Urban Pokémon

Gengar.

At this moment, that Pokémon was Nidoqueen's greatest target.

The humiliation of being defeated in a single move back then was something she absolutely had to avenge.

Indeed, one should never casually provoke a woman—this principle applied even to Pokémon.

Facing Nidoqueen's earnest question, Beedrill genuinely didn't know how to respond.

Though Nidoqueen had completed an incredible series of evolutions—Nidoran♀, Nidorina, and finally Nidoqueen—in just over a month, and her strength had risen rapidly from Veteran-Level to Ace-Level, the gap between her and Gengar remained enormous.

Elite Four.

Those two simple words had stopped countless Pokémon from ever advancing further.

Even though Nidoqueen's potential had broken through to Champion-Level thanks to the Perfect-Grade [Moon Stone], reaching Elite Four wasn't something she could achieve overnight.

If Beedrill answered truthfully, he worried it would dampen Nidoqueen's fighting spirit. Unsure how to respond, he could only glance helplessly toward Guo Yi.

Nidoqueen followed Beedrill's gaze, turning expectantly toward Guo Yi as well.

Meeting Nidoqueen's stubborn eyes, Guo Yi quickly understood her thoughts.

Nidoqueen wasn't foolish.

Since Beedrill hadn't immediately answered, that meant Gengar's true strength was beyond her imagination. Still, she desperately wanted to know just how vast the gap truly was.

"Hm." Guo Yi contemplated briefly before deciding to tell her the truth. Sometimes, a distant yet clear goal could ignite even greater determination in Pokémon.

"That Gengar has Elite Four strength. However, due to its extensive battle experience, it can briefly achieve Champion-Level power."

Although Gengar's injuries prevented it from returning to its peak strength, it still possessed the skills and experience of a Champion-Level Pokémon. Even against a true Champion-Level opponent, it had the capability to fight effectively.

"Elite Four… Champion!"

Nidoqueen and Su Qingxue sucked in sharp breaths simultaneously.

They'd suspected Gengar was formidable, yet the confirmation that its power approached Champion-Level still startled them.

Yet, upon reflection, they realized it made sense. After all, Beedrill himself could defeat even a Legendary Pokémon. If Gengar lacked such strength, how could it have possibly escaped Beedrill's grasp?

"Nido!"

Far from discouraged, Nidoqueen's fighting spirit surged. Her eyes now burned fiercely.

"Trainer, please give me my training regimen immediately!"

Influenced by her Pokémon's blazing determination, Su Qingxue turned eagerly toward Guo Yi.

"Teacher, what's the next stage of training for Nidoqueen?"

The earlier training methods and Pokéblocks were specifically tailored for Nidorina. After evolving into Nidoqueen, not only had her typing gained Ground-type attributes, her ability had also finally shifted to [Sheer Force].

The mighty [Sheer Force] Nidoqueen had officially debuted.

With proper training, Su Qingxue's Nidoqueen would unquestionably surpass even her mother's at the same level.

Although Ye Qing had followed Guo Yi's advice in teaching her Nidoqueen [Ice Beam] and [Water Pulse], mastering such techniques became increasingly difficult if introduced late in a Pokémon's development. It was like searching for one stone among ten thousand grains of rice compared to one among just ten grains. Though both scenarios involved a single stone, the difficulty was vastly different.

Ye Qing's Nidoqueen had long focused primarily on Poison- and Ground-type energies. Detecting energies of Ice or Water-types within her now—even with Guo Yi's perfect Pokéblocks—would remain incredibly challenging.

Fortunately, Guo Yi had already planned out a comprehensive training path for Su Qingxue's Nidoqueen.

"Qingxue, take this."

Guo Yi placed a crimson-purple orb into Su Qingxue's hand.

"[Life Orb]!"

Su Qingxue instantly recognized the item. After all, she had been the one to insist Ye Qing purchase a [Life Orb] for her own Nidoqueen previously.

Now that her Nidoqueen possessed [Sheer Force], the [Life Orb] became essential.

Guo Yi smiled slightly, explaining, "This [Life Orb] is Pseudo-Elite Four Grade. It should be sufficient for Nidoqueen for quite some time."

Currently, Guo Yi had over 100,000 [Mentor Points] available. If he wanted, he could even redeem a Master-Grade [Life Orb]. However, he didn't see the need for that now.

After all, unlike the [Wave Incense] he'd gifted He Yongsen, the [Life Orb] didn't gradually improve a Pokémon's potential. Its sole purpose was to enhance attacks in synergy with Nidoqueen's [Sheer Force] ability. Thus, the current level was perfectly adequate.

Moreover, Su Qingxue's Pokémon training had gradually entered a stable track. Guo Yi no longer needed to continually invest without returns.

Indeed, the [Life Orb] he gave Su Qingxue had been directly purchased using [Mentor Points] gained from Nidorina's evolution yesterday. After evolving into Nidoqueen and reaching Ace-Level, the system had rewarded Guo Yi with 10,000 [Mentor Points]. Even after buying this [Life Orb], he still had over 3,000 points left over.

Admittedly, these 3,000 [Mentor Points] seemed negligible compared to the value of the Perfect-Grade [Moon Stone] he'd provided. But now that Nidoqueen's cultivation was on track, future returns would steadily flow.

Additionally, with Su Qingxue's increasing strength, her daily [Mentor Point] generation had risen to a stable 150 points per day. Everything was finally improving, and Guo Yi no longer had to shoulder everything alone.

Afterward, Guo Yi carefully explained key points for Nidoqueen's subsequent training.

As for Metapod…

It was better to wait until she evolved into Beedrill. Training her now would only prematurely drain her energy reserves at this critical moment of metamorphosis.

For now, it's best to wait patiently.

"By the way, Teacher, my mother specially bought a house near the university for you," Su Qingxue suddenly remarked after finishing their training. "If you're free today, shall we go and take a look?"

Although becoming an assistant instructor meant Guo Yi could be assigned housing at the university, Ye Qing had specifically purchased a private residence as a token of gratitude. After all, the improvements in her daughter's abilities were plainly visible, and she didn't know how else to repay Guo Yi. Remembering he didn't yet have a permanent place in Shanghai, she simply bought a villa outright as a gift.

Such was the casual generosity of the wealthy.

"Sure." Guo Yi nodded calmly.

He saw no reason to refuse Ye Qing's kind gesture.

Honestly, with all the resources I've invested in Qingxue, a single villa is nothing. Refusing now would just be hypocritical.

"Xiaoxue, where are you two headed?"

Tang Rong, who'd been secretly keeping an eye on Guo Yi's movements, quickly approached upon noticing they were about to leave.

"I'm taking Teacher to familiarize him with his new home," Su Qingxue explained. "After all, he'll be working at Shanghai Pokémon University soon."

"A house?" Tang Rong paused thoughtfully, then said, "You mean the one at Tangchen Yipin, right? I'm familiar with that area—I'll drive you both."

Without waiting for a reply, Tang Rong headed straight to the garage and soon drove up beside them.

"Hop in," she called, lowering the window impatiently.

Guo Yi exchanged a glance with Su Qingxue, and they climbed into the car without protest.

Along the way, Su Qingxue asked curiously, "Aunt Tang, how do you know the location of this house? Mom only told me about it yesterday."

Tang Rong smiled, steering casually as she explained, "What's so surprising? I was the one who found it for your mother in the first place. It's about 400 square meters, priced at around 100 million yuan."

She glanced at Guo Yi through the rearview mirror, continuing playfully, "Though compared to the Perfect-Grade [Evolutionary Stones] Teacher Guo handed out yesterday, this little amount of money isn't worth mentioning."

Initially, Tang Rong had felt spending so much on a single house was a bit excessive, but after seeing Guo Yi casually produce rare evolutionary stones, the expense suddenly seemed trivial.

Now she was even struggling to think of a suitable gift to express gratitude for the detailed training strategy he'd given her yesterday. An assistant teaching certificate? That barely counted. Frankly speaking, if Guo Yi had offered a similarly detailed training regimen to her uncle, even a professor-level appointment would've been easily arranged. Such complete training systems were priceless, capable of becoming foundational legacies passed down within families for generations.

"Teacher, after we finish checking out the house, shall we go look at cars too?" Su Qingxue suddenly suggested. "Shanghai's quite inconvenient without your own car."

She inwardly added, Teacher has always been the one taking care of me, yet I've never properly given him anything. I'll buy him a nice car!

Having saved several million yuan over the years as the Azure Dragon Society's heiress, she could easily afford a decent car without needing to ask her mother for help. After all, using her mother's money would completely defeat the purpose of showing her personal appreciation.

But little did she know, someone else was already stealing her thunder.

"A car, huh? That's a great idea!"

Tang Rong's eyes lit up instantly, since she'd been struggling to think of a suitable gift for Guo Yi herself. Quickly, she jumped in, "Xiaoxue, you're still young—you should save your money for Pokémon training. Let your Aunt Tang handle the car."

She added cheerfully, "I still haven't properly thanked Teacher Guo for the valuable advice he gave me yesterday."

Guo Yi saw no reason to decline. After all, in a huge metropolis like Shanghai, having a car was indeed essential.

"In that case, thank you," he nodded graciously.

"Oh, it's no trouble at all! My cousin runs a car dealership, so it's really convenient," Tang Rong replied, secretly congratulating herself on her quick thinking.

Beside her, however, Su Qingxue glared resentfully.

Damn it, Aunt Tang, you sneaky fox! Now what am I supposed to give Teacher?!

Her plans completely sabotaged, she felt intensely frustrated—but with Guo Yi already having agreed, her complaints were meaningless. What gift could she possibly give now?

A Pokémon item? Forget it. Teacher casually gives away Perfect-grade Evolutionary Stones. Giving him an item would just be embarrassing.

Maybe a Pokémon itself would work better?

Now that she considered it, a Pokémon seemed to be her only remaining choice. But what kind of Pokémon could impress someone as powerful as Teacher? Even a pseudo-legendary hatchling probably wouldn't surprise him. Perhaps a Legendary Pokémon's offspring would be appropriate—assuming she could even get her hands on one.

She sighed inwardly, deeply conflicted. Teacher's too strong…what kind of Pokémon could possibly impress him?

Just as Su Qingxue was feeling completely stuck, a comment from Guo Yi gave her sudden inspiration:

"A 400-square-meter house, huh? Cleaning such a large place won't be easy," he remarked offhandedly, recalling how tiring even his previous life's modest home had been to maintain.

Su Qingxue's eyes suddenly brightened.

Cleaning! Of course! Why not get Teacher a specialized Pokémon housekeeper?

She quickly pulled out her phone, navigating to a popular website specializing in domestic service Pokémon. In today's society, Pokémon had already integrated into nearly every profession: Machop, Machoke, and Conkeldurr excelled in construction, while Diglett, Roggenrola, and Drilbur handled infrastructure projects—truly embodying the legendary "infrastructure demons" nickname for the Dragon Nation. Pokémon were also widely used in agriculture, disaster relief, and environmental restoration.

Su Qingxue scrolled quickly, searching through numerous listings of domestic-type Pokémon. These Pokémon typically either lacked talent for battle or simply disliked fighting, and thus were trained specifically for home use. Pokémon like Leavanny, Machamp, Gothitelle, Mr. Mime, and Gardevoir—almost any human-shaped Pokémon could be found on this marketplace.

After browsing several pages, Su Qingxue frowned. These Pokémon are so expensive… With my current savings, I probably can't afford a particularly outstanding one.

Suddenly, a discounted listing caught her eye.

A Liligant for just two million yuan?

Such a low price was unusually rare for popular housekeeping Pokémon like Liligant or Gardevoir. Intrigued, she quickly checked the details.

Capable of all household chores, except cooking. Friendly reminder: This Liligant has a somewhat large appetite.

Reading the note, Su Qingxue smiled confidently.

Big appetite? That's no problem! Teacher's specialty is Pokémon nutrition anyway. As for not being able to cook, even better! Now I have the perfect excuse to spend more time at Teacher's place.

Without hesitation, she immediately placed the order.