Inside the castle's specially designated laboratory, a strange clump of sludge floated eerily in midair.
Petilil stood tense and vigilant, treating it as though it were an enemy. Just moments earlier, it had been precisely this lump of sludge that had disrupted her attempt at healing.
"Nido, Nido, Nido~"
Nidorino and Nidorina, on the other hand, circled the mass of sludge curiously, their eyes filled with intrigue as they observed it from every angle.
From within the murky mass, both of them could clearly sense a strong concentration of Poison-type energy radiating outward. What they did not yet know, however, was whether such a thing could be harnessed as a means of training.
"Ralts~ Ralts~"
Ralts, who was controlling the floating sludge with psychic energy, tilted its head slightly and cast a questioning glance toward Aven, silently asking what exactly this strange thing was.
Aven's expression darkened with thought. "Hmm… it does resemble Black Sludge in some ways, but it definitely isn't the same."
He then gave a calm instruction: "Petilil, try channeling your life energy into the sludge. Let's see what happens."
Petilil nodded in acknowledgment. She immediately summoned her healing aura once again, weaving it into a stream of glowing life energy that steadily flowed into the sludge.
The very next instant, faint streaks of purple light shimmered across the surface of the sludge. It absorbed the life energy greedily, causing the glow to intensify with every passing second.
At the same time, the Poison-type energy contained within the sludge surged in response, becoming stronger and stronger. Shockingly, the sludge itself even began to change color, shifting gradually toward a darker, more ominous purple-black.
"Nido! Nido!"
Nidorino and Nidorina's eyes lit up with excitement.
The strong Poison-type aura spilling out from the sludge was enticing to the pair of Poison Pokémon; they could not help but feel a natural attraction toward it. Yet, mingled with their excitement was also confusion. For within the sludge, alongside the familiar Poison-type energy, they could also sense a strange and unusual force.
This peculiar energy resembled life energy in some ways, yet they instinctively knew it was not the same. Instead, it felt like something directly opposed to it—a destructive force standing in stark contrast to the nurturing nature of life energy.
"Lass~"
From the distant desk, the faint silhouette of Froslass flickered into view.
She sat gracefully upon the desk's edge, her long skirt swaying gently as she dangled her legs. Around her neck hung the Odd Keystone, and her eyes were fixed upon the floating sludge, filled with deep curiosity.
Indeed, she too could feel that the energy within was the opposite of life energy. Yet strangely, it was not Ghost-type power either. Instead, the aura carried a raw, ruinous strength—an essence of destruction.
"So, it really can absorb life energy…" Aven's gaze gleamed slightly as he pieced the clues together.
He then turned toward Nidorino and Nidorina. "Why don't you two try making contact with it? See if you're able to absorb the Poison-type energy inside."
The two exchanged a glance. Just as Nidorino was about to step forward, Nidorina suddenly darted ahead and blocked his path, declaring with determination that she wanted to be the one to try.
"Nido! Nido!"
Nidorino's face instantly changed. He hurried forward, trying to pull her back behind him.
But this time, Nidorina shook her head firmly. She had always been the one protected by Nidorino in past trials. For once, she wanted to stand in front of him and shoulder the risk.
"Alright," Aven intervened gently, "let's allow Nidorina to do it this time. Her Poison affinity is stronger, which should help her resist the energy within more effectively. Besides, with Ralts maintaining control, there won't be any danger. Even a human like me could withstand it—so for a Poison Pokémon like her, there's even less reason to worry."
Hearing this, Nidorino reluctantly backed away, taking several steps back while fixing his worried gaze on Nidorina as she slowly approached the sludge.
Under Ralts' guidance, the sludge floated forward, drifting down until it landed softly upon Nidorina's back.
At once, she felt the dense Poison-type energy seeping into her body, spreading outward through her veins.
Sensing this, Nidorina immediately began to draw it in deliberately, absorbing the Poison energy and channeling it into her body. As she did so, her own body began to glow faintly with a purplish light, proof that the energy was merging with her.
"It really works!" Aven's eyes sparkled with excitement. "She's able to absorb the Poison energy inside and use it as training!"
Through this, he made an initial judgment: this sludge mass was capable of devouring life energy and converting it into Poison-type energy. In essence, it was like a special toxic life-force—an extremely dangerous but valuable resource.
"Nidorina, hold off on absorbing any more for now," Aven instructed.
Turning to Petilil, he continued, "Now, direct your healing energy at Nidorina. Let's test whether it can help her recover."
The two Pokémon complied. Petilil summoned a soft, green radiance of life energy and gently infused it into Nidorina's body.
However, the very next second, Nidorina let out a stifled groan. To everyone's shock, the healing power—which should have mended her—caused her immense pain instead.
Thankfully, the moment Petilil ceased channeling energy, the pain receded quickly. At the same time, the sludge also stopped releasing its destructive aura.
"Nido…"
Nidorina exhaled heavily, halting her absorption of the sludge's energy.
Even after she stopped, the sludge continued to radiate strong Poison-type energy, though compared to before it had clearly dimmed after her partial absorption.
Seeing Ralts lift the sludge back into the air, Nidorino finally released a breath of relief.
"Lil?"
Petilil looked at Aven again, her eyes full of questions. This thing was too strange—what was it really?
This time, Aven answered without hesitation. "If my guess is correct, this should be sludge produced from within a Tentacool's body."
Tentacool? All of the gathered Pokémon blinked blankly—they had never heard of such a creature.
"Yes," Aven explained patiently, "it's a dual Water- and Poison-type Pokémon. They usually live only in the ocean. In fact, Tentacool are one of the most common Pokémon in the seas, found in waters all around the world."
"This particular Tentacool must have been attracted by the strong Poison energy carried downstream and swam upstream into the Fair River."
Aven recalled what he knew of them. Tentacool's body was composed mostly of water. In aquatic environments, they blended seamlessly with the currents, making them incredibly difficult to spot.
As for their abilities, Tentacool were known to have three potential Abilities: Clear Body, Liquid Ooze, and Rain Dish. Among them, only those with the Liquid Ooze ability could produce this kind of sludge within their bodies.
Although Aven had never personally raised a Tentacool, he had heard that individuals with Liquid Ooze had far stronger Poison potential than their peers. Meanwhile, those with Rain Dish had enhanced Water affinity.
What was certain was that this sludge—born inside Tentacool's body—was extraordinary. Its ability to absorb life energy and convert it into Poison and destructive energy hinted at possibilities worth further exploration.
"In any case," Aven concluded firmly, "we can't leave this Tentacool unchecked. We must capture it."
Allowing a Tentacool like this to remain in the Fair River would endanger all the Pokémon who relied on its waters.
Furthermore, with the eastern side of Black Coast Forest already suffering from a rise in Poison-types, the presence of such a Tentacool indicated just how severe the river's contamination had become.
Aven's long-term goal was to transform the Fair River into a waterway that connected inland lakes with the South Seas. If the river continued to brim with toxins, there was no way oceanic Pokémon would migrate in.
Worse still, as more Tentacool gathered, they could threaten the very ecosystem of inland lakes and eventually spread throughout the inland waterways entirely.
"Lil!"
Petilil immediately nodded in agreement. She was very interested in this unusual Poison-producing Pokémon.
"Nido~ Nido~"
Nidorino and Nidorina also perked up, eager to track it down. The Poison energy they had just felt made them certain Tentacool could be a valuable training resource.
"Alright then," Aven said decisively, "let's go. This time you don't need to stay inside Poké Balls—we'll head straight into the forest together."
Although many Apricorns had been harvested recently, crafting Poké Balls was still an incredibly time-consuming process. Both Aven and Rhyhorn had been far too busy to spend much time making them, so their current supply was limited.
Still, for now, the Poké Balls on hand were enough. Since it wasn't yet the right time to mass-produce or distribute them widely, Aven chose to focus on strengthening himself and his team first. In the future, he would need to train a team of craftsmen and establish a factory for making Poké Balls. Only then could widespread promotion begin.
Leading his group of Pokémon, Aven returned once more to the Pokémon Center.
Inside, Chansey was faithfully stationed, assisting the apothecaries in treating injured Pokémon.
When facing the wounded, Chansey carefully gathered her energy, using the Soft-Boiled technique. She condensed her power into a glowing egg filled with restorative energy, cracked it gently, and let the healing radiance wash over the patients to restore their strength.
The apothecaries watching nearby were amazed. They had never imagined that Chansey's eggs could be used in such a way.
However, after using Soft-Boiled, Chansey immediately looked drained. With her current strength, the move was still somewhat taxing.
"Chann~ sey~ Chansey~"
She gave a soft, tired cry. Though weary, her heart was brimming with happiness.
Adjusting the nurse's cap upon her head, she recalled Aven's words: as long as she could heal more of the injured, she would feel truly fulfilled.
"You've worked hard, Chansey," Aven said warmly.
At that very moment, Chansey suddenly heard a voice that was so familiar it instantly tugged at its heart.
It froze for a brief second, then spun around quickly, and right there in front of it stood the figure it had longed for.
"Chansey! Chansey!"
Chansey felt as though all the exhaustion that had been weighing on its body vanished in an instant, like snow melting under the sun. Its eyes lit up with joy.
With a burst of energy, it rushed straight toward Aven, flinging itself forward before wrapping both arms tightly around his leg, pressing close as though it never wanted to let go.
"Alright, alright… I missed you too." Aven bent down, his voice soft and gentle as he comforted it.
From the very moment Chansey was born, it had always been by his side. This was the first time they had been apart for so long.
Of course, this was something they both needed to overcome. The Pokémon Center needed Chansey's presence, while Aven himself had countless other important matters to attend to.
Still, they had made a promise—when Aven finished his duties for the day, the very first thing he would do was come and pick Chansey up to bring it home.
(End of Chapter)