Zhou Zhiwen never expected that as the captain of a search team, he would lose to Wen Qi, who had been training Pokémon for less than three months. The first match was at least a back-and-forth affair, but the second was essentially a crushing defeat. Now that he had lost, he had no choice but to swallow his pride. He couldn’t very well pull out his Charizard and drag Wen Qi into another battle. That would be far too undignified. This battle had to end here.
After the match, both sides’ Pokémon were treated by Torterra. There were no major issues—just some fatigue that would resolve with rest. As for Torterra absorbing ground energy, Wen Qi had it return the energy after the battle. This was his territory, and he needed to maintain the land. Wen Qi wanted to build a good relationship with Zhou Zhiwen, so after the match, he warmly hosted him. Despite her reluctance, Bellossom was assigned to make lunch.
At noon, Zhou Zhiwen looked at the table full of dishes. Each one was a feast for the eyes, with perfect color, aroma, and flavor. He took a bite and found it incredibly delicious—this was the skill of a master chef! Gazing at the food, then glancing at Bellossom beside him, Zhou Zhiwen was genuinely surprised that Wen Qi’s Bellossom could cook so well. He thought about his own home, where he lived alone and rarely had anyone cook for him. Should he follow Wen Qi’s example and raise a Bellossom to cook for him?
After a pleasant lunch and some small talk, Zhou Zhiwen prepared to leave. His main goal for the visit had been achieved, and they had exchanged contact information. Now it was time to go. But this time, he didn’t ride Arcanine. Instead, he released his unused Charizard. The moment Charizard appeared, Wen Qi sensed its immense power. Zhou Zhiwen’s Charizard was majestic, standing two meters tall with scales as hard as iron, gleaming with a cold, sharp light. Its aura was overwhelming. A single dragon roar shook the heavens and earth, inspiring awe. Its expression was dignified, its eyes like blazing torches, as if they could pierce through all illusions. The flames it breathed were scorching hot, capable of reducing everything to ash. The fire soared into the sky like a blazing sun, too intense to look at directly.
Charizard’s ostentatious display was at Zhou Zhiwen’s whispered instruction. After losing both matches, he wanted to show off his strength so Wen Qi wouldn’t underestimate him. To be honest, Wen Qi was indeed surprised. This was his first close encounter with a Gym-level Pokémon, and a Fire-type with such a powerful presence at that. The last time he saw an Alakazam at the auction, it was too far away to feel its full strength. Previously, Wen Qi thought his Scizor could take on a Gym-level Pokémon, but now he realized it might only stand a chance against one that had just evolved to level 51 or 52. Against Zhou Zhiwen’s level 54 Fire-type, he felt his Scizor would be instantly defeated. Only through Mega Evolution could it have a fighting chance.
Seeing such a magnificent Charizard, Wen Qi wanted to raise one himself. Charizard was versatile—tough, powerful, capable of flight, and cool-looking when fully grown, with two Mega Evolution forms. Thinking it over, he found Charizard truly impressive and worth raising.
Watching Charizard carry Zhou Zhiwen into the distance, Wen Qi returned to the pavilion and lay down. He left the mess for Bellossom to clean up. Bellossom grumbled and cursed Wen Qi as she tidied up. Though she was sharp-tongued, she was meticulous in her work, never cutting corners. After finishing, she came over to Wen Qi and glared at him irritably. Unable to bear her gaze, Wen Qi finally said, “Fine, you win. I’ll go to the city tomorrow. Stop nagging.”
Hearing this, Bellossom walked off to binge-watch her shows. Wen Qi breathed a sigh of relief. He still wasn’t sure what type of household Pokémon to choose, so he’d decide after checking things out in the city tomorrow. He had planned to laze around a bit longer, but remembering the Energy Cubes he owed Zhou Zhiwen, he decided to work hard this afternoon and evening. Since he was heading to the city tomorrow, he might as well prepare them and bring them along. He still had plenty of Basic and Intermediate Cubes from before, so he mainly needed to make some Advanced ones.
After dinner that evening, Pidgey arrived with Pidgeot at Wen Qi’s place. Pidgey watched as Wen Qi led Pidgeot aside, whispering something. Then Wen Qi handed Pidgeot a large pile of Energy Cubes. Though Pidgey couldn’t fully judge the quality of the cubes, the energy in that pile seemed far better than what he usually ate. To win over Pidgeot, Wen Qi gave it a hundred Intermediate Energy Cubes. They weren’t perfect, but they were top-tier in quality. After receiving the cubes, Pidgeot walked over to Pidgey, patted its body, and said something—meaning that from now on, Wen Qi would be its trainer, and it should follow him. Before Pidgey could react, Pidgeot grabbed the package Wen Qi handed over and flew off in a flash, leaving a dazed Pidgey behind.
It wasn’t until Pidgeot was gone that Pidgey snapped out of it. At first, it was confused, then overjoyed. Pidgey flew around the farm every day and had seen how well Wen Qi’s Pokémon ate—even better than its own leader. Every time Pidgey saw that, it was envious, wishing it could eat like that someday. The only way to fulfill that wish was to become Wen Qi’s Pokémon, and now that dream had come true. Pidgey was ecstatic. It hopped around joyfully, and Wen Qi watched, surprised by how lively this Pidgey was. Without saying much, he took out a Poké Ball and captured it.
Pokémon: Pidgey Level: 17 Type: Normal + Flying Ability: Big Pecks (Prevents defense reduction) Potential: Deep Yellow Moves: Tackle (Proficient), Sand Attack (Proficient), Gust (Proficient), Quick Attack (Beginner), Whirlwind (Beginner), Twister (Beginner), Fly (Beginner), Double Team (Beginner), Thief (Beginner)
Looking at Pidgey’s stats, Wen Qi found it decent. It had a hidden ability, though it was weak now, likely due to poor nutrition before. After Wen Qi raised it for a while, Pidgey would probably become sturdier than the average Pidgey. He brought Pidgey into the small world, settled it in, and then went to prepare the Energy Cubes he needed. After working through the afternoon and evening, he finally finished the cubes for tomorrow. Once everything was packed, he went straight to rest.