Later, Wen Qi and Zhou Zhiwen arrived at the pavilion under the big tree. Wen Qi had been captivated by the tree, observing it closely, but Zhou Zhiwen spotted the Torterra and the Scizor.
When Zhou Zhiwen first saw the Torterra, his immediate thought was, "This Torterra is huge—much more robust than the average one." But the next moment, he realized that Torterra didn't look like that. Taking a closer look, it was actually a Grotle. Oh, just a Grotle—normal, perfectly normal.
If he hadn't spent years as a search team captain, weathering countless storms, seeing much, and keeping his composure as steady as a mountain, he might have gasped out loud. Still, he couldn't help but internally grumble, "Was this Grotle raised on some super fertilizer?"
It was this massive before even evolving. Sensing its aura, it was only around level thirty, not yet at the advanced Pokémon level. Yet this Grotle felt stronger to him than some advanced Pokémon. If it evolved into its final form—Torterra—its combat power would probably surpass that of an average elite-level Pokémon.
As for that Scizor, Zhou Zhiwen's first impression was harmony—everything about it seemed perfectly balanced. This harmony wasn't just physical; it was more about the Scizor's aura, which had an inexplicable resonance with the world around it, blending seamlessly with heaven and earth.
That Scizor sat there quietly, not training, not revealing much of its presence. Yet to him, it felt like a volcano—calm and still when not erupting, but with molten magma inside, brimming with power, ready to burst at any moment. Zhou Zhiwen had no doubt that if anything made a threatening move toward this Scizor, it would unleash a storm of attacks in an instant. Though he couldn't pinpoint its exact level, this Scizor felt like it could hold its own against most gym-level Pokémon.
As for that odd Bellossom, Wen Qi had called it lazy and ordinary, but Zhou Zhiwen still sensed it was an advanced Pokémon. Its life force was incredibly strong, clearly indicating it was a Pokémon with exceptional healing abilities. Healing Pokémon were rare everywhere, even in his search team, a critical department. They had few, and those they did have could only treat minor injuries.
No matter how he looked at it, the Pokémon Wen Qi had revealed were anything but simple. It seemed the earlier reports were incomplete—many things he wouldn't have discovered without coming here himself.
But the most important thing now was to answer Wen Qi's question.
Zhou Zhiwen said, "The reason I'm telling you the truth now is that the cause of this accident was only recently clarified. We didn't know before, but now we do, so I came to inform you. Also, last time at the police station entrance, I saw you and knew your Pokémon were formidable. Even knowing the real situation, you could protect yourself. Finally, I'm telling you this because I want to be friends with you."
Wen Qi listened to Zhou Zhiwen's words. He could mostly understand the earlier parts, but the last part—"be friends with me"? That caught him off guard.
He said, "Thank you for the information, Captain Zhou. But I'm a bit confused by your last sentence. Be friends with me? I'm just an ordinary farmer. What makes you think I'm worth befriending? It can't be because I'm handsome, can it? Though having a friend like you would be an honor, isn't that me reaching above my station?"
Zhou Zhiwen chuckled at Wen Qi's response and said, "Alright, I'll be straightforward. When you went to the police station for your driver's license, I saw your Gogoat at the entrance and thought it was impressive. I even considered recruiting you into my search team. Later, I looked into your records and found out your parents had passed away, and you'd only recently received your Pokémon. But you had such powerful ones with you, which piqued my curiosity, so I dug deeper. I discovered you stayed at a hotel near the flea market that night. I assume you attended the black market auction too."
When Wen Qi heard this, he felt a flicker of unease but didn't show it.
Zhou Zhiwen watched Wen Qi, noting his expressionless face. This Wen Qi was indeed no simple character. He continued, "Coincidentally, a fight broke out that night. A VIP's auctioned Dratini was snatched by a bounty hunter in the chaos and vanished into the city's darkness. Recently, through our investigation, we identified that person and found his body in the forest near the road not far from your Wen Family Village. His Pokémon were gone, and the Dratini had completely disappeared—vanished into thin air. Isn't it a coincidence that you seemed to leave the city that morning, heading home?"
Zhou Zhiwen didn't elaborate further on his speculation, but Wen Qi already knew where he was going with it. Though a bit flustered, he thought, "There's no evidence. As long as I don't admit it, I'll be fine."
Wen Qi said, "Captain Zhou, you're quite resourceful. But as you said, it's just a coincidence."
Hearing this, Zhou Zhiwen knew that without solid evidence, he couldn't pin anything on Wen Qi. Besides, he wasn't here to cause trouble today. If he were solely after solving the case for rewards, he'd have reported these suspicions to the Zhao family long ago and gotten something out of it. But he wanted more.
Zhou Zhiwen said, "As I mentioned earlier, I'm here to make friends today. And this matter—only I know about it; I haven't told anyone else."
Wen Qi then took a closer look at Zhou Zhiwen and realized he wasn't here to pick a fight but to extend goodwill. Still, even so, it was better not to admit to certain things. However, he had to acknowledge Zhou Zhiwen's kindness, as befriending a search team captain could benefit him.
So he asked, "Captain Zhou, what type of Pokémon do you mainly use?"
Zhou Zhiwen wondered why Wen Qi suddenly asked this, but it wasn't a secret. "Mainly fire-types," he replied.
Wen Qi had already guessed from Zhou Zhiwen's Arcanine. Generally, trainers who specialized in one type found it easier to improve their strength.