Wen Qi walked toward the employee with the cheerful little Munchlax at his feet. When the employee spotted the Munchlax, a flicker of surprise crossed his face, followed by hesitation.
"Sir, are you sure you want to purchase this Munchlax?"
The employee asked seriously, his expression stern.
"A few people have bought it before, but they returned it within three days. This little one eats way too much—most people simply can't afford to keep it! You see, it's only because our official breeding house doesn't prioritize profit that we have a glutton like this Munchlax. Any ordinary breeding house wouldn't bother raising such an unprofitable creature."
Hearing the employee's words, Wen Qi smiled and nodded firmly.
"I'm sure I want to buy it. I've thought it through."
The employee frowned and emphasized again, "Sir, don't act on impulse. Munchlax's appetite is beyond what you imagine. The cost of raising it later won't be cheap."
Wen Qi looked at the Munchlax with tender eyes and said, "It's fine. I'm mentally prepared, and I have the means to take good care of it."
Seeing Wen Qi's resolute attitude, the employee sighed and said, "Alright then, since you're so insistent. This Munchlax costs 200,000."
In truth, though the employee kept verbally urging Wen Qi not to buy the Munchlax, his expression serious and earnest, he was secretly overjoyed. He had been listing the Munchlax's so-called "flaws" while quietly hoping Wen Qi would make up his mind to take it. When Wen Qi clearly stated he would buy it, the employee barely held back a laugh. He was thrilled—more excited than if he'd sold a Pokémon worth millions. After all, the higher-ups had said that selling the Munchlax would earn him a 50,000 bonus, a whole month's salary!
At that moment, the employee's heart was brimming with delight, as if he could already see that 50,000 bonus safely landing in his pocket. He suppressed his joy, maintaining a calm facade as he continued processing the purchase for Wen Qi.
On Wen Qi's side, he was secretly pleased too. He hadn't expected the price to be so low—clearly, the official breeding house was eager to get rid of the Munchlax. Without hesitation, he pulled a bank card from his backpack and handed it to the employee. The employee took it, deftly operated the machine, and soon the transaction was complete.
"Sir, here are the Poké Ball for the Munchlax and the care instructions. Please keep them safe."
The employee handed a document to Wen Qi.
Wen Qi took it and said, "Thank you."
The employee smiled at Wen Qi and the Munchlax. "I hope you and the Munchlax get along well, and may it grow up healthy under your care."
After thanking him again, Wen Qi left with the Munchlax. The little Munchlax clung tightly to Wen Qi, as if knowing it had finally found a home, and was unusually excited the whole way.
Wen Qi officially became the Munchlax's owner. Looking at the slightly thin little creature beside him, his heart ached. He thought to himself that this little one had probably never had enough to eat before. With that in mind, he decided to treat the Munchlax well.
He reached into his small world and pulled out a special energy cube he had made specifically for gluttonous Pokémon. This cube was not only delicious but also highly filling—even a Snorlax, a true big eater, would likely be satisfied after just four or five. Wen Qi figured two would be enough for the Munchlax, though he knew that eating too many of these cubes would slow down its growth in strength. So, he took out just one special energy cube, along with a dozen or so basic perfect energy cubes of the Normal type, all rich in life energy.
The moment the Munchlax saw the food Wen Qi brought out, its eyes went wide, and drool poured uncontrollably. It looked like it wanted to pounce and devour everything in one gulp. But since Wen Qi didn't give it to him immediately, the Munchlax could only wait obediently.
Wen Qi observed the Munchlax closely. Despite its intense craving, it managed to stay still, and he silently praised it for being so well-behaved. Softening, he handed the special energy cube directly to the Munchlax. The Munchlax took it excitedly and wolfed it down, finishing most of it in a few bites. Then Wen Qi gave it the basic perfect energy cubes. The Munchlax grabbed them and devoured them in a whirlwind, finishing all the cubes in moments.
After eating, the Munchlax let out a satisfied burp. Its eyes widened in disbelief—it couldn't believe it was full. This was the first time in so long that it had felt this sense of fullness. The contentment and happiness made it ecstatic. The Munchlax bounced cheerfully over to Wen Qi, stretched out its chubby little paws, and hugged him tightly. Its eyes were full of gratitude and dependence, and it let out soft "eep" sounds, as if saying, "Master, thank you, I'm so happy!"
Feeling the Munchlax's embrace, Wen Qi's heart warmed. He gently patted its head and said with a smile, "Little one, from now on, with me, I'll make sure you're full every day."
After the Munchlax had eaten its fill, Wen Qi planned to ask if it had encountered any special Pokémon during its long stay here. When the Munchlax heard Wen Qi's question, it looked confused, not understanding what "special Pokémon" meant. Seeing its blank, adorable expression, Wen Qi realized the glutton hadn't grasped it at all. So he patiently explained, "You know, something different from other Pokémon—like color, moves, abilities, things like that."
After Wen Qi's detailed explanation, the Munchlax finally understood and sat down to think seriously. After a long while, it pointed at itself and asked if it counted. Wen Qi had been hoping for good news from the Munchlax, but this was all it came up with. If he weren't so easygoing, he might have wanted to give it a smack. Seeing Wen Qi's hint of irritation, the Munchlax quickly lowered its head and started thinking harder.
Just then, the Munchlax suddenly remembered its friend, an Eevee. They had arrived around the same time, but over half a year had passed, and the Eevee still hadn't been sold. The Munchlax itself was always returned for eating too much, while its friend the Eevee was stuck because of its low aptitude—only Orange-tier. Normally, such a low aptitude shouldn't appear at the Changqing City official breeding house, which mainly had Yellow-tier and occasionally Green-tier Pokémon. But there was a category of Pokémon that could lower the requirements: those that became much stronger after evolution and were quite cute. The Eevee fell into this category, which was why it ended up here.
However, while Eevee was rare, it wasn't uncommon in this big city. So, buyers looking for high-aptitude Pokémon would definitely overlook this low-aptitude one. And so, the Eevee and the Munchlax became the "old-timers" of the place, much to the staff's frustration.