Urban Pokémon: All My Students Are Exceptionally Gifted [73]

For a moment.

All eyes turned to the captain.

At this critical point, the captain had no time to hesitate.

“Wang Hao, you stay here and oversee the firefighting.”

“Xiaoyu, Xiaolin—you two come with me to rescue He Yongsen!”

“Yes, sir!”

The two firefighters quickly stepped behind their captain, and the three of them dashed into the smoke-filled forest.

—

Drip, drip…

With the gentle tap of raindrops, He Yongsen gradually regained consciousness.

“Rain…?” he murmured, looking at the grey clouds overhead. A faint smile spread across his face.

Wait—I was surrounded by Salandits, wasn’t I? How am I unharmed?

He suddenly jolted back to full awareness, vividly recalling his last moments before passing out.

He’d been completely surrounded, yet he was untouched. Had Salazzle, known for her ruthlessness, suddenly shown mercy?

He quickly dismissed the idea.

Salazzle showing mercy? She’s notorious for her cruelty. Something must have driven them away.

He struggled to sit up.

In the next second, a heart-wrenching cry echoed through the forest.

“Arcanine!!”

Seeing Arcanine collapsed in a pool of blood, He Yongsen rushed forward desperately, cradling her limp body.

“Arcanine! What happened?! Why didn’t you run away like I told you?!”

Gazing at Arcanine’s battered, lifeless form, tears poured down his face uncontrollably.

At that moment, he fully realized, he was only safe because Arcanine had single-handedly driven off the Salandits.

“You… Why were you so foolish?”

Feeling Arcanine’s body cold and lifeless, intense grief overwhelmed him.

Memories of their shared past flooded his mind.

…

Pokémon like Arcanine…

Due to their exceptional loyalty and formidable battle strength—were heavily regulated by the state. Obtaining one from a breeder was nearly impossible.

He Yongsen’s Arcanine had been a gift from his father when he was very young, still just an unhatched egg.

“Yongsen, you must take good care of this egg,” his father had told him warmly. “The Pokémon hatched from it will become your closest partner.”

Little Yongsen, eyes sparkling with excitement, had hugged the incubator tightly. “Don’t worry, Dad! I’ll protect her!”

Thus, he had meticulously cared for the egg. To avoid mistakes, he even studied basic breeder techniques.

Two years later.

Under Yongsen’s devoted care, the egg finally hatched.

“Woof, woof!”

A small Growlithe puppy with beautiful tiger-like stripes emerged from the shell—that was their first meeting.

On that unforgettable day, He Yongsen’s joy was indescribable.

He kept Growlithe by his side constantly, terrified she’d disappear if he looked away.

As time passed, Growlithe grew alongside him.

They tackled challenges together, shared happiness, and endured hardships side by side.

To He Yongsen, Arcanine was more than just a Pokémon—she was family.

That’s precisely why, in the moment of greatest danger, he had ordered Arcanine to flee alone. He’d rather suffer alone than let harm come to her.

But if He Yongsen saw Arcanine as family, how could Arcanine feel any different?

As a canine Pokémon, loyalty was etched into her very bones.

Running away and abandoning her trainer in danger?

Impossible.

So, for the first and final time in her life, Arcanine disobeyed her trainer’s command.

Rain continued pouring down, soaking He Yongsen thoroughly, yet he hardly noticed. He stared numbly at Arcanine’s motionless body.

“Am I too late…?”

Suddenly, a soft voice echoed gently from the sky.

He Yongsen raised his head mechanically, searching for the source.

In his dimmed eyes, a flicker of hope reignited.

…

High above—

Arriving at the spot indicated by his System’s prompt, Guo Yi directed Zapdos to slowly descend.

This timely rainfall was partly his doing.

Earlier, having rode Zapdos out of the Secret Realm, Guo Yi had spotted the raging forest fire immediately.

So, a wildfire was responsible for the conditions inside the Secret Realm. No wonder all the Pokémon were Fire-types.

He wasn’t particularly shocked by the sight.

“Zapdos, can you use [Rain Dance]?”

Faced with such a massive blaze, Guo Yi wasn’t sure if Zapdos’s [Rain Dance] alone could help significantly.

Fortunately, Zapdos, being a legendary Pokémon, didn’t disappoint. After a brief glance at the fire, it nodded confidently to Guo Yi.

Dark clouds swiftly blanketed the sky, rumbling with thunder, followed quickly by a cooling rainstorm.

“As expected of a legendary Electric-type—Zapdos, your speed never disappoints!” Guo Yi praised.

Zapdos proudly called out in response.

Recently, Zapdos had felt frustrated. First, losing to Beedrill, and then being looked down upon by Ninetales—especially galling since it couldn’t beat either of them.

Sure, Ninetales lacked battle experience, but only compared to powerful Pokémon like Beedrill. Between Champion-Tier and Master-Tier Pokémon was a vast gulf; without crossing that boundary, even the strongest Champions stood no chance against Masters.

Zapdos had started to doubt its value to its trainer.

Now, receiving Guo Yi’s praise, it felt a renewed sense of pride. Still, despite feeling immensely pleased, it maintained an aloof expression. After all, it aimed to one day become a divine-level Zapdos—it had to keep up appearances.

This prideful little bird…

Zapdos assumed it hid its emotions perfectly, unaware that Guo Yi’s [Power of Viridian] allowed him to see right through its pretense.

But Guo Yi tactfully said nothing. Exposing Zapdos’s feelings would likely make the stubborn bird quit entirely.

In truth, Zapdos wasn’t solely responsible for the quick rainfall. The firefighters’ two Pelipper had repeatedly attempted [Rain Dance], failing to summon rain but creating ample rainclouds in the area. Zapdos’s move merely catalyzed the process, swiftly triggering the storm.

“Zapdos, head in that direction next,” Guo Yi instructed.

Given the urgent situation, he had no time to switch Pokémon or proceed by land. With the forest ablaze, air travel was their best option.

As for the risk of his identity being exposed—he’d deal with that later.

Thus, they arrived quickly, setting the scene before them now…

…

Staring at the majestic Pokémon descending from the sky, He Yongsen’s heart skipped a beat in shock.

Isn’t this Zapdos, yesterday’s top headline?!

How could it suddenly appear here?

Then realization struck him, could this young man be the mysterious expert everyone had been talking about online?

Without hesitation, he struggled up and moved to kneel in front of Guo Yi.

Though prideful men shouldn’t kneel lightly, right now, this mysterious expert was the only hope to save his Arcanine.

Even if it cost him everything, he would pay any price.

Seeing He Yongsen about to kneel, Guo Yi immediately jumped off Zapdos and rushed forward to stop him.

This man’s uniform alone was enough for Guo Yi to show deep respect.

A Pokémon firefighter, in times of peace, theirs was the occupation with the highest mortality rate.

These heroes deserved everyone’s utmost respect and reverence.

“Sir, please stand. Whatever help you need, just tell me—I’ll do everything in my power.”

Whether due to He Yongsen’s firefighter status or his outstanding potential, Guo Yi couldn’t possibly ignore him.

—

[He Yongsen]
Age: 21
Background: Pokémon Firefighter of Shanghai
Pokémon: Arcanine (Gym Leader-Tier), Wartortle (Veteran-Tier)
Special Ability: None
Template Compatibility: Blue Template (Gary Oak)
Note: This trainer is exceptionally gifted; strongly recommended to accept him as your disciple.

—

The firefighter before him was precisely the disciple mentioned by his System.

Upon hearing Guo Yi’s sincere promise, hope surged through He Yongsen’s heart.

“It’s my Arcanine. Please, Master—save her!”

Perhaps because Guo Yi had miraculously saved an entire plane of passengers, He Yongsen instinctively trusted him completely.

Guo Yi nodded, stepping over to Arcanine’s motionless form to inspect her injuries.

Though he’d expected the worst, he still winced upon seeing Arcanine’s battered state.

Not a single inch of her body was uninjured.

The brutality of the fight she’d endured was vividly apparent.

—

[Arcanine]
Gender: ♀
Level: Lv55 (Gym Leader-Tier)
Ability: Flash Fire (Boosts the Pokémon’s Fire-type moves if hit by a Fire-type attack.)
Moves: Thunder Fang, Extreme Speed, Flare Blitz, Fire Fang, Outrage, Flamethrower, Heat Wave (Frequently used)
Tutor Moves: Double Team, Roar
Egg Move: Double Kick
Held Item: Charcoal (Gym Leader-Tier)
Potential: Elite Four
Status: Near death

—

“Master, is there hope?” He Yongsen asked anxiously, eyes pleading.

At this moment, this mysterious Bug-type Master was his only lifeline.

Indeed, due to Guo Yi’s viral battle with Zapdos and endorsement by Bug-type Elite Four Lin Feng, netizens had unanimously labeled him the “Bug-type Master,” a supreme authority on Bug-type Pokémon training.

Though He Yongsen was grasping at straws, Guo Yi was truly his last hope.

“The injuries are severe…but fortunately, I have a way,” Guo Yi reassured calmly.

At last, he fully understood why he’d been given the [Rainbow Wing]. Such grave injuries couldn’t be healed by ordinary medicines; only the [Rainbow Wing]—or [Sacred Ash] made from it—could possibly save her.

“That’s wonderful!”

When He Yongsen heard the first half of Guo Yi’s sentence, his heart had nearly stopped, afraid Guo Yi would say there was no chance. Now he could finally breathe again.

“Master, if you can save Arcanine, I swear I’ll repay you however you ask—even if I have to go through fire and water.”

He Yongsen knew clearly that even immediate treatment at a Pokémon hospital might fail. Saving Arcanine now would surely require an enormous cost.

Raised since childhood with a strong sense of gratitude, He Yongsen made his promise sincerely.

Guo Yi just smiled softly and said nothing. Promises and repayment could wait; right now, saving Arcanine was all that mattered.

“Zapdos, come shield us from the rain.”

Taking out the sachet containing the [Sacred Ash], Guo Yi called softly to Zapdos.

Zapdos responded immediately, gracefully spreading its wings above to shelter them from the downpour.

Guo Yi gently scattered the [Sacred Ash] over Arcanine’s wounded body.

As before, when he healed the Vulpix egg, the [Sacred Ash] transformed into tiny golden flames, quickly absorbing into Arcanine’s fur and skin.

Her wounds visibly healed before their eyes.

“Incredible…” He Yongsen gasped in awe, unable to express the astonishment he felt seeing Arcanine’s condition rapidly improving.

Who could’ve imagined, the enigmatic “Bug-type Master” whose identity was a nationwide mystery was not only young, roughly his age, but also possessed miraculous healing abilities!

Watching Arcanine steadily recover, Guo Yi glanced at the remaining [Sacred Ash] and carefully put the sachet away.

After two treatments, not much [Sacred Ash] remained—enough for only one more emergency. He would have to save it wisely; this medicine was simply priceless.

…

Awoo!

With a soft howl, Arcanine slowly opened her eyes.

Thanks to the [Sacred Ash], even the eye that Salazzle had blinded was fully restored.

“Arcanine…thank goodness, you’re finally awake!”

Seeing Arcanine wake up, tears of joy streamed down He Yongsen’s cheeks. He immediately hugged her tight.

“Woof, woof!” Arcanine barked happily, licking her trainer’s face to share her joy.

Though Arcanine couldn’t yet understand how she had woken up fully healed, it didn’t diminish her excitement in the slightest.

“Looks like Arcanine turned misfortune into fortune—her potential even rose to Champion-Tier thanks to the [Sacred Ash],” Guo Yi remarked thoughtfully, seeing Arcanine’s potential on her panel elevate from Elite Four to Champion.

This Arcanine already had Elite Four potential; the [Sacred Ash] had now pushed her potential even further.

Watching trainer and Pokémon savor their joyful reunion, Guo Yi tactfully stepped aside, giving them space to cherish their rebirth undisturbed.

—

This is a fan translation of 都市精灵：我的学生个个天资不凡 by 一年一次. All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!