On a grassy field, a Gloom sat on a rock, lost in thought.
Its gaze drifted toward the Oddish playing nearby. After some conversation, it had already learned about how they had left the forest and begun living on a human's farm.
That human—who didn't show the slightest disgust toward it—was truly an incredible person.
Under his training, the Oddish had even learned the move Sleep Powder, which was something Gloom found hard to believe.
For generations, Oddish could only use Sleep Powder after evolving, once the grass on their heads turned into flower petals.
Gloom really couldn't understand how they could produce powder from their leaves without having petals. That was, until it learned that Aven possessed a special medicine called sleep-inducing potion.
With the help of this unique substance, the Oddish were able to learn Sleep Powder. It was an amazing discovery—and incredibly important for their kind.
However, to learn Sleep Powder, they would have to follow that human back to his farm. Gloom still had its reservations about that.
Noticing the hopeful glances its companions occasionally threw its way, Gloom felt torn. It could clearly see that its fellow Oddish wanted to follow that human and learn the move.
What should it do? Should it be the reason its companions miss out on the life they wanted?
Gloom kept asking itself this question.
"Gloom, are you thinking about your stench?"
Just as Gloom's thoughts spiraled, Aven's gentle voice suddenly came from nearby.
Seeing Aven approach, Gloom instinctively wanted to step away, but Aven sat down beside it before it could move.
Through the time they'd spent together, Gloom had already come to realize that Aven truly didn't mind its odor. The realization left Gloom deeply touched.
Sitting quietly on the stone, Gloom glanced at Aven, unsure how to respond.
"You don't need to worry at all," Aven said with a smile. Then, to Gloom's disbelief, he added casually, "Actually, your smell can be hidden."
With a jolt, Gloom jumped to its feet and looked at Aven with wide, hopeful eyes.
It didn't doubt his words—if Aven could teach Oddish to use Sleep Powder, then maybe he really could help it suppress its odor!
"There are actually a few ways," Aven continued.
"The first is evolution. If you evolve into either a Vileplume or a Bellossom, the odor will disappear."
Gloom froze for a moment. Evolution? Could it still evolve?
"Of course, that method is a bit tricky," Aven went on. After all, evolving required evolution stones.
In his previous life, as long as you had money, getting a stone wasn't hard.
But in this ancient world, the value of evolution stones wasn't widely recognized, so no industry had formed around them. Stones could only be obtained through traditional mining.
Just as Gloom's spirits began to fall again, Aven added, "But I can also teach you Sweet Scent. With it, you can use fragrance to control your natural smell."
Sweet Scent. Gloom's eyes sparkled. Just hearing the name, it already liked it—fragrance sounded so much better.
"Alright, you don't have any concerns left now, right?" Aven smiled, extending his hand toward Gloom once again. "So, will you come with me?"
This time, Gloom didn't refuse. It nodded firmly at Aven.
At that moment, cheers echoed from the forest—it was clear the Oddish had been paying close attention to their exchange!
Now that Gloom had agreed, Aven felt truly happy. This group led by Gloom now numbered over 80 Oddish.
Thinking back, he couldn't help feeling a bit regretful. If only he had come to the forest earlier, he might've gathered even more.
That thought made him grit his teeth in frustration at the Rattata, who had scattered the group.
Still, now that the Rattata had lost their leader, they'd reverted to a disorganized mob. Order would likely return to this part of the forest soon.
After a short rest, the Oddish troop set off once more.
Using collective Sleep Powder, they easily put to sleep any wild Pokémon that tried to block their path. The forest became eerily quiet.
Gloom and its group followed behind, watching the Oddish demonstrate their newfound strength. Its eyes sparkled with excitement, filled with hope for the life to come.
By evening, Aven led the training-weary Oddish out of the dark forest.
Near a hundred Oddish marched into Fruitvale Village, immediately drawing the attention of the villagers.
But as they got closer, the villagers caught a whiff of Gloom's odor. They stopped in their tracks, staring in shock at the Gloom being escorted in the middle of the group.
"Is that a Gloom?"
"Oh my gosh, why would Aven bring a Gloom into the village?"
"Ugh, it stinks! Has Aven lost his mind?"
The villagers stood at a distance, pointing and whispering about Gloom. Its expression changed, and it lowered its head in shame.
"Everyone, how about we all head home?"
"I think the berries in your orchards are just about ready for harvest, aren't they?"
Aven looked at Gloom and softly addressed the villagers.
It was true that Gloom's smell was strong—no wonder the villagers were gossiping.
Upon hearing Aven's words, the villagers quickly broke into smiles. Clearly, they were happy at the thought of ripe berries.
They glanced at Aven, then at Gloom, but didn't say anything further and dispersed.
Once they were gone, Aven quietly reassured Gloom, "Don't worry about them."
Gloom nodded, following Aven toward the farm, its scent lingering faintly along the road, causing the villagers they passed to steer clear.
When they arrived back at the farm, Uncle Mike, having gotten word, rushed over.
Though the smell made him wave his hand reflexively, he simply gave Aven a puzzled look.
Aven returned a look that said I'll explain later and continued leading the Oddish toward the pasture.
As soon as they saw the lush fields ahead, the Oddish were completely captivated.
And the moment they stepped into the grass and felt its vibrant energy, they burst into joyful cheers.
This was it. This was their new home.
(End of Chapter)