His stomach was rumbling furiously with hunger, but it was his curiosity that won.

  He soon found himself just outside Florian and Blort’s.

  This bookshop was one of the popur destinations fwarts students during back-to-school seasons, so standing in front of the pce gave him some pressure to go inside.

  He hesitated, though.

  What could he do with a book? Unless it was a ic, then that was where he drew the line—and he hardly thought a wizard bookshop would be selling ics.

  Besides, he really had to find a pce where he could buy some food; the hunger was being too much.

  He was about to head off when a dazzling cover dispyed on the shop window caught his eye.

  To be precise , what had drawn his attention was the picture of four wizards fag each other.

  All around them were distinct creatures that Magnus knew all too well

  Pokémon.

  There was a Charizard in the midst of unleashing a stream of fire toward a Samence…

  There were many e Pokémons as well, along with wizards in shiny robes of varying colors zooming around on broomsticks.

  "A Guide to Pokémon - Wizarding Battle League," Magnus read the book title aloud.

  There was a test edition badge dang on the cover.

  'But this is lovely' , he thought to himself, momentarily fetting his hunger.

  So there were Pokémon battles in this version as well?

  Bit by bit, this pce was beginning to shape itself into a thrilling adventure.

  A Pokémon vs. magic colboration was something he would kill to see.

  Even from the book cover, he could see the se kept ging… It was like watg a trailer of a movie, only this was not from a TV—this was just a book cover.

  Apparently, the attacks weren’t only directed at the oppo’s Pokémon but at the pyers as well.

  It was the kind of chaos that seemed to spark intehrill.

  The crowd of spectators i stands above the battlefield were clearly yelling themselves hoarse, judging from what he was seeing.

  "Perfect.

  This is exactly what I need if I am to uand this magion mix."

  And with that thought, he found himself walking ihe bookshop.

  Just like in the movies, the shop was a multilevel building with t bookshelves.

  The shopkeepers were quite busy, as there were several ers already being atteo.

  This was good for him, as he first o check the price of the book.

  From the looks of it, he was willing to bet he wouldn’t be able to afford it.

  Having reached the window where the book was dispyed, he reached for it.

  "You've got spectacur taste, mate. That’s the test edition… just came out."

  Magnus actually recoiled at the sudden voice.

  A youthful-looking wizard was standing right behind him.

  Thing is, he could swear that no one had been around when he walked in.

  Looking over at the other end, the ones he had seen were still attending to ers.

  Magnus decided the guy must have Apparated, but then—he should have at least heard the familiar crack sound associated with it.

  In whichever case, his pns to peruse the book had crumbled.

  I mean, just hearing that short pitch the guy had given, he k must cost a fortune.

  "Just came out" was often another way of saying, Give me all your freaking Galleons.

  "How... how much is it?" Magnus asked, if only to make some small talk.

  The alternative—which was what he would have preferred—was to leave the shht away, but that might make him look like a shoplifter who had just been busted before the deed.

  The attendant grinned. "Sixteen Galleons, mate. But let me tell you, it's worth every Knut!"

  Magnus instantly regretted not leaving right away. Curiosity or not, that was way above his problems at the moment. He’d have to find some other way to figure things out.

  "Sorry, I didn’t know it was that expensive," he said, turning to leave.

  But the guy didn’t seem to want to move out of his path—which he had vely blocked.

  "Don’t be so hasty, mate. Tell you what, I’ll knock off eight Sickles just ‘cause I see how bad you want it," the attendant said in a cheery and overfriendly voice.

  Even Magnus, who had been pnning to squeeze past him, found his dull mood lighten a little.

  "No thanks, mate, I ain’t got that much. May I pass?" he said in a frieone, not wanting to e across as rude.

  Still, the guy appeared determio sell him something he could clearly not afford.

  In a way, Magnus felt a pang of guilt at the waste of charm. The guy’s bubblihusiasm would burst once he found out how bad his case was.

  "Hang on, pal. I get it. Personally, I feel like they’ve overpriced this year’s edition. But worry not—for half the price, I’ll let you have this."

  Magnus hadn’t heard him utter any spell like 'Accio' book or anything like that, but an almost identical book to the one in the dispy flew right into the guy’s hands, aossed it casually to Magnus.

  Caught unaware, Magnus had no choice but to grab the book—if only to save it from falling.

  "That’s st year’s version, but don’t let it fool you—it’s just the same as that one," he said, pointing his wand toward the book in the window. "Only difference is, the Fme Chasers were knocked out of the league st year, so they’re not in this year’s edition. But I’m guessing you’re not a fan of the lot?"

  "No… I’m not a fan of anyone… And this is expeoo… I only wanted something like a guide… just the basics. Sorry."

  If Magnus had expected that to water down the guy’s enthusiasm, he was wrong. The guy was like a jinxed Bludger, determio knock him off his rails.

  "Ohh, shoulda said that right away, mate. This se’s for the hot picks, but don’t fret."

  Zap!

  Another book materialized in his hands.

  "Two Galleons, mate. It’s a beginner’s guide to Wizarding Pokémon Battle League."

  Magnus felt his heart jump.

  'But that is exactly what I want.'

  His hand automatically reached for the book.

  At first g looked more like a small ic book—nothing fshy pared to the one in the dispy window.

  But that was exactly what he wished for. It meant it dived straight to the point.

  Magnus now found himself appreciating the guy’s persistence which just a short while ago, he had found annoying.

  "Thanks, mate," he said as he joihe fast-dying queue with his two Galleons in hand.

  "At your service" the attendant bowed charmingly already heading towards the er.

  ***

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