The Scizor that had just emerged, though its physical injuries had healed, still appeared slightly weakened mentally, but fortunately, the situation wasn't severe. Moreover, after coming out, the Pokémon was in an extremely excited state, clearly overjoyed at the prospect of returning home.
As they journeyed toward the Scyther's territory, Wen Qi noticed an abundance of Bug-type Pokémon along the way, all of considerable strength, likely due to the rich Bug-type energy in this direction. While most of their aptitudes were red or orange, the number with yellow aptitude was noticeably higher than in the outer areas.
By now, Wen Qi rarely considered capturing Pokémon with yellow aptitude, unless they were rare species that piqued his interest. However, the ones he encountered along the way were mostly Bug-types, none that truly captivated him. Still, he spotted seven or eight Caterpie with deep yellow aptitude. Using the energy of the mini-world, these Caterpie could absorb more energy during their Metapod stage, boosting their aptitude to light green. So he captured them directly, feeling quite pleased with this outcome.
As for why he didn't see any Weedle, it was because Beedrill typically lived in swarms, and Wen Qi had no desire to provoke those "forest bullies" numbering in the dozens or hundreds.
Soon, led by the Scizor, Wen Qi approached the Scyther's territory. At that moment, he noticed many Pinsir and Heracross on both sides of the forest. The sight of them stirred a ripple of excitement in his heart. Both Pokémon had impressive base stats and formidable combat abilities. However, compared to the fiercer-looking Pinsir, Wen Qi preferred the handsome Heracross, especially its Mega Evolution form, which boasted a staggering 185 Attack stat—truly explosive. Combined with its inherent Fighting type, this was like adding wings to a tiger, elevating its combat prowess even further.
The more Wen Qi looked, the more his heart raced for Heracross. But upon closer inspection of the surroundings, his enthusiasm quickly cooled. Here, two to three hundred Heracross had gathered, and on the largest tree stood a 60-level quasi-champion leader. Scattered around were seven or eight Gym-level and over a dozen Elite-level Heracross. With such a formidable lineup, no matter how much Wen Qi desired one, he dared not act rashly. They were not only powerful but also numerous.
Fortunately, Wen Qi was approaching the relatively gentle Heracross side, which typically wouldn't attack unprovoked. If he had been near the Pinsir side, he'd likely have been driven away, if not attacked outright.
Through the system's scan, Wen Qi learned that aside from the leader with light cyan aptitude, there was one Heracross at 50-level Elite peak with light cyan aptitude, while the rest had at most deep green aptitude. Still, Wen Qi wasn't overly concerned. If he truly fell in love with a Pokémon, even if its initial aptitude was red, he could at least raise it to green. For deep green aptitude, he might not even need aptitude potions; with patient training and the mini-world's boost, reaching light cyan was feasible. As long as it could eventually reach Gym-level strength, Wen Qi would be satisfied.
Though Wen Qi had captured many Pokémon, only Turtwig, Scizor, Bulbasaur, Dratini, and Growlithe were intended as his core aces. As for the cyan-aptitude Bellossom, Rhyhorn, and the newly hatched Noibat, their futures depended on training outcomes. If results were good, they could become mainstays. But Rhyhorn and Noibat were uncertain, and the lackluster Bellossom would likely end up as a team medic.
Despite his fondness for Heracross, Wen Qi wouldn't force it if capture proved impossible. His gaze lingered greedily on that 50-level, light cyan-aptitude Heracross, but he knew clearly he lacked the means to take it away. He guessed this imposing Heracross was the next leader of the group, and the current leader would never allow its capture.
Wen Qi truly admired Heracross's cool appearance, but he understood that capturing Pokémon hinged on combat ability. Unfortunately, most Heracross were peace-loving and lacked fighting spirit. Thus, despite their excellence, few humans were willing to capture them. After all, who wanted a Pokémon that disliked battling? Would they just keep it as a pet?
Though Wen Qi felt desire, watching this lazy bunch gradually dampened his strong urge to capture one. He mused that he was already a slacker; bringing another slacker home would be like finding a rival. He couldn't have it competing with him for drinks, desserts, or lounge chairs—that was a losing deal.
He continued observing these Pokémon, seeing them either napping in trees or leisurely sipping sap, all utterly idle. Just as Wen Qi was about to give up in disappointment, the Scizor beside him gently tugged at his clothes, signaling him to look elsewhere.
Wen Qi quickly turned his head. At the very edge of the forest, with no other Heracross around, a single, scar-covered Heracross was training alone. Examining it closely, Wen Qi saw that some wounds were from training, while others bore marks of fierce battles. Through the system's scan, he was astonished to find this Heracross was a miracle. Its aptitude was deep yellow, yet its level was as high as 41—the second time Wen Qi had seen a Pokémon break level limits. The first was Old Village Chief's Tangrowth, which had taken forty to fifty years of careful cultivation to slowly climb up.
But this Heracross was different. The system showed it was still young, even younger than his Scizor, only about five years old. Though Bug-type Pokémon typically had short lifespans, those with high base stats lived roughly as long as normal ones. Even at just over ten levels, they could survive twenty to thirty years; stronger ones lived even longer. Yet this Heracross, despite its youth, had somehow broken through aptitude constraints, but its vitality was nearly depleted, leaving it at most ten more years to live. Clearly, the side effects of breaking limits were severe, draining its life force so drastically.