After the battle ended, the Venusaur leader led Wen Qi and his group back to the giant tree.
"Wen Qi, in this duel, I acknowledge your strength. You may take my grandson—the Bulbasaur."
The Venusaur leader's voice was steady and forceful, carrying an undeniable authority.
Hearing this, the weight that had been pressing on Wen Qi's heart finally lifted. He let out a long sigh of relief, a joyful smile spreading across his face.
But just as he thought everything was settled, the Venusaur leader spoke again.
"However, Wen Qi, I hope you will leave your Turtwig behind."
The moment those words fell, Wen Qi's expression shifted from delight to shock, then to anger.
Yet, just as he was about to lose his temper, the Venusaur leader continued:
"I can see that this Turtwig, though young, already shows extraordinary evolutionary potential. Your training skills are decent, but there are areas that could be improved. Leave it with me for a while to train, and its future will be even brighter."
After hearing the Venusaur leader's explanation, Wen Qi's anger gradually subsided.
He had initially thought the Venusaur leader wanted to keep the Turtwig as some kind of bargaining chip, but it turned out to be for the sake of its future development.
He looked at the Turtwig beside him, his eyes filled with complex emotions.
Though he knew this was for the Turtwig's benefit, he still felt reluctant to part with it.
At that moment, the Turtwig seemed to understand the Venusaur leader's intentions. It looked up at Wen Qi, its eyes reflecting the same reluctance.
Yet, it also knew the benefits of staying for training, so it said nothing.
Seeing this, the Venusaur leader shook its head with a hint of helplessness.
It spoke:
"Wen Qi, there's no need to worry so much. The Turtwig won't suffer any mistreatment here. Besides, its aptitude is excellent; at most, a week or two of training should suffice. When it's done, I'll personally send it back to you."
Hearing the Venusaur leader's words, Wen Qi's concerns eased slightly.
He cast a grateful glance at the Venusaur leader, then turned to the Turtwig, gently patting its head to comfort it.
"Turtwig, listen carefully to Venusaur's guidance and train hard."
Wen Qi's voice carried a mix of reluctance and hope.
The Turtwig nodded, understanding Wen Qi's words.
To ensure the Turtwig wouldn't go hungry during training, Wen Qi quickly took out all his Grass-type energy cubes and left them for the Turtwig.
These energy cubes were meticulously prepared, each one packed with rich energy and nutrients.
Seeing these perfect energy cubes, the Venusaur leader's eyes flickered with surprise.
Though it was the forest's ruler and received some energy cubes from humans every year, their quality was far inferior to what Wen Qi had provided.
It nodded slightly, showing appreciation for Wen Qi's generosity.
To thank the Venusaur leader for its help, Wen Qi also handed over dozens of high-grade energy cubes.
The Venusaur leader's face broke into a satisfied smile.
It nodded, promising to train the Turtwig well.
After wrapping everything up, Wen Qi felt that matters were settled and prepared to leave.
He knew it wasn't yet the right time for others to know he had been here.
So, before leaving, he specifically instructed the Venusaur leader to keep his whereabouts hidden to avoid unnecessary trouble.
"If any League members do find this place, just tell them I came to catch a Bulbasaur."
Wen Qi's voice was filled with trust and earnestness.
The Venusaur leader nodded, agreeing to follow Wen Qi's instructions.
Before departing, Wen Qi also took a moment to reassure the Turtwig.
He told it that he would come back to pick it up in two weeks, and if it finished training early, the Venusaur leader would send a Gym-level Pokémon to escort it home.
The Turtwig understood Wen Qi's words, its eyes shining with anticipation and trust.
And so, Wen Qi rode his gentle Gogoat, accompanied by Venomoth, as they left the deep valley.
The Scizor, exhausted and slightly injured from the intense battle, needed rest and was recalled into the small world.
Finally free from the Venusaur leader's territory, Wen Qi let out a long, relieved sigh. The troublesome matter was finally resolved, and he and the Venusaur leader had reached an agreement.
In a few days, he would announce that the Bulbasaur had died, with its remains found in a corner of the forest.
Then, he would deal with the Kecleon leader and notify the human League to ensure the bounty hunter faced severe punishment.
That way, this whole affair could be put to rest.
Though some of the methods were a bit rough, in certain situations, the simpler and more direct approach was often the most effective.
From then on, even if Wen Qi revealed a Bulbasaur, no one would bat an eye—he could simply explain it as a gift from the Venusaur leader.
Thinking about how all the future troubles were resolved and he could return to his laid-back, leisurely life, Wen Qi's mood instantly soared.
With his spirits lifted, even the scenery on the way back seemed especially beautiful.
Just then, Wen Qi suddenly felt the Scizor in the small world calling out to him. Through telepathic communication, he learned what the Scizor was thinking.
The Scizor said it had been away from home for a long time and wanted to visit its old group. Naturally, this included a desire to show off its achievements—a triumphant return.
As the saying goes, returning home in glory without showing it is like wearing fine clothes in the dark.
Back then, its peers, who had better aptitudes, might not have been as skilled in battle, but when they hit bottlenecks, they all managed to break through, while the Scizor was stuck due to its own limitations.
They had often mocked it for that. This time, it wanted to make them see how far it had come.
Moreover, the Scizor deeply missed its parents and longed to see them again.
After listening to the Scizor's thoughts, Wen Qi pondered for a moment and found it feasible.
First, it would fulfill the Scizor's wish to return home and show off.
Second, it was a chance to see if he could recruit a few Scythers.
After all, Scythers were truly outstanding.
They could run, fly, and fight fiercely. As Bug-type Pokémon, they also grew quickly.
If he could bring in a few more, he could form a patrol squad for the farm.
That would lighten the load on the Sandshrew family, who were already busy farming and patrolling—far too much work for them.
And honestly, Scythers looked incredibly cool.
As for the injured Scizor, fortunately, the small world was extraordinary, with powerful regenerative abilities.
In just over half an hour, its injuries had mostly healed.
Wen Qi had originally planned to let the Scizor rest and recover in the small world, but since they were heading to its homeland, he had no choice but to release it to guide the way.