In the end, the stronger side prevailed. There was no helping it—in the world of Pokémon, the strong rule, and sometimes numbers mean nothing in the face of absolute power. Just like a hundred Rattata might not be able to beat a single Persian; it’s not just about species advantages, but also a massive gap in strength.
Soon, the pile of Berries was divided. During the distribution, the weaker groups clearly got the short end of the stick. They felt resentful inside but had no choice—without enough strength, their complaints were useless. The Talonflame group was overjoyed. They held their heads high, eyes gleaming with triumph, convinced that everything they’d gained was due to their own power. “Hmph, that’s how it should be—the strong deserve more resources!” they thought, pecking at the Berries with excitement, each bite full of satisfaction and pride.
The Butterfree group, on the other hand, was utterly aggrieved. They stared at the pitifully small portion of Berries they’d received, hearts full of discontent and disappointment. “Our group is huge, and we put in no less effort than anyone else, yet just because we’re weaker, we get so little.” But even with all that resentment, they could only accept the outcome, nibbling at the Berries with a hint of bitterness.
As for the Beedrill group, they took it more calmly. They figured that while their share wasn’t much, it wasn’t too little either—enough to sustain the group for a while. “Something is better than nothing. If we’re not as strong, we can’t blame others,” they thought, peacefully enjoying their Berries.
When the Pokémon began tasting the Berries, the wonderful flavor instantly enchanted them. The life energy within the Berries seemed to dance joyfully on their tongues, each bite brimming with vitality. Weaker Pokémon, like Rattata, felt full after just one Berry. They lay on the ground, bellies round, faces beaming with happiness, savoring the surge of energy flowing through their bodies. Stronger Pokémon, like Persian, felt satisfied after two or three. They licked their lips contentedly, eyes showing ease and pleasure. “Such delicious and energy-packed Berries—truly rare treasures,” they thought, carefully tucking the leftovers close.
Every Pokémon knew how precious these Berries were, clutching their shares tightly, glancing around warily, alert to any threat of theft. Some naturally aggressive Pokémon, like Arbok, did harbor thoughts of stealing. “With such good stuff, grabbing more would make me stronger,” their eyes glinting with greed. But seeing so many others around, they dared not act. Everyone understood that while the Berry distribution had temporarily united them, future battles for survival were inevitable. That was the harsh reality of the Pokémon world.
Swellow, clutching the Berries close, calculated in his mind: “Once we scatter, I need to find a safe place to hide these—can’t let them get stolen.” Honchkrow, with a fierce glare at other groups, secretly plotted to snatch more when the chance came. Primeape, after eating, excitedly leaped through the trees, showing off their boundless energy, but never loosening their grip on the Berries, afraid of losing them. Rattata huddled together, whispering about how to protect their stash. “We need to stick together—don’t let others take what’s ours,” they encouraged each other. The Berries’ flavor and power made every Pokémon both thrilled and tense. In this brief moment of peace, their hearts were filled with worry and hope for the future. But no matter what, enjoying such taste and energy right now was a rare happiness.
Meanwhile, Wen Qi had a new idea. Earlier, Zhou Zhiwen had told him that the Chunhua Research Institute had many Mega Stones. Back then, Wen Qi had wanted Zhou Zhiwen to introduce him, but Zhou said his rank was too low to even meet Dr. Chu Feng at the institute. Although Zhou mentioned that Dr. Chu liked nurturing talented trainers, and Wen Qi knew he fit the bill, he hadn’t gone right away. That was because Wen Qi hadn’t found a suitable way to approach Dr. Chu. Showing up out of the blue would be awkward and foolish. He couldn’t just walk into the institute and say, “I’m a genius, please sponsor me.” If he did that, even if Dr. Chu wasn’t embarrassed, Wen Qi would be mortified.
Now, Wen Qi had discovered that the Energy Blocks he made contained life energy. He had too much life energy in his space to easily take out or explain, but the Energy Blocks made from outside Berries had relatively little life energy, so he could produce them with a reasonable explanation. So, these life-energy-infused Energy Blocks could not only boost his own strength but also serve as a perfect entry point to connect with Dr. Chu Feng, helping him get those Mega Stones later. The problem was, while he had the entry point, how to let Dr. Chu know about these Energy Blocks was a puzzle. He couldn’t just waltz into the Chunhua Institute and say he was delivering Energy Blocks—that would be too stupid, and he wouldn’t even get to see Dr. Chu. The Chunhua Institute was a top-tier facility with extremely tight security; without Champion-level strength, breaking in was impossible. Even a Champion-level trainer might not get the better of Dr. Chu, who, though not a Champion trainer himself, owned several Champion-level Pokémon. His strongest, a Dragonite, was said to be nearly at the peak of Champion level—a pseudo-Champion Pokémon that could hold its own against ordinary Champions.
So, Wen Qi was stuck in a dilemma. After thinking it over, he finally came up with a plan: give some of these Energy Blocks to Zhou Zhiwen and have him take them to the Chunhua Institute for testing. As long as the institute’s testing capabilities were up to par, they’d detect the life energy, which would surely catch Dr. Chu’s attention. But the tricky part was that he couldn’t control whether the results would leak to others. If someone else found out before Dr. Chu and traced it back to Wen Qi, that would be trouble. Still, Wen Qi decided to take the gamble. He figured that Dr. Chu, who had achieved so much in his forties or fifties and owned his own institute, would have trusted people in such a critical department, even if he had spies. So, the final test results would likely reach Dr. Chu without spreading. And if someone else did find out and came after him, he could just join the Chunhua Institute and seek Dr. Chu’s protection.