Dawn had barely broken; the clear morning sky slowly chased the darkness toward the horizon.
The security guard at Shanghai Pokémon University left the dormitory as usual, ready to relieve the colleague who'd worked the night shift.
However—
When he reached the main gate, the scene that met his eyes left him completely stunned.
Outside the gates stretched a sea of people—dense, noisy, a mix of young and old, men and women alike—the atmosphere was as lively as the first day of the semester.
Startled, the guard hurried up to ask his colleague, "Xiao Li, what on earth's going on here?"
Xiao Li, who'd been on duty overnight, looked just as confused.
"I have no idea! People started gathering before dawn—"
"There must be at least a thousand of them by now!"
The older guard frowned deeply, muttering to himself.
Good grief…
A thousand people? Is there some big event today?
Why didn't anyone inform us?
Still doubtful, he stepped forward and asked a nearby man, "Sir, is there a reason everyone's gathered here?"
The man he stopped looked positively thrilled.
"We're all here for Teacher Guo's class!"
Teacher Guo?
The guard frowned, trying to recall.
None of the well-known professors had that surname.
Among the teaching assistants, though, there was a Guo Yi—famous, if only for a while.
Could it really be him?
But that didn't make sense. Hadn't Guo Yi already gone viral before?
Was this some delayed surge in popularity?
Being older and not much of an internet user, the guard only vaguely recognized the name.
While he stood there trying to piece things together—
The man grew impatient. "Excuse me, when does the university usually let visitors in?"
"I've been waiting over two hours—my legs are about to give out."
Shanghai Pokémon University, like other prestigious schools, had a semi-open campus.
Students could come and go freely, while outsiders were allowed to visit during set hours each day.
However—there was a strict daily limit on visitors.
That explained why people had gathered so early, forming such a massive queue.
But faced with the man's question, the guard hesitated.
Normally, the gates opened in about ten minutes.
The problem was—the crowd was enormous.
If they followed the rules, two-thirds of the people waiting wouldn't make it inside.
And if that sparked a commotion, things could get ugly fast.
"Well… there are more visitors than usual today," he said cautiously.
"I'll need to report this to my superior first."
With that, he stepped aside and quickly made a call.
...
Beep, beep, beep—
Driving toward campus, Tang Ming's phone began ringing.
"Old Wang? Why's he calling me this early?" Tang Ming muttered, answering casually.
Before he could even greet the caller, an anxious voice burst through the line.
"Director Tang! It's a disaster here!"
Tang Ming's brows furrowed slightly, but his tone remained calm.
"Old Wang, slow down. What happened?"
"Well, here's the thing…"
The guard explained everything in detail—the massive crowd, the commotion at the gates, the growing numbers.
"Director Tang, what do we do now? People keep showing up!"
While the guard's voice trembled with worry, Tang Ming couldn't help but chuckle lightly.
"Relax, Old Wang."
"Just lead everyone to the stadium."
The guard froze. "All of them?"
"Yes, all of them."
"I'll take care of the rest when I arrive."
With that, Tang Ming hung up.
"Teacher Guo…" he murmured, a wry smile tugging at his lips.
"I thought I already had a good sense of your influence—but it looks like I still underestimated you."
As someone who'd personally witnessed that Pokémon battle two days ago, Tang Ming still felt as if he were living in a dream.
Who could've guessed—that a seemingly ordinary teaching assistant had such terrifying connections behind him?
Setting aside the League's political hierarchy, Guo Yi's standing was practically on par with Leng Yue's.
Both were individuals personally groomed by Champions.
And how many people in the entire world could claim such treatment?
As for the massive crowd outside—Tang Ming had already half expected it, judging from the online videos circulating nonstop these past two days.
...
At the school gate, the guard ended his call and began following Tang Ming's orders, guiding the crowd toward the stadium.
Before long, Tang Ming's car rolled up to campus.
He didn't head inside right away. Instead, he took out his phone and dialed Guo Yi's number.
He knew full well—these people weren't here for Shanghai Pokémon University.
They were here for Guo Yi.
And naturally, only the one who tied the knot could untie it.
If Guo Yi didn't show up, things could get out of hand fast.
Beep, beep, beep—
After a few rings, Guo Yi's familiar voice came through.
"Director Tang? Why the early call?"
"Teacher Guo, here's the situation…"
In truth, Tang Ming's call had only one goal—to persuade Guo Yi to hold a public class.
Guo Yi didn't reject him outright.
After all, these people had come specifically for him.
Even if he refused, they'd just crash his next class anyway, causing an even bigger mess.
"Director Tang, I don't mind doing a public class," Guo Yi said after a pause.
"But just once."
This one session would serve as compensation for the chaos caused by revealing Zapdos.
But beyond that—
Sorry.
He wasn't playing along.
"Uh—!"
At first, Tang Ming's face lit up when he heard Guo Yi agree.
But the next three words—"only once"—instantly shattered that joy.
Originally, he'd hoped to turn Guo Yi's public lecture into the crown jewel of Shanghai Pokémon University—an event that would draw nationwide attention.
If it succeeded…
Tang Ming could already picture next year's admissions skyrocketing past every previous record.
After all, no elite university could survive without a steady influx of prodigies.
Only by continually attracting new talent could a school's reputation keep rising.
What a pity, then, that this grand plan had collapsed before it even began.
Still, Tang Ming didn't dare reject Guo Yi's condition.
After the Life Orb incident, Guo Yi's name had already spread across campuses nationwide.
Now, with his terrifying connections exposed, he'd become the hottest figure in the academic world.
If Guo Yi took offense and resigned—Tang Ming himself would probably be next out the door.
So, he could only grit his teeth and say, "Understood, Teacher Guo. I'll make it happen."
"That's good, then. I'll head to the stadium soon," Guo Yi replied evenly.
Since Tang Ming had agreed, Guo Yi saw no reason to drag the conversation on.
The moment the call ended, Tang Ming immediately contacted the Publicity Department, ordering them to announce the upcoming public lecture at full speed.
If it was going to happen only once, they might as well make it legendary.
The Publicity Department wasted no time.
Within minutes, they'd unleashed an all-out media blitz—posters, livestreams, notifications flooding every social platform.
In no time at all, crowds began surging toward Shanghai Pokémon University.
Among them were top trainers from major factions, lone experts, and curious fans alike.
Many had originally planned to just watch from a distance—but once they heard this was Guo Yi's first and only public lecture, no one could sit still.
Whether or not the lecture would offer valuable insights didn't matter.
They had to show up out of respect.
Even if Guo Yi himself wouldn't care whether they came, the visitors couldn't afford to ignore basic courtesy toward someone of his stature.
As the influx grew uncontrollable, the university had to call in the Pokémon Police to help maintain order.
Before long—the stadium, which could easily seat tens of thousands, was packed to the brim.
The sight was overwhelming.
Even if one of the current Elite Four showed up, the turnout might not compare.
"Holy crap!"
"So many people?"
Even though Guo Yi had mentally prepared himself—the moment he stepped into the stadium and saw the dense sea of heads, he was still taken aback.
Fortunately, he'd faced grander scenes before.
He quickly composed himself, then began the lecture calmly, just as he always did.
Today's topic: Weather Strategies.
Tang Ming had even reserved the seats closest to the podium for students officially enrolled in Guo Yi's course.
From Guo Yi's past behavior, it was clear he cared deeply about his own students.
To stay in his good graces, Tang Ming had taken care of every possible detail.
Such deference for a mere teaching assistant—probably only Tang Ming would go that far.
As expected, the lecture was a complete success.
At first, most attendees came simply out of respect—for Guo Yi, or more accurately, for the mysterious master rumored to stand behind him.
They weren't expecting much from the content itself.
But as time passed—without realizing it, they were completely drawn in.
And who could blame them?
Guo Yi's explanations of weather tactics were so sharp and methodical that even an Elite Four member might not have been able to match his clarity.
When the bell finally rang and Guo Yi left the stage, the entire crowd seemed dazed—as though waking from a trance.
"What a shame! Teacher Guo's only doing one public lecture!"
"No wonder he's the Bug Master's disciple. The man's on a different level."
"Guess I'll have to wake up extra early tomorrow just to grab a seat near his classroom."
The stadium buzzed with praise and admiration for Guo Yi's teaching.
And from that day forward—every single one of his lectures was standing-room only.
Students began skipping their regular classes just to attend his.
Before long, countless professors showed up at Tang Ming's office, asking for schedule changes.
No one dared to compete with Guo Yi's time slots—they could only give way quietly.
Naturally, Tang Ming approved every request.
As a result—whenever Guo Yi was teaching, the rest of the university practically paused.
Not that Guo Yi noticed.
He still taught in the same two-hundred-seat classroom,
with the same group of officially registered students.
Time flew by—and before anyone realized it, a week had passed.
The Freshman Tournament was right around the corner.