he said after some thought. “However, if your Charmander achieves Mega Evolution with the help of a Mega Stone, it would likely be stronger… I think.”
Gu Xin propped his chin on his hand, deep in thought. Glancing at the Charmander in Chu Kelian's arms, he continued, “Flygon and Charizard are hard to compare because their strengths lie in different areas. Flygon has an advantage in type matchups since Dragon resists Fire, but Charizard has two Mega Evolution forms and Gigantamax. For strategy and potential, Charmander has the upper hand.”
“But I want to emphasize that a Pokémon's strength isn't solely defined by its innate potential or species—it also depends on the trainer's efforts.”
“Comparing Pokémon purely by their base stats is a shallow view. A single Pokémon can perform vastly differently under different trainers.”
“Do you understand what I mean, miss?” Gu Xin said seriously to Chu Kelian. He wasn't against people seeking strong Pokémon—after all, it was natural to want the best.
However, blindly chasing after strong Pokémon wasn't the right approach. A Pokémon's true strength wasn't determined solely by its base stats.
“There are no weak Pokémon, only weak trainers. I hope the three of you can remember this,” Gu Xin said softly. His words might have sounded idealistic, but this was the message he wanted to convey.
Chu Kelian, Bai Qianqian, and Lin Sheng all fell silent, their expressions thoughtful.
“But I believe the three of you will become renowned trainers one day because you're my first customers,” Gu Xin said with a smile, lightening the mood.
The heavy atmosphere dissipated as Chu Kelian lifted her chin confidently. “Of course! Boss, when you hold a tournament someday, I'll definitely win the championship!”
“I look forward to it, though it might take a while before I can organize one. In the meantime, I hope you'll help me spread the word and bring in more customers.”
“Don't worry, Boss. We'll promote your shop for you!”
“That's right! I'll post about it in my friend circle. Those idle folks, wasting their time on games and karaoke—they should try something meaningful for once!”
“…”
Lin Sheng, who was about to speak, closed his mouth after hearing Chu Kelian's disdain. What did gamers ever do to you? Unbelievable!
Still, he decided to help promote Pokémon Home too. Gu Xin was right—they needed more trainers before hosting a tournament. Otherwise, who would the three of them compete against?
“Boss, Boss! Hand over the Trapinch! I want to see what my big-headed ant looks like!”
Chu Kelian urged Gu Xin eagerly. Knowing that Trapinch would eventually become a Dragon-type Pokémon, she couldn't wait to meet her little cutie!
This book is provided by FunNovel Novel Book | Fan Fiction Novel [Beautiful Free Novel Book]