"Could it be…that Nidoking is immune to the [Life Orb's] side effects?"
A student couldn't help but cry out in astonishment.
However—
Just as he finished speaking, others immediately rejected this idea.
"Impossible!"
"In the past, the nation's Pokémon Alliance experimented with every known Pokémon species, hoping to find one capable of nullifying the [Life Orb's] drawback."
"But not a single Pokémon succeeded—and Nidoking and Nidoqueen were included in those tests!"
The Dragon Country's Pokémon Alliance had indeed invested enormous amounts of human and material resources into researching the [Life Orb].
After all, the power boost it provided was simply irresistible.
A 30% increase in move power!
Such a massive enhancement easily surpassed most other held items.
Who wouldn't be tempted?
Unfortunately...
Despite extensive trials, no Pokémon could negate the [Life Orb's] recoil, so the matter eventually ended without result.
Yet…
How had the Nidoking before them achieved exactly that?
For a moment, everyone's blazing gazes turned toward Guo Yi, hoping he might offer a reasonable explanation.
However, Guo Yi seemed completely indifferent to their eager looks.
Instead, he strode directly toward the three defeated teachers—Cai Guan, Shen Yongfeng, and Fu Hong.
"You've lost."
"Now, it's time to apologize," Guo Yi spoke coldly.
Even though the trio hadn't yet recovered from the shadows of their crushing defeat, Guo Yi had no intention of sparing them their promised humiliation.
Some things—once decided, must be faced, consequences and all.
As for whether they deserved pity, what did that have to do with him?
Though Guo Yi normally seemed easygoing enough, in certain matters, he strictly adhered to his own principles.
No external factor could shake his resolve.
The three teachers exchanged helpless glances, before simultaneously bowing deeply toward Guo Yi:
"We're sorry, Teacher Guo. This was our fault."
"We'll also immediately vacate the training area."
Hearing their synchronized apology, Guo Yi nodded indifferently, then turned back toward his students.
"All right."
"Due to your teacher, everyone lost a bit of time earlier."
"Let's formally begin today's class now."
Guo Yi smiled gently, clapping his hands, beckoning his students toward their newly reclaimed training ground.
At that moment, the students who had signed up for Guo Yi's class puffed up their chests proudly as they passed by the other students.
Although they weren't the ones who'd personally triumphed, that didn't stop them from flaunting their teacher's victory.
See that?
This is the teacher I chose—he's amazing!
Sometimes, the competitiveness among students was oddly superficial—
The brand of their cellphones, the quality of their clothing, the strength of their Pokémon…
even their teachers' abilities could all become sources of pride and bragging rights.
Meanwhile, the observing students gazed at them with envy—
Not just because of Guo Yi's crushing victory, but also because he had somehow found a way to eliminate the [Life Orb's] recoil.
If they became his students, perhaps they'd also learn this incredible secret…
Some students were even considering skipping their own classes to sneak into Guo Yi's lectures.
Sure, academic credits were precious, but some kinds of knowledge far exceeded even those.
Seeing their students' longing gazes, the three defeated teachers exchanged bitter smiles, helpless to change anything.
…
"Teacher, is your Nidoking really immune to [Life Orb's] recoil effect?"
One student finally couldn't contain their curiosity and asked outright.
The moment these words left their lips, everyone else—including even Bai Cai—looked toward Guo Yi expectantly, hoping for confirmation.
This time, Guo Yi actually responded directly:
"Yes."
"My Nidoking is indeed immune to the recoil damage of the [Life Orb]. To be precise, it's not only Nidoking—Su Qingxue's Nidoqueen can do the same."
Immediately, the students' eyes lit up.
If only Guo Yi's Pokémon could achieve it, perhaps it was just a special case.
But since Su Qingxue's Nidoqueen could too, it suggested they themselves might be able to replicate this feat!
A student carefully asked, their voice filled with hope:
"Teacher, could you please tell us how to achieve this immunity?"
In an instant, everyone's gazes focused intently on Guo Yi, brimming with anticipation.
Even though their chances seemed slim, they couldn't resist asking.
Under their eager stares, Guo Yi nodded:
"I can."
"After I finish teaching the courses about weather tactics, I'll explain it clearly to you."
Guo Yi understood clearly that keeping such a secret hidden forever was impossible anyway.
Why had the Pokémon Alliance failed in their previous research?
Because their scope had been far too broad, so they never considered the possibility that the immunity wasn't linked to a species—but rather to specific abilities.
Once they realized Nidoking's family line could negate [Life Orb] recoil, a focused study would easily yield the secret.
If that was inevitable, he might as well openly share it himself.
Of course—
As for timing, he could still do a bit of careful planning.
After all, knowledge was a valuable resource—and there was no reason to simply hand it out for free!
Hearing Guo Yi's response, the students erupted into excited cheers:
"Teacher Guo, you're the best!"
"Teacher Guo is awesome!"
For a moment, the enthusiastic praise of Guo Yi filled the entire area.
As for having to wait a little longer—
In their eyes, it didn't matter at all.
"All right, settle down now."
Guo Yi raised a hand, instantly quieting their excited chatter.
With just that simple gesture, everyone immediately fell silent.
By now, Guo Yi already commanded immense respect in their hearts.
"Each of you release one Pokémon. Let me inspect them and offer you some specific training advice," Guo Yi said slowly.
He treated this first batch of students with particular care.
After all, they'd chosen to attend his very first lecture—showing genuine faith in him.
He couldn't let them leave empty-handed.
Upon hearing this, surprise flashed across the students' faces once more.
Leng Yue immediately spoke up, curiosity filling her voice:
"Teacher Guo, you even know how to cultivate Pokémon?"
"Are you actually a Pokémon Breeder?"
Guo Yi chuckled softly, shaking his head:
"Not a Breeder exactly, but I do have some insights into raising Pokémon."
"Of course, if you don't trust your teacher, feel free to pass up this opportunity."
The moment he finished speaking, students instantly rushed to reply, each louder than the last:
"No no no, Teacher, I trust you!"
"Teacher, me first!"
"Hey, who said that? I'm closer—I should be first!"
"Me first!"
"No, me!"
Seeing everyone start to squabble, Guo Yi hurriedly intervened, saying, "There's no need to rush. I'll definitely look at everyone's Pokémon—"
"But remember, only one Pokémon each."
After saying that, he turned to Su Qingxue. "Qingxue, please maintain order here."
Su Qingxue nodded, then turned around and coughed softly.
In an instant—
The noisy arguments vanished without a trace, and everyone quietly lined up neatly.
They dared to joke around in front of Guo-sensei, sure, but Su Qingxue?
Facing her, every one of them behaved like obedient children.
After all, Guo-sensei was pretty lenient toward his students, but Su Qingxue was another story entirely!
Then, under Su Qingxue's orderly instructions, each student released their strongest Pokémon for Guo Yi to inspect.
"This Pinsir of yours—its horn isn't sturdy enough. You should add some Steel-type Pokéblocks to its regular diet."
"Your Machoke is clearly overweight—look, it even has a belly pouch now. Start controlling its diet and make it lose some weight."
"This Scyther has been overtraining recently; there are hidden injuries in both its arms. Let it rest for a few days."
"And yours…"
Guo Yi only had to glance at each Pokémon briefly before effortlessly identifying their strengths and weaknesses, pointing out every issue clearly and precisely.
His incredible skill once again refreshed everyone's perception of him.
When it was Wu Yao's turn, she calmly released her strongest Pokémon:
[Dusclops (Ghost-type)]
[Gender: ♂]
[Level: Lv52 (Gym Leader-level)]
[Ability: Frisk (Reveals opponent's held item)]
[Moves: Fire Punch, Ice Punch, Thunder Punch, Gravity, Shadow Sneak, Shadow Ball, Mean Look (Frequently used)]
[Tutor Moves: Trick Room, Taunt]
[Egg Move: Pain Split]
[Held Item: Spell Tag (Elite Four-level)]
[Potential: Elite Four-level]
As Dusclops emerged, the temperature around them noticeably dropped—
Accompanied by eerie gusts of chilling wind.
This scene startled the students nearby.
They'd never expected Wu Yao, who had such a sweet appearance, to be a Ghost-type trainer.
Suddenly, some male students who previously considered chatting her up after class felt a chill run down their spine, instantly abandoning their plans.
Wu Yao, however, seemed completely unfazed by their startled gazes—after all, she'd encountered such reactions many times before.
"Guo-sensei, do you have any suggestions for my Dusclops?" Wu Yao asked calmly.
To her surprise, Guo Yi shook his head slightly—something rare for him.
"Your Dusclops probably has a specialized training plan already."
"It's exceptionally well-trained."
To be fair, Wu Yao's Dusclops truly was outstandingly raised.
Though Guo Yi's [Data Eye] identified some minor issues, they were trivial enough not to matter.
Whether he pointed them out or not, there wouldn't be much difference.
"Is that so…"
Wu Yao's voice carried a trace of disappointment.
Indeed, just as Guo Yi said, she'd raised this Dusclops exactly according to the training plan given by the Old Master, with Gengar's assistance at every step.
It could be said this Dusclops had nearly fulfilled every drop of its potential thus far.
Yet still, she held onto the hope of pushing it even further.
Unfortunately, her wish seemed destined to remain unfulfilled.
Just as Wu Yao felt slightly regretful, Guo Yi suddenly added, "In terms of training, there's little advice I can offer—"
"But for its held item, I think replacing your [Spell Tag] with an [Eviolite] would yield even better results."
"[Eviolite]?"
Wu Yao's expression instantly turned to shock.
"Sensei, you mean Dusclops can still evolve further?"
As a top student at Shanghai Pokémon University, Wu Yao naturally understood the effects of the [Eviolite].
Precisely because she understood its effects so clearly—she couldn't help but voice this doubt aloud.