Su Feng nodded thoughtfully. Y City was unique – even before Pokémon arrived, its vast wilderness had been renowned. Now, its dense forests teemed with diverse species, some found nowhere else in the country. I'll have to stream there someday.
He stood and headed for the door. "I'll text you the location in a few days. Don't be late."
Three Days Later
The final roster was set:
Brother Jin (grudgingly pulled from his beach vacation)
Xiao Da (who'd been counting down the minutes)
The Eevee boy (now dubbed "Xiao Bu" by fans)
Five lottery winners: a college student, a nurse, a delivery driver, a retired teacher, and a shy programmer
Su Feng's announcement had broken the internet. Over 100 million shares across platforms, with international fans scrambling for last-minute flights to Longguo. The chosen gathered at a hotel near Xingdou Forest – a place Su Feng knew well.
Dawn of Departure
The rented coach idled outside the hotel as students milled about:
Brother Jin leaned against a lamppost, sunglasses hiding murderous intent. His Hawaiian shirt clashed violently with the forest backdrop.
Xiao Da and Xiao Die giggled over phone photos of their Pokémon. The former's Pikachu peeked from her backpack, stealing glances at the latter's Skitty.
Cheng Meng stood apart in her lab coat, clutching a thermos of black coffee. Dark circles still lingered, but her posture was marginally less corpse-like.
"EVERYONE BOARD UP!" Su Feng's voice cut through the chatter. "Rules of the road:
Treat this as camping with monsters.
Don't pet the Beedrills.
If you get lost, scream loudly. Blaziken loves fire drills."
As the coach rumbled toward the forest, Su Feng noticed Xiao Bu nervously stroking his Eevee. The boy jumped when addressed:
"Your Eevee's got potential. Ever considered evolution?"
"B-but she's perfect like this!" Xiao Bu hugged the fluffball protectively.
Su Feng smirked. Oh, you sweet summer child. Wait till he sees Sylveon.
Xingdou Forest Outskirts
The group unloaded gear under Blaziken's watchful gaze. Gengar materialized from shadows to pass out survival kits containing:
1× Poké Ball (standard issue)
1× Berry pouch (Oran/Rawst/Pecha mix)
1× "How Not to Die" pamphlet (illustrated by Xiao Die)
"First lesson!" Su Feng clapped as a Fletchling swooped overhead. "Anyone know this Pokémon's type?"
Hands shot up. The retired teacher adjusted her glasses: "Normal/Flying! Its wing-to-body ratio suggests—"
ZZZZZTTT!
A sudden spark from the bushes interrupted her. All eyes turned to a yellow rodent with red cheeks, crackling with unchecked energy.
Su Feng grinned. "And this is why we don't skip breakfast. Who wants to catch our first lesson demo?"
Twenty Poké Balls clicked open in unison.