The upper limit of human speed is difficult to determine, but no matter what, it shouldn't be the case that over a thousand people scatter like startled birds in the time it takes to make a phone call.
Yu Longdu, who had been present the entire time, explained that after Xia Huanao left and designated him to join the rescue team, the thousand or so people present first froze, then each obtained monitoring equipment from the teachers at the assembly point and bolted. Some of the more panicked individuals even used their Pokémon to accelerate their movements, as if the place were a ferocious beast with its mouth wide open, ready to devour everything.
With various reasons intertwined, it was not difficult to understand why there was no one left in this area. Although there was no possibility of fighting before noon, as soon as twelve o'clock struck, there would certainly be some belligerent individuals who couldn't resist the temptation.
...
While Xia Huanao watched them play cards, the people who had dispersed elsewhere were far from peaceful. Although they were all smiling and encouraging each other now, who knew who might be waiting to stab them in the back? As for encountering rampaging Pokémon, it was hard to say; it depended on who was unlucky.
Among the examinees from Jinghai City, Shen Yu was the most captivating. As Xia Huanao's girlfriend, she was a prize to all the students. Even if they couldn't get a piece of her, just being near her and gaining something would be a massive profit.
Under the influence of such outrageous thoughts, all the students were focused on Shen Yu's movements, and Shen Yu was naturally well aware of this. Therefore, as soon as she gathered information and released it, she seized the opportunity to leave amidst the chaos. Seeing Shen Yu leave first, many wanted to chase after her, but upon closer inspection, there were two Shen Yus running in different directions, one east and one west. This was quite vexing: which one was the real one and which was fake?
When the truth is unclear, the best course of action is to observe and wait. If one acts rashly and bets correctly, the reward is immense. But if one chases the wrong person, it becomes quite troublesome. With this thought, a strange atmosphere was briefly created where "I won't chase, but you can't move either." Everyone was trying to outmaneuver each other, but there were always those who were different, like Zhang Hong.
As the "tech corner" of the Awakened's Iron Triangle, Zhang Hong's relationship with Shen Yu was known to everyone. So, should they stop him from teaming up with Shen Yu or not? However, Zhang Hong was also very shrewd. It was fine for him to walk with Shen Yu, but this kind of seemingly illegal team-up needed to be minimized. Who knew if Xia Huanao would try to trip them up in this regard? Therefore, Zhang Hong chose to leave in a different direction from Shen Yu.
After Zhang Hong set off, Yu Tingyun waved to Yu Longdu and also left. While illegal teaming was not allowed, borrowing influence was. By indicating that she knew Yu Longdu, she could leave without anyone casually pursuing her.
With three people leaving one after another, the alliances of the others instantly crumbled. After all, this was the martial arts portion of the Pokémon subject in the college entrance examination. Although they could only attack each other after twelve o'clock, they could still earn points before noon. Now that three people had already set out, it would seem foolish to stay put. So, they all poured out in a mass. Whether anyone would catch up to Shen Yu, who had departed earlier, was no longer anyone's concern.
As for Shen Yu, the two earlier versions of her had run very fast and were now nowhere to be seen. This was also due to the strategic choice of the assembly point. Although it was on a vast grassland, there was a forest a few hundred meters away. Coupled with Shen Yu's desperate sprint from the beginning, she had long since disappeared into the woods. Shortly after entering the forest, Shen Yu climbed a tree and hid.
"Martial arts exams don't require eyesight" was a famous inside joke within the alliance. If Shen Yu hid at the top of a tree, she could evade seventy to eighty percent of searches. Moreover, with all the examinees being wary of each other, it was even harder to find her. Shen Yu hid in the tree for about ten seconds before seeing people enter the forest. These students were wary of each other and walked right past the tree where Shen Yu was hiding, yet not a single one looked up.
Meanwhile, the other Shen Yu, who was galloping across the grassland, was quite extraordinary. She fully utilized the limits of human vision, ran with all her might, then directly released her Silvally from its Poké Ball, and, while everyone's eyes were blurred and couldn't see clearly, she mounted it and disappeared.
From a distance, everyone watched Shen Yu mount a Pokémon and ride off with carefree abandon, not finding it strange. If Xia Huanao had seen this, he would have been terrified: "In such a short time, you've evolved your Type: Null into a Silvally? Quantified by data, that requires 220 friendship! Is this thing so easy to grind? Then has your Popplio also evolved?"
Let's set aside what the two "parted" Shen Yus would do next and see what Zhang Hong, the second to venture out, was up to.
Zhang Hong's approach was completely different from Shen Yu's. If Shen Yu was the type to be extremely cautious, then Zhang Hong was a hundred times more arrogant. Although he had also set out, he hadn't gone more than twenty meters before he directly summoned his Miltank for transportation.
Miltank, after being released from its Poké Ball, was momentarily stunned, then saw Zhang Hong pat its head: "Come on, Miltank, you can carry me and run wild today."
Miltank looked in the direction Zhang Hong pointed. The boundless grassland was too enticing. Miltank gently stomped its front hoof, then bent down to let Zhang Hong mount, and then galloped forward with all four hooves.
Miltank charged forward with heavy breaths, making the other students envious. Although everyone had prepared for the college entrance examination to some extent, there weren't many who could truly defeat a Pokémon of Miltank's size. The students following in Miltank's direction sighed, "As expected of the big shots from the Awakened. They're always so much more outrageous than us ordinary folk."
Miltank was not a particularly fast Pokémon. It excelled in endurance rather than speed. Moreover, Zhang Hong's physical condition didn't allow him to "run around like a madman" while riding Miltank. After only a few hundred meters, Zhang Hong had Miltank slow down to a walk. If he continued running like this, he would surely fall apart.
As Miltank walked forward, Zhang Hong released his other Pokémon. The two little queens were held in Zhang Hong's arms. This family looked very much like they were out for a vacation.
There weren't many who were as brazen as Zhang Hong, but there were still some who were indifferent. For example, one guy was wandering along the boundary between the forest and the grassland with his Squirtle, chatting with it: "I wonder if it would be better if we were by the sea. You don't like this environment, do you?"
Squirtle nodded. Even if there was a river here, it could still play in the water. This unlucky place had nothing.
The person and the turtle walked forward, complaining: "Little Squirtle, you know, if my parents hadn't forced me, I wouldn't have come to participate in the martial arts exam..."
Just as there were solitary individuals, there were also those who formed teams. For example, in the forest where Shen Yu was hiding, a few people were gathered under a large tree, whispering to each other.
"I say, let's not hide too far. We'll wait until after twelve o'clock, then go back and read the complete rules. Knowing oneself and the enemy leads to victory. What do you all think?"
"I think the boss is right. Rushing in without knowing anything is wrong. Moreover, by then, we can directly tear up the rules. That way, only we will know, and we can get high scores."
"Is that really..."
"What's wrong with that? Xia Huanao didn't say the posted rules couldn't be torn down. Besides, there are so many of us. Even if a few brave ones discover us, what then? With superior numbers, we can't handle them?"
"Yeah, it's like those unlucky things posted behind our classroom before the college entrance exam. Knock out a thousand people for one point. Just do it."
The few people were discussing amongst themselves, unaware that Xia Huanao, who was still at the assembly point, could hear everything they were saying. Xia Huanao shook his head and clicked his tongue: "Tsk, a bunch of idiots. It's better to say less and do less when you know nothing. Your illegal teaming is too obvious. I really want to disqualify you now, but it's too early and not interesting, so I'm in a dilemma."
Yu Longdu, sitting beside him, nodded: "Yeah, even if you want to team up illegally, you shouldn't be so blatant. Like these few on the screen, they're very smart. There's no verbal communication, but their movements and eye contact show coordination. It's the skilled ones who are clearly teaming up but can't be caught."
Xia Huanao glanced at the screen next to him. Three girls were moving on the grassland, maintaining a roughly eighteen-meter equilateral triangle, searching around as they walked. Xia Huanao gave them high praise: "Hmm, these people cooperate much better. A distance of ten-odd meters is not too close, but they can still provide timely rescue if the other two are attacked. However, if it were a higher-level secret realm, that would be another matter. The distance would need to be adjusted."
As he spoke, Xia Huanao looked at Yu Longdu. Yu Longdu's head had transformed from its original boiled-egg state into a large garden. Xia Huanao was shocked: "No way, you haven't won a single game? You've changed the tiles in all sorts of ways? And it looks like you've put on multiple layers!"
Yu Longdu was also completely bewildered: "I don't know either. I had very confident hands, but I just couldn't win. I lost two at a time, or the game was a draw with no caller."
Xia Huanao glanced at the staff member who had made Yu Longdu look like a fool and shook his head helplessly: "Forget it, A'Du. If you can't cheat, don't play with those two. Let's watch videos together, otherwise, you'll turn into a mummy before you even get out."