With this in mind, Wen Qi decided to first make more energy cubes. He planned to keep the ones he had made before, either to feed to other Pokémon or to give to Zhou Zhiwen and the others, while his own Pokémon would eat energy cubes infused with life energy from now on.
Over the next few days, Wen Qi worked tirelessly in the small world to produce energy cubes. With the help of the small world, the process was both fast and efficient.
After tasting the energy cubes infused with life energy, Wen Qi’s Pokémon were all incredibly excited, especially Dragonair, who was so joyful it couldn’t stop moving. Dragonair swam happily around Wen Qi, letting out cheerful cries. It could clearly feel the wonderful effects of the energy cube, as if a powerful force was surging through its body, accelerating its growth. Its originally shimmering scales, nourished by the energy, became even more dazzling.
Half a month had passed since its last strength boost, and Dragonair’s power hadn’t increased yet. Given its growth rate, gaining one level per month would be considered decent. But if it kept eating these energy cubes, it might be possible to gain two or even three levels in a month. So, this type of energy cube was most beneficial for Pokémon that grew slowly and needed to accumulate energy desperately.
With that in mind, Wen Qi thought he could now capture more slow-growing Dragon-type Pokémon. As long as he could afford to raise them, he could quickly boost their strength. From now on, Horsea and Noibat would be lucky too. Especially Horsea—it had been a long time, and it still hadn’t evolved. Although part of that was due to Wen Qi neglecting it, the main reason was that Dragon-type Pokémon grew too slowly. Dragonair had improved so quickly partly because it was already at a higher level and partly because it had consumed many rare treasures.
One day, feeling he had prepared enough energy cubes, Wen Qi called Zhou Zhiwen and asked him to come over. Zhou Zhiwen, assuming Wen Qi wanted him to pick up the monthly energy cubes, didn’t hesitate and rode his Charizard straight to the farm.
Charizard’s arrival was immediately detected by Scizor. However, Wen Qi had warned it earlier not to engage in battles without his command, so Scizor paused briefly before continuing to lead the Scythers in training.
Soon, Zhou Zhiwen appeared before Wen Qi. Seeing nothing around Wen Qi, he felt very puzzled. Usually, when he came to pick up energy cubes, Wen Qi would have a space backpack ready, filled with the needed cubes. After taking them back, he didn’t sell them at a discount this time but at market price, yet it still helped him win over many people in the first squadron. The result was that the squadron leader was now keeping a close eye on him. If it weren’t for the fact that his subordinates were all eyeing his energy cubes, he would have been bullied badly by the squadron leader by now.
It was then that Zhou Zhiwen realized that when there were fewer people, he was the top dog in his team and could distribute benefits however he wanted. But now, as the deputy leader of the first squadron with a full leader above him, he was no longer the biggest authority. Buying loyalty like this would naturally make the squadron leader dislike him. Now, he was stuck in a tough spot—he couldn’t complain, but since he had started, he had to keep going. If he lost the support of his subordinates and offended the squadron leader, his fate would be utterly miserable. So, he had no choice but to stick to this path.
As Zhou Zhiwen stood there in a daze, Wen Qi spoke up: “Captain Zhou, I know what you’re looking for. The energy cubes are ready; you can take this month’s batch with you later. I called you here because I need your help with something.”
Hearing this, Zhou Zhiwen felt much more at ease. As long as his energy cubes weren’t cut, he was fine. And Wen Qi asking for his help meant he was still useful to Wen Qi. Only then could he accept the cubes without guilt.
“Boss Wen, just say what it is. If I can do it, I’ll definitely help.”
That was exactly what Wen Qi wanted to hear. After Zhou Zhiwen finished speaking, Wen Qi took out a box from behind him, pushed it toward Zhou Zhiwen, and gestured for him to open it. Without hesitation, Zhou Zhiwen opened the box. Inside, there was nothing special—just three Fire-type intermediate energy cubes, nothing remarkable except that they were of perfect quality. This left Zhou Zhiwen confused. Why would Wen Qi give him this? It was just three Fire-type energy cubes, handed over so solemnly in a box. For a moment, Zhou Zhiwen stared at the box, his face full of question marks.
Thinking there might be some hidden trick, Zhou Zhiwen spent more time examining them closely. But in the end, he found nothing unusual—they looked like ordinary energy cubes. He had no idea what Wen Qi meant. So, he looked at Wen Qi with a bewildered expression.
Wen Qi knew Zhou Zhiwen wouldn’t spot the issue. So he said, “Release your Combusken and have it taste one of these energy cubes. Then you’ll understand.”
Zhou Zhiwen didn’t hesitate and released Combusken. As soon as it came out, Combusken saw Wen Qi but didn’t focus on him; instead, it looked around, as if searching for something. Both Zhou Zhiwen and Wen Qi knew it was looking for Turtwig. It seemed that after their last battle, Turtwig had left a deep psychological scar on it.
Zhou Zhiwen said helplessly, “Combusken, stop looking. Turtwig isn’t here. I called you out to eat this energy cube.”
Hearing that Turtwig wasn’t around, Combusken relaxed. When it learned it was being called out to eat, it immediately became cheerful. Following Zhou Zhiwen’s cue, Combusken picked up the energy cube and swallowed it in one go.
In an instant, Combusken’s eyes widened, and its body trembled slightly. A powerful, warm force spread rapidly through its body, and its once-dull feathers began to glow with a bright luster. Combusken flapped its wings excitedly, letting out joyful cries. It could clearly feel its strength growing, and the sensation of fullness left it enraptured. It started pacing back and forth, its steps becoming more powerful and steady. Its eyes grew exceptionally bright, filled with surprise and excitement. Combusken couldn’t help but leap, as if wanting to release this newfound power fully. The lines of its muscles became more pronounced, exuding a strong aura.
At that moment, Combusken actually leveled up, reaching level 32. Zhou Zhiwen and Wen Qi watched its transformation, both stunned speechless. Wen Qi knew the energy cube was amazing, but he hadn’t expected it to directly cause Combusken to level up. If Wen Qi had some mental preparation, Zhou Zhiwen was completely shocked. Under normal training conditions, leveling up this Combusken would take at least half a month, yet it had leveled up after eating just one energy cube. For a moment, Zhou Zhiwen stared straight at Wen Qi, his gaze as if he were looking at a god.