He Yongsen finally calmed his turbulent emotions, stood up, and deeply bowed to Guo Yi.
"Thank you so much, Master!"
"If I'd lost Arcanine today, I wouldn't even know how to continue living."
If Arcanine had truly died, whether or not He Yongsen would have stayed with the fire brigade was uncertain—but he would certainly have fallen into despair, unable to escape the shadows for who knows how long.
As for recovering from that grief, it would've depended entirely on fate.
"Woof!" Arcanine barked gratefully from beside him.
Hearing her trainer's words, she understood clearly that the person standing in front of them had saved her life.
"It's nothing," Guo Yi said warmly. "You firefighters risk your lives to protect others; it's only right that I help you."
Indeed, it was precisely due to such selfless people that Dragon Country was steadily growing stronger, step by step overtaking other global powers.
"Um…" He Yongsen began hesitantly. "Master, I have another request—I hope it's not too presumptuous."
His face flushed slightly in embarrassment. It was inappropriate to ask for another favor right after someone had saved his Pokémon.
But if he missed this opportunity, he'd regret it for the rest of his life.
"Go ahead and ask," Guo Yi said easily. "If it's within my abilities, I'll help."
Awkwardly scratching his head, He Yongsen finally said, "Master, may I formally become your disciple?"
After this rescue mission, he keenly realized his own inadequacy. If Arcanine had been stronger—Pseudo-Elite Four or even Elite Four-Tier—the rescue would've been effortless.
Even back at the firefighting unit, he'd often thought of finding a renowned teacher or entering a Pokémon university to further his skills.
Now, standing before him was a master whose strength exceeded even Elite Four trainers. How could he let this chance slip by?
Guo Yi blinked, somewhat surprised.
He hadn't even broached the subject of discipleship yet, and here someone was proactively seeking to be his student.
Since that was the case, he had no reason to refuse.
"All right," Guo Yi replied with a smile. "I'll gladly accept you as my disciple."
"Really?!" He Yongsen's eyes lit up. "That's wonderful, Master—no, Teacher!"
Then, as if worried Guo Yi might change his mind, He Yongsen quickly knelt down to perform a formal kowtow, cementing their master-disciple relationship.
Guo Yi received the bow calmly and with dignity.
[Ding! Congratulations, Host, on recruiting your second outstanding disciple.]
[Reward: Gary Oak's Pokémon Breeding Knowledge.]
[Disciple Relationship Template: Unlocked]
[Mentor Points: +10,000]
The next second—
A vast wave of breeding strategies and Pokémon development techniques flowed into Guo Yi's mind.
In the original manga, Gary Oak was recognized by Professor Oak himself as a natural breeder. His specialty was enhancing Pokémon potential, making them stronger—perfectly aligning with Guo Yi's role as a teacher.
"You can rise now," Guo Yi said gently. "And you don't need to call me Master—just calling me Teacher is fine."
After fully absorbing Gary Oak's insights, Guo Yi helped He Yongsen to his feet.
"Yes, Teacher," He Yongsen answered enthusiastically.
Becoming a disciple of someone this powerful was something countless people could only dream of.
"Oh, right, Teacher—I haven't properly introduced myself yet," He Yongsen suddenly realized. "My name is He Yongsen. I'm a Pokémon firefighter. You can just call me Yongsen or Xiao He."
"Alright, Xiao He," Guo Yi smiled warmly. "By the way, take this—it's a small gift to celebrate your becoming my disciple."
Guo Yi casually produced a piece of Champion-Grade [Charcoal].
Beside them, Arcanine's eyes instantly lit up with longing.
Higher-quality items not only greatly amplified a Pokémon's move power, but also significantly boosted their long-term growth.
As a pure Fire-type Pokémon, this [Charcoal] was enormously tempting to Arcanine.
Yet, upon seeing it, He Yongsen waved his hands frantically in refusal.
"Teacher, I couldn't possibly accept this! You haven't even accepted a formal gift from me yet; how can I accept such generosity? Besides, Arcanine already has [Charcoal]."
In He Yongsen's eyes, Guo Yi agreeing to accept him as a disciple was already a tremendous kindness. How could he further impose by accepting such a precious gift?
This humble gesture spoke volumes about He Yongsen's character.
However, the [Charcoal] wouldn't do Guo Yi much good. It'd be far more beneficial to strengthen his new disciple. After all, the stronger the student, the more prestige for the teacher.
"Just take it," Guo Yi insisted firmly. "This [Charcoal] is Champion-Grade."
He Yongsen's throat tightened when he heard that.
Champion-Grade items—most wealthy clans wouldn't even possess something this valuable.
Just who exactly is Teacher…?
Astounding strength, mysterious healing skills, and unbelievably precious items. Most people would thank heaven to have just one of these things, yet Teacher has all three!
He Yongsen's respect for Guo Yi soared even higher.
[Ding! Your actions have greatly increased He Yongsen's respect for you, displaying your prestige as a teacher.]
[Mentor Points: +1,000]
Guo Yi couldn't help but chuckle inwardly when he saw the awe in He Yongsen's eyes.
It was natural for He Yongsen, despite a solid family background, to feel amazed given his young age. Let alone Champion-Tier items—he'd probably rarely seen Elite Four-Tier items.
After formalizing their relationship, the two casually began chatting.
"Oh, by the way, Xiao He, why did you call me 'Master' from the start?" Guo Yi suddenly asked curiously.
Logically speaking, they'd never met before. Where had this title come from?
"Eh?" He Yongsen was surprised. "Teacher, haven't you seen it online? You're famous now! Your battle commanding Beedrill against Zapdos basically made you a legend overnight. Even Bug-type Elite Four Lin Feng personally posted on Weibo saying he couldn't compare to you. Now everyone online calls you the Bug-type Master."
He explained excitedly.
"Is that so?" Guo Yi frowned slightly.
He hadn't been online recently and had no idea things had escalated this dramatically. Even Elite Four-Level trainers had weighed in publicly?
If his identity was revealed now, wouldn't it attract a ton of trouble?
In his previous life, famous celebrities had to disguise themselves carefully whenever they went out, guarding against paparazzi and fans alike. Some obsessive fans even engaged in disturbing behavior, making the celebrities' lives miserable.
Guo Yi didn't want a lifestyle like that.
Therefore, he instructed He Yongsen seriously, "Xiao He, please keep my true identity a secret for now. As for our relationship, just say you were rescued by a trainer who happened to be passing by."
Compared to living under constant scrutiny, Guo Yi much preferred a quiet, ordinary life.
Fame and glory tended to bring endless trouble.
Once outsiders discovered his age combined with his incredible skill, he feared some stubborn, prideful veterans might come knocking at his door, eager to test him out.
Those who bear the crown must endure its weight.
With Guo Yi's current qualifications, the title of 'Bug-type Master' was honestly too heavy to carry.
Such was the way of this world.
Strength alone did not decide everything in this world.
Seeing how seriously his teacher treated the matter, He Yongsen solemnly nodded.
"Don't worry, Teacher. I won't reveal your true identity to anyone."
"It's just…" He hesitated slightly, curiosity overwhelming his embarrassment. "Teacher, could you perhaps share your true strength level? I don't mean anything by it—I'm just genuinely curious."
Online discussions regarding Guo Yi's strength had exploded into wild speculation.
Some claimed Guo Yi surpassed even the Champions; others believed only his Beedrill was powerful, and his overall strength was below Champion-Tier. A few skeptics had outright claimed he wasn't even Elite Four-Level—but that opinion quickly vanished after Lin Feng publicly praised Guo Yi.
The main debate now was whether Guo Yi stood above or below the Champion level.
Coincidentally, He Yongsen himself had participated in those online arguments, so naturally, he was eager to know the truth.
"My true strength?" Guo Yi pondered for a moment before answering cautiously. "I can match a Champion-Level trainer. As for who would win or lose, I've never fought one directly, so I really can't say."
The true extent of Champions' power was never fully revealed to the public. Even officially announced Champion-Level lineups didn't show their full potential.
At that high level, pure Pokémon strength wasn't the only deciding factor—real-time strategies, tactical adaptability, and the ability to leverage Pokémon abilities played critical roles.
Without personally battling a Champion, Guo Yi wasn't comfortable claiming absolute confidence.
He can fight a Champion evenly, and the outcome is uncertain?
He Yongsen felt a surge of excitement at his teacher's modest yet thrilling response.
After all, even Alexander from the Eagle Federation—the strongest trainer in the world rankings—didn't dare confidently claim absolute dominance over other Champions.
Guo Yi's words were essentially confirmation that he stood on equal footing with Champions.
It was worth noting—
Although Pokémon had dramatically reshaped daily life and technology in this world, global geopolitics hadn't changed much. Alongside each country's Pokémon League, there existed an International Pokémon Alliance, balancing global developments.
The Eagle Federation remained the strongest Pokémon-training nation, followed closely by the Dragon Nation, Ursaring Federation, Albion, and Gaul Republic.
But the Dragon Nation had grown remarkably strong in recent years—even narrowly losing to the Eagle Federation in last year's global trainer rankings.
This had firmly placed Dragon Nation in Eagle Federation's crosshairs, prompting countless covert schemes aimed at slowing its rise.
Thus, the sudden appearance of an enigmatic powerhouse like Guo Yi had caused immense waves, not just domestically, but internationally as well.
---
"Swampert, [Earthquake]!"
The captain commanded his Swampert to attack wild Pokémon obstructing their path.
Though the flames had largely subsided due to the rain, fire-type Pokémon that escaped from the Secret Realm still roamed chaotically.
Top researchers had already explained why Pokémon from disaster-spawned Secret Realms behaved destructively: the air, saturated with abundant elemental energy due to disasters, rapidly boosted their strength. However, these energies were tainted with violent factors, causing Pokémon absorbing them to lose rationality and rampage. Only after the disaster ended would the Pokémon gradually return to normal.
"Swam—!" Swampert roared fiercely, hammering the ground with thick, muscular arms.
The earth shook violently, instantly toppling hordes of Slugma and Magcargo.
"Let's move!" The captain swiftly urged his teammates forward, ignoring other Pokémon nearby.
Just then, a familiar voice suddenly echoed nearby:
"Arcanine, [Extreme Speed]!"
Whoosh!
A fiery-red shadow flashed through the battlefield at blinding speed. In an instant, several wild Pokémon collapsed beneath Arcanine's paws.
Then, supported by Guo Yi, He Yongsen limped slowly out from the smoke.
He'd suffered minor injuries battling the Salandits, but after quick first-aid, he was mostly fine.
"Yongsen! You scared me half to death!" Seeing his familiar figure emerge, the captain rushed over, embracing him tightly, his emotions overwhelming him.
Thank goodness He Yongsen was safe. Otherwise, how could he ever face his old comrade again?
After releasing his anxiety, the captain finally noticed Guo Yi standing quietly to one side.
"Yongsen, who is this?" he asked, puzzled.
At the mention of Guo Yi, He Yongsen's eyes immediately lit up.
"Captain, this is my savior and my new teacher! It was thanks to Teacher's timely arrival that the Salandits were driven away, or else…I don't even dare imagine what would've happened."
Though this version understated Arcanine's heroic contributions—potentially losing her recognition as a hero Pokémon—he didn't regret it. Since he'd promised to keep Guo Yi's identity secret, he was determined to do so.
Besides, even if he told the truth now, no one would believe it.
After all, Arcanine looked healthier now than before the mission—glossy coat, powerful muscles, without a single scratch. Who would believe she'd been near death only minutes earlier?
Upon hearing that Guo Yi had saved his subordinate, the captain gratefully shook his hand.
"On behalf of the Shanghai Pokémon Fire Brigade, thank you for your timely rescue!"
Guo Yi smiled gently. "No need to thank me. I just happened to come out of a Secret Realm nearby. Naturally, I couldn't ignore someone in trouble."
After exchanging polite courtesies, the captain led everyone back down the mountain.
After another hour of intensive firefighting, the blaze was completely extinguished, and the Secret Realm summoned by the forest fire also faded away.