Chapter 49: Teeth, Teeth, Teeth, Teeth

At three in the afternoon, Hu Yang thoroughly cleaned his dormitory from top to bottom. Gazing at the tidy, bright room, a sense of satisfaction welled up from within him. He looked around. Yaya and Toxic Rose were tentatively stretching their feet onto the freshly mopped floor, Ancient Moonbird stood by the window peering outside, while Gengar floated in the air lost in thought.

Clean as it was, the room felt a bit empty. Aside from the desk, chairs, and bed, there was nothing else to decorate the space. Previously, he’d had little money, living frugally and naturally avoiding unnecessary purchases. With that in mind, Hu Yang decided to visit the department store later. Besides buying nurturing resources for dragon-type Pokémon like Yaya, he planned to pick up carpets, plush toys, ornaments, lamps, and other items to liven up the room. After all, this would be his home for the next two years.

Just then, Lika’s voice came from outside. Hu Yang opened the door to invite her in, handing her the prepared Cauldron Flame Senbei gift pack. The sudden appearance of a stranger made Yaya and Toxic Rose huddle together, sneaking glances her way.

“Yaya?”
“Lollili…”
“Is this… Cauldron Flame Senbei?” Lika examined the wrapping with curiosity.

Hu Yang nodded, “Yes, I happened to spend some time in Cauldron Flame Town and picked up a few as souvenirs.”

A joyful expression appeared on Lika’s face as she smiled, “Thank you, I really like this gift!”

Hu Yang smiled as well, and then engaged her in small talk. “The situation at Orange Blossom Forest still hasn’t been resolved?”

“Not yet. Apparently, those ghost-type Pokémon vanished as if into thin air. Even Phoebe, the Ghost Champion, searched for ages without finding a trace of them.”

As she spoke about the matter, Lika’s expression turned serious. She knew Hu Yang trained his Pokémon in the forest during his breaks, so she cautioned him:

“For now, you shouldn’t go there to train your Pokémon. If those ghost-types suddenly appear, it could get dangerous.”

“I’ll remember,” Hu Yang replied.

Still unresolved? Hu Yang mused. Not even Phoebe could locate the manor. Did this mean the dominant Gengar’s strength far exceeded the average Champion-level? No wonder the League sent the newly appointed Daigo over…

Lika didn’t stay long. After she left, Hu Yang took his Pokémon and headed to the department store.

The perfect nurturing resources for dragon-types were several times more expensive than those for grass-types. Hu Yang stared at the nearly ten thousand price tag, his brow twitching. Thankfully, he’d struck it rich mining stones; otherwise, relying on a teacher’s salary, Yaya would have ended up malnourished.

“Sir, we also have gnawing stones suitable for Yaya. Would you like to take a look?” the saleswoman asked politely.

For Pokémon like Yaya, before evolving into Axew Dragon, broken teeth during battle could grow back. But once they evolved, a lost tooth would never return, leaving them as handicapped as a person missing an arm. Therefore, most trainers provided mineral-rich gnawing stones to their Yayas before evolution, maintaining and strengthening their teeth—a practice learned from wild Double Axew Dragons. In the wild, these dragons licked earth to supplement minerals and preserve tooth strength.

Thus, a top-quality gnawing stone was crucial for Yaya.

Hu Yang didn’t refuse.

Led by the saleswoman, Hu Yang saw items never featured in the game.

[Steel Gnawing Stone: A rare gnawing stone rich in various metals, produced by Devon Corp., custom-made for tooth-type Pokémon.]

[Fire Gnawing Stone: A special gnawing stone forged from Fire Stones, abundant in fire-type energy. When used together with Steel Gnawing Stone, there’s a chance the Pokémon will learn the Fire Fang move.]

[Thunder Gnawing Stone: …]

[Ice Gnawing Stone: …]

Hu Yang was speechless.

Damn! These things really existed?!

Naturally, their prices were high—twenty thousand straight off. Hu Yang wasn’t surprised, given the valuable materials involved.

He took a deep breath and declared, “I’ll take them all!”

The saleswoman hesitated, “Sir, are you sure?”

“Of course,” Hu Yang replied.

Hmph, wealth brings freedom!

Hearing this, the saleswoman’s smile nearly split her face.

“Thank you for your purchase, sir. Please fill out your address—our company will package and deliver your items,” she said.

Hu Yang inwardly sighed—could she please not smile like a dog? He’d only spent a hundred thousand league coins.

“Is there anything else you’d like to buy?” she asked after he finished filling out his address.

“Which floor has furniture?” Hu Yang inquired.

“Fifth floor,” the saleswoman replied.

Hu Yang took the elevator down, with the saleswoman following along. He ignored her and went straight to the section selling carpets and nesting beds for Pokémon. He released Toxic Rose and Yaya from their Poké Balls.

“I’ll use these things to decorate our home. Is there anything you like?” he asked.

Toxic Rose scanned the area and eventually picked a green carpet printed with sun and grass motifs. Yaya chose a stylish black chandelier shaped like a Charizard. Hu Yang took it upon himself to select a Pikachu plush for Ancient Moonbird.

Gengar floated nearby, arms crossed, saying nothing.

Hu Yang looked at him, “How about you?”

Gengar hesitated. “Do I get something too? But I can’t touch them…”

Exasperated, Hu Yang replied, “When have I ever forgotten you when shopping?”

Right! Gengar’s face blushed, and he pointed at a plush version of himself. “I like that one!”

“Wrap up everything,” Hu Yang said to the saleswoman.

“Certainly.”

Beyond these, Hu Yang also bought himself a new bedding set and a pair of cotton slippers.

“Anything else you need?” the saleswoman asked.

Hu Yang shook his head. “That’s all.”

“Very well, your purchases will be delivered to your residence immediately,” she said.

Hu Yang replied in the affirmative, then took the elevator upstairs to the floor hosting the free trading market.

Compared to his previous visit, the place was much quieter today. The stall selling Magikarp still stood, but the man who used to run it was nowhere to be seen.

Nearby, whispers drifted from another stall.

“Did you hear? That Magikarp seller got beaten up because the Magikarp he sold didn’t evolve within a week!”

“When did that happen?”

“Just yesterday. The buyer nearly pulled a knife. But the old man was pretty slick—he abandoned the Magikarp and fled, apparently planning to sell Magikarp in another city now.”

Hu Yang was speechless.