As he gently sifted through the bouquet, a touch of black appeared among the usual white, pink, and red roses.
A black... tulip, an extremely, extremely rare variety.
Compared with the other warm-colored flowers, the black tulip had a mysterious, elegant beauty.
Shen Qi paused in his flower selection, naturally showing surprise.
"This black one... is it a tulip?"
"Oh, I didn't realize there was still one underneath."
The flower girl looked surprised at first, then explained that her greenhouse had recently happened to produce black tulips. She had picked a bunch to bring out today, and they had sold out in no time. She hadn't expected to miss one.
"I see. What a distinctive, beautiful flower."
Picking up the tulip to examine it closely, Shen Qi focused entirely on the flower.
The flower girl... focused entirely on Shen Qi's face.
"Sir, that's bread from B Bakery in your bag, isn't it? I really like their bread too... it's just a little expensive."
Her words sounded pitiful, carrying a faint unspoken implication.
Shen Qi paid no attention whatsoever to the flower girl's unusual behavior, merely giving an ordinary, casual reply while cheerfully showing the Pokémon this distinctive black tulip.
"How much?"
"Oh, since it was grown by chance, I don't know if there'll be any in future seasons, so this one is a little expensive."
The flower girl seemed somewhat timid. Only after mentally preparing and encouraging herself did she venture to say softly, "30b."
"Sure, I'll take it."
"Thank you, sir! You're so generous!" The flower girl jumped up. "I hope you become a really, really amazing Pokémon Trainer and live a happy, fulfilling life with your Pokémon!"
"I hope your life keeps getting happier too."
After taking payment, the girl picked up her basket and headed off to