Just as Zhou Zhiwen was struggling with whether to politely inquire, the voice of the Venusaur overlord echoed in his mind again: "Leave quickly. Let's call it even this time. Go back and tell your captain that while we have an agreement with your alliance, don't push it too far. Some things are better left unclear. If you disturb me again, I may be old and weak and unable to defeat you, but don't forget that the Venusaur clan is also one of the overlords of the Evergreen Forest. Though we can't match the Dragonite clan, we still have champions among us."
Upon hearing this, any lingering thoughts in Zhou Zhiwen's mind instantly dissipated. He thought to himself that it was best not to say certain things out loud. After all, he was just a small player here to deliver a message—no need to risk his life over it. Having come to this realization, he decided to leave. Before departing, he said, "Alright, Lord Overlord, I will relay your words exactly as you've spoken them. Also, please accept my condolences for the loss of the Bulbasaur."
With that, Zhou Zhiwen handed over the high-grade energy cubes that Wen Qi had given him earlier, then released his Charizard, mounted it, and flew off. He had refrained from using Charizard earlier to avoid any mishaps and keep it battle-ready. Now that the matter was resolved, flying back directly with Charizard's strength posed little risk.
The Venusaur overlord watched the red figure disappear into the sky, muttering a few words to itself and silently praying that its choice wouldn't be wrong. Its gaze then fixed on the Turtwig training diligently nearby. Every movement of the Turtwig was filled with power and determination, sweat dripping down its green skin onto the ground, instantly absorbed by the dry earth. Venusaur couldn't help but sigh at the Turtwig's hard work, thinking how excellent its training results were—a testament to its natural talent. Knowing this Turtwig belonged to that man, Venusaur felt even more confident that its decision was correct. With that settled, it slowly closed its eyes again, leaving only the sounds of the Turtwig's training beneath the silent tree, creating a scene of harmony and beauty.
After leaving, Zhou Zhiwen didn't report directly to the search team but returned to Wen Qi first, as he needed answers to some questions. This time, his return was incredibly fast—after all, he was flying. The trip there had taken four or five hours, but the return took less than thirty minutes. He silently regretted not having flown directly on Charizard earlier, given how smoothly the mission had gone without the Venusaur overlord losing its temper. But who could have predicted that? One always keeps their trump card in reserve, only using it when absolutely necessary. It seemed Zhou Zhiwen and Wen Qi were alike in their cautious approach to things.
Soon, Charizard arrived over the farm, its presence keenly sensed by the Scizor in training. Though Scizor knew it was Zhou Zhiwen's Charizard, it couldn't help but issue a challenge. Fire-type Pokémon were naturally hot-tempered, and Charizard, having done nothing all day before returning from the forest, was already in a foul mood. Scizor's provocation only made it worse. If not for Zhou Zhiwen's presence, Charizard would have already swooped down for a fight. Suppressing its battle lust, Charizard landed at the entrance of Wen Qi's villa and set Zhou Zhiwen down.
Zhou Zhiwen, eager to discuss matters with Wen Qi, didn't notice Charizard's unusual state. Before entering the villa, he simply told Charizard to wait there without recalling it to its Poké Ball. As soon as Zhou Zhiwen stepped inside, Charizard flapped its wings and flew straight to Scizor. Its arrival startled the training Pokémon, especially the three Butterfree, who trembled in fear, their wings seemingly unresponsive. The Venomoth and five advanced Scyther also felt intimidated—attribute disadvantage and level gaps made fear instinctive and unavoidable. As for the five elite-level Scyther, though they showed no fear in their eyes, they were filled with vigilance and tension, only burning with battle intent. Despite the level disparity, they weren't afraid to fight, though even if all five attacked together, they'd be instantly defeated.
Scizor quickly blocked the five eager Scyther and appeared before Charizard in a flash. Both sides were brimming with fighting spirit. Though Scizor was only level 52, trailing Charizard's level 55 (which had risen by one level thanks to Wen Qi's high-grade perfect Fire-type energy cubes), and Charizard had a type advantage over Scizor, Scizor showed no fear. They didn't immediately engage in battle but instead clashed in a contest of aura. Surprisingly, Wen Qi's Scizor held the upper hand in terms of presence, which the competitive Charizard found hard to accept. Sensing that Scizor's level was lower, yet unable to match its aura, Charizard decided to skip the aura contest and jump straight into combat.
Inside the villa, Wen Qi, who was about to speak to Zhou Zhiwen, suddenly paused, his eyes fixed intently on him. Zhou Zhiwen, confused by the interruption, looked back at Wen Qi with a puzzled expression, noticing the strange look in his eyes. "What's wrong with your Charizard? It feels like it's about to fight my Scizor," Wen Qi said. "What!" Zhou Zhiwen exclaimed in surprise. "Really? No way. I just told it to wait for me outside. How did it come to this?" Seeing Zhou Zhiwen's panic, Wen Qi realized he was unaware of the situation. "Maybe they're both battle-hungry. Scizor wasn't strong enough to take on your Charizard before, but now that its strength has increased, it thinks it can fight, so this is happening," Wen Qi explained. "Boss Wen, is that Scizor the same one that fought my Arcanine before, not a newly caught one?" Zhou Zhiwen asked. "Of course it's the same one. Why would I catch another Scizor?" Wen Qi replied. Hearing that it was indeed the same Scizor, Zhou Zhiwen was stunned. He had seen Wen Qi's Scizor in action before—powerful, yes, but only at the elite level, not even at its peak. Yet now, in such a short time, it had grown strong enough to reach the gym level. This left Zhou Zhiwen deeply unsettled.