"Oh, right—Qingxue, you haven't caught Weedle yet?"
Guo Yi asked, glancing at the Pokémon in her arms.
After all, a Weedle with Champion-Tier potential was bound to bring him a hefty sum of [Mentor Points].
"Oh!"
"I completely forgot, Teacher!"
Su Qingxue playfully stuck out her tongue, quickly pulling out a Great Ball and holding it out to Weedle.
"Weedle, let's work hard together from now on!"
"Wee-woo!"
Weedle responded cheerfully, tapping its horn lightly against the Pokéball's button. With a flash of red light, it was officially captured.
At that very moment, a notification rang in Guo Yi's mind.
[Ding!]
[Congratulations on the capture Su Qingxue!]
[Weedle | Veteran-Level | Champion-Tier.]
[Su Qingxue's strength has greatly increased. ]
[Mentor Points +10,000.]
Ten thousand?!
That reward was astonishingly generous!
No wonder it's a Champion-Tier potential Pokémon—the value is amazing!
If Qingxue catches a few more like this, I won't have to worry about buying items for Champion-Tier or even Master-Tier Pokémon.
According to the system shop's pricing, a Master-Tier Pokémon item required around [60,000 Mentor Points].
If Su Qingxue managed to raise a full Champion-Level team, he'd have enough points easily.
Of course, that was just wishful thinking. Champion-Tier potential Pokémon didn't exactly grow on trees.
But now that Weedle was officially hers, its training was next on the agenda.
"Qingxue, take this stone," Guo Yi said thoughtfully, handing her a gray stone retrieved from the shop. "Make sure Weedle holds it."
"This is an [Everstone]—it'll prevent Weedle from evolving too early."
Weedle was already level 32, well past the normal evolution threshold. It could evolve at any moment now, and Guo Yi wanted to be safe rather than sorry.
"Teacher, is Weedle's potential still not fully developed yet?" Su Qingxue asked curiously, holding the Everstone in her hand.
Usually, trainers used [Everstones] to fully unlock a Pokémon's potential and avoid losses caused by premature evolution.
However, Guo Yi shook his head with a smile. "Weedle's already at Veteran-Tier. Do you really think its potential hasn't been unlocked yet?"
"We're doing this to let Weedle 'eat its fill' before evolving."
"Eat its fill?" Su Qingxue blinked, puzzled by this strange requirement.
Guo Yi patiently explained, "Weedle's evolved form, Kakuna, can't eat or absorb nutrients."
"Therefore, it's crucial that Weedle stores enough energy beforehand."
"Also, avoid any battles during its Kakuna stage."
"Fighting then would just waste energy—it's a critical stage in becoming a Beedrill, so you absolutely cannot be careless."
These details were clearly outlined in Giovanni's notes on raising Beedrill. A misstep at this crucial stage could even cause Weedle's potential to regress.
Realizing how serious this was, Su Qingxue nodded earnestly.
"Don't worry, Teacher. I won't let Weedle battle during its Kakuna stage."
Besides, she still had Nidorina for battling. If a fight broke out, Nidorina could easily handle it!
---
Shanghai | Azure Dragon Society Headquarters.
"I never imagined Ying Tou would agree to a ceasefire this easily!" Ye Qing sighed, staring at the agreement in her hand.
She hadn't expected the Flying Eagle Gang to back off so readily.
Tang Rong rolled her eyes upon hearing this. "Sis, it's because your Nidoqueen's strength shot through the roof overnight. Ying Tou knows he's outmatched."
"Otherwise, that old fox would never be so agreeable!"
Recalling the devastating power Nidoqueen wielded with the [Life Orb], Tang Rong wondered if she should raise one herself.
But then, remembering something important, Tang Rong grew serious.
"You still need to be careful, though."
"Ying Tou isn't the type to accept defeat so easily."
"And we've already confirmed it—his son has become the disciple of a retired Elite Four."
Ying Tou had already coveted Azure Dragon Society even before he gained such backing. Now that he had a powerful ally, there was no way he'd genuinely give up.
But when it came to children, Ye Qing displayed unwavering confidence.
"So what?"
"My Qingxue won't lose to anyone's child."
Her confidence wasn't just parental pride; Ye Bo had informed her that Qingxue's teacher might already have reached Elite Four-Tier. Knowing Ye Bo's reliability, this was likely true.
"That's right! Qingxue is the most outstanding child in the world!" Tang Rong cheerfully echoed. "Speaking of which, her birthday is coming up soon. When are we going to visit?"
"We can't possibly hold Qingxue's birthday party in some small village, right?" she asked expectantly.
Ye Qing shot her a meaningful glance, teasing softly, "Are you going for Qingxue's birthday, or are you just curious about her teacher?"
Tang Rong didn't even pretend to deny it. Puffing her chest proudly, she declared, "Of course!"
"Such a talented young man—how could I pass up the opportunity to meet him!"
She was intensely curious about Guo Yi, the mysterious mentor who'd provided Ye Qing with the [Life Orb] and the [Sheer Force] ability.
Ye Qing shook her head helplessly, turning to Ye Bo.
"Ye Bo, please prepare. We'll depart tomorrow."
Since the affairs in Shanghai were settled, Ye Qing naturally wanted to visit Yangliu Village—not only for her daughter's birthday, but also out of curiosity about this mysterious mentor.
"Yes, Chairwoman." Ye Bo nodded respectfully and left to prepare.
---
Yangliu Village
"Beedrill, [X-Scissor]!"
In the woods outside Yangliu Village, Guo Yi commanded Beedrill in a sparring session with Nidoking and Nidoqueen.
A week had passed since their return from Thunder Valley. Throughout this week, Guo Yi had worked tirelessly with Beedrill, trying to master a [Z-Move]—but without much success.
Although Beedrill restricted its strength to the Pseudo-Elite Four Level, it still handled Nidoking and Nidoqueen effortlessly. Such training wasn't proving effective.
It seems we'll have to find an evenly matched opponent for Beedrill, Guo Yi thought, sighing quietly.
Only under pressure could the bond between trainer and Pokémon rapidly strengthen. But finding an opponent suitable for a level 90 Beedrill wasn't easy.
Suddenly—
Beep Beep Beep!
The sound of car horns interrupted Guo Yi's thoughts.
A large convoy rolled into Yangliu Village, catching his attention.
Unsure whether the visitors were friends or foes, Guo Yi stopped training immediately, hurrying back to the villa. Since Ye Bo had entrusted Qingxue to him, he couldn't allow her to come to any harm.
It was his responsibility as her teacher.
The convoy stopped directly outside Guo Yi's villa, where Su Qingxue already waited excitedly.
When she spotted the beautiful woman exiting the car, Su Qingxue ran up eagerly.
"Mom! I missed you so much!"
She hugged Ye Qing tightly, warmly expressing her affection.
Before Ye Qing could even reply, Tang Rong's voice came teasingly from the side.
"Only missed your mom? Didn't you miss your Aunt Tang?"
Su Qingxue released her mother, laughing, "Of course I missed you, Aunt Tang! I just didn't notice you at first."
"Besides, Auntie, you look even prettier than before!"
She immediately gave Tang Rong a warm hug as well.
"You little sweet-talker," Tang Rong laughed affectionately, tapping Su Qingxue's nose.
Suddenly, a Houndoom beside the bodyguards started barking frantically. The guards instantly adopted defensive stances—wealthy families always hired the most professional protection.
Naturally, the cause of its panic was Nidoking beside Guo Yi. Facing such a powerful Pokémon, the Elite-Tier Houndoom had instinctively panicked.
"Wait! Don't attack—he's my teacher!" Su Qingxue urgently intervened upon spotting Guo Yi.
"Oh?"
Hearing her daughter, Ye Qing's interest piqued, and she closely examined Guo Yi. Although Ye Bo had already mentioned Guo Yi's young age, she still felt surprised seeing him face-to-face.
He looks even younger than Tang Rong…
Yet regardless of his age, Ye Qing fully acknowledged his strength and respectfully stepped forward.
"Hello, Teacher Guo. I'm Qingxue's mother, Ye Qing."
"Thank you very much for teaching my daughter."
Guo Yi replied politely with a smile. "It's my responsibility as her teacher."
At this point, Tang Rong stepped forward enthusiastically. "Hello, I'm Qingxue's Aunt Tang. You're younger than I imagined!"
Seeing Tang Rong's familiar face, Guo Yi recalled those provocative photos, momentarily faltering.
"I know you," he responded calmly. "Qingxue mentioned you before."
Tang Rong perked up immediately. "She did? What did she say?"
Su Qingxue quickly interrupted, pulling Guo Yi inside. "Mom, Auntie—let's talk inside!"
Guo Yi laughed quietly, letting Qingxue steer the conversation away.
Su Qingxue let out a relieved breath, silently thanking her quick thinking.
Thank goodness we avoided that awkward conversation…