While Wen Qi was still troubled, both groups from the same direction were resting and recovering.
Wang Jian's Pokémon were severely injured and should have rested longer. However, thinking about the pursuers closing in behind, Wang Jian only used healing items on Pidgeot and Rapidash. Then, taking the relatively less injured Shiftry, he rushed toward the edge of the forest.
Just as Wang Jian was about to reach Zhou Zhiwen's vicinity, he suddenly sensed an immense energy fluctuation behind him. Trees fell in swaths one after another. Wang Jian knew danger had arrived—such commotion couldn't be caused by an ordinary Gym-level Pokémon. It had to be the forest's overlord.
During the earlier breakout, the battle had been too intense; his scent had likely already leaked out. The overlord had caught it and was now chasing him. His aura was locked on, and there was no escape now.
A wave of despair surged through Wang Jian. He stopped trying to flee. Given the commotion behind him, the pursuer would catch up in at most a minute. If his Pidgeot could still fly, there might be a chance to escape. But in this situation, hope was nearly gone. He might as well stand his ground and fight to the death.
Meanwhile, Zhou Zhiwen and his team, resting nearby, also felt the tremor underground. The cave seemed to shake precariously. Everyone panicked, thinking it was an earthquake, and scrambled out of the cave.
After emerging, Zhou Zhiwen's Charizard sensed the terrifying aura from that direction. Its entire body trembled uncontrollably, though it tried to endure. But Zhou Zhiwen, who knew Charizard best, understood that it had detected something extremely serious.
In Chunhua Forest, the only thing that could make his Gym-level Charizard react like this was likely the overlord Venusaur. What was going on? Why was that Venusaur here? Judging by the commotion, it seemed to be chasing something.
Zhou Zhiwen hesitated, unsure whether to go check it out. Since the overlord Venusaur was here, the cause of the forest's upheaval was probably there. This was the only chance to investigate the truth.
After a moment of thought, Zhou Zhiwen gritted his teeth and said to Zhang Yang, "Zhang Yang, lead all team members back as quickly as possible, heading toward the outer area. I'll go check that side."
The team members were initially pleased to hear they could retreat—no more heading into the dangerous inner zone. But then they heard their captain was going to that perilous place. Their own Pokémon had also sensed the powerful aura, though not as strongly as the captain's Charizard. Still, from the captain's grave expression, they knew it was serious. Otherwise, he wouldn't have sent them away.
Some wanted to speak up, but seeing the captain's stern face, they knew they had to obey orders. Zhang Yang also wanted to say something. Though he had always vied for the captain's position, their relationship was still good. He wanted to stay and help, but the forest was dangerous, and he had to lead the team out.
Thus, Zhou Zhiwen watched them leave, then said to his Charizard with concern, "Old friend, the upcoming battle might be extremely dangerous. Thank you for staying with me."
Though Charizard was somewhat afraid of the aura from that direction, it let out a fierce roar, as if to say, "It's nothing. No big deal. We'll fight together, never abandoning each other."
Charizard carried Zhou Zhiwen into the sky. Previously, many Flying-type Pokémon filled the air, but with the overlord Venusaur nearby, they couldn't bear its pressure and had fled far away. This allowed his Charizard to fly freely.
During this time, Zhou Zhiwen called Captain Jiang Tiansheng to report the situation.
Jiang Tiansheng had been in his office all day, waiting for reports from various teams, integrating information, and issuing commands. When the phone rang, he saw it was Zhou Zhiwen and answered.
"Captain, we have a problem. We've encountered the overlord Venusaur. It seems to be chasing something. I plan to check it out. I think we might discover why Venusaur is rampaging."
"Zhou Zhiwen, don't act rashly. That Venusaur's strength is beyond ordinary Champion-level Pokémon. Though it's still at early Champion level and old now, it has lived for years as the overlord, possessing an overlord's aura. Ordinary Champions are no match for it," Jiang Tiansheng said loudly over the phone.
"Captain, I know, but this is a good opportunity. The Flying-type Pokémon in the air have been scared off by Venusaur's pressure. My Charizard can fly and has an advantage over Venusaur. If I move quickly and stay cautious, just observing from the air, it should be fine. I've sent my team back, so I can retreat fast alone."
Jiang Tiansheng found this headache-inducing, as Zhou Zhiwen's reasoning was sound. While he was still hesitating, Zhou Zhiwen added, "Captain, this is a rare chance. If we miss it, it'll be hard to investigate the cause of this incident later, making it difficult to resolve."
Jiang Tiansheng said, "Take care. Stay safe. If danger arises, remember to retreat immediately. I'll wait for your safe return."
With the report done, Zhou Zhiwen could act freely. Soon, Charizard carried him to the sky above Venusaur's location. Sensing the powerful aura below, Charizard dared not descend, only circling in the air.
On the ground, Wang Jian looked at the five-meter-tall overlord Venusaur before him and instantly lost all will to fight. With this aura, his Shiftry could barely stand. In this situation, if he attacked, he'd likely be taken out in one move.
Seeing this, Wang Jian gave up, closed his eyes, and prepared to die. His Shiftry, knowing resistance was futile, quietly awaited its end. Wang Jian thought to himself, he really shouldn't have stolen that Bulbasaur. Though he wasn't wealthy, with his strength, he could have been a coach at a battle gym—a decent choice. Not like this, waiting for death.