On the plains where the temporary knight camp was set up, a large number of Pokémon had gathered.
These were the ones who had been freed from the corruption of the gray mist, and their bodies were still very weak.
Fortunately, with the help of Aven and Petilil, they were gradually recovering.
As time passed, the Pokémon finally understood what had happened.
It turned out that the forest they lived in had been shrouded in a strange gray mist that drove them mad.
Thankfully, the human before them had found a way to save them, and for that, they were all filled with gratitude.
Pokémon are sometimes just that simple—if you treat them with sincerity, they will respond with sincerity.
Now, these Pokémon had formed a good relationship with Aven.
The daily health check-ups had brought them closer together.
Torterra quietly lay on a patch of grass, its gaze resting on the snow that hadn't completely melted on the distant hill.
It felt a little dazed—whenever that Rhydon with a white ribbon on its head ran by, the ground would burst with vitality.
With just a few grass seeds, an entire field of grass would sprout, giving the nearby Grass-type Pokémon a place to live.
Watching its companions run joyfully across the meadow, Torterra's eyes softened, and it rested its head on the ground, closing its eyes to nap.
Originally, it lived on Mount Coronet, but due to an accident, it ended up in the Black Forest, where it met the other Grass-type Pokémon.
Grass-types are naturally at a disadvantage in the food chain, often prey for others.
But after Torterra arrived in the Black Forest, that changed. More and more Grass-types gathered, forming a tribe.
Under its protection, the Pokémon could grow and thrive in peace.
Boom boom boom! Just as Torterra was deep in thought with its eyes closed, the ground began to tremble again.
It didn't need to open its eyes to know it was that Rhydon with the white ribbon doing its daily exercise.
Every day, that Rhydon would run several laps around the camp—its energy was off the charts.
At the same time, many Grass-type Pokémon ran joyfully after it, eager to follow.
Boom boom boom! Rhydon ran swiftly, the ground behind it churning with life energy.
The cheering Grass-type Pokémon lit up with green light, surrounded by life energy that bathed them in vitality.
Seeing this, Torterra lowered its head again, preparing to nap a bit more—it had been feeling constantly tired lately.
Just as it was about to drift off again, it saw Aven approaching, dressed in white, carrying Petilil in his arms and accompanied by Froslass.
"Torterra, good morning. How are you feeling today?" Aven greeted it with a pat on its shell and a smile.
"Terra~" Torterra responded.
It had heard from its companions about what had happened when it went berserk. Now, seeing Aven made it feel ashamed.
"You're in good spirits. Looks like you'll be fully recovered soon," Aven said as he examined Torterra's shell.
After being corrupted by the gray mist, its shell had dulled and the tree on its back had almost withered.
Now, thanks to Petilil's life energy treatments, the shell had regained its luster.
"This is today's fertilizer," Aven said, holding a bucket in his other hand.
As he spoke, he climbed onto Torterra's back and poured the fertilizer over the tree.
The energy from the growth fertilizer surged through Torterra's body, making it feel comfortable all over.
"Absorb it well. The tree on your back will come back to life," Aven encouraged.
Torterra immediately nodded with excitement. It could feel the life returning to the tree.
The tree had been with it since it was a small Turtwig sapling, through its evolution into Grotle, and now into its final form.
By saving the tree, Aven had effectively saved its life again—it now owed him two lives.
After tending to Torterra, Aven moved on to the other Pokémon.
Compared to Grass-types that could absorb ground energy, others were in worse shape.
The gray mist had severely drained their life energy—their fur was dull, their bodies weak, as if prematurely aged.
Next, Aven approached the forest overlord—Arbok.
Perhaps due to its fearsome reputation, the area around Arbok was empty. The other Pokémon kept their distance.
The large purple snake lay on the ground but rose up immediately upon seeing Aven.
Both Petilil and Froslass became alert, worried that Arbok might attack.
"It's okay. Don't worry," Aven reassured them, patting Petilil's head and walking toward Arbok.
Arbok calmly watched him. When Aven came close, it obediently lowered its head.
The knights watching nearby were stunned.
They never expected to see such a ferocious beast act so submissively to a human.
"You're recovering well," Aven said, gently petting Arbok's head—an act that made the knights' hearts race.
Truth be told, if Aven hadn't stopped them, they would have killed this dangerous serpent long ago.
But no danger emerged. Under Aven's expert massage, Arbok's expression relaxed, enjoying every moment.
After giving it a bottle of healing medicine, Aven smiled.
"You're all better now. If you don't want to stay here, you're free to return to the forest."
Hearing that, Arbok gave Aven a long look.
Over the past few days, it had already learned that the gray mist in the Black Forest had cleared.
Many less-injured Pokémon had already left.
It glanced once more at the wary knights and Pokémon nearby, then slowly began to crawl out of the camp.
If not for wanting to see Aven one last time, it would have left the night before.
It knew it didn't belong here—it belonged to the Black Forest.
As it crawled away, Arbok couldn't help but turn back one last time, seeing Aven waving goodbye from a high slope.
Then, it sped up and disappeared into the tall grass.
(End of Chapter)