In the dark, overgrown forest, Eldegoss looked flustered, doing its best to use its Cotton Spore move to block the foul-smelling liquid sprayed from the tail tip of the purplish beast before it.
As soon as the liquid touched the air, a stench several times worse than socks worn for a month straight and then sealed in an airtight space for a year began to permeate the area.
Eldegoss felt it incredibly difficult to breathe, its face turning purple, and just breathing felt like torture.
But it couldn't collapse yet.
While defending, Eldegoss anxiously glanced at the two Gossifleur behind it, who had already fainted from poisoning.
As they drifted in the wind, a sudden gust swept them into Skuntank's territory, unable to adjust their direction in time.
Skuntank didn't allow other beings to invade its territory, and in an instant, it poisoned the Gossifleur, leaving only Eldegoss to struggle.
Eldegoss shook its body to dislodge the poison-soaked Cotton Spore, then, propping up its weakened body, it released Cotton Spore again to block Skuntank's attack, feeling a sense of despair.
If this continued, it wouldn't be able to hold on.
Please, someone, anyone, come save us!
"Damn it, Serperior, what kind of path did you lead us on? It stinks!" (Half-annoyed)
As the surprised male voice rang out, Skuntank seemed to be enraged, its fur bristling completely as it glared ferociously at the newcomers.
In Eldegoss's eyes, a spark of hope ignited instantly.
"Cough, cough, cough!"
Pai Pa was so overwhelmed by the stench that he nearly fainted on the spot, feeling a burning illusion from his nasal cavity all the way to his throat, causing him to cough uncontrollably.
And 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 more sensitive than a human's; Pai Pa and Luo Mu had almost fainted from the smell, let alone Mabosstiff.
Serperior displeasedly tapped Luo Mu's palm lightly with its tail tip as a warning. Is this the time to care about the smell?
If they didn't act now, those three future farm laborers would really be poisoned to death.
Serperior reminded Luo Mu that now was indeed not the time to worry about the smell; the Gossifleur's body color was tinged with purple, clearly indicating poisoning.
And Eldegoss had resisted Skuntank's attacks for a long time, so it was probably only a matter of time before the toxins erupted.
That Eldegoss clearly looked like it had only recently evolved, roughly equivalent to level 20 or so, whereas Skuntank had clearly completed its evolution some time ago and might even be approaching level 40.
So, next up is... the hero's entrance!
Luo Mu covered his mouth and nose with his right hand, and with a wave of his left hand, he commanded, "First, cover up this stench, Sweet Scent!"
Serperior wouldn't normally use this move lightly, but if it didn't use it now, Luo Mu and Pai Pa might be the next to faint.
Fine, I'll make an exception today. (ω)
Serperior coiled its serpentine body, and a rich herbal fragrance rapidly spread out from Serperior as its center.
In that instant, the stench was overpowered by the fragrance, creating an indescribable scent.
But that was enough; as long as Skuntank's stench was suppressed, there were plenty of ways to deal with it.
Skuntank seemed to tolerate it no longer, spraying several streams of foul-smelling venom from the tip of its upright tail.
Serperior really didn't want its Vine Whip to get contaminated with that stuff. Its snake eyes narrowed slightly, and Grass-type energy transformed into sharp leaves, which converged into a small Twister, shooting out from Serperior's tail tip.
This wasn't Leaf Storm; if it really used Leaf Storm, this Skuntank would be severely injured, especially since, by rights, they were the ones who had actively trespassed into Skuntank's territory.
Luo Mu had always taught it that even with power in hand, one must not indulge oneself.
The Grass Mixer instantly tore the venom to shreds, and the dripping liquid fell to the ground, causing the grass in that spot to quickly wither.
Then, the Grass Mixer continued its momentum, sweeping towards Skuntank and enveloping it.
In an instant, Skuntank screamed as it was scraped by the Grass Mixer. When its eyes met Serperior's majestic and noble snake pupils, Skuntank immediately understood that Serperior was an existence it absolutely could not provoke.
Without the slightest hesitation, Skuntank immediately tucked its tail between its legs, abandoning even its territory, and fled into the distance without looking back.
"Wild Pokemon survive in the perilous wilderness by virtue of their ability to assess the situation. Once an enemy is an existence they cannot deal with, they will directly choose to flee."
Luo Mu seized the opportunity to explain to Pai Pa, who was curious why Skuntank had fled.
"Then why didn't Eldegoss run away?"
"Because they are family. With bonds and attachments, many things are not so easy to abandon."
"Oh."
"Alright, this should be fine now."
Luo Mu gently placed the second Gossifleur onto the temporary vine bed woven by Serperior's vines, and seeing the purple tinge on its body rapidly fade, a smile finally appeared on his tense face.
I have to say, this antidote really works wonders.
Basically, for most poisoned Pokemon, as long as there's this small bottle of antidote, they can be saved.
Luo Mu breathed a sigh of relief and looked at the anxious Eldegoss nearby, smiling, "The Gossifleur are out of danger now. You can accept treatment, right?"
Eldegoss hesitated for a moment, then, thinking that it was Luo Mu and Serperior who had saved them and that the Gossifleur seemed to be recovering, it chose to trust him.
Eldegoss closed its eyes, completely entrusting its body to Luo Mu.
Luo Mu still first used the half-empty bottle of antidote to detoxify Eldegoss, then, for the wounds left on Eldegoss's body from Skuntank's bites, he pulled out a bottle of Potion from his canvas shoulder bag and carefully applied it.
Pai Pa, as a bystander, watched Luo Mu resolve the situation in an orderly manner, and for a moment, the thought of how cool a reliable adult was arose in his heart.
He... seemed to want to become that kind of person too.
Serperior's tail tip swung back and forth in a conflicted manner. Speaking of which, it had been a long time since Luo Mu had so gently applied medicine to it. Should it pretend to be injured to seek comfort?
But then, wouldn't that be a bit too deliberate and proactive?
Serperior fell into a dilemma.
Eldegoss opened its eyes and found that its body, which had felt numb and weak from poisoning and injuries, had become light, and its discomfort began to rapidly improve. All of this was brought about by this human.
Eldegoss cast a grateful look at Luo Mu.
Seeing that Eldegoss's condition had already begun to improve, Luo Mu then chose to extend an invitation. Rather than taking advantage of its vulnerability, he still wanted to give Eldegoss the choice.
After organizing his words, Luo Mu spoke directly, "Have you ever considered living on a human farm?"