While Wen Qi was still pondering how to meet the leader Venusaur, another Venusaur appeared from the opposite side. After exchanging a few words with the leading Venusaur, the leader cast a few more glances at Wen Qi, its eyes filled with both curiosity and surprise.
Staring at Wen Qi for a moment, it called out, "That human over there, you and your Pokémon may enter. Our leader wants to see you."
With that, it gestured for Wen Qi to follow it inside quickly.
Wen Qi hadn't expected such a sudden turn of fortune. Just moments ago, he was struggling with how to meet the leader Venusaur, and now he could go straight in. A wave of nervousness hit him—could it be that they were calling him in to cause trouble? After a moment's thought, he decided to go anyway. Since his original goal was to see the leader Venusaur, he couldn't pass up this opportunity.
After a brief deliberation, Wen Qi recalled Pidgeotto and Venomoth. Given the current situation, their strength wasn't sufficient. He only kept Torterra and Scizor with him. The reason he brought Torterra was that he felt the leader Venusaur's summons was most likely due to Torterra's presence. So, he planned to take it along.
This time, Wen Qi didn't ride on Torterra but followed the Venusaur slowly on foot. Fortunately, the Venusaur's pace wasn't fast, and Wen Qi could keep up.
As he entered the passage, he realized it was the entrance to a valley. Deep within the Spring Blossom Forest, nestled tightly by primeval woods, lay a valley like an emerald set in a sea of green—a paradise for the Venusaur clan. Surrounded by towering peaks, it formed a natural barrier, shutting out the clamor of the outside world and leaving only tranquility and peace.
The entrance to the valley was a winding path flanked by ancient trees, their trunks entwined with time-worn vines. Leaves rustled gently in the breeze, whispering old legends. Sunlight filtered through the gaps, casting dappled shadows and laying a golden carpet along the path.
Following the Venusaur into the valley, Wen Qi's eyes first fell on an open meadow. The grass was lush, soft, and springy. Scattered across it were various exotic flowers and herbs, blooming in a riot of colors and releasing fragrant scents that attracted butterflies and bees flitting among them. At the meadow's edge, some Bulbasaur lazily stretched under the sun, basking in nature's bounty.
At the valley's center lay a clear lake, its waters rippling gently and so transparent that the bottom was visible. Dense aquatic plants grew along the shore, providing ample food for Water-type Pokémon. On the rocks by the lake, a few Ivysaur sat quietly, their eyes half-closed as if in meditation or savoring the lake's coolness.
On the other side of the valley was a dense bamboo grove, where leaves rustled in the wind like a natural symphony. Deep within the grove was the habitat of the Venusaur clan. The Venusaur here either moved through the bamboo or rested on the leaves, their lives orderly, harmonious, and serene. Surrounding the valley were small hills covered with fruit trees, offering abundant food for the Pokémon within.
The Venusaur also told Wen Qi that when the fruits ripened, the valley would host a grand fruit festival, where various Pokémon gathered to share in the annual feast. At that time, the entire valley brimmed with vitality and energy, and every corner radiated nature's wonder and harmony.
Seeing all this, Wen Qi marveled that this was truly a wonderful place. Only the power of a leader could claim such a spot, and only such a fine location could sustain hundreds of Pokémon.
Soon, the Venusaur led Wen Qi to a massive tree. At first, Wen Qi hadn't noticed it, thinking it was a forest, but as he drew closer, he realized it was just one tree. Though not very tall, it was incredibly wide—a single tree forming a woodland.
Arriving there, Wen Qi immediately spotted the leader Venusaur resting with its eyes closed beneath the tree. Its large frame occasionally flickered with a green glow, as if constantly repairing its body. Wen Qi could sense not only the Venusaur's immense strength but also, beneath that formidable power, a hint of life ebbing away. Though the decline was slow, once a Pokémon's life force began to wane, even with such strength, it likely had only about ten years left at most.
As Wen Qi quietly observed the leader Venusaur, it suddenly opened its eyes. The once-peaceful forest instantly pressed a wave of pressure onto Wen Qi. Scizor and Torterra, sensing the force, quickly rushed in front of him to jointly resist it.
Wen Qi didn't understand why this Venusaur was acting this way—why these Pokémon always liked to use pressure to cause trouble. Though Torterra's strength was low, it carried the energy of a legendary beast, so it managed, along with Scizor, to barely withstand the force.
The leader Venusaur was also surprised that these two Pokémon could hold off its pressure. After all, the previous Kecleon from the gym had been nearly overwhelmed by it. These two, by contrast, seemed weaker—Scizor, the strongest, appeared to have only recently broken through to gym level.
Soon, the Venusaur withdrew its pressure. Wen Qi understood that this had been a test to see if he had the ability and qualification to stand before the leader Venusaur.
Then, the Venusaur spoke: "You're Wen Qi, right? Can you let my little grandson out?"
Wen Qi was stunned. He didn't understand how this Venusaur knew his name, or how it knew the Bulbasaur was with him without him saying a word.
"Respected Venusaur, may I ask how you know my name and that the Bulbasaur is with me?"
"I know your name because you mentioned it before. I can generally sense what happens near my territory. As for knowing my little grandson is with you, it's because you carry his scent. At this time, for someone to dare come to me with my grandson's scent, they must be bringing him back. So, let him out quickly."
Hearing this, Wen Qi felt a bit helpless. He hadn't expected this leader to be so formidable—it seemed he had no secrets before it. What surprised the leader Venusaur most was that it found this human even more mysterious. It couldn't sense his emotions at all, making it impossible to tell if he was lying. Still, it could detect the scent on him, which was how it knew its grandson was with him.