"You've worked hard, Aven."
In the knights' camp, Kevin once again expressed his gratitude.
"It's nothing, this is what I should be doing," Aven replied with a slight nod, gently stroking the very exhausted Petilil nestled in his arms.
This time, it was all thanks to Petilil. Without her, the healing wouldn't have gone so smoothly.
Kevin nodded in satisfaction. "If there's anything you need, just let me know. I'll do my best to provide it."
Hearing this offer from the Chief Knight, Aven's eyes lit up, and without much hesitation, he said, "I'd like a live Abyssal Beast."
Kevin was visibly stunned for a moment but quickly understood. "You want to study the Abyssal Beasts?"
The knight's brows furrowed. Ever since the appearance of Abyssal Beasts, many had attempted to study them—including master apothecaries—but all had failed.
The gray mist didn't seem to be caused by any particular potion, but rather by some supernatural phenomenon that couldn't be resolved.
Moreover, the mist contained a strange energy that, when humans were exposed for too long, would negatively affect them.
Their skin would become dull, their minds erratic, and in some cases, they developed unknown illnesses. Some researchers even went mad, just like the beasts themselves...
After long periods of failed research, all scholars eventually gave up. Only once the Abyssal Beast tide subsided did things return to normal.
"Yeah, I want to take a look," Aven affirmed without hesitation.
"Logically speaking, the gray mist causes a type of disease in the beasts. And if it's a disease, then a cure should exist."
Kevin remained silent. In his mind, Aven's top priority right now should still be treating the wounded, not researching Abyssal Beasts.
But when he looked into the determined eyes of this young genius apothecary, he sighed and said, "I'll capture one for you first."
"If you still haven't made any progress before that Abyssal Beast dies, you'll have to give up the research."
Aven agreed without any hesitation. He figured he'd at least get a look at it first before making any decisions.
Woooooooooo~
Just then, the sound of horns suddenly rang out.
Both Aven and Kevin fell silent, listening carefully to the horn calls to determine the scale of this new beast tide.
After judging it to be a small-scale attack, the two men let out a breath of relief.
Aven stood up immediately—if he was going to research Abyssal Beasts, the sooner the better!
Kevin sighed helplessly and followed Aven out of the makeshift wooden hut toward the defensive line.
It was already dusk. The setting sun's rays cast a reddish glow over the snowy landscape, where figures could be seen moving.
"A Rattata—just right for research," Aven nodded slightly. In real-world studies, Rattata were commonly used for testing.
Squeak, squeak, squeak.
A Rattata darted across the snow-covered ground, surrounded by swirling gray mist.
Following orders, the knights had deliberately released one near the defense line.
"Tangela, use Vine Whip!"
As soon as the Rattata approached, Tangela extended numerous vines from its body and firmly bound the little creature.
The Rattata thrashed violently, biting down on the vines as gray mist surged from its body, launching a frenzied attack on Tangela.
Seeing this, Aven nodded in satisfaction and took out a pre-prepared iron cage, placing the Rattata inside.
The gray mist still encircled the captured Pokémon as it began gnawing at the bars, attacking wildly. Aven sighed—this Rattata had clearly lost all reason.
"You should still be careful. Don't stay in contact with Abyssal Beasts for too long," Kevin advised from the side.
If anything happened to Aven during his research, it would be a huge loss for all of Aspiration City. Kevin's expression remained one of concern.
"Alright, I'll be careful."
Aven didn't touch the cage himself. Instead, he had Tangela drag it toward the research zone Kevin had set aside.
Because of how dangerous the Abyssal Beasts were, Kevin had designated a specific area just for Aven's work.
At the research site, Aven placed the cage at a distance and had all his Pokémon stand back while he cautiously approached.
Bang! Bang! Bang! The Rattata inside continued to thrash and struggle nonstop.
If left unchecked, the Rattata would probably remain like this until it died.
That's why Kevin had told him that if no progress was made before the beast's death, the research must stop.
At this rate, Aven truly didn't have much time to work.
"Gloom, use Sleep Powder to calm the Rattata down."
Upon hearing the command, Gloom obediently nodded and released a cloud of pale blue spores toward the frenzied Rattata.
But to Aven's surprise, the Rattata was completely unaffected. It continued to rage inside the cage.
"Sleep Powder doesn't work?" Aven frowned.
Gloom's face changed as it released even more Sleep Powder. But when the Rattata still showed no change, her expression fell—she felt completely useless.
Aven noticed her dejected look, patted her head gently, and had Petilil try using Sleep Powder as well. Still ineffective.
"Looks like the Rattata really isn't affected by Sleep Powder—or maybe no Abyssal Beasts are," Aven said as he gently reassured his two Pokémon.
Hearing this, both Pokémon let out a breath of relief. Petilil shook the leaves on her head, regaining some confidence.
"This really does seem to be a kind of mental interference."
Aven turned his gaze back to the Rattata. He had already been considering this possibility.
The only clue he had so far was that Beast Gear could protect Pokémon from the gray mist.
Beast Gear itself affected Pokémon mentally, something he had already confirmed with both nobles and their Pokémon.
When wearing Beast Gear, Pokémon experienced a degree of mental suppression, making them obey their masters.
But once the gear was removed, that suppression vanished immediately. That alone matched his theory.
"This situation… is kind of similar to the Confusion status…" Aven narrowed his eyes slightly.
The Confusion status was also an abnormal condition—one where a Pokémon's mind becomes jumbled, disobeying commands and attacking at random.
This was quite similar to the Abyssal Beasts' loss of rationality, although not quite as severe.
That said, one move did come to mind that could trigger this kind of madness in beasts:
The Dragon-type move Outrage.
Under the effects of Outrage, a Pokémon's physical abilities would be enhanced, but it would also fall into a rage-fueled frenzy.
This was a unique kind of Confusion. Unless interrupted by outside forces, a Pokémon in Outrage would become a mindless beast!
(End of Chapter)