From Afar, Rhydon Refused to Give Up.
It launched another attack.
However, its long-range moves were blocked point by point by Vileplume, using Razor Leaf and Petal Blizzard in combination.
As for Rhydon's specialty—close combat—it couldn't gain any advantage at all due to its slower speed.
When it came to stamina, it was also at a clear disadvantage: poisoned by Toxic, while Vileplume continuously recovered HP through Giga Drain.
As time dragged on, Rhydon's condition steadily worsened. Though it stubbornly held on, it was clearly at its limit.
"Vileplume, use Petal Blizzard!"
A flurry of pink petals danced in the air, sweeping across Rhydon's body.
At that moment, time seemed to freeze. Rhydon stood motionless.
Then came a loud thud—it collapsed to the ground with a crash, losing all ability to battle. Only then did the surrounding Pokémon react.
"Plume!!"
Vileplume was stunned for a moment, then cried out in joy. This victory gave it immense confidence!
From now on, it could use this strength to protect everything it cared about.
"Battle over," Aven said with a smile on his face.
The surrounding Pokémon, watching this scene, instinctively shivered.
At that moment, Aven's smiling expression seemed to them more like that of a demon—this battle had been suffocating to witness.
But this time, Aven had truly shown his Pokémon what a trainer's command really meant.
Under normal circumstances, Vileplume absolutely wouldn't have been able to defeat Rhydon.
But thanks to Aven's tactical command, Vileplume had won effortlessly. Rhydon had been completely outmaneuvered and crushed.
"Lil Lil, Lil Lil..."
Petilil looked at the defeated Rhydon and sighed.
A faint aroma rose from its body. With Aromatherapy, the poisonous energy on Rhydon quickly dissipated.
Then, using its life energy, Petilil began to heal Rhydon. Soon, the large pokemon slowly regained consciousness, scratching its head, which was tied with a white ribbon, as if it had a momentary blackout.
After a moment, Rhydon finally realized what had happened and let out a heart-wrenching roar—it had lost again!
Meanwhile, after finishing a day of training, Peter headed toward the Pokémon Breeding House with his Gloom.
Thanks to this recent period of training, the stench on Gloom had become much milder.
Aven mentioned that it wouldn't be long before Gloom might be able to learn Aromatherapy.
Entering the familiar farm owned by Uncle Mike, Peter greeted the Luxray guarding the entrance.
Usually, Luxray would allow him to walk right in, but this time, it shook its head—Aven had given instructions: no one was allowed in.
Peter was confused but patiently waited outside the farm.
Although technically outside, he was already standing on the open ground at the entrance, so he decided to start training his Pokémon there.
Having gone through the crucible of frontline battles, Peter had matured significantly.
Now, a subtle knightly aura, belonging to someone who had seen combat, occasionally radiated from him.
Under his command, Gloom and Mightyena began sparring. Aven's teachings—that Pokémon grow through battle—had taken root deeply.
While Peter trained, Aven arrived from the direction of the farm, holding Petilil. Vileplume walked beside him.
Sensing energy fluctuations ahead, Froslass suddenly floated into view from midair.
She fanned her face with her hands and exhaled cold air.
The weather was getting warmer, with the sun high in the sky—not ideal for an Ice-type like Froslass.
However, Aven shook his head slightly.
Trying to hide from the sun by turning invisible was like burying one's head in the sand. Invisibility didn't reduce heat.
"It's fine—it's one of ours," Aven said with a smile, already seeing Peter training up ahead.
Aven had long said that Peter had the potential of a true trainer.
Under his guidance, Mightyena and Gloom had grown stronger very quickly.
Seeing Aven approach, Peter stopped his sparring Pokémon and walked over.
But when he saw the unfamiliar Pokémon beside Aven, he froze. He studied it from top to bottom.
Since there were no Leaf Stone deposits in the Aspiration City territory, there had never been a single Vileplume there—Peter had never seen one before.
But seeing how similar this Pokémon looked to Gloom, a thought immediately popped into his mind:
"Is this Gloom's evolved form?" Peter asked, his voice trembling.
Aven nodded. "Yes, this is Vileplume—Gloom's evolved form."
Peter's eyes widened in surprise and excitement.
For a Pokémon, evolution meant a leap in strength. To know that his Gloom could evolve further was thrilling!
"If I keep training Gloom, it can evolve too?" Peter asked eagerly.
At his feet, Gloom also looked up at Vileplume beside Aven.
It quickly recognized the scent—it was their leader, even if the appearance had completely changed.
Upon hearing that it could still evolve, Gloom's face lit up with anticipation.
No Pokémon could resist the allure of evolution.
"Yes, as long as you keep training and nurturing it, Gloom can evolve as well."
Aven smiled and nodded but didn't mention the Leaf Stone.
The need for a Leaf Stone to evolve was still a closely guarded secret.
Keeping it hidden would allow Aven to gather evolutionary stones more easily in the future.
Even so, what he said wasn't wrong—after all, using items to enhance a Pokémon's strength was also part of proper nurturing.
After hearing Aven's words, both Peter and Gloom looked at him, then at each other, determination shining in their eyes.
Beside them, Mightyena also looked hopeful, sticking out its tongue—clearly wanting to ask if it had the chance to evolve too.
"Come, walk with me," Aven said, patting Peter's shoulder.
With Gloom's leader now evolved into Vileplume, Aven's goal was to let the villagers see it for themselves.
Currently, there were already many apprentice trainers raising Oddish and Gloom in the village.
Once they saw Vileplume with their own eyes, it would surely boost their motivation.
And indeed, when Vileplume made its public debut, it caused a sensation in the village.
Many of the apprentice trainers who had started raising Oddish or Gloom made silent vows to one day evolve their own into a powerful Vileplume.
Even villagers who hadn't yet caught one were now tempted.
Previously, people avoided Oddish and Gloom mainly because of their unbearable odor—it made daily life with them unpleasant.
But now, rumors spread that it was possible to suppress the smell entirely, and with the added revelation that Gloom could evolve into such a majestic creature, many were swayed.
It was easy to foresee that after today, the previously stagnant training initiative would quickly heat up.
More people would start trying to catch Gloom.
"Gloom can evolve too?"
Johnson, a city official, was stunned when he heard the news.
As someone who prided himself on knowing magical beasts well, even he had never seen a Vileplume before.
He couldn't help but admit—no one in the world probably knew more about the Oddish line than Aven.
Then a thought struck him: what if all those Gloom outside the village evolved into Vileplume? The resulting battle strength would be terrifying.
Though he hadn't seen Vileplume in action, after two stages of evolution, it was safe to assume it wasn't weak—possibly on par with intermediate-tier magical beasts.
Some magical creatures were naturally powerful; even without training, their species alone gave them strength.
If Vileplume could naturally reach intermediate-tier beast status, then the Oddish family's potential would be comparable to Mightyena or Rhydon—creatures known for their great potential.
That would change the entire power dynamic of Fruitvale Village.
Right now, even a group of Gloom was enough to keep a knight regiment at bay.
If they all evolved into Vileplume? Johnson couldn't even imagine how one would go about capturing the village.
This was something he'd have to report to the prince upon returning.
They already knew Aven had a method to teach Oddish Sleep Powder and quickly evolve them into Gloom.
Now with the means to evolve Gloom into Vileplume, the power Aven held had to be reevaluated entirely.
(End of chapter)