This Western-style villa, according to the memories of Guo Yi's predecessor, had been built many years ago.
But in all that time, it had remained unoccupied. A single housekeeper had been maintaining it, cleaning it regularly, yet no one had ever moved in.
Today, it seemed, it was finally about to receive its first resident.
At that moment—
The black business car's door slowly opened.
A young woman in a sleek black dress stepped down from the vehicle. Her figure was graceful, and her presence carried a quiet authority.
But what made Guo Yi freeze in place wasn't her stunning beauty.
It was the rare, unprecedented notification from the system.
[Su Qingxue]
[Age: 19]
[Background: Shanghai; only daughter of Ye Jing, leader of the Azure Dragon Society]
[Ability: The Power of Evergreen]
[Template Match: Giovanni, Boss of Team Rocket]
[System Tip: This individual possesses exceptional potential. Strongly recommended as a student.]
"G-Giovanni's template?!"
Guo Yi was so overwhelmed he could barely get the words out.
And who could blame him?
In the world of Pokémon, the name Giovanni was nothing short of legendary.
Though the system hadn't clarified whether this was the anime's Giovanni or the manga's version—
Either way, any incarnation of Giovanni was easily Champion-tier at minimum.
But the surprises didn't stop there.
Shortly after Su Qingxue stepped out of the car, a Pokémon leapt down behind her—a small, blue creature dotted with darker blue spots.
It was a Nidoran♀.
A quadrupedal, rodent-like Pokémon, Nidoran♀ had large ears, white buck teeth, and a pair of whiskers on each side of its face. Its body was covered in small, poisonous spines, which it could use to defend itself when threatened.
But what made this particular Nidoran♀ remarkable was what the Data Eye revealed:
[Nidoran♀ (Poison Type)]
[Gender: ♀]
[Level: Lv13 (Qualified Tier)]
[Ability: Hustle (Hidden Ability – boosts physical attack power by 50%, but lowers the accuracy of physical moves by 20%; special attacks and status moves are unaffected)]
[Moves: Scratch, Tail Whip, Double Kick, Poison Sting]
[Egg Move: Iron Tail]
[Held Item: Eviolite (When held by a Pokémon that can still evolve, boosts Defense and Special Defense by 50%)]
[Potential: Elite Four Tier]
An Elite Four–tier Nidoran♀—and with [Hustle] as its hidden ability?
That meant when she fully evolved, a [Life Orb]–holding Nidoqueen would reemerge in the metagame.
Though Nidoqueen generally had slightly lower offensive stats compared to Nidoking, when paired with a [Life Orb], she was still a powerhouse in her own right.
The more Guo Yi looked, the more he itched to take her on as a student.
But everything about her screamed extraordinary.
This wouldn't be easy.
"Village Chief, thank you for your help today."
"Please take the kids home. I need a bit more time to think things over."
Now that a far better candidate had appeared, Guo Yi wasn't about to settle for second-best.
If things didn't work out, he could always circle back for Wang Xiaobao.
"No problem!"
"Teacher Guo, take your time."
"Come on, kids, let's head to Grandpa Village Chief's house for some honey~!"
The chief called out cheerfully as he gathered the children and picked up a jar of Beedrill honey from the ground.
Since he'd asked for the chief's help, Guo Yi hadn't come empty-handed. That jar of honey was his thank-you gift.
It might've looked unremarkable, but its market value was no joke—10,000 yuan per jar.
Anything involving Pokémon was bound to be expensive.
And the chief's enthusiastic cooperation? Largely thanks to that honey.
Once the villagers were gone, Guo Yi also turned back toward his home, deep in thought.
How can I convince her to accept me as her teacher?
He walked while pondering how to win Su Qingxue over.
If it were any other template, he might have been willing to let it go.
But Giovanni?
That was just too tempting.
Especially with the [Newcomer Gift Pack] at stake…
He could only imagine how generous the reward would be for recruiting someone with that kind of talent.
Of course, the bigger the reward, the harder the challenge.
And judging by her grand entrance alone, recruiting her would be no small feat.
[Ding!]
A soft chime rang out in his mind.
The previously grayed-out [Fortune] tab had suddenly lit up.
Curious, Guo Yi tapped it.
[Tomorrow morning, Su Qingxue will stroll through the village. When she passes the pavilion by the northern riverside and finds it unoccupied, she will stop to rest.]
...Huh?
That's it?
That's the fortune?
Guo Yi stared blankly at the vague prediction.
Wait!
"Is the system trying to tell me… that the pavilion is the key to recruiting Su Qingxue?"
"But what could I possibly do with a pavilion to make someone my student?"
"Just sit there and wait for her to come by?"
That thought was quickly dismissed.
According to the system, she'd only stop to rest because the pavilion was empty.
If he were there, she'd probably avoid it entirely.
But if he didn't go… what, was he supposed to wait for her to magically seek him out?
Seek me out…?
Suddenly, Guo Yi's eyes lit up.
What if I leave something in the pavilion that piques her interest?
Then she'd come to me on her own!
Still, for someone like her, it would have to be something substantial. No ordinary bait would do.
"…It all comes down to that Nidoran♀, doesn't it?"
If it were any other Pokémon, Guo Yi wouldn't have a plan.
But this was a Nidoran♀ with [Hustle].
And that was something he knew inside and out.
Resolved, Guo Yi picked up his pace and returned to his room, immediately grabbing pen and paper.
Nidoran♀ – Poison-type Pokémon with the hidden ability [Hustle].
[Hustle] boosts attack but reduces accuracy for physical moves. Special and status moves remain unaffected.
By pairing [Hustle] with the move [Hone Claws]—which boosts both accuracy and attack—one can fully offset the drawback while enhancing its strengths.]
Additionally, Nidoran♀...
And so it went.
In elegant strokes across the page, Guo Yi poured out nearly a thousand words—detailing Nidoran♀'s growth plan, training focus, and tactical nuances.
He was confident this guide would catch her attention.
Why?
Because the modern understanding of [Hustle] and [Sheer Force] mechanics hadn't yet been published.
And Guo Yi's draft touched on both.
He even made passing mention of combining [Sheer Force] with a [Life Orb]—though only in brief.
Why not expand?
Because once people understood the synergy between those two, it was easy to replicate.
And that kind of core knowledge… he wasn't about to just give away.
As he finished writing, he carefully signed his name at the bottom of the page.
Wouldn't want her asking around and not knowing who to find.