Venusaur narrowed its eyes slightly, gazing at the trembling Kecleon before it. Though the opponent's strength reached the Gym level, it seemed utterly insignificant in its presence. It spoke calmly:
"Tell me everything you know. Do not try to deceive me—I can discern the truth of your words."
Hearing this, the Kecleon leader's heart tightened. It had planned to reuse its earlier lie, hoping to slip by, but now realized that this reigning Venusaur was no ordinary being. Its ability to distinguish truth from falsehood left the Kecleon in unprecedented turmoil. It hesitated, unsure of what to do. Telling the truth might invite utter disaster; lying, if exposed, would lead to equally dire consequences. Caught in this dilemma, the Kecleon felt immense pressure.
At that moment, the reigning Venusaur spoke again, its voice carrying an unyielding authority: "I sense your hesitation and struggle. Stop trying to deceive me."
With those words, a powerful aura pressed down on the Kecleon. Though weakened by its injuries, Venusaur's presence still felt unbearable to the Kecleon. Under this oppressive force, the Kecleon finally realized its own powerlessness and insignificance. It understood that the reigning Venusaur was not bluffing—it could truly see into its heart. In an instant, it abandoned all wishful thinking and decided to speak the truth.
After hearing the Kecleon's account, the reigning Venusaur fell into deep thought. It understood that this matter was not the Kecleon clan's fault—they were innocent victims as well. Yet, its own grandson had gone missing because of this, leaving it anxious and helpless. After some deliberation, it decided to give the Kecleon a chance:
"Go back. I'll give you three days. If you can find that Bulbasaur within that time, this matter will be settled. If not, I won't attack your clan, but you must come and face the consequences yourself."
These words struck the Kecleon's heart like a cold blade. Yet, it also knew this was its only hope. It quickly thanked the reigning Venusaur and hurried away, ready to gather its clan and search for the Bulbasaur with all their might. The Kecleon leader knew time was tight and dared not slack off. It understood what fate awaited it if the Bulbasaur wasn't found. Thus, it had to give its all, even if only a sliver of hope remained.
Watching the Kecleon leader's retreating figure, the reigning Venusaur couldn't help but sigh: "From today on, this forest will no longer be peaceful." It knew a storm was brewing, and it had to prepare for the challenges ahead. After this reflection, the reigning Venusaur closed its eyes and began healing using the forest's power. It understood that only by recovering its strength quickly could it face whatever was to come.
When Wen Qi entered the forest this time, he noticed the Pokémon around were a bit more irritable than before, yet they showed little hostility toward him and his Pokémon. This puzzled Wen Qi, but he later thought it might be due to his upgraded Viridian Forest power. Now, in the eyes of those Pokémon, he probably appeared as a human full of life and forest energy. For creatures living in the woods, such a person wouldn't be met with hostility. Noticing this, Wen Qi relaxed his tense nerves somewhat, but for safety's sake, he couldn't let his guard down.
He released his Venomoth, which was now at level 35. With its excellent psychic abilities, superior flight, and some annoying control moves, it could handle most situations as long as it didn't encounter an elite Pokémon. Another advantage was that the evolved Venomoth weighed only about a dozen kilograms, much lighter than its previous form as a Venonat. So even when perched on the Gogoat's head, it didn't put any pressure on the mount. Relying on his Viridian Forest power and the Gogoat's intimidating strength, Wen Qi and his group quickly reached the boundary between the forest's outer and inner areas.
Wen Qi noticed a clear distinction between the inner and outer parts of Chunhua Forest. Inside, massive trees blocked out the sky, with sunlight filtering through the leaves to create dappled shadows. The ground was thick with fallen leaves, crunching underfoot. The air was humid, mixed with the scent of soil and vegetation. This was home to many Pokémon, darting and playing among the trees. Occasional crisp bird calls brought a sense of nature's tranquility and mystery.
In contrast, the outer forest—which Wen Qi had thought dense—was sparser compared to the inner area, with more sunlight. Grass replaced the fallen leaves, and the view opened up. The air was drier, and the plant smells were less intense. The outer area had fewer Pokémon species, though common ones could still be seen. At the boundary, a clear transition zone showed gradual changes in tree density and height, like a dividing line between two different worlds. It seemed this distinct boundary was what split the forest into inner and outer zones.
Arriving here, Wen Qi wasn't sure how to reach the Bulbasaur's home. He didn't dare release the Bulbasaur now, since the earlier forest commotion was likely caused by it. If he brought it out, the whole forest would probably know, making it troublesome to secretly take it away for training later. After thinking it over, Wen Qi released his Torterra. He planned to see if the Torterra could find the area where the reigning Venusaur lived. Based on his knowledge, it would be the place richest in Grass-type energy. Torterra was sensitive to such energy and should be able to locate it.
The massive Torterra appeared beside Wen Qi, having already been informed of the situation through telepathy. Once out, it stood quietly, closing its eyes and sending waves of energy into the forest to sense its surroundings. Soon, Torterra detected a direction with higher Grass-type energy. After telling Wen Qi, he climbed onto Torterra's back, letting it lead the way. He recalled the Gogoat to let it rest. For safety, he also released his Scizor for protection. As soon as Scizor emerged, it felt a strong sense of familiarity. Wen Qi told it they were heading to the forest's inner area. Hearing this, Scizor fell into deep thought.