Chapter 24: Name Your Price

"Aven, Apothecary Link and Sir Enzo are here to ask for your help."

Uncle Mike smiled as he explained when he saw Aven approaching, pride evident in his tone.

From the polite demeanor of the two visitors, it was easy to imagine just how highly they regarded Aven.

"Help?" Aven narrowed his eyes and turned his gaze toward Sir Enzo.

Link quickly picked up the thread. "Aven, Sir Enzo's Luxray has been poisoned. He's hoping you can help detoxify it."

Sir Enzo lowered his head the moment Link finished speaking, not daring to look at Aven. His heart was pounding in his chest.

'Luxray... and poisoned at that. He definitely knows!'

Sir Enzo was screaming internally, wanting to say something, but no words would come out.

He cautiously looked up, only to find Aven walking slowly toward the Armored Rhydon that was hitched to the carriage, instead of answering directly.

The Rhydon stood tall and still. The heavy weight of the carriage and the thick iron chains, like bindings, had left deep grooves in its tough armor.

Considering how hard the armor of an Rhydon was, such marks couldn't have been made without years of wear—or extreme abuse. On top of that, fresh whip marks were still visible on its back.

Clearly, the Rhydon had been whipped relentlessly in order to rush here.

"Aven?"

Link looked confused as Aven remained silent.

"The poisoned Luxray, right?" Aven finally responded, his tone thoughtful.

Sir Enzo kept his head down and added, "As long as Luxray can be cured, you may name any condition you like, Mr. Aven."

'Name any condition, huh…'

Aven remained silent for a moment, then nodded. "I'll take a look first. I can't guarantee I'll be able to cure it."

The moment Aven spoke, Sir Enzo jerked his head up, eyes wide with joy. Inside, he was practically roaring,

'You can do it, I know you can!'

"Great, then let's get going." Link was visibly relieved, thinking Aven was as dependable as ever.

"Alright."

Aven nodded, then patted the Armored Rhydon's side and said gently, "It's going to be tough again—here, drink this."

He pulled out a bottle of healing potion from his bag and poured it into the Rhydon's mouth.

The beast's dull eyes flickered with life as it felt a warm current course through its body, easing its exhaustion and soothing the pain on its skin.

"You've always been kind to magical beasts," Link remarked emotionally. He remembered the time Aven had gone to the Baron's estate just to save a Petilil.

Aven didn't respond. Instead, he climbed up onto the carriage—not inside, but to the driver's seat. "I'll drive."

The coachman looked confused and turned to Sir Enzo for direction, only to see him nod.

'Don't say a word. Just do whatever he says,' Sir Enzo screamed internally.

Right now, he feared more than anything that Aven might bring up the Luxray and its poisoning.

One step at a time. First, get Aven back to the estate. Once there, they'd have a better chance of negotiating on even ground.

While the conversation continued, little Andy came running over, panting, with Petilil and Starly in tow. He spotted Aven on the carriage.

"That Petilil…"

Sir Enzo stiffened again. That Petilil was the source of the incurable poison!

In Sir Enzo's eyes, Petilil had already become the most toxic creature in existence.

Even if he had the chance to snatch it now, he wouldn't dare use it to make a universal remedy.

Who knew if the result would turn out to be another undetectable, incurable poison? Just the thought of it gave him chills.

His eyes then fell on the injured Starly, and for a moment he felt a mix of relief and gratitude.

Thank goodness he'd held back a bit during the attack. If something had happened to that Starly, this young apothecary would have become a deadly enemy.

"Lil! lil!"

Seeing Aven getting on the carriage, Petilil panicked and quickly jumped after him, unwilling to be left behind.

"Alright, you can come with me this time." Aven smiled.

This Petilil was no longer the same as before. Now equipped with toxic skills, its battle strength was more than respectable.

"Rhydon, let's go."

Bidding farewell to Uncle Mike and Andy, Aven held Petilil in his arms and gave the order to move.

Perhaps because of the healing potion earlier, the Rhydon obeyed without complaint, pulling the carriage forward at a brisk pace.

As they set off, the reins sank deeply into the grooves left on the Rhydon's back, and the carriage rolled smoothly along.

Aven let out a soft sigh, passed the reins to the driver, and stepped into the carriage, leaving the stunned coachman outside, empty-handed.

The carriage rolled on, while inside the cabin, the atmosphere was heavy. The very air felt stiff and stifling.

Link could also sense that something was off. He glanced at the two silent passengers, scratched his head, and didn't know what to say.

After a while, he figured it was best to explain Luxray's condition to Aven.

As Link spoke, Aven nodded quietly. He had already confirmed that the Luxray in question was the same one that had attacked the farm the night before.

What surprised him was that no one in Aspiration City had been able to neutralize the poison he had concocted.

But thinking about it more, it made sense. The "toxic" move inflicted badly poisoned status, which was much harder to cure than regular poisoning. It wasn't that strange after all.

(End of Chapter)