First on Su Feng's list for his Pokémon Academy were people he knew well: Brother Jin, the Cheng sisters (Meng and Die), Xiao Da, and the boy with the Eevee from his recent livestream. Familiar faces would make communication smoother.
For the remaining six spots, he planned a livestream lottery—open to viewers aged 10 to 30.
Lost in thought about his curriculum, Su Feng wandered near a bustling shopping mall without realizing it.
"First, cover the basics. Everyone kinda gets types by now, but abilities, moves, and battles need more explanation..."
Muttering to himself, he didn't notice the crowd ahead until it was too late.
A young boy fidgeted anxiously, eyeing the sea of people.
"If I miss this, who knows when the next restock will be?"
Today was the official launch of Poké Balls. Though available in major stores, quantities were limited. A revolutionary invention like this was bound to sell out instantly.
He'd arrived before dawn to queue up, only to be shoved aside by burly adults. Now, with the store opening imminent, the entrance was jam-packed.
"Think, think!" His eyes darted around—then landed on the empty staff entrance at the back.
A reckless idea struck him.
The Poké Balls were on open shelves, not behind counters. If he could slip in through the back before the doors opened...
Glancing at his watch: Two minutes.
He bolted for the rear exit—
THUD!
—and collided headfirst with what felt like a brick wall.
"Ow—!" The boy landed hard on his rear, dazed.
Su Feng blinked. "Ah, my bad. You okay?" He offered a hand.
"N-No, it's my fault—" The boy froze. That voice... It sounded familiar.
But no time to dwell. The store's opening chime rang out, and the crowd surged inside like a tsunami. Within minutes, the shelves were stripped bare.
"...It's over." The boy's shoulders slumped.
Su Feng winced. Did I price Poké Balls too low? He'd aimed for affordability, but this was chaos.
Feeling partly responsible, he pulled three spare Poké Balls from his backpack. "Here. For you."
The boy's head snapped up. "Th-These are... Poké Balls?!"
Only officials and one person had access before today. Then he noticed the inconspicuous backpack, the Growlithe, the Alolan Vulpix—
"You're... Su Feng?!"
"Shh." Su Feng lowered his sunglasses with a wink.
The boy—Deng Yingxiang—clutched the Balls like treasure. "I-I'm Deng Yingxiang. But... you can call me Xiao Xiang."
"Xiao Xiang, huh? No Pokémon yet?"
"I was gonna catch one after buying these..."
"Good luck. Just stay safe—most Pokémon are friendly, but some pack a mean sting."
Xiao Xiang grinned. "Like Beedrill, right?"
"Ha! A true fan." Su Feng ruffled his hair. "See you around."
Later, at "Leblanc" Craft Shop
Su Feng pushed open the door to the sound of a drowsy voice:
"Small ones: 800. Big ones: 1,000. No touching if you're not buying."
"...Since when did the small ones get pricier?" Last he checked, they were 500.
The speaker—Xiao Die—peeked out from under her eye mask and yelped. "Su Feng?! Wow, what brings you here?"
Su Feng deadpanned. "Why does that sound so shady?"