It Stinks (Half-annoyed)

In the dark, densely wooded forest, Eldegoss looked panicked as it used Cotton Spore as much as possible to block the foul-smelling liquid sprayed from the tip of the purple beast's tail before it.

The moment the liquid came into contact with the air, a stench several times worse than socks worn continuously for a month and then sealed in an airtight space for a year began to spread through the area.

Eldegoss found breathing incredibly difficult. Its face turned purple, and even breathing felt like torture.

But it could not fall yet.

While defending, Eldegoss anxiously looked at the two Gossifleur behind it, already unconscious from poison.

As they drifted along in the wind, a sudden gale had swept in. Unable to adjust their direction in time, they had been blown straight into this Skuntank's territory.

Skuntank would not allow other creatures to trespass in its territory. It had poisoned the Gossifleur in a single exchange, leaving only Eldegoss struggling to resist.

Eldegoss shook its body, scattering the Cotton Spore soaked in poison, then forced its weakened body to release Cotton Spore again and block Skuntank's attack. Despair rose in its heart.

At this rate, it would not be able to hold on much longer.

Anyone, please... hurry and save us!!

"Damn it, Serperior, what kind of route did you lead us down? It stinks!" Luo Mu said, half annoyed.

The startled male voice rang out. As if enraged, Skuntank's fur stood completely on end as it viciously looked toward the newcomers.

Hope instantly ignited in Eldegoss's eyes.

"Cough, cough, cough!"

Arven was nearly knocked unconscious by the stench on the spot. From his nose to his throat, it felt as though the smell had created a burning illusion, and he coughed wildly.

Mabosstiff had already tucked its tail between its legs and covered its nose with its front paws.

Its sense of smell was dozens of times sharper than a human's. Luo Mu and Arven had nearly passed out from the odor, so Mabosstiff had it even worse.

Serperior unhappily tapped Luo Mu's palm with the tip of its tail as a warning. Was this really the time to care whether it stank?

If they did not act soon, the farm's three future workers really would be poisoned to death.

Serperior's reminder brought Luo Mu back to his senses. This really was not the time to worry about the smell. The Gossifleur's bodies had taken on a purplish hue—they were obviously poisoned.

And Eldegoss had been resisting Skuntank's attacks for so long that it was likely only a matter of time before the poison flared up.

That Eldegoss had clearly evolved only recently. Converted into levels, it was probably just over level 20. Meanwhile, Skuntank had clearly been evolved for some time and might already be approaching level 40.

So next came... the hero's entrance!

Covering his mouth and nose with his right hand, Luo Mu swept his left hand forward and ordered, "Cover up the smell first. Sweet Scent!"

Serperior normally would not use this move lightly, but if it did not use it now, Luo Mu and Arven might be the next ones to pass out.

Fine. It would make an exception just this once. (ω)

Serperior coiled up its long body, and a rich fragrance of grass and plants rapidly spread outward from it.

In that instant, the stench was overwhelmed by the fragrance, creating an indescribable smell.

But this was enough. As long as Skuntank's stench was suppressed, there were plenty of ways to deal with it.

As if it could no longer endure it, Skuntank sprayed several streams of foul-smelling poison from the tip of its upright tail.

Serperior truly did not want its Vine Whip touching that stuff. Its snake eyes narrowed slightly as Grass-type energy transformed into sharp leaves. The leaves gathered into a small tornado and shot out from Serperior's tail tip.

This was not Leaf Storm. If it truly used Leaf Storm, Skuntank would definitely be seriously injured. After all, strictly speaking, their group had been the ones to enter Skuntank's territory.

Luo Mu had always taught it that even when one held power, one could not indulge oneself.

Grass Mixer instantly shredded the poison into scattered droplets. When the liquid fell onto the ground, the grass where it landed quickly withered.

Then, without losing momentum, Grass Mixer swept toward Skuntank and engulfed it.

In an instant, Skuntank was cut by Grass Mixer until it cried out miserably. Then, upon meeting Serperior's snake eyes, filled with pressure and noble dignity, Skuntank immediately understood that Serperior was not an existence it could afford to provoke.

Without the slightest hesitation, Skuntank tucked its tail between its legs and fled into the distance without looking back, abandoning even its territory.

"Wild Pokémon survive in the dangerous wilderness by judging the situation. Once they realize an enemy is something they cannot handle, they will choose to flee directly."

Seizing the chance, Luo Mu explained to Arven, who was curious about why Skuntank had run away.

"Then why didn't Eldegoss run away?"

"Because they're family. Once there are bonds and attachments, many things are not so easy to abandon."

"Oh."

"Alright, there shouldn't be any problem now."

Luo Mu gently placed the second Gossifleur onto the temporary vine bed Serperior had woven. Seeing the purple tinge rapidly fade from its body, a smile finally appeared on his tense face.

It had to be said, this antidote was really something.

For most poisoned Pokémon, as long as they had a small bottle of this antidote, they could be saved.

Luo Mu let out a sigh of relief and looked at the nervous Eldegoss beside him with a smile. "The Gossifleur are out of danger now. You can accept treatment now, right?"

Eldegoss hesitated. But remembering that Luo Mu and Serperior were the ones who had saved them, and seeing that the Gossifleur seemed to be getting better, it chose to trust him.

Eldegoss closed its eyes and completely entrusted its body to Luo Mu.

Luo Mu first used the bottle of antidote, already more than half empty, to cure Eldegoss's poison. Then, for the wounds left by Skuntank's bites, he took out a bottle of medicine from his canvas shoulder bag and carefully applied it to the injuries.

As a bystander, Arven watched Luo Mu resolve the situation in such an orderly manner. For a moment, the thought that dependable adults were really cool rose in his heart.

He... seemed to want to become that kind of person too.

Serperior's tail tip swayed back and forth in conflicted motions. Come to think of it, Luo Mu had not applied medicine to it so gently in a long time. Should it pretend to be injured and seek some comfort?

But would that be a little too deliberate and forward?

Serperior fell into a dilemma.

Eldegoss opened its eyes and discovered that its body, which had felt numb and weak from the poison and injuries, had become lighter. Its discomfort was also rapidly easing, and all of this had been brought about by this human.

Eldegoss looked at Luo Mu gratefully.

Only after seeing that Eldegoss's condition had begun to improve did Luo Mu choose to make his invitation. Rather than taking advantage of its vulnerability, he wanted to leave the choice to Eldegoss.

After organizing his words, Luo Mu spoke directly. "Have you considered living on a human farm?"