A new day had begun. The sky was just beginning to brighten, with a faint light appearing on the horizon.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Half-asleep, the knights suddenly felt the ground shaking and quickly opened their eyes. They donned their gear and rushed out of their tents.
"Has a new wave of Abyssal Beasts appeared?" the knights asked anxiously.
The knight on night watch saw his panicked comrades and smiled helplessly, then pointed to the open ground in the distance.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
They saw a Rhydon with a white ribbon tied on its head running past the camp. Its heavy footsteps caused the ground to tremble with each step.
As the Rhydon's figure gradually disappeared into the distance, the commotion subsided.
"It's Master Aven's Rhydon."
The knights breathed a sigh of relief. Watching the Rhydon's determined back, they found themselves unable to complain.
They had witnessed yesterday's battle firsthand. Facing a black forest overlord, the Rhydon had evolved and, using a powerful Drill Run, defeated it.
The Rhydon's strength was undoubtedly due to its relentless effort. Hard work truly pays off!
"I can't just sleep like this."
"Training! If Rhyhorn can work hard, it can definitely evolve into Rhydon!"
One knight felt inspired and headed straight to the Rhyhorn's resting area without returning to his tent.
The other knights agreed and decided to give it their all to help Rhyhorn evolve into Rhydon.
"Everyone seems motivated. That's great," Kevin said, emerging from his tent and smiling at the bustling knights.
Aven yawned and sighed, "I was worried the knights would be upset about being woken up by Rhydon."
Since evolving, Rhydon had been more energetic than before, and Aven was concerned it might overexert itself.
He thought about finding ways to supplement Rhydon's energy, as nutrient juices might not suffice.
"Let them be."
"There should be some time before the next beast wave. We just need to stay vigilant." Kevin smiled, then glanced at the genius apothecary beside him, exhaling slightly and showing admiration.
Their diversion tactics had been highly successful. The mindless Abyssal Beasts, driven only by instinct, were divided like slices of cake and eliminated.
After two days and nights of battle, the massive beast wave was resolved more smoothly than expected.
However, without Aven's diversion strategy, his research on the gray mist, and the contributions of Petilil and Froslass, it wouldn't have been so easy.
Aven had almost single-handedly resolved this Abyssal Beast wave, earning well-deserved praise.
"With thorough preparation, those beasts are no longer a threat," Aven said with a smile. "There shouldn't be many beasts left in the black forest."
Kevin nodded, then remembered the threat mentioned by Azelf and whispered, "But we still can't let our guard down."
After chatting briefly with the chief knight, Aven turned and walked back to the tent.
Inside the tent, apart from the training Rhydon and the patrolling Mightyena, Petilil, Gloom, Cherrim, and Tangela were present.
Grass-type Pokémon naturally feared the cold, so they preferred the warmth of the tent.
Petilil yawned and went back to sleep. Having continuously used Aromatherapy, Petilil had been the most hardworking member of the team.
Gloom was at the table, attempting to concoct potions to alleviate the burden on Petilil and Aven.
After mastering the Sweet Scent move and learning to control its odor, Gloom had become noticeably more cheerful.
However, Gloom's talent in potion-making was average. An accidental spill caused it to panic.
Seeing Aven enter, Gloom lowered its head shyly, feeling guilty for causing trouble again.
"Don't be discouraged. Every Pokémon has its strengths."
"While Petilil may be better at potion-making, your talent in Poison-type abilities surpasses hers," Aven said with a comforting smile.
On the other side, upon hearing Aven's words, Petilil's leaves perked up, startling Aven into covering his mouth.
Since Froslass joined the team, Petilil had become quite sensitive, leaving Aven puzzled and cautious with his jokes.
Aven suddenly remembered Froslass. She had been clinging to him like glue, and now that she wasn't around, he felt a bit uneasy.
After checking on the sleeping Cherrim and the rooted Tangela, he stepped out of the tent.
Due to her Ice-type nature, Froslass naturally emitted a chill, leading Petilil and the others to expel her from the tent last night.
Aven had checked on her during the night and found her sleeping on top of the tent.
However, upon stepping outside, Aven didn't see Froslass, causing him to frown. Where could she have gone? Was she upset?
"I shouldn't have let Froslass leave yesterday," Aven sighed, feeling a bit regretful.
But Froslass hadn't complained and even pretended she preferred the cold outside, making Aven hesitate to stop her.
After searching around the camp, Aven finally found Froslass sitting on a rock on a high slope, staring blankly at the distant sky.
"What are you looking at..." Aven's voice suddenly sounded.
Froslass was visibly startled. Upon seeing Aven, she quickly floated into the air, putting some distance between them.
Hovering in the air, Froslass looked at Aven below but didn't approach as usual.
Recalling yesterday's events, Froslass suddenly felt afraid—afraid that she might lose control one day and accidentally harm Aven.
If that were to happen, she'd rather stay far away from him than risk causing him harm... Froslass's emotions were complex, unsure of what to do.
(End of chapter)