Perfect-grade!
That was the quality every Pokémon breeder dreamed of achieving when crafting energy cubes.
And yet, coming from Guo Yi's mouth, it was casually dismissed as "nothing special."
For a moment, Guo Yi's figure seemed to grow more enigmatic in Su Qingxue's eyes.
Just who exactly is my teacher?
Hidden Abilities... a breeding plan for the Nidoran evolution line... Those, at least, could be explained away as some kind of family legacy.
But perfect-grade energy cubes? That wasn't something mere inheritance could produce.
It took talent. And time.
Maybe becoming his student… will turn out to be a happy accident.
That thought, unexpected and uninvited, surfaced in Su Qingxue's mind.
[Ding! Your performance has deepened Su Qingxue's recognition of your role as her teacher. Trainer Points +100.]
A soft chime echoed from the system panel.
So raising a student's respect also earns Trainer Points...
With a light cough to draw Su Qingxue's attention, Guo Yi then added with a humble brag,
"It's just a pity I'm still missing some materials."
"Otherwise, I could've made an energy cube even better suited for your Nidoran♀."
The batch in his hand, while still perfect-grade, was crafted for Poison-types in general.
According to the recipe provided by the system, there was a version tailored specifically for Nidoran♀.
However, several of the ingredients weren't available in the system shop.
So Guo Yi had to rely on the system's support to produce a more general formula.
"If there's something you're missing, I can help you find—"
Su Qingxue was quick to offer, eager to help once she heard he could improve the cube even further.
But midway through the sentence, she stopped herself, hesitating.
"Xiaoxue," Guo Yi said gently, "Would you mind telling me what's going on with your family?"
For the heiress of the Azure Dragon Society to suddenly end up in such a remote backwater—there was nothing normal about that.
Until now, Guo Yi had been curious, but their relationship hadn't allowed him to ask.
But things were different now.
A teacher looking out for his student—nothing unusual about that.
"This..."
Su Qingxue hesitated for a moment, but eventually chose to explain everything to Guo Yi.
It turned out—
Back when her father was still alive, the Azure Dragon Society had been the most powerful force in all of Magic City's underground world.
But several years ago, her father entered a secret realm... and never returned.
From that moment on, the Azure Dragon Society began to decline.
Fortunately, Su Qingxue's mother, Ye Qing, was no ordinary woman.
With formidable strength as a trainer and considerable cunning,
she managed to keep the organization from collapsing entirely.
Even so, many of the society's former assets had been divided up by rival powers.
Some of the losses were acceptable.
After all, much of their business had always operated in the shadows.
But this time, what the Flying Eagle Gang tried to take— was the underground black market of Magic City, the very foundation of the Azure Dragon Society's power.
If they gave ground now, there would be no hope of revival.
To prevent them from using her daughter as leverage, Ye Qing had sent Su Qingxue into hiding in this rural town.
Once the current crisis passed and the new semester at Magic City's Pokémon University began, she planned to bring her daughter back.
By then, as long as Su Qingxue remained within university grounds, no matter how bold the Flying Eagle Gang became, they wouldn't dare make a move inside that campus.
By the time she finished explaining, Su Qingxue's eyes had reddened with emotion. She looked to Guo Yi and asked:
"Teacher, the current situation in Magic City is extremely unfavorable for my family."
"So... do you have any way to quickly boost Nidoqueen's strength?"
Guo Yi looked into her eyes and felt a pang in his chest.
He understood what she really meant: this was her roundabout way of asking for his help in training her mother's Nidoqueen.
The problem was—
If they wanted a fast track to power, there was only one viable route:
[Sheer Force] paired with the [Life Orb].
Anything else would require Su Qingxue's mother to bring Nidoqueen to him in person.
With access to the [Data Eye], Guo Yi could make something happen.
But in their current situation, that was clearly impossible.
So first, he needed to gather more information about her mother's Nidoqueen.
"Qingxue, do you know what Ability your mother's Nidoqueen has?"
Su Qingxue's expression brightened at once and she answered eagerly:
"Teacher, I believe my mother's Nidoqueen also has a Hidden Ability."
"But it's different from the [Hustle] you mentioned before... so I can't say for sure."
Guo Yi nodded and explained,
"That's completely normal. Once a Nidorina evolves into Nidoqueen, her [Hustle] becomes [Sheer Force]."
Su Qingxue blinked. This was something she'd never seen in a textbook.
"What does [Sheer Force] actually do?" she asked curiously.
"[Sheer Force] functions similarly to [Scope Lens] or [Razor Powder]—it removes the secondary effects of moves."
"But instead of eliminating them outright, it converts those effects into raw power—boosting the move's base damage."
"For example, when your mother's Nidoqueen uses [Earth Power] or [Sludge Bomb],
aren't those moves noticeably stronger than when used by other Nidoqueens of the same level?"
Su Qingxue nodded rapidly.
"Yes, yes! You're exactly right—those attacks do hit way harder."
Now that he mentioned it, she remembered clearly:
Whenever her mother used those particular moves, the results were terrifying.
There had even been a Champion-level trainer—someone who also raised a Nidoqueen—
who once came to their home offering an enormous sum in exchange for the breeding method.
But in the end, he left disappointed, thinking it was just a fluke—one Pokémon born with exceptional talent.
Hearing Guo Yi's explanation, however, left Su Qingxue a little deflated.
If the [Sheer Force] Ability was already active on her mother's Nidoqueen, then maybe even her teacher couldn't help boost her strength in the short term.
But—
What Guo Yi said next rekindled her hope.
"Actually, because of [Sheer Force], there's one particular item that pairs perfectly with her."
Su Qingxue leaned in.
"Teacher, what item is it?"
Guo Yi smiled faintly.
Now that Su Qingxue was officially his student, there was no need to keep it secret.
"The [Life Orb]."