In the courtyard, Aven was still working on potion formulas.
After evaluating various approaches, he concluded that using potions to eliminate the gray mist was still the most reliable method.
Different berries contained different types of energy, and among them, the Wiki Berry held Psychic-type energy. The Wiki Berry already had restorative properties and was often used to treat mental injuries.
However, a potion made with just Wiki Berries still couldn't cure those beasts corrupted by the gray mist. It needed to be combined with a potion that could remove confusion.
"In theory, there is indeed a universal cure-all potion that can remove all abnormal conditions," Aven muttered in thought. Unfortunately, he didn't have the recipe for that potion.
Aside from that, there was also a Full Restore, which not only healed all abnormal status conditions but also fully restored a Pokémon's stamina.
But it was still uncertain whether the real Full Restore or universal potion could completely remove the corruption of the gray mist and restore the Pokémon.
If even the strongest potions in the known world couldn't remove the gray mist, then relying solely on potions might not be viable at all.
"I'll just have to keep pushing in this direction…" Aven glanced at the potion ingredients in front of him and resumed his research.
After completing a bottle of potion, he picked it up and walked into the courtyard, ready to test the effects of the new formula.
"Taann~" Seeing him approach, the Tangela waved its vines in greeting and pointed toward the cages in the distance.
It was clear that some of the gray mist around a few cages had dispersed—meaning the Pokémon inside, corrupted by the mist, had already died.
The gray mist constantly consumed the life force of infected Pokémon. Those corrupted didn't have long to live. Of course, Aven's experiments were also partly to blame.
"I see. Go ahead and bury them." Aven nodded silently.
After so much time, he had grown very familiar with this outcome. If the gray mist wasn't cleared, these Pokémon would die sooner or later.
He shook the potion that had been infused with Wiki Berry, then handed it to Tangela, signaling it to feed it to the Rattata inside the cage.
After drinking the potion, Tangela removed the vines restraining the Rattata, which stood dumbfounded in place.
The gray mist surrounding it roiled violently, then slowly began to disperse.
Once the mist cleared, the Rattata opened its eyes, looked around in confusion, and let out a squeaky chirp.
But in the next moment, its eyes turned vacant again, and wisps of gray mist began to emerge from its body!
Seeing this scene, Aven froze. The image of Rattata's dazed eyes and that confused call replayed in his mind.
It was obvious that, for a brief moment, Rattata had completely broken free from the confusion effect!
However, the gray mist inside its body had not been completely purged. Just moments later, it resumed absorbing the Rattata's life force, and the mist returned.
As the gray mist continued to swirl around its body, Rattata's fur turned dull due to the drain on its life energy.
Its skin grew dry and wrinkled, and its body rapidly shriveled, as if it had aged from adulthood to old age in an instant.
This was a sign of extreme life-force depletion—Rattata didn't have much time left.
Although the Rattata hadn't been fully cured, that brief moment of clarity was enough to leave Aven overjoyed!
It proved that his research direction was correct. His current potion could already fully lift the confusion caused by the gray mist.
Next, he needed to find a way to completely purge the gray mist from the beasts' bodies. Then they would be able to recover entirely!
Aven stared silently at the weakened Rattata and had Tangela feed it another dose of potion.
After drinking it, the Rattata once again regained clarity. It was like one last flash of life before death, and this time, it lasted even longer.
But soon after, the gray mist returned, and its life finally reached the end. Its body collapsed inside the cage, and the mist slowly dissipated from its corpse.
Filled with excitement, Aven quickly returned to his lab to make more potions. He still needed a lot more clinical data before he could make further adjustments.
After seeing the powerful effects of the Wiki Berry, he decided to increase the dosage and see what would happen next!
Kevin hadn't expected Aven's research to progress so quickly.
After seeing a gray mist-corrupted Rattata briefly regain its sanity, he too was visibly shocked.
Though the Rattata eventually succumbed again and died due to excessive loss of life force, the implications were huge!
"Wiki Berries, huh?"
"There's a large yield of them in the southern territories of Aspiration City."
"I'll notify Her Highness right away to have all available Wiki Berries sent here!"
Kevin made the decision with excitement—Aven's research results gave him hope that the Abyssal beasts might be defeated sooner than expected!
"Good."
"But now, I need stronger beasts as test subjects."
"Perhaps those powerful ones, once they regain their senses, might even be able to drive out the gray mist themselves!"
Aven nodded and shared some of his upcoming research plans.
He had already tested the effects of increasing Wiki Berry concentration, and it had reached its limit—it couldn't completely remove the mist. At best, it only extended the duration of the beast's regained sanity.
In fact, when the dosage exceeded a certain threshold, the Rattata became overstimulated, which sped up its death.
Naturally, Kevin had no objections. The two of them grabbed the newly prepared potions and quickly rushed to the frontlines.
Just as they arrived, a few Skuntank were launching an attack.
Kevin had his Rhydon subdue one of them, then immediately fed it one of Aven's potions.
After drinking it, the Skuntank trembled slightly, and the bloodlust in its eyes gradually faded—it had temporarily regained its senses.
Seeing this, the surrounding knights all showed visible signs of surprise.
However, it didn't last long. Gray mist once again surged from the Skuntank's body, turning it back into a mindless beast!
"It definitely lasted longer this time. It seems different beasts have different levels of resistance to the mist…" Aven recorded the data.
In theory, since the mist contained Ghost-type energy, beasts with resistance to Ghost-types should be able to last longer.
Likewise, since the mist eroded and clung to the soul, beasts with stronger mental strength might last longer—or even be able to drive it out themselves!
(End of Chapter)