Urban Pokémon

Speaking of Tang Jie, though he was technically a member of the Tang family, he'd always been treated as an outsider, being an illegitimate child. Ever since childhood, he'd rarely known respect within the family.

But Tang Rong had been different.

She'd never pampered him, but she'd never treated him unfairly either—always firm, but always fair. For Tang Jie, this alone was a precious form of respect.

Their genuine bond, however, truly formed several years ago, when Tang Jie broke away from the Tang family to start his own business.

At the time, his venture hit a major roadblock. Due to his estrangement from the Tang family, no one dared offer help—no one, that is, except Tang Rong.

Back then, she'd handed over all her savings without hesitation to help him survive the crisis.

Perhaps she had done so partly out of defiance against the family—but regardless, Tang Jie never forgot her kindness. It was precisely because of Tang Rong's timely support that he'd managed to rebuild his life.

Ever since then, he'd viewed Tang Rong as his true sister.

Fortunately, Tang Jie himself was capable. After overcoming that initial crisis, his business grew steadily, and today his luxury car dealership was well-known throughout Shanghai.

Eventually, Tang Jie's estranged branch of the family tried to welcome him back—but he rejected them outright. When they'd attempted revenge, Tang Rong single-handedly stepped in to shield him from their retaliation.

Facing Tang Rong now, Tang Jie was as obedient as a lamb.

"Boss, all the paperwork's done," Lin announced, holding out the documents.

Seeing Lin's eager expression, Tang Jie couldn't help but grumble playfully, "Look at you, kid! I've never seen you move this fast when I'm around."

"Now that my cousin's here, you're suddenly energetic about business. Anyone would think she's the real owner!"

Lin fell silent for a moment, then tilted his head thoughtfully. "Wait…she's not?"

"Pfft—!"

Tang Jie clutched at his chest dramatically, as though stabbed by an invisible dagger.

"Just go! Go already," Tang Jie waved Lin away miserably. "Let me nurse my wounded heart in peace."

"Right away!" Lin replied cheerfully. "Take your time, Boss—nurse slowly!"

Lin quickly trotted over to Guo Yi, handing over the papers for signing. As Guo Yi scribbled his signature, Lin enthusiastically assured him, "Teacher Guo, remember to bring the car here whenever you need maintenance—no charge, of course!"

Guo Yi paused briefly, embarrassed. "That…doesn't seem quite right, does it? This kind of luxury car's maintenance must cost a fortune. Your boss might actually get hurt again."

As he said that, he glanced playfully toward Tang Jie, who was still dramatically nursing his wounded pride.

But Lin waved dismissively. "No worries. Miss Tang gave the order herself. As for my boss—let him nurse his fragile heart a few more times. He'll recover eventually!"

Tang Jie staggered theatrically once again.

Two more invisible daggers—straight to the heart.

Lin, you little brat! Just wait until my cousin leaves—I'll make sure you pay!

While Tang Jie sulked, Leng Yue smiled curiously and asked, half-jokingly, "Teacher Guo, may I ask what you do exactly? Your pockets seem quite deep."

"Oh, nothing special," Guo Yi replied with a casual smile. "I'm just an ordinary teacher. Recently, I got an offer to become an assistant instructor at Shanghai Pokémon University."

Ordinary?

Tang Rong and Su Qingxue simultaneously rolled their eyes.

An ordinary teacher capable of directly confronting Legendary Pokémon one-on-one?

An ordinary teacher who could effortlessly devise comprehensive Pokémon training methods?

An ordinary teacher who casually handed out Perfect-Grade Pokéblocks?

If you're ordinary, what does that make other teachers?

Noticing their subtle reaction, Leng Yue's curiosity only intensified.

Judging by Tang Rong and Su Qingxue's reactions, this Teacher Guo probably isn't as ordinary as he claims.

Intrigued, she asked again, "Teacher Guo, do you know what course you'll be teaching? I'll definitely come support your class."

At Shanghai Pokémon University, classes weren't strictly scheduled. Students attended whichever lectures interested them—or even skipped entirely. All that mattered was passing the rigorous final assessments.

If you failed, however—

Well, the school had only one option: immediate expulsion.

"A course, huh?" Guo Yi mused thoughtfully. "To be honest, I haven't decided yet."

In truth, there were many things he could lecture on: Pokémon Abilities, team building, move combinations, or even the unique strengths of different Pokémon species. Any of these would be enough for an extensive course. He genuinely hadn't chosen yet.

"It ultimately depends on the university's arrangements," he gave an official-sounding reply, inwardly sighing.

Sometimes, knowing too much really is troublesome.

When Guo Yi had first transmigrated, his Pokémon knowledge had been limited to surface-level information from his past life's memories—his main advantage was being a foreseer. However, after accepting disciples and obtaining rewards—particularly Blue's Pokémon breeding knowledge—it felt as though he'd suddenly opened the gates to the entire Pokémon world.

Now, he could accurately pinpoint the strengths and weaknesses of virtually every known Pokémon species. Combined with his memories from his past life, he could confidently debate theory even with a Pokémon Professor.

Seeing that Guo Yi still hadn't settled on a course, Leng Yue chose not to press further. Instead, she sighed inwardly, marveling at how simply gifting one Perfect-Grade [Moon Stone] had been enough to stir excitement among Shanghai's elite.

She couldn't help but wonder if her family's Ice Stone would ever receive such attention.

Thinking of this, Leng Yue sighed aloud, "Ah… If only [Ice Stones] had some practical use! They're [Evolutionary Stones] too, but it seems no Pokémon actually needs them."

Hearing her offhand comment, Guo Yi instinctively replied, "Who says no Pokémon can use them?"

The moment those words left his lips—

Everyone immediately turned toward him, their gazes focused intently on his face.

Leng Yue's cheeks flushed slightly, excitement shining in her eyes.

Had anyone else said such a thing, she might've doubted them, but Guo Yi was clearly different. Someone casually gifting Perfect-Grade [Evolutionary Stones] surely understood these items intimately. If she remembered correctly, it was rumored that Guo Yi even possessed another Perfect-Grade [Fire Stone].

Without deep knowledge, how could one person so easily own multiple Perfect-Grade [Evolutionary Stones]?

At this moment, Guo Yi realized he might've spoken carelessly.

In truth, the Ice Stone was indeed far more limited compared to other [Evolutionary Stones]. In fact, when Pokémon was first introduced as a franchise, [Ice Stones] didn't even exist. Eventually, two Pokémon—Alolan Vulpix and Alolan Sandshrew—required [Ice Stones] to evolve into Alolan Ninetales and Alolan Sandslash, respectively.

Unfortunately, neither Pokémon had yet been discovered in any known Secret Realm.

Still, since he'd already brought it up, he might as well explain thoroughly. With everyone's eyes fixed intently on him, Guo Yi continued calmly:

"As far as I know, only two Pokémon species require an [Ice Stone] for evolution—Sandshrew and Vulpix."

"Sandshrew and Vulpix?"

Everyone's voices carried obvious skepticism. These two Pokémon couldn't be more familiar to everyone present.

Sandshrew evolved directly into Sandslash without any special conditions, and Vulpix clearly needed a [Fire Stone] to evolve.

How could either be related to an Ice Stone?

Facing their confusion, Guo Yi smiled, unruffled, and continued:

"I know the Sandshrew and Vulpix commonly seen today are Ground-type and Fire-type respectively, seemingly having nothing to do with the Ice-type. But have you ever considered the possibility that Ice-type variants of these two Pokémon might also exist?"

"Ice-type? Teacher, isn't that too far-fetched?" Su Qingxue blurted out, incredulous.

Although she deeply trusted her teacher, the idea of an Ice-type Sandshrew and especially an Ice-type Vulpix sounded utterly absurd. Sandshrew, perhaps—but Vulpix was clearly Fire-type! How could it possibly switch to the opposite attribute?

Was this some kind of attribute inversion? It seemed impossible!

"Far-fetched?" Guo Yi smiled faintly. "Before Pokémon first appeared, if someone told you there were animals capable of breathing fire or water, wouldn't you have found that absurd too?"

"The reason you think it's far-fetched is simply because such a Pokémon hasn't yet been discovered."

People in ancient times thought flying was impossible as well. Yet today, it was completely normal. Some things might seem absurd simply because they lacked proof at the moment.

Leng Yue nodded thoughtfully. Then she eagerly asked, "Teacher Guo, could you tell us where we might find these two Pokémon?"

Whether absurd or not—why not simply verify through practice?

Sandshrew might not matter much to her, but if an Ice-type Vulpix truly existed, its evolved form would surely be an Ice-type Ninetales. Leng Yue would undoubtedly be fascinated by such a Pokémon.

But Guo Yi shook his head helplessly. "As for where, I honestly don't know."

...

An awkward silence followed.

Leng Yue didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

She'd initially believed Guo Yi's words were backed by concrete evidence. Who knew he'd simply made an unsupported claim?

Seems I overestimated him, she thought, disappointed.

Guo Yi noticed Leng Yue's disappointed expression but didn't bother to explain further. Before speaking, he'd already anticipated this outcome. Without definitive proof, who would believe mere words?

Ring Ring Rng!

Leng Yue's phone suddenly rang, displaying "Grandpa" clearly on the screen.

Realizing it was her grandfather calling, she quickly stepped aside to answer it.

"Yes, Grandpa? What is it?" she asked softly.

Bing Dehai's urgent voice echoed from the other side. "Little Yue, hurry back home immediately—I have an important discovery!"

Before she could even ask what it was, he'd already ended the call.

What discovery could make Grandpa so agitated? Leng Yue wondered.

Rarely had she ever heard her calm and composed grandfather sound so excited. Since he'd instructed her to return, she naturally wouldn't delay.

Turning to everyone apologetically, she announced, "I'm sorry, but something urgent came up at home. Tang-laoban, I'll take the car we discussed earlier. Please deliver it to me when it's ready."

After hurriedly excusing herself, she left promptly.

Shortly afterward, Guo Yi also spoke up:

"Now that we've bought the car, let's get going too, Tang Rong."

Tang Rong nodded and turned to Tang Jie.

"We'll head off first, Cousin."

"All right! Take care, Tang-jie and Mr. Guo!"

Tang Jie watched helplessly as Guo Yi drove away in his beloved Aston Martin, feeling a sharp pain in his heart.

As for payment—

Tang Rong had insisted on paying, but Tang Jie refused adamantly, so the Aston Martin had essentially become a gift.

...

After leaving the dealership, Tang Rong bid farewell as well. She intended to return home and seclude herself for training, her mind brimming with strategies she was eager to test.

Guo Yi, meanwhile, brought Su Qingxue back home. Not to Tangchen Yipin, but to Su Qingxue's residence. After all, they'd previously agreed he'd stay there for a few days. Leaving abruptly midway would've felt somewhat rude.

On their way back, Su Qingxue, seated in the passenger seat, suddenly asked, "Teacher, was the Ice-type Sandshrew and Vulpix you mentioned earlier actually true, or were you just joking?"

Guo Yi responded calmly while driving. "Have you ever heard your teacher joke about such matters?"

Reminded by his words, Su Qingxue quickly recalled—her teacher indeed had never exaggerated before. The combination of Nidoqueen's hidden ability [Sheer Force] with the [Life Orb], or the Weedle possessing Champion Potential—all had sounded absurd initially yet had ultimately proven true.

"Then, Teacher, did you purposely not tell Leng Yue their location because you didn't want her family to benefit first?" Su Qingxue asked again.

Since her teacher clearly knew about these Pokémon, how could he possibly not know where to find them?

Guo Yi shook his head wryly.

Would she believe him if he admitted he genuinely didn't know where to find them?

He had no choice but to clarify vaguely: "Actually, I encountered them in a time-based Secret Realm by chance, so even I can't say exactly where to find them."

"Oh, I see!" Su Qingxue's expression showed instant understanding.

Indeed, time-based Secret Realms were incredibly rare. Finding one depended purely on luck.

...

"Come out, Vulpix, Ninetales!"

Back at the villa's training grounds, Guo Yi finally released the mother and daughter pair from their Poké Balls.

"Aowu!"

Two cries echoed simultaneously.

After a thousand years, Vulpix and Ninetales finally reunited.

Ninetales' eyes shimmered tearfully as she gazed down at the little Vulpix before her. A thousand years of devotion and waiting had finally been rewarded.

The little Vulpix was equally ecstatic, joyfully diving straight into her mother's embrace.

Vulpix: "Mother, I can finally see you!"

Ninetales: "My child, you've finally been born!"

Emotions accumulated over a millennium exploded all at once.

Guo Yi quietly stood aside, watching the tender reunion. This moment belonged exclusively to the mother and daughter pair.

Nearby, Ye Qing stood with her Nidoqueen, observing from a distance.

"Nidoqueen, are you really saying this Ninetales makes you feel fear?" Ye Qing asked doubtfully, disbelief evident in her tone.

Exactly how powerful must that Ninetales be to inspire genuine fear in her own formidable Nidoqueen?

Nidoqueen gazed solemnly at Ninetales and nodded slowly. Earlier, she'd only suspected. But now, she was certain. When Ninetales saw her newborn Vulpix, she'd briefly lost control, accidentally revealing an aura belonging unmistakably to a Master-Level Pokémon.

That aura left no room for doubt. If they were to battle, Nidoqueen knew she'd surely perish.

"Is that so…?" Ye Qing murmured, casting a complex gaze toward Guo Yi.

Teacher Guo… just who exactly are you?

Vast Pokémon knowledge, unfathomable strength, and the ability to create Perfect-Grade Pokéblocks… Why would such a prodigious figure remain hidden in a tiny village?

Pondering deeply, she still couldn't find an answer.

Sigh…

"If Nidoqueen's right and that Ninetales is truly so powerful, there's nothing I can do about it anyway. Let's go, Nidoqueen."

Ye Qing sighed softly, turning away.

Whatever happened in the future, she couldn't be certain. But for now, at least, Guo Yi seemed sincere in his care for her daughter.

For the time being, that was enough.