It wasn't that Gu Qiu didn't trust his parents; they had simply never asked.
To them, Pika-Itachi was simply an ordinary Pikachu.
And since the family's financial situation wasn't terrible, Gu Qiu had never intentionally shown anything extraordinary.
"Strong or not doesn't matter," his father said firmly. "Take the money."
Gu Qiu knew that tone.
When his father decided something, persuasion was useless.
So he accepted the card.
Truthfully, he really needed the money right now.
Ever since Pika-Itachi stepped into the Heavenly King tier, its energy consumption had skyrocketed.
Monthly food expenses alone exceeded 100,000 Poké-dollars.
If serious battles were involved, the cost would be even more terrifying.
Being a Trainer wasn't just passion.
It was capital.
That Night
After dinner, Gu Qiu returned to his room and opened the System Shop.
There were two sections: the Basic Shop for ordinary items, and the Mystery Shop, which refreshed weekly with only three items.
Today was Sunday night.
At midnight, the items would reset.
The three items currently on display were:
Serious Mint – 50,000 Poké-dollarsLeftovers – 100,000 Poké-dollarsCharcoal – 50,000 Poké-dollars
Gu Qiu's eyes sharpened slightly.
All three were familiar.
Serious Mint
After a Pokémon smells this mint for the first time, its Attack, Defense, Speed, Special Attack, and Special Defense permanently increase.
(Only effective once.)
Leftovers
A held item. Gradually restores HP during battle.
Charcoal
A held item. Boosts Fire-type move power by 20%.
Charcoal was decent.
But the first two were excellent.
Leftovers was something Gu Qiu had eyed for a long time but never purchased.
An item that restored HP during battle—extremely valuable.
If Pika-Itachi had held this earlier, grinding wild Pokémon would have been almost damage-free.
Gu Qiu checked his balance.
Including his father's savings, he had 560,000 Poké-dollars.-
He exhaled slowly.
"Good thing Dad gave me the money…"
Without it, this would hurt.
After a moment of thought—
He purchased the Serious Mint and Leftovers.
Total spent: 150,000 Poké-dollars.
Good items didn't come often.
The moment Gu Qiu took out the mint—
Pika-Itachi's eyes lit up.
It could instinctively sense that this would strengthen it.
"Relax," Gu Qiu said with a smile. "It's yours."
Pokémon strength wasn't determined by level alone.
Two Pokémon of identical aptitude and level—
If trained differently—
Would have completely different combat strength.
Gu Qiu handed over the mint.
A cool sensation spread through Pika-Itachi's mind.
[Your Pika-Itachi used Serious Mint.]
[All base combat attributes increased by 1%.]
Only one percent.
But for a Heavenly King-tier Pokémon?
That 1% was enormous.
Worth every coin.
As for Leftovers—
Gu Qiu didn't equip it immediately.
Held items in this world had durability and weren't permanent.
Best saved for serious battles.
Buzz.
His communicator vibrated.
Serena:
You're back?
Gu Qiu smiled.
Yes—that Serena.
Same appearance. Same personality.
Except here—
She had grown up with him.
Childhood friends, once neighbors.
No Ash in this timeline.
Gu Qiu:
I'm back. Did Miss Serena miss me?
The reply came almost instantly.
Serena:
I only know someone forgot to tell me when he came back.
He could practically imagine her pretending to be upset.
They chatted for a while—comfortable and familiar.
Then Gu Qiu fell asleep.
The next morning,
Gu Qiu finished packing his bag and walked into the living room, where Serena was already sitting and waiting.
Her family had moved a few hundred meters away because of her mother's ranch business.
Still close.
Still constant.
"Lazy pig, you finally woke up."
Her cheeks flushed slightly when she saw him.
"Let's go."
Gu Qiu noticed the three lunchboxes she carried.
He smiled. Nice—free lunch secured.
"Brother really is a pig," Gu Xin muttered.
The two girls got along surprisingly well.
When they were little, Gu Xin once declared:
Serena could be the big wife.
She would be the small wife.
Children could be terrifying.
"Be safe," Gu Qiu's mother said warmly.
"We will."
Serena puffed her chest slightly.
"Auntie, don't worry. I'll keep an eye on him."
Gu Qiu raised an eyebrow.
"Oh?"
Serena shot him a glare.
He just laughed.
Outside—
The morning sun rose over Viridian City.
Today—
The school would distribute starter Pokémon.
For most students, it was the beginning of everything.
For Gu Qiu, it was simply the moment the world finally caught up to him.