A swollen face and broken tusks. If it weren't for Hippowdon's massive body being so distinctive, it would've been difficult for anyone to r
A swollen face and broken tusks.
If it weren't for Hippowdon's massive body being so distinctive, it would've been difficult for anyone to recognize it now.
Actually—
From the moment it had been beaten until now, Hippowdon still had no idea what exactly had happened.
Initially, after trapping Guo Yi and the others in a [Sand Tomb], Hippowdon planned to use [Earthquake] to teach them a painful lesson before burying them under the sandstorm's weight.
Yet, before Hippowdon even began its attack, a shadow burst through the swirling sands.
And then…
Its once-handsome face suffered a merciless, brutal beating.
Just as Hippowdon ended the sandstorm, ready to surrender, the assailant wordlessly jabbed its head straight into the sand.
Thankfully—
The attacker stopped after that final blow.
As a result, Hippowdon had been forced to perform an impromptu impression of an ostrich.
"Dad, a-are you alright?"
Due to the enormous gap in strength, Silicobra hadn't noticed precisely what had happened. It only heard a loud bang, followed by the sight of its father burying its head into the sand.
But—
The moment Silicobra saw its father's swollen face clearly, it was shocked beyond belief.
If it hadn't seen it personally, it never would have believed this battered Hippowdon was its usually imposing father.
This vividly illustrated how severely Beedrill had beaten Hippowdon—so severely its own son struggled to recognize it.
Seeing its son's minor injuries now seemed trivial to Hippowdon.
With a swift move, Hippowdon grabbed Silicobra, deciding it was time to teach its son some painful lessons!
"This is for causing trouble all day!"
"This is for never staying quietly at home!"
"And this is for never listening to your father's instructions about being a good Pokémon!"
Hippowdon scolded and disciplined its son simultaneously, landing heavy blows.
Yet, Silicobra desperately struggled, crying out:
"But Dad, you're the one who told me to ambush prey here, saying it'd improve my hunting skills!"
"Weren't you also the one who taught me to always act arrogantly, saying if I couldn't beat someone, you'd always back me up?"
"As for being a good Pokémon—you always said good Pokémon get bullied! You told me to act fierce and vicious so no one would dare push us around!"
Silicobra was utterly bewildered.
I clearly did exactly what you taught me—why am I the one getting blamed now?
Hearing Silicobra's excuses, Hippowdon paused momentarily.
Just as Silicobra thought its words had gotten through—
It was met instead by an even more furious beating.
"Insolent brat!"
"How dare you defy your father!"
"You've twisted my wise teachings into excuses for your misdeeds!"
"Now you've even provoked powerful enemies—I must discipline you thoroughly today!"
Silicobra realized bitterly that its deepest wounds weren't from the enemy, but from its own father.
---
Guo Yi didn't concern himself with Hippowdon's "loving discipline" of its son.
He'd only had Beedrill act because he didn't want to waste more time.
After all, it was already getting late.
They still needed to find a suitable spot to set up camp for the night.
In the wild, finding an ideal campsite was crucial—
Only with proper rest would they have the energy to continue their exploration tomorrow.
Guo Yi quickly located the perfect camping site on his map.
Situated at the edge of the desert, it was an open clearing near sparse vegetation.
But more importantly—
A wide river, roughly four or five meters across, ran alongside it.
According to the map—
This river flowed straight through the entirety of Thunder Valley Secret Realm. It was essentially the lifeline sustaining all Pokémon within.
The chosen spot was flat and open, offering clear visibility.
If any wild Pokémon or other trainers approached, they'd immediately be noticed.
…
"Beedrill, go catch us some fish!"
"Qingxue, you and Nidorina handle the fire. I'll set up the tent."
Guo Yi unpacked the camping gear, efficiently assigning each their tasks.
Although Pokémon dominated this world, regular animals hadn't vanished.
On the contrary—
With Pokémon around, many animals and plants had become tastier than ever.
Of course—
Top predators like tigers, black bears, or snow leopards had long since learned to keep their heads down—
Lest they become dinner for some hungry Pokémon.
"Zzzzt!"
Beedrill buzzed briefly, hovering swiftly above the river.
Within moments—
Its twin needles struck rapidly and precisely, each thrust impaling a large fish.
Soon enough, four or five big, fresh fish lay on the riverbank.
Seeing Beedrill's bounty, Su Qingxue felt motivated to work even harder.
Together with Nidorina, she eagerly collected dry branches nearby, stacking them neatly at the campsite.
"Nidorina, your turn."
After gathering sufficient fuel, Su Qingxue instructed Nidorina to start the fire.
Though Nidorina hadn't mastered [Flamethrower] yet, igniting a simple campfire wasn't an issue.
"Nido!"
Nidorina focused briefly, gathering the limited Fire energy within herself, before spitting out a small flame onto the pile of branches.
Once the fire was crackling steadily, Su Qingxue took Nidorina to the riverbank to clean and prepare the fish Beedrill had caught.
By the time they'd finished, Guo Yi had almost completed pitching the tent.
Soon afterward, teacher and student enjoyed their first meal together within a secret realm.
"Teacher, with your strength, why are you staying hidden away in a small village like Yangliu?"
Sitting beside the fire, Su Qingxue took delicate bites of delicious fish meat, finally voicing a question she'd held back for a long time.
Based on her teacher's current display—
Setting aside his Pokémon's incredible strength—
His mastery of making perfect-grade Pokéblocks alone would've made him an honored guest among countless powerful factions.
Yet he remained quietly secluded.
Could he really have become disillusioned with worldly affairs and chosen to live a peaceful life away from it all...?