Returning to the Beedrill colony's territory, Xinhai and his companions remained on high alert as they swiftly crossed the familiar clearing, now permeated by the stench of scorched debris and death.
Every so often, their feet crunched over brittle burned branches or fragments of Beedrill's hard carapaces, producing faint sounds.
The scent in the air—a blend of charcoal and the distinctive Bug type smell of Weedle, Kakuna, Beedrill, and others—made Eevee let out a small sneeze.
After crossing the clearing, they soon arrived at a rocky area against the mountainside. Large collapsed boulders and shattered beeswax structures were mixed together, piled into a small hill.
Yet at the center of the ruins, a hole more than two meters wide stood exposed, its edges barely reinforced into a circle with thick beeswax. Like an eye that remained open amid the wreckage, it revealed a deep, shadowy interior.
From deep within the opening, an unusual fragrance continuously wafted out, refreshing and rich with the mellow scent of countless flowers and the sweet freshness of vegetation.
The fragrance was so rich and distinctive that it seemed almost tangible as it drifted through the air.
Wherever it passed, even the heavy scorched and sulfurous smell in the air seemed to fade considerably. Breathing it in gave them a slight lift in spirits, as though even some of their post-battle exhaustion had eased.
"Eevee! (⊙o⊙)" (S-so fragrant!) Eevee couldn't help vigorously twitching her tiny nose. Her large brown eyes were fixed on the fragrant cave entrance, filled with curiosity and longing.
"Zig..." (This smell... I feel like my body has relaxed a little...) Zigzagoon also couldn't resist taking a deep breath, her tail unconsciously swaying as she was clearly drawn in by the scent.
Light flowed through Gardevoir's red eyes as her invisible Inner Focus