"Yes… this truly is an excellent path of development. It should definitely become one of our primary cultivation routes." Aven nodded with growing conviction.
Back in the Safari zone, he could designate a special area just for burying sludge into the soil, letting Oddish or Gloom absorb it as training.
Just like Bibarel's farmland training, this too would be a long-term experiment requiring patience—but Aven had confidence in it.
After all, discovering new methods and resources for raising Pokémon, and eventually compiling them into a complete system of breeding techniques—that was one of the greatest joys of being a trainer.
"Plume~"
On the field, Vileplume had already absorbed all the energy in the soil.
Immediately, its body began to glow with a green radiance. It spread out its Grassy Terrain, enveloping its companions within the rejuvenating field.
Having absorbed the sludge's energy, Vileplume could clearly feel that its Grassy Terrain had grown stronger—the area it covered had expanded considerably.
This sudden improvement delighted it greatly. Its gaze burned hot as it looked toward Tentacool splashing in the river. It wanted more—more sludge!
Tentacool, lazily floating in the water, suddenly felt a familiar draining sensation again. Turning in confusion, it spotted Petilil squatting in the distance, playing with mud.
These days, Tentacool felt like the "big sister" had squeezed every last drop of strength from it. Truly, not a single ounce remained!
…
Outside the territory of the Drapion tribe, the forest rangers were still patrolling as usual.
This territory, controlled by the tribe of Drapion, was perpetually shrouded in thick poisonous mists. Within it lived countless vicious Poison-type Pokémon, all of them extremely aggressive.
Because of that, the rangers had to patrol here every single day, ensuring that no Drapion suddenly broke free of their territory and entered the surrounding forests where humans or weaker Pokémon resided.
"Everyone, just keep your eyes on it from afar. Absolutely do not get too close."
"The place inside is truly sinister. Just inhaling even a single breath of that poison mist could immediately cause poisoning."
The captain of the forest rangers raised his voice to remind his subordinates, his eyes fixed on the ominous purple fog that lingered in the depths of the woods. His expression carried both fear and caution.
The other rangers quickly nodded in agreement. If it weren't for these terrifying toxic fumes, they all felt that Lord Aven would have long since subdued the Drapion tribe already!
But now, they knew that day wasn't too far away either. Lord Aven had already begun clearing and pioneering this area, and among his targeted subjugations, the Drapion tribe was definitely listed as one of the most important.
"DRAAA!"
As the rangers were still discussing when Lord Aven might finally take action to tame these Drapion, a series of deep, violent roars suddenly rang out from within the mist-filled territory.
The unexpected sound caused the rangers' faces to change drastically. All their gazes immediately turned toward the poisonous territory of the Drapion. They all recognized this roar—it belonged to none other than Drapion!
"Tank!"
"Glooo!"
The Poison-types that accompanied them, such as Skuntank and Gloom, also reacted. The expressions on these Pokémon turned grim, their instincts warning them of imminent danger.
"DRAAaa!"
After a short pause, another roar came again. But this time, it carried a sharp, mournful edge. None of them had ever heard Drapion make such a sound before.
As the overlords of this region, Drapion were never threatened by any other local Pokémon. The fact that such a cry of pain had come from one of them made everyone's expressions tighten further.
"What happened inside? Could it be… that some other Pokémon has trespassed into the Drapion territory?" The rangers exchanged glances, each guessing in their hearts.
"Regardless of what it is, we have to send this message back immediately."
The captain's face turned serious. The Drapion territory wasn't just any ordinary zone—it was a matter of great importance.
Not only because of the Drapion tribe itself, but also because behind their territory lay the Coastal Mountain Range and Coastal Hills.
After the last surprise attack from Marina City's knight order, everyone here was on edge. Their guard had been raised to its highest.
Winter was approaching quickly. Who knew whether Marina City might try to take advantage of the harsh season and launch another sudden assault on Aspiration City? The path through this very territory was the shortest route.
Without delay, the rangers scribbled down the information onto slips of paper. They handed them to Oddish, who trotted off into the woods to seek out other ranger patrol units and spread the warning further.
…
Meanwhile, deep within Drapion territory, Empoleon's figure was running swiftly.
At this moment, its left arm was cradling the unconscious Kale, while its right arm remained held before it like a shield, ready at any moment to block an incoming attack.
Suddenly, Empoleon's body froze for half a second. In the same instant, it twisted its body, pulling Kale tightly into its chest to shield him.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
From the surrounding underbrush, several streams of viscous liquid glowing faintly with purple light suddenly shot out like arrows.
They struck squarely against Empoleon's back, splattering across its steel body before sliding harmlessly to the ground.
Sizzle… sizzle… sizzle!
The poisonous liquid hissed as it dripped onto the soil, corroding the earth with frightening speed.
Seeing this, Empoleon's pupils contracted slightly. But then, it exhaled in relief.
Fortunately, its steel body was more than strong enough to resist the deadly acid. These toxins couldn't penetrate its metallic armor, allowing it to withstand the ambush without injury.
It quickly swept its sharp eyes across the brush and spotted them—several blue-and-purple scorpion-like creatures with stingers at the ends of their tails. They were none other than Skorupi.
From the moment Empoleon had stepped into this region, these Skorupi had been tailing it relentlessly. This section of the woods was their hunting ground, their little domain.
"EMPO!"
Empoleon narrowed its gaze. Its beak opened, and a surge of Water-type energy gathered within.
A heartbeat later, a massive torrent of pressurized water blasted out in a roaring stream, sweeping violently across the underbrush.
The Skorupi were hurled away as if struck by a hurricane. A tree directly in the line of the Hydro Pump was severed cleanly at its middle, crashing into another with a thunderous impact.
Having repelled the pursuers with Hydro Pump, Empoleon did not dare to linger even for a moment. Tightening its hold around Kale, its body once again launched into a desperate sprint.
But from both sides of the forest, rustling sounds grew louder. More Skorupi were slithering out from the thickets. Following them came another rain of purple acid!
"EMPO!"
Empoleon did not dodge. It let the corrosive venom splash onto its armored frame.
It could feel it clearly—these Skorupi's toxins were far too weak. They posed no threat whatsoever to its steel body.
"DRAAA!"
Just then, a ferocious roar thundered from directly ahead.
A towering scorpion emerged into view. Its entire body was armored in hues of deep and light purple. Two massive scorpion tails sprouted from the sides of its head, swinging menacingly. Its claws gleamed with deadly power, capable of tearing apart anything in its path.
It was Drapion, the evolved form of Skorupi, the true tyrant of this poisonous domain.
The enormous Drapion bellowed again. Without hesitation, it opened its jaws and unleashed a storm of venomous needles straight toward Empoleon!
"EMPOOO!"
Empoleon's eyes narrowed. Its right arm swung up, bracing itself like a steel shield.
Ting! Ting! Ting!
The poisonous barrage ricocheted off Empoleon's arm with ringing metallic sounds. But even as it defended, Drapion was already charging forward, its dual tails glowing with venomous light as they slashed viciously down!
Swish!
At that instant, Empoleon moved as well.
Its steel wings gleamed with blinding white light, sharp as blades. With terrifying force, it swung one down in a decisive strike!
The Steel Wing clashed against Drapion's tails. The impact thundered through the clearing.
In the very next moment, a cracking sound resounded. One of Drapion's tails was severed cleanly, its massive body sent flying backward under the force of the blow!
"DRAA!"
A shrill cry of agony tore from Drapion's maw as it crashed heavily onto the ground, grievously wounded and unable to rise.
"Empo… leon~"
Having dealt with its foe, Empoleon resumed its desperate run, Kale still secure in its arms.
Behind, the Skorupi emerged from the bushes, their eyes filled with horror.
They had never imagined their mighty leader could be felled in just a single exchange, utterly incapable of resistance.
"Huff… huff… huff…"
Empoleon's breaths grew heavy as it continued running.
The battles had already left it scarred and battered. Even with its king-level strength, it now began to feel the weight of exhaustion.
But for the sake of the knight it was sworn to protect, it knew it could not afford to collapse. It had to break through this dangerous region, no matter the cost!
Rustle… rustle… rustle…
But before it could catch its breath, the sounds of movement rose again from the brush.
Clearly, the Drapion it had defeated was only one of several tribes dwelling in this domain. Now, reinforcements from other groups were converging.
"DRAAA!"
Another roar split the air. A second Drapion loomed ahead of Empoleon.
Almost immediately after, a second roar came from behind. Yet another Drapion appeared, surrounding Empoleon on both sides.
Unlike the one that had been swiftly struck down earlier, these two emanated far greater pressure. One of them, in fact, radiated the unmistakable aura of a high-tier beast on the verge of ascending further!
"Empo…"
Empoleon skidded to a halt, its gaze shifting toward a rocky hill nearby. Slowly, it began backing away, preparing itself.
The two Drapion advanced menacingly, unleashing a volley of Poison Sting to open yet another ferocious battle.
(End of Chapter)