Urban Pokémon

Seeing this—

Guo Yi stood up and made his way to the muddy marsh, scooping up a bottle of sludge he had prepared in advance.

Then, using the system's [Device] function, he crafted several batches of perfect-grade energy cubes.

"Nidoking, Nidoqueen—no need to busy yourselves. I've got food over here."

He called out to the two Pokémon, then brought out the freshly-made energy cubes.

In an instant!

An aroma unlike anything Nidoking's family had ever experienced wafted through the air.

Drool streamed uncontrollably from the corners of Nidoking's mouth.

And if the father couldn't resist, there was no way the two little ones—Nidoran♂ and Nidoran♀—could, either.

They tugged on Guo Yi's pant legs from both sides.

"Alright, alright, you little gluttons."

Guo Yi chuckled, placing a box of energy cubes in front of the two eager children.

With the added ingredients crafted from his heart, that box alone was enough to fill both their bellies.

Faced with this feast—

The two little Pokémon buried their heads in the box and began scarfing it down with gusto.

Nidoking crept over, hoping to sneak a taste while his wife wasn't looking. Quick as lightning, he tried to snatch a piece for himself.

But—

He was immediately met with a firm bonk on the head from Nidoqueen.

You're stealing food from your own kids?!

After delivering her blow, Nidoqueen smoothly snatched the block from Nidoking's paw and popped it into her own mouth, savoring it with satisfaction.

All in the name of "eliminating the source of temptation," of course.

Faced with the tyranny of his beloved wife—

Nidoking could only shed silent tears in his heart.

Watching this family of lovable oddballs, Guo Yi couldn't help but shake his head with a smile.

Then, he brought out two more portions and placed them in front of Nidoking and Nidoqueen.

"Eat as much as you like!"

"If it's not enough, I've got more."

Nidoqueen even bowed politely to Guo Yi in thanks.

Nidoking? He skipped the formalities and dug in immediately, as if afraid someone might snatch it away.

Once the family was happily eating, Guo Yi crafted a portion for Beedrill as well.

As for himself, he used his earned Trainer Points to buy some high-quality food and began eating.

[Ding! Student Su Qingxue has successfully taught her Nidoran♀ the move Hone Claws. You've earned 500 Trainer Points.]

Five hundred points.

Damn!

That one success alone fully replenished all the Trainer Points Guo Yi had spent earlier.

"As expected of a student modeled after Giovanni. That talent is no joke!"

While marveling at her progress, Guo Yi also began thinking about how to recruit the Nidoran♂ in front of him.

After all, he couldn't just let that high-grade template sit around unused!

He pondered for a while, trying to come up with a good excuse.

Eventually, he gave up and decided to be direct.

Once everyone had eaten their fill, Guo Yi turned to Nidoking and Nidoqueen.

"Nidoking, Nidoqueen—your son, Nidoran♂, has exceptional potential. I'd like to take him as my partner. Would that be alright?"

The couple hesitated for a moment upon hearing his request.

Then, they turned to look at their son.

They had high hopes for their little Nidoran♂. Now that an opportunity had presented itself, they were reluctant, but not unwilling.

Though Guo Yi's Beedrill wasn't quite on par with Nidoking in terms of strength—

That terrifying growth rate had truly shaken them.

So entrusting their son to Guo Yi didn't worry them. What made them hesitate… was simply the pain of parting.

The two exchanged a glance, then looked at the box of energy cubes.

Finally, they nodded solemnly.

...

"Wait, what?"

"You're saying… you want the whole family to join me?!"

Guo Yi was stunned.

He hadn't expected Nidoking and Nidoqueen's condition to be this generous—they were offering to come along too.

But then—

A joyful expression spread across Guo Yi's face.

After all—

Both Nidoking and Nidoqueen were powerhouses. With them around, his team would have solid support.

This way, Beedrill could continue hiding its true strength.

And as for the cost of raising two more Pokémon?

That was hardly a concern for Guo Yi anymore.

"In that case… I'll be counting on all of you."

Guo Yi smiled warmly.

As sunset neared, Guo Yi led Nidoking and Nidoqueen back to the marsh where they had first entered the secret realm.

Both Pokémon now carried enormous bundles on their backs—

Their life savings, packed up and now officially Guo Yi's property.

Also worth mentioning—

While Guo Yi was healing Nidoking's hidden injuries using the [Power of Viridian], something unexpected happened: Nidoking broke through.

He was now a genuine, borderline Quasi-Elite Four Pokémon.

The breakthrough had come so easily—

Largely because Nidoking had long been on the verge of it. His many lingering injuries were what had held him back.

That, in fact, was the reality for most wild Pokémon.

Constantly battling over territory, berries, and resources…

Their bodies took hit after hit.

And in the wild, they rarely received proper treatment. Over time, those injuries accumulated, forming hidden wounds that stunted their future growth.

Without structured training, wild Pokémon were often forced to burn through their potential just to survive.

But Guo Yi's [Power of Viridian] had healed those lingering injuries—and with the help of the perfect-grade energy cubes—

Nidoking had finally made the leap.

After leaving the secret realm with his new companions, Guo Yi headed straight for the villa where one of his students lived.

Now that he had two powerful bodyguards—

It was time to strut a little.

That evening, the countryside village had a beauty all its own.

Wisps of cloud lingered around the distant hills, highlighting the splendor of the setting sun.

The descending twilight, tinged with melancholy, painted the evening sky a deep, blood-red hue.

---

Outside the villa—

The black-suited bodyguards moved around the perimeter, diligently fulfilling their duties.

"Captain, why do you think the young miss chose someone like him as her teacher?"

"His strength seems way too low!"

Little Lin wore a puzzled frown.

Even though he'd been beaten by Guo Yi himself—

He still couldn't wrap his head around the young miss's decision.

The team captain simply shrugged.

"Who knows?"

"People like her—big shots like that—their thinking isn't something folks like us can understand."

He didn't get it either.

But so what?

She's the employer.

If she's not complaining…

What right did they have to object?

Just then, the captain's Houndoom let out a low, warning growl toward the east.

"Damn!"

"Little Lin! Go inform Mr. Ye—something nasty's headed this way!"

Seeing Houndoom's body tremble, the captain knew this wasn't just some common intruder.

"Got it!"

Trained for exactly this kind of situation, Little Lin wasted no words and took off to deliver the message.

Meanwhile, the captain grabbed his radio and barked into it—

"All units, converge on my position immediately!"

"I repeat—all units, converge!"