At that moment, Zhou Zhiwen finally saw the contents of the box clearly. Despite his best efforts to conceal his excitement, his flushed cheeks betrayed him.
He recognized the item—it was also available at the Alliance Item Exchange, but the conditions for redemption were extremely harsh.
First, one’s strength had to be at least that of a quasi-Champion-level Trainer.
Second, one needed a Four-Star Permission. (One Star: ordinary Alliance member; Two Stars: senior Alliance member; Three Stars: elite Alliance member; Four Stars: core Alliance member; Five Stars: central Alliance member; Six Stars: high-ranking Alliance member; Seven Stars: Alliance Chairman.)
Third, it required ten thousand points.
Among these, points were relatively easy to come by—he could save up over time. Becoming a quasi-Champion Trainer was also achievable through hard work. However, the Four-Star Permission was far too difficult.
Currently, Zhou Zhiwen only had Three-Star Permission. In all of Chunhua City, only the mayor, the Gym Leader, and the battalion commander held Four-Star Permission.
This was an Attribute Essence. Among them, the Dragon, Psychic, and Ghost essences were the most expensive, while the others were roughly similar in value.
Zhou Zhiwen had only ever seen pictures of it. Today was the first time he’d laid eyes on the real thing, and for a moment, he didn’t know whether to accept it—after all, it was far too precious.
Perhaps here at Wen Qi’s place, it only cost a thousand points, but in the outside world, it was a treasure rarely encountered, because it came from secret realms and was extremely scarce.
Such items were primarily provided to Champion-level Trainers. Any Champion-level Trainer affiliated with the Alliance could receive a fragment each year.
As for the Four Heavenly Kings of the Alliance region, they could get a complete Attribute Essence annually.
And the Champion? They surely had something even better, but that wasn’t worth discussing here.
Despite seeing Charizard’s eager expression, the item was truly invaluable. Even if Wen Qi offered it, Zhou Zhiwen felt too embarrassed to take it.
Wen Qi noticed Zhou Zhiwen’s hesitation and couldn’t be bothered to dwell on it. He simply took out the Fire Essence Fragment and, without a word, shoved it into Charizard’s mouth.
Before Zhou Zhiwen could react, he saw Charizard already lost in the energy of the Fire Essence Fragment, and he stood there dumbfounded.
The moment Charizard swallowed the Fire Essence Fragment, a scorching, powerful energy erupted within its body.
Its tightly shut eyes snapped open, pupils gleaming with a mix of excitement and surprise.
The wounds it had sustained in battle healed at an astonishing, visible rate.
Muscles at the injury sites began to regrow, damaged scales gradually restored themselves, shining with a fresh, brilliant luster like sparkling gems.
Even the lingering internal injuries accumulated over the years were completely erased by this miraculous energy, as if they had never existed.
Charizard’s body trembled slightly, its bones emitting a series of crackling sounds, as if playing a symphony of transformation.
This was its body undergoing deep reinforcement and modification.
Its muscles grew denser, its lines smoother, brimming with explosive power, as if ready to unleash devastating energy at any moment.
The membrane on its wings became tougher, each flap stirring up a violent gust of wind, as if to engulf everything around.
As it continued absorbing the energy, Charizard’s aura gradually grew stronger.
The flames on its body, once dimmed by its injuries, now blazed fiercely, their intensity increasing. The color shifted from ordinary orange-red to a deep, radiant gold, as if it could ignite the entire world.
The surrounding air warped from the high heat, forming waves of heat that blurred everything nearby.
Driven by this powerful energy, its level successfully rose by one, now reaching level 56.
This single level increase wasn’t just a boost in strength—it was a qualitative leap in its control over flames.
It began to experiment with this newfound power. The flames it breathed were no longer chaotic sprays but could be shaped at will into various forms, demonstrating greater precision and power.
Its roar grew even more resonant and forceful, as if proclaiming its rebirth and strength to the world.
The surrounding Pokémon, sensing its change, couldn’t help but show expressions of awe.
Even Zhou Zhiwen was deeply shaken by the stunning scene before him, his heart filled with both ecstasy over Charizard’s transformation and boundless gratitude for Wen Qi’s generosity.
Charizard stretched its body excitedly, every movement exuding unparalleled confidence and majesty.
The flames on its body danced joyfully, like lively spirits celebrating its rebirth and evolution.
At this moment, Charizard had become the most dazzling presence in the area, even casting a challenging glance at the nearby Scizor.
Wen Qi and Zhou Zhiwen noticed this and found it quite amusing.
This guy really never changed its ways. It had probably lost the earlier fight and felt unsatisfied. Now that it had recovered and grown stronger, it wanted to battle again.
Zhou Zhiwen quickly stepped forward and smacked Charizard on the head, scolding as he hit:
“All you ever think about is fighting! You’ve barely recovered, and you want to keep going? Looks like you’re getting too cocky!”
Without letting Charizard explain, Zhou Zhiwen directly took out its Poké Ball and recalled it.
Then, looking apologetically at Wen Qi, he said sheepishly:
“This guy’s just like that—stubborn to the core. You shouldn’t have given it something so precious. It should have learned its lesson and stopped being so eager to fight.”
Wen Qi waved his hand and said:
“It’s fine. I really like your Charizard. A Fire-type Pokémon that doesn’t love to fight wouldn’t be a true Fire-type. Besides, that was just compensation for Charizard. If you really feel bad, how about helping me with a small favor?”
“What favor? As long as I can help, I’ll do it without hesitation!”
Hearing Zhou Zhiwen’s agreement, Wen Qi immediately took out the Heracross Mega Stone, showed it to Zhou Zhiwen, and said:
“Lately, I’ve been really into various stones, especially this kind. If you have the chance, could you help me find out where to get these? If you come across any, you can buy them, and I’ll reimburse you later.”
Zhou Zhiwen carefully examined the Mega Stone, the more he looked, the more familiar it seemed. Suddenly, he recalled that during a mission with a research institute, he had once seen many stones like this.
He shared this information with Wen Qi, who was thrilled inside. But to avoid letting Zhou Zhiwen know how much he valued it, he suppressed his excitement and asked:
“Which research institute is it, Captain Zhou? Can you introduce me?”
“It’s the Chunhua Research Institute, on the other side of Chunhua City. From here, you can either go through the city or take the suburban route around it.
As for an introduction, I can’t guarantee anything.
Even though the Chunhua Research Institute is in a third-tier small city like Chunhua, its level isn’t low at all.”
“You might not know this, but research institutes are divided into four levels, from low to high: Level Three, Level Two, Level One, and Special Level.
The Chunhua Research Institute isn’t a Special Level institute, but it’s still a Level One institute, belonging to Dr. Chu Feng as a private facility.”
“Generally, the head of a Level One institute holds a status in the Alliance equivalent to the mayor of a second-tier city. Dr. Chu Feng’s standing in the Alliance is even higher—even mayors of first-tier cities have to be very polite to him.”
“So, someone at my level is worlds apart from him.
I might know who he is, but he doesn’t know me. However, you could go and see for yourself. Dr. Chu Feng likes to help promising Trainers.
Given your current strength, you’re definitely very promising. Dr. Chu Feng will surely meet you. So, sorry I can’t help with that. My apologies.
But I can try to find this stone for you from other sources.”
Hearing Zhou Zhiwen’s words, Wen Qi understood that asking him to introduce such a high-status doctor was indeed too much.
“No problem. I still need to thank you for telling me this. I’ll try going there myself later. As for finding the stone, take your time—it’s fine if you find one, and it’s fine if you don’t.”
“Alright, I’ll do my best to help.”
Though Zhou Zhiwen said this, he had already decided to try his utmost to find the stone for Wen Qi, as a way to repay him for helping Charizard.