Gloom had been working hard lately.
Every day, Aven would take some time to teach it how to train the move Sweet Scent.
With the help of Gloom's perfume, it had started to grasp a method to transform its stench into fragrance.
Sweet Scent… Gloom silently repeated the name of the move in its heart as it channeled the Grass-type energy within its body.
Gradually, a scent somewhat similar to its perfume began to emanate from its body and gently drift into the air.
Gloom sniffed slightly, and a look of delight instantly appeared on its face—it seemed to have succeeded!
Quickly trying to imprint that sensation in its memory, it repeated the process of using Sweet Scent, worried it might forget the feeling if it hesitated.
Nearby in the yard, Cherrim and Petilil also caught a whiff of the gentle fragrance and immediately gathered around Gloom.
Cherrim was still in its Overcast Form. Truth be told, it had been snowing endlessly, and the sun hadn't appeared for a long time.
Petilil hurried over to Gloom and asked it to demonstrate Sweet Scent again.
As it breathed in the gentle fragrance drifting from Gloom, Petilil's face revealed a look of envy.
It had always wanted to learn Sweet Scent too.
But strangely, even though Aven usually fulfilled its every request, when it asked to learn Sweet Scent, Aven—rarely—refused.
However, Sweet Scent didn't appear to have any combat value. If Gloom hadn't wanted to control its own stench, it wouldn't have trained it either.
Still, the scent was truly pleasant—Petilil wanted to learn it more and more.
'Maybe… I can secretly learn Sweet Scent from Gloom…' Petilil's big eyes sparkled as the idea formed.
After all, it had been quietly listening every time Aven taught Gloom. Now that Gloom had learned the move, asking it directly seemed quite feasible.
Inside the house, Aven remained unaware of the little schemes brewing among his Pokémon in the courtyard.
He was fully focused on improving the Awakening Potion in his hands.
Now that he had confirmed that the gray mist contained Ghost-type energy, he concentrated on adding berries known for treating Ghost-type injuries.
Among Ghost-type moves, there was one called Confuse Ray, which could put Pokémon into a confused state—an excellent reference point.
After several adjustments, the Awakening Potion he developed had improved significantly. It could now help the Abyssal Beasts shake off confusion to some extent.
But the gray mist was like a parasitic worm—clingy and unshakable.
Even if it was suppressed temporarily, it would reemerge later.
To the gray mist, the life energy of beasts was like a candle; as long as the candle hadn't burned out, the flame wouldn't extinguish. Even a spark could rekindle it.
'Damn it, how can I completely purge this gray mist…' Aven frowned deeply, feeling trapped in a deadlock.
The mist would only disappear once the creature's life energy was depleted—but that meant death, which defeated the purpose. They might as well just kill the Pokémon directly.
Clearly, the solution had to be found within the gray mist itself.
Aven racked his brain: how could he completely eliminate death energy?
That line of thinking brought him to Ghost-type Pokémon.
And with that, a new question arose: how does one truly kill a Ghost-type Pokémon?
"…No clue at all."
After a long silence, Aven sighed.
Then he left the house and walked toward the courtyard, intending to check on the Rattatas that had been caged with the Abyssal Beasts.
Perhaps observing the process of the mist corroding the beasts would offer a breakthrough—or reveal why Beast Gear could block the mist's effects.
As he stepped into the courtyard, Aven's nose twitched.
Suddenly, he picked up on a faint fragrance—it resembled Gloom's perfume, yet it was slightly different.
"Gloom, did you learn Sweet Scent?" Aven asked in surprise.
Gloom nodded happily the moment it saw Aven, walk over and immediately used the move again.
With its stench now transformed into fragrance, that rotten egg-and-garbage smell that used to cling to Gloom vanished completely.
"You did great. From now on, you won't have to worry about hurting Mightyena and the others anymore."
Aven patted Gloom on the head and praised it warmly.
Gloom had learned Sweet Scent purely for Aven's and Mightyena's sake—Aven would be lying if he said he wasn't touched.
After praising Gloom, Aven failed to notice Petilil's slightly guilty, evasive gaze.
He headed off to a distant area to inspect the Abyssal Beasts again.
A large group of Abyssal Beasts had gathered, the gray mist constantly seeping from their bodies.
Eventually, the mist converged into a thick cloud, completely blanketing the area.
A corner of the courtyard had already been shrouded in the mist—it was now a forbidden zone.
Tangela was currently assigned to watch over the Abyssal Beasts.
With its long-range vine control, it was very well suited for the task.
Aven greeted Tangela and then observed from afar.
At that moment, the Rattatas not wearing Beast Gear had already developed dull skin.
From what Aven knew, the mist's corruption started with the fur, then the entire body, and finally triggered madness.
On the other hand, the Rattatas that were equipped with Beast Gear also showed some fur dulling.
This meant that the mist could still corrode them—but only superficially.
Their minds remained unaffected, and no mist clung to their bodies.
Could it be… that the gray mist exists within the soul?
Aven was startled by his own sudden hypothesis.
If true, the matter would become incredibly troublesome.
The soul was the most complicated domain.
Even in the technologically advanced world of his previous life, soul research was minimal—this was a realm untouched by humankind.
'Maybe I could find a Psychic-type or Ghost-type Pokémon…' Aven mused, considering a possible solution.
He could first use potions to help the affected Pokémon break free from confusion and suppress the mist within their bodies.
Then, he could have a Psychic or Ghost-type Pokémon expel the mist—an excellent two-step approach.
But both Psychic and Ghost types were extremely rare, even more so in this ancient era.
Finding one in the short term, then raising it and training it to the point it could dispel the mist—that was completely unrealistic.
Without relying on those types, how else could he deal with a mist that invaded the soul?
Potions? Tools?
(End of Chapter)