Wen Qi continued to laze around like a salted fish, but Zhou Zhiwen, even with Wen Qi's help, only felt a slight easing of his anxious heart. He still didn't feel secure, so he quickly called over Deputy Captain Zhang Yang.
"Zhang Yang, I've got a task from higher-ups to handle these next few days. I won't be in the team for a while—I'm leaving soon. You'll be in charge of team matters for now."
Though Zhang Yang was curious about what mission the captain had to carry out, he knew better than to pry into certain things. He quickly replied, "Got it, Captain. Do you need me to prepare anything for you?"
"No need. Don't go spreading word about my leaving. Just handle things in the team. Alright, that's it."
"Understood, Captain. Take care."
With that, Zhang Yang left the office. After Zhang Yang departed, Zhou Zhiwen also left the team, rushing to the city's Pokémon Center to give his Pokémon some extra care and recovery treatment.
Although he'd arranged for his Pokémon to be treated right after returning to the team that night—since professionals were indeed skilled, and the injuries weren't too severe, most were healed—the damage had drained a lot of their energy and spirit, requiring proper rest. Originally, Zhou Zhiwen wasn't in a hurry, thinking there'd be no action soon, so he let his Pokémon recover on their own. But now that wasn't an option. He had to head out tomorrow, and waiting for them to slowly recuperate on their own wouldn't cut it. He had no choice but to take them to the Pokémon Center for recovery, where they offered that specific service.
Generally, treating Pokémon injuries was straightforward, but the mental fatigue from injuries was harder to fix—it required gradual nursing. To speed up recovery, you'd need rare items and specialized Pokémon assistance, which usually cost a pretty penny. After Zhou Zhiwen left the Pokémon Center, he was five thousand lighter in his pocket. The sting made his heart ache, and he even trembled a little. Staring at the receipt in his hand, he muttered to himself, wondering if he could get reimbursed by the captain.
Before heading home, he made a special trip back to the team to grab a bunch of野外 supplies from logistics. Once everything was ready, he went home to rest well, aiming to leave early and return early the next day.
Time quickly rolled around to the next day.
In the tranquil early morning, sunlight gently spilled across the windows of the luxurious villa, painting a scene of peace and stillness. However, that calm was ruthlessly shattered by the training of ten Scyther.
These ten Scyther were agile and swift as lightning. Their training began with wing flaps—fast and powerful, like a sudden storm, producing a "whoosh" sound. Each flap stirred up a strong gust, churning the air with a buzzing hum, as if thousands of bees were swarming around. Next came their jumping drills. The Scyther pushed off the ground with force, leaping high into the air before crashing down heavily. The moment they landed, their hard feet struck the earth with a dull "thump," like heavy drumbeats pounding rhythmically, shaking dust into the air.
During attack training, their pincers clashed and scraped together, producing sharp, piercing "clack" sounds like the hammering in a blacksmith's forge. They simulated battles with enemies, striking out and retracting quickly, the opening and closing of their pincers creating a rapid, urgent rhythm that made one's heart race. At the same time, they engaged in speed training, darting through the thickets around the villa. Their forms moved like the wind, brushing through the grass with a rustling "swish," shaking branches and leaves wildly as if in a frantic dance.
Amidst all this noise, Wen Qi, living in the villa, was deep in a sweet dream. At first, the faint sounds didn't fully wake him, only lightly brushing the edges of his consciousness like a mischievous cat pawing at his thoughts. But as the Scyther's training intensified, the noise grew louder and more relentless. First came the strong wing flaps, "whoosh whoosh," as if a gale was blowing straight into his ears, yanking his awareness from sleep. Then, the dull "thump" of the Scyther landing, like a heavy hammer pounding his heart, making it tremble. Finally, the "clack" of pincers colliding, sharp and piercing, drilling into his skull like countless needles stabbing his nerves.
Eventually, Wen Qi was fully awakened. Frowning, he squeezed his eyes shut, trying to drift back to sleep, but the annoying noise clung to him like a stubborn child. Irritated, he rolled over and pressed a pillow over his ears, muttering, "This damn noise—can't a person get any sleep?!" But it was all in vain. He sat up reluctantly, rubbing his sleepy eyes, his hair a tangled mess like a bird's nest. His face was a mix of anger and drowsiness from being woken up, his eyes bloodshot like two burning flames. "These guys, how can they be so clueless! Raising a ruckus this early—don't they know people are still sleeping?" he grumbled, cursing under his breath, his fury threatening to consume him. "I worked late last night making energy cubes, hoping to sleep in today, and they've ruined it all!"
The more Wen Qi thought about it, the angrier he got, feeling his rage blaze inside him, ready to burst from his chest. He glared fiercely out the window, as if he could see through the walls to those tireless Scyther. "What were they thinking, starting training this early? Even if they had to train, couldn't they do it farther away?" He was full of grievance and helplessness, wishing this were just a nightmare, and he'd wake to a quiet morning. But the unending noise made it painfully clear this was reality.
No help for it—yesterday he'd only told them not to train at night, not to keep their distance in the morning. Now, with this racket, he couldn't sleep, so he had to drag himself out of bed unwillingly. After washing up, he went to the living room, thinking he'd be the first one up today. Instead, Bellossom, Audino, and Mr. Mime were already awake, and had been for a while. Bellossom was meticulously grooming herself while eagerly binge-watching a show. Audino had started cooking, and it looked like breakfast would be ready soon. Mr. Mime was back at his endless cleaning, as if the room could never be fully tidied.
Seeing breakfast was still a bit off, Wen Qi decided to head over to the Scyther first. He figured if he didn't give them a piece of his mind today, he wouldn't even enjoy his breakfast. Soon, he stepped outside the villa and saw the Scyther training nearby. The Scyther noticed him approaching and got excited, thinking he'd come to give them training tips. They had no idea their training had ruined his sleep and that he was coming to cause trouble.
That had been Wen Qi's plan before leaving, but once outside, the cool morning breeze hit him, clearing his head considerably. These Scyther weren't his, and this was only their second day here. Chewing them out for waking him up with their training felt a bit unreasonable. Still, not giving them a hard time would leave him feeling sour. What a dilemma. Torn, Wen Qi walked over and soon stood before the Scyther. In the end, he actually came up with an idea.