"Guo Yi, why is this candidate with you?"
Tang Ming's face was dark.
About these teaching assistants' conduct—he had heard a thing or two.
He just hadn't expected that Guo Yi, newly hired, was already acting like this.
If he stayed longer, wouldn't it only get worse?
In that instant, Tang Ming even considered whether he should just fire Guo Yi on the spot.
"This..."
Just as Guo Yi was about to explain, not far away, another car sped toward them.
But when Tang Ming saw this car, his face revealed a flicker of astonishment.
"Isn't that Teacher Bai's car?"
"What's she doing here today?"
Unlike Guo Yi, a minor nobody—Bai Cai's standing at Shanghai Pokémon University was anything but low.
Don't be fooled by her title as just an ordinary teacher.
Because in many of the school's expeditions, research projects, and archaeological endeavors, she was there.
And not in a small role either.
Add to that her grandmother's status as a renowned professor, so even though Tang Ming was a department director, when facing Bai Cai, he was always polite.
"Teacher, where's Yan'er?"
As soon as Bai Cai's car stopped, Su Qingxue rushed out in a hurry.
Guo Yi answered: "Already inside, taking the exam."
"Ah!"
Su Qingxue cried out.
"If she's already in, then Teacher, what are you still doing out here!"
Before her words had even finished, she was already dragging Guo Yi toward the entrance.
Guo Yi, playing up the difficulty of it, said to Tang Ming:
"Director Tang, I'm heading in."
"Whatever it is, let's talk after."
"You—"
Tang Ming had just opened his mouth to stop Guo Yi, but with one glance, the man's figure was already gone.
Hmph!
Seeing Guo Yi so lacking in rules, Tang Ming gave a cold snort of displeasure.
Just then, Bai Cai stepped out of her car as well.
"Director Tang, long time no see!"
"You don't look well—what's troubling you?"
Bai Cai smiled as she greeted him.
Facing her, Tang Ming temporarily tucked away his anger and replied:
"Sigh!"
"My niece is useless, and now she's recommended yet another spoiled brat."
"A spoiled brat?"
That's right!
At this moment, in his eyes, Guo Yi was exactly that.
Hearing this, Bai Cai froze briefly, but soon, she understood.
The "spoiled brat" in his mouth could only mean Guo Yi.
Heh.
Hearing Tang Ming's assessment of Guo Yi, Bai Cai couldn't help but laugh softly.
Then, with a touch of deeper meaning, she reminded Tang Ming:
"Director Tang, this one is no ordinary spoiled brat."
"He's... not ordinary at all."
She didn't explain further.
And walked straight toward the stadium entrance.
As for Guo Yi's true identity, if he himself didn't want it publicized, Bai Cai certainly wouldn't go around spreading it.
Otherwise, she would only earn his displeasure for no reason.
"A spoiled brat... not ordinary?"
Tang Ming's brow furrowed.
"What's so extraordinary about him?"
"Is it that he's unusually handsome?"
Unable to parse Bai Cai's words, he instinctively chalked "not ordinary" up to Guo Yi's most obvious trait.
Thinking that...
Tang Ming shook his head helplessly.
"As expected."
"Even Teacher Bai still can't resist a good-looking face?"
With a sigh, Tang Ming didn't leave either.
Instead, he turned and entered the stadium.
That student Teacher Lin had his eye on—Tang Ming was also quite curious about her.
...
On the way, Su Qingxue asked curiously:
"Teacher, who was that just now?"
"He actually dared to block you!"
Guo Yi blinked, then asked back:
"That was your Aunt Tang's uncle, and you didn't recognize him?"
"After what you just did, he'll probably make things hard for me."
Hearing that, Su Qingxue stuck her tongue out playfully and explained:
"Sorry, Teacher."
"Even though I'm close with Aunt Tang, I really don't know most of her family."
"Teacher, should we go back and apologize?"
Thinking her earlier behavior might cause trouble for her teacher—Su Qingxue felt a little guilty.
Guo Yi waved it off, unconcerned.
"No matter!"
"If he really wants to make trouble, then let your Aunt Tang put in a word."
"At worst, I'll just get fired."
Toward his job as a teaching assistant, Guo Yi's attitude was casual at best.
Having it let him teach more easily, and widen his network.
Losing it wasn't really that big a deal either.
"All right then!"
Seeing her teacher didn't care, naturally she wouldn't say more.
Soon, she spotted Hu Yan'er and the examiner already on the battlefield.
Su Qingxue urged: "Teacher, hurry, it's about to start."
Very quickly the two of them arrived at the viewing seats.
At their arrival, Teacher Lin cast only a single glance—then turned his full attention to Hu Yan'er.
"Today it's getting late. The referee already left."
"So in a bit, we'll just judge the outcome ourselves, is that okay?"
At this point, the exam was less than half an hour from ending.
Normally at this time, no one would still come to take the test.
So the referee had gone.
Hu Yan'er, of course, had no objections.
"Examiner, no problem."
Teacher Lin gave a nod, then drew a red-and-white ball from his waist.
"Come out—Raichu!"
As his voice fell, a Raichu larger than normal appeared in the center of the field.
"Rai-chuu!"
The Raichu seeing the Pikachu perched on Hu Yan'er's shoulder, immediately dropped into a battle stance.
That battle from a few days ago—Raichu remembered it vividly.
He had also taken that fight as a shame upon himself.
To almost lose to a Pikachu of equal rank.
If his friends heard of this, how could Raichu still hold his head up in the circle!
And as Raichu entered the field, Hu Yan'er also released Pikachu.
"Go, Pikachu!"
"Show the power of our special training!"
Hu Yan'er raised her voice to encourage Pikachu.
"Pika pika!"
Pikachu thumped its little chest toward its trainer.
Telling her—don't worry.
Then Pikachu braced all four limbs and leapt high facing off against Raichu!
"Rai-chuu!"
"Pika!"
In that instant the two Pokémon bristled against each other, tension taut as drawn blades.
"Still Pikachu?"
"Seems this match's outcome is already decided."
At that moment, Tang Ming and Bai Cai walked in together.
Seeing Pikachu and Raichu face each other,
Tang Ming shook his head with some regret.
"As Teacher Lin said—this candidate ultimately followed her Pokémon's choice."
Though it was a pity, once the decision was made she had to bear the weight of it.
Even if she had talent, Tang Ming believed Teacher Lin would not go easy on her.
And indeed—that was also Teacher Lin's thought.
Though he thought highly of Hu Yan'er,
he would not betray professional duty for it.
"Director Tang, hearing you just now—"
"Seems you don't think much of this student?"
Guo Yi smiled and asked.
"Hmph!"
Tang Ming gave a cold snort.
"Of course."
"A degenerated form could never match its evolved form."
"The gap in species isn't something hot-blooded spirit can just erase."
Guo Yi didn't argue, but said evenly:
"Then Director Tang, this match might just overturn what you've always believed."
Tang Ming sneered.
Overturn his beliefs?
Fine. He'd watch and see how.
Seeing Hu Yan'er still sending Pikachu, Tang Ming had already thought of leaving.
But now—since Guo Yi put it that way, he'd stay and watch.
In his eyes this battle wouldn't take long.
On the battlefield—
Teacher Lin spoke: "You're the candidate, you attack first."
"Then I won't hold back!"
"Pikachu, [Quick Attack] with [Double Team]!"
Without hesitation, Hu Yan'er revealed her trump card.
"Pika!"
White light burst from Pikachu as it dashed across the field in a blur.
[Quick Attack] paired with [Double Team].
in an instant dozens of Pikachu filled the field, dazzling both Raichu and Teacher Lin's eyes.
After just two days of grueling training Pikachu's mastery of [Quick Attack] and [Double Team] had reached frightening depth.
The number of clones had risen from the original four to over ten!
The improvement was staggering.
"So fast!"
On the viewing bench, Tang Ming couldn't help but exclaim at Pikachu's speed.
Though he didn't favor Pikachu, its performance was dazzling.
However speed alone wasn't enough against Teacher Lin.
After all, Raichu's weakness in speed was something almost all teachers at the university knew.
But so what?
Raichu had sacrificed speed for overwhelming power—that wasn't a meaningless trade.
On the field Pikachu's explosion of speed even made Teacher Lin's eyes widen.
"No wonder she refused to evolve Pikachu."
"So she's found Raichu's weakness, and wants to break through with speed."
"But don't forget—electric currents can sweep across everything."
Though Pikachu's sudden growth shocked him,
he did not believe it could overturn the match.
"Raichu, [Thunderbolt]—clear the field!"
"Rai-chuu!"
With a roar, violent lightning poured from Raichu's sacs engulfing the battlefield.
Thunder raged, rocks shattered and dust rose in choking clouds.
Pikachu's [Double Team] clones vanished without a trace.
"Pikachu, [Quick Attack]!"
At Hu Yan'er's call, a streak of white light tore through the haze and slammed into Raichu.
"Rai-chuu!"
The impact sent Raichu stumbling back several meters.
"What!?"
Teacher Lin cried out.
Judging by Pikachu's condition—Raichu's [Thunderbolt] hadn't touched it.
Impossible!
Even with such speed, it couldn't have escaped unscathed.
Yet Hu Yan'er didn't give him time to think.
Once more, [Quick Attack] plus [Double Team].
But this time—she let Pikachu go on the offensive.
In a blur, streaks of white light slashed again and again into Raichu.
Each [Quick Attack] wasn't heavy but piling up, wounds crisscrossed Raichu's body.
Its breathing grew labored.
Of course Pikachu was suffering too.
That level of high-speed movement drained stamina brutally.
This battle had become a tug of war.
Whichever fell first, would decide it.
Yet as an evolved form, Raichu's stamina far outstripped Pikachu's.
Gradually Pikachu's clones dwindled from a dozen to fewer and fewer.
Seeing this Su Qingxue frowned deeply.
From the look of things, Pikachu had slipped into disadvantage.
"Teacher, Pikachu's about to lose..."
Her voice carried worry.
After these two days together, she knew how much this exam meant to Hu Yan'er.
She couldn't bear to see her fail.
At that moment Guo Yi remained silent.
What needed saying, he had already told Hu Yan'er.
Whether she could seize the chance depended on her alone.
Seeing her teacher unmoved, Su Qingxue had no choice but to focus on Pikachu again.
As the number of clones dwindled Teacher Lin's difficulty in spotting the real Pikachu lessened greatly.
Now if he could just find the true body, he could win with one strike.
Where is it?
Which one's the real Pikachu?
Teacher Lin's eyes swept the field, hunting.
But after long searching, no clue came.
Then as dusk settled, the arena lights blazed on.
At once, a thought flashed through his mind.
[Double Team] clones are only illusions. Under these lights—only the real Pikachu would cast a shadow.
His eyes locked onto the ground.
Soon he found his target.
"The farthest one on the left!"
"Raichu—[Thunder], with full power!"
"Rai-chuu!"
Raichu summoned every drop of electricity in its body calling down a massive bolt from the heavens.
A heartbeat later—the sky's fury crashed straight at Pikachu.
Seeing it, Su Qingxue cried out "Not good!"
Because she saw—the strike was aimed at the real Pikachu.
If that [Thunder] landed the battle was over.
Yet at that very moment, Guo Yi's lips curved into a smile.
Softly he said:
"It's over."
Su Qingxue: ???
Boom!
With earthshaking roar, [Thunder] struck Pikachu dead-on.
"As expected—Pikachu can't beat Raichu after all."
Teacher Lin shook his head, sighing.
That one strike, Raichu's full might, should have sealed it.
But then Hu Yan'er's voice rang out, brimming with confidence:
"Mister Examiner—you finally fell for it!"
"What!?"
Her words jolted Teacher Lin.
As the smoke cleared, Pikachu's figure appeared unharmed.
"How is this possible?"
He cried out.
The [Thunder] had landed clean—yet Pikachu stood without a scratch.
"This is... [Iron Tail]!"
Even Tang Ming in the stands was dumbstruck.
Because Pikachu had driven its steel-hardened tail into the ground.
Of course.
"Just as expected."
"Learn physics and chemistry, and you'll fear nothing anywhere!"
"Even for Pokémon—metal still conducts electricity."
[Iron Tail], grounded into the earth.
The perfect lightning rod.
And with Pikachu's natural electric resistance Raichu's all-out [Thunder] hadn't caused real harm.
That's right.
This was the killer move Guo Yi had prepared for Hu Yan'er.
In fact their late arrival had been part of the design.
The goal: to bait the examiner into spotting Pikachu's real body,
and striking with his strongest move.
And now that goal was achieved the battle's end was near.
"Pikachu—chain [Quick Attacks]!"
"Pika!"
Pikachu sprang up, white light blazing, charging Raichu.
"Raichu, dodge!"
Teacher Lin shouted.
But Raichu, spent from summoning [Thunder], was nearly drained.
It could only take the blows head-on.
At last after several fierce strikes, Pikachu's [Quick Attack] sent Raichu crashing down.
"Who says Pikachu can't beat Raichu!"