Wen Qi gazed at the departing Pokémon, then glanced at those in his own small world, silently tallying the various benefits this tournament had brought.
First, the battles had given his Pokémon rich practical experience. In the heat of combat, they learned how to deftly handle all kinds of opponents and tactics, their adaptability noticeably sharpened.
Second, the fierce clashes with other powerful Pokémon had greatly ignited their fighting spirit and desire to win. This inner drive would push them to train harder in the future, constantly surpassing themselves and achieving breakthroughs.
Third, facing opponents with different attributes and skills deepened their understanding and innovation in using their own abilities. They could now flexibly apply skills based on the situation in battle, maximizing their power.
Finally, the tournament also gave them a clearer grasp of their strengths and weaknesses. In subsequent training, they could focus on targeted improvements for more comprehensive growth.
Although Wen Qi had spent a lot for this tournament—even shelling out five thousand points for attribute essence fragments, a real bloodletting—seeing his Pokémon grow and progress so much made it all worth it.
The Venusaur stayed with Wen Qi for a few days, taught Bulbasaur a few moves, and then left.
Over the next ten-plus days, Wen Qi lazed around the farm like a slacker, training his Pokémon while waiting for the berries to ripen.
The busiest one lately was Torterra, who not only had to intensify its own training but also head to the berry orchard to release Grassy Terrain, replenishing the berries with life energy.
One day, Pidgeot rushed over urgently, telling Wen Qi that the berries in the orchard had started to ripen and asking when to begin harvesting.
There had been plenty of incidents in the orchard recently. During the day, things were manageable—Torterra was there, and Scyther had shifted its patrol focus to the orchard. So, few Pokémon dared to sneak in for a snack.
But at night, it was a different story. Darkness was tough on Pidgeot and its flock, with limited visibility. Plus, only two or three Scyther were on night duty, making it hard to cover such a large orchard. Butterfree and the others couldn’t offer much help at night either.
So, Pokémon often came to steal berries after dark, with the most frequent culprits being Rattata, Ariados, Murkrow, Noctowl, and the like.
The biggest headache wasn’t the stronger ones like Ariados, Murkrow, or Noctowl, but the weak yet numerous Rattata and Raticate. Their sheer numbers made them impossible to guard against completely. Thankfully, the orchard had plenty of Pidgey and Butterfree watching over it, so the Rattata didn’t get too bold, keeping losses relatively low.
Still, the Pidgeot family, stuck on night duty every day, was struggling. Unable to sleep at night and unable to nap during the day, many Pidgey were looking listless.
So, as soon as the berries ripened today, Pidgeot hurried over to Wen Qi, asking him to arrange the harvest, hoping to finish picking early and finally get some rest.
Wen Qi, having been a lazy bum, hadn’t known about their struggles. Now that he understood, he didn’t hesitate. He told Pidgeot to notify all the farm’s Pokémon to gather at the orchard for berry picking.
Pidgeot flew off immediately, thinking that an early harvest meant an early release.
Wen Qi also called out all his Pokémon from the small world, telling them what needed to be done today—even Noibat had to help.
Soon, all the farm’s Pokémon had assembled outside the orchard.
The Pidgeot family stood out the most. The Pidgeots, with their agile frames, led the Pidgey and Pidgeotto—about sixty or seventy in total. They lined up neatly, their feathers rustling gently in the breeze, shimmering with a captivating luster.
Forty or fifty Poliwag hopped about cheerfully, their tiny bodies bursting with energy like dancing notes.
The Poliwhirls were calmer, standing quietly to the side, while four Poliwrath stood tall and proud, exuding a powerful aura like guardians of the orchard.
Ten Scyther brandished their sharp forelimbs, which glinted coldly, showcasing their immense strength.
Ten Butterfree fluttered their beautiful wings, dancing gracefully, their wing patterns vivid and colorful.
The Sandslash family wasn’t to be outdone. The young Sandshrew looked around curiously, their eyes full of anticipation for the new task. The adult Sandslash had steady gazes, as if telling everyone they’d give it their all. Even the five Miltank ambled over slowly, their markings striking under the sun, radiating a unique charm.
Wen Qi’s Pokémon also arrived one by one. For a moment, the area outside the orchard buzzed with activity. Various calls and shouts mingled together, like a lively, stirring symphony.
The scene was bustling yet orderly. Every Pokémon was full of drive, eager to dive into the berry-picking work.
Under Wen Qi’s direction, the Water-type Poliwag and Poliwhirl washed the berries under the trees.
The Pidgey and Butterfree flew up to pick the berries from the branches.
After finishing each tree, the Scyther would carefully prune it to keep it growing well.
The Miltank and Wen Qi’s stronger Pokémon took on the heavy transport duty, hauling baskets of berries out of the orchard and carefully storing them in the farm’s warehouse.
The only one who couldn’t help was Growlithe. As a Fire-type, it couldn’t use its moves, and it wasn’t big enough for transport, so it just stood on the sidelines, barking “woof woof” as a cheerleader to boost everyone’s morale.
Though everyone was working hard, there were always a few troublemakers, like Noibat and Bulbasaur.
Noibat hadn’t been in the orchard long before it grew impatient, flapping its wings and flitting here and there, refusing to work properly.
Bulbasaur quickly lost patience too. Originally crouched on the ground, it started looking around restlessly.
Maybe it was a case of like attracting like. These two Pokémon, usually not close, discovered each other while slacking off together.
In an instant, it was like sparks meeting gunpowder, dry twigs catching fire.
Noibat flapped its gauzy wings, darting up and down in the air at lightning speed, a blur of shadow. Its eyes locked onto Bulbasaur, and it let out sharp “buzzes,” as if taunting: “Come on, try and catch me!”
Bulbasaur was provoked by Noibat’s challenge. Its round body trembled slightly with anger. Its cheeks puffed out even more, and a faint blush spread across its green skin, like a ripe apple. Bulbasaur jumped hard, trying to reach Noibat, shouting, “Bulba bulba, don’t run!”
Noibat swooped down straight at Bulbasaur, pulling up sharply at the last second, stirring up a gust of wind that nearly knocked Bulbasaur off balance.
Bulbasaur barely steadied itself, then swung its vine whips, which cut through the air with a whoosh toward Noibat.
But Noibat was nimble, sidestepping easily to dodge the vines. It spun around in the air triumphantly, even slowing down deliberately, as if mocking Bulbasaur’s clumsiness.
Bulbasaur grew even angrier, its eyes wide like bright gems. It spat out a few seeds, shooting them at Noibat.
Noibat dodged them lightly, then zipped around behind Bulbasaur and tapped its head with a wing.
By now, the orchard was a mess from their antics. Many berries had fallen from the branches, and leaves were scattered everywhere.
The other Pokémon stopped their work, voicing their displeasure at the ruckus.