The first to notice Wen Qi's return were the Bobos patrolling the sky. Their cheerful cries quickly spread across the entire farm, letting every Pokémon there know that Wen Qi was back.
Just as Wen Qi reached the villa entrance, he saw the Pidgeot couple, the Sandslash couple, Bellossom, and Scizor waiting there. Wen Hua and his siblings, along with their mother, were also there to greet him, creating a warm and lively scene.
The Pokémon excitedly surrounded Wen Qi as if welcoming a long-lost family member. Even Bellossom, who had been somewhat aloof toward Wen Qi before, now circled around him, seemingly expressing days of longing. The Sandslash couple kept staring at Wen Qi, circling him as if showing their closeness and affection in this way. Seeing this, Wen Qi released his own Sandshrew to reunite the family.
The Pidgeot couple appeared relatively reserved, after all, they weren't Wen Qi's Pokémon but farm workers. Still, they conveyed their welcome and respect through their eyes. Scizor stood like a loyal guard, motionless, as if not noticing Wen Qi's return. However, Wen Qi keenly caught the subtle anticipation and joy in its eyes. He knew this proud creature, though outwardly reserved, inwardly craved closeness with him. So Wen Qi walked over and hugged Scizor. This surprised the surrounding Pokémon, who hadn't expected such an initiative from Wen Qi. Scizor seemed a bit shy from the sudden intimacy, its body appearing even redder.
After exchanging pleasantries with the Pokémon, Wen Qi turned to Wen Hua and his siblings and their mother, asking about the village's recent situation. Though their phone conversation had been brief, many things couldn't be explained in just a few words. So Wen Qi needed to understand the village's specifics firsthand to better contribute to its development.
After listening to Wen Hua's account, Wen Qi had Wen Hua settle their mother in the farm first. He decided to go find the old village chief to learn more about village matters. Arriving at the old village chief's home, he found him not there. Inquiring with neighbors, Wen Qi learned the old village chief was leading the patrol team on a village inspection. Although Wen Family Village had a small population, its territory was vast, making it hard to find the patrolling chief. So Wen Qi called the old village chief's number. The call connected quickly, and Wen Qi informed him of his return, asking for his exact location. The old village chief was surprised to hear Wen Qi's voice, not expecting him back so soon. He gave his location and hung up.
Wen Qi rode his Gogoat to the old village chief's location. From afar, he saw the old village chief followed by seven or eight people, each accompanied by one or two Pokémon. These Pokémon were mostly around level 20-30—not particularly strong, but enough for ordinary challenges. The old village chief had a Tangrowth as his partner. This surprised Wen Qi, as Tangrowth was quite rare. Though many Tangela had been discovered, few evolved into Tangrowth. Research on how Tangela evolved into Tangrowth remained inconclusive, so few people raised them. Unexpectedly, the old village chief had such a remarkable partner.
Wen Qi carefully observed the Tangrowth's information, discovering it was a deep-yellow Pokémon that had broken through its potential limits to reach elite-level strength. Though only level 43, breaking through its limits was already impressive. Wen Qi felt this breakthrough was reasonable. After all, the old village chief was in his sixties or seventies, and the Tangrowth had been with him for at least forty to fifty years. Even with limited potential, such long companionship and nurturing made a breakthrough plausible. Grass-type Pokémon generally lived long lives; even average ones could live around seventy years, similar to humans. Those breaking through to elite level could live over a hundred years. As a long-lived grass-type, this Tangrowth was probably only forty or fifty years old now, and even without further breakthroughs, it could live another seventy or eighty years.
When the old village chief saw Wen Qi, his gaze lingered on Wen Qi's Gogoat. He was secretly surprised, having not noticed before that Wen Qi owned such a powerful Pokémon. From its aura, this Gogoat seemed even stronger than his own Tangrowth. The old village chief studied the Gogoat closely, finding it taller and sturdier than ordinary goats, yet its presence felt familiar. After a moment's thought, he suddenly remembered—wasn't this the Gogoat that Wen Qi's parents once owned? He recalled that when Wen Qi's parents brought the Skiddo to the village, it was only around level 10. Now, five or six years had passed, and after Wen Qi's parents passed away two years ago, the Gogoat had been left untrained. Yet surprisingly, its strength had grown so formidable. The old village chief couldn't help but marvel at Wen Qi's power, feeling fortunate for the village. Having a young man like Wen Qi around undoubtedly strengthened the village's security.
Wen Qi approached the old village chief and asked with concern, "Old village chief, how are you holding up? At your age, coming out to patrol yourself—that's really tough."
The old village chief looked at Wen Qi with a gratified smile. "Wen Qi, what are you saying? You know the village's situation. Most young people have gone out to work, leaving few able-bodied adults here. To protect the village, we have to organize patrols. I and a few other village elders each lead a team, rotating in four shifts."
Wen Qi nodded in understanding and greeted the old village chief and the uncles and relatives among the patrol. These young people staying in the village were its backbone, and their presence reassured Wen Qi.
The old village chief continued, "When we didn't patrol for two days before, those Pokémon attacked villagers several times, causing considerable harm. So starting yesterday, we reinstated the patrol system, hoping to reduce such incidents."
Wen Qi's heart tightened. He knew Pokémon attacks on humans weren't isolated incidents. In this world, the relationship between humans and Pokémon was both intimate and complex. Sometimes Pokémon attacked humans for various reasons, and humans needed to learn to coexist peacefully with them.
Under the patrol team's tight watch, the Pokémon that had once terrified the villagers seemed to have restrained themselves, no longer disturbing their lives. After hearing the old village chief's account, Wen Qi pondered for a moment and said softly, "Old village chief, my friend in the city informed me that the city's search team should arrive in our village today for an inspection."
Hearing this good news, the old village chief's tense nerves finally relaxed. The patrol members also seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. They weren't professional trainers; they raised Pokémon mainly to protect their homes. So despite their efforts, most of their Pokémon were only around level 20.
Just as Wen Qi and the old village chief were talking, the Gogoat suddenly let out a wary neigh. Wen Qi immediately sensed something wrong and quickly interrupted the conversation. Seeing Wen Qi's tense expression and the Gogoat's unusual reaction, the old village chief and the others realized the seriousness and fell silent.
At that moment, a strange cry broke the silence. Then, over a dozen Mankey and three Primeape suddenly appeared in their sight. Mankey were known for their hot tempers, and many past attacks on villagers had been their doing. Now, this group seemed even more irritable. Seeing Wen Qi and the others blocking their path, they immediately became enraged and prepared to attack.
Wen Qi quickly assessed the Mankey's strength, finding most around level 20. The three Primeape stood out—all yellow potential, with the leader around level 35 and the other two around level 32. Wen Qi knew that if he hadn't arrived in time, the village chief and the others would have faced serious trouble today.