Berrin had been extremely busy of late.
Ever since his father had successfully been promoted to the position of Earl of the Northeastern Border, he himself had also been granted his own fief.
Whether it was meant as a test of his capabilities or simply coincidence, the fief granted to him by Earl Ruize turned out to be the very barren Brambleford Village.
"As expected of the Gloom raised by the Pokémon Breeding House—its strength is truly impressive."
At this moment, out on the grassy field just outside the village, Berrin was personally inspecting the squad of Gloom that Aven had trained for him.
A full two hundred Gloom stood in perfectly orderly rows upon the grass, silent and still, like soldiers awaiting review.
"So, this is the famed Gloom squad that Fruitvale Village is so proud of?"
The leader of the territory knights studied the lineup before him, genuine surprise showing on his face.
They had just finished testing the combat power of these Gloom earlier, and the conclusion was clear—if an equal number of knights charged them head-on, this Gloom squad could completely hold their ground simply by relying on Sleep Powder as a defensive measure!
That said, the smell radiating from these Gloom was truly foul. Getting close to them required a significant amount of willpower.
The commander could not help glancing at the unflinching lord standing ahead. It was hard to imagine that a noble-born youth, accustomed to comfort and refinement all his life, could genuinely endure such a stench.
"Lord Berrin, the Earl has arrived."
A knightly attendant came running up in haste from afar.
"Very well, I'll go greet him at once."
Berrin drew in a deep breath.
But before he could mount his Rhyhorn to ride out, he saw Earl Ruize already approaching, leading his knights at a brisk pace.
"Father!"
Berrin quickly stepped forward to pay his respects.
The Earl gave a small nod.
"Mm, no need for formality."
His gaze then shifted toward the Gloom squad standing in formation. His eyes narrowed slightly.
"So, these are the Gloom cultivated by Fruitvale Village?"
Most lords in Aspiration City had at least heard of the Fruitvale Village Gloom corps, but this was his first time seeing them in person.
Aside from the rather overpowering stench, it was indeed difficult to discern any sign of great strength from these seemingly fragile, harmless Pokémon.
"That's right. These are the Oddish I sent to Fruitvale Village for training—they've all evolved into Gloom."
Berrin smiled confidently.
"Father, don't be fooled by their frail appearance. In a real frontal engagement, even your knights might not be able to break through them!"
As he spoke, he recalled the battle outside Fruitvale Village when the Aspiration knight regiment had failed to break past the Gloom's line of defense.
And by his estimation, the two hundred Gloom he now commanded might actually be even stronger than that earlier squad—their growth and development had far surpassed expectations.
"Truly that strong?"
Earl Ruize's tone was still skeptical. After a moment's thought, he said:
"Then let's put them to the test. If they really are that powerful, I might indeed need to have a proper discussion with Earl Aven."
"Yes, Father. I'll make the arrangements immediately!"
Before long, Berrin had assembled the Gloom into formation. The Earl's knight corps entered the field as well, the two forces facing each other across an open stretch of ground.
They were positioned right at the village entrance, and it was clear the commotion had drawn the attention of the local villagers. Many of the minor lords from nearby fiefdoms had also come to watch, their expressions filled with curiosity.
For the villagers, it was their first time seeing this Gloom squad. Many exchanged puzzled glances, unsure why the Gloom were about to spar with the knighs.
Berrin swept his gaze over the crowd, eyes narrowing slightly.
Just as Fruitvale Village's knight order had been composed entirely of commoners, he felt he could adopt a similar system here by first forming a patrol force.
If his villagers could witness firsthand the power of the Gloom, and from there be motivated to capture the occasional wild Oddish that wandered into their farmlands, the territory's combat strength could quickly grow.
"Let the battle begin!"
Earl Ruize did not enter the field, instead standing atop a small rise to watch the two sides face off.
At his command, roughly a hundred Rhyhorns began to move forward at a steady pace.
Their speed at the outset wasn't especially fast, but the rhythm was powerful and steady. So many Rhyhorns moving together was like a tide of living rocks, an unstoppable wave crashing down toward the Gloom.
"What an incredible aura… so this is the knights charge?"
The villagers looked on in awe.
When their eyes shifted to the frail-seeming Gloom, most shook their heads slightly. Judging by momentum alone, how could the Gloom possibly compare to the Rhyhorn?
"First Gloom squad—Sleep Powder!"
"Second Gloom squad—use Ingrain!"
Berrin recalled Aven's tactical instructions and quickly issued his commands.
The front row of Gloom let out low calls, their feet sprouting roots that burrowed deep into the ground.
"Glooo!"
A soft green light shimmered over their bodies as the roots rapidly spread underground, then broke through the soil ahead, snaking toward the oncoming Rhyhorn to entangle them.
Meanwhile, the Gloom in the rear ranks began to gather a pale blue dust upon their petals, then released it in great clouds toward the Rhyhorn.
This was Sleep Powder—dozens of Gloom deploying it at once created something like a pale blue sandstorm, blanketing a vast stretch of the battlefield.
The Rhyhorns weren't slow. They saw the haze of powder ahead, but it was far too late to halt their charge. In the next instant, they plunged into the cloud.
Enveloped in the drifting blue dust, they couldn't help inhaling it as they ran. A wave of drowsiness quickly overtook them.
At the same time, numerous roots burst from the ground at their feet, coiling around the lead Rhyhorn and momentarily halting their momentum.
From outside the field, the spectators could see nothing but the blue haze and the occasional thrash of movement.
"What's happening? How are the Rhyhorns doing?"
The knights watching from a distance exchanged uneasy looks. A bad premonition crept into their hearts.
The rumble of hooves still echoed—but it was growing steadily fainter. By now, at their speed, the Rhyhorns should have long since burst free of the powder cloud… yet they had not.
"Looks like it's over," Berrin said, a smile on his face as he looked at the scene before him.
Relying on Ingrain to stop the knights' charge, and then using a large amount of Sleep Powder to send the enemy into slumber - a really simple and crude tactic.
However, thinking of his own past losses, his smile faded a little. He could vaguely sense that this tactic can be constantly refined, and the Sleep Powder seemed to become even more effective!
Whoosh whoosh~
As time passed, a gentle breeze blew through the field.
Finally, the large amount of Sleep Powder was blown away by the wind, the shapes within the haze became visible.
At this moment, everyone held their breath. In fact, when they saw that the Rhyhorns had not ran through the area covered by the haze of Sleep Powder, they had a hypothesis.
Now they wanted to verify their hypothesis for themselves and see what was happening on the field!
Finally, the haze completely cleared.
There lay the Rhyhorns, collapsed in slumber barely ten meters from the Gloom's line. The Rhyhorns in the front were entwined with emerald green roots, and traces of broken roots were visible along the way, making it easy to imagine the scene in their minds!
The crowd gasped audibly.
"They lost… the Rhyhorns actually lost!"
This outcome had been unthinkable at the start of the match, yet here it was in plain sight.
The knights were stunned into silence, unable to reconcile what they were seeing with their expectations. These Gloom had been assembled only recently, yet they had defeated veteran war-steeds that had fought alongside their riders for years.
Meanwhile, the Brambleford Village knights erupted in cheers. The idea of becoming "Gloom knights," once met with outright disgust, now seemed far more acceptable.
"It seems we've successfully shown the power of the Gloom," Berrin said with satisfaction. This had been his true purpose in accepting the match.
Earl Ruize approached, a rare note of praise in his voice.
"Well done, Berrin. These Glooms are even stronger than I'd imagined."
As the former leader of Aspiration City Knight Order, he understood perfectly the value of such defensive power—Gloom could be like an unbreachable wall against direct assaults.
Of course, he also saw their weaknesses, which would have to be compensated for through other means. But that was a separate matter from their inherent combat strength.
"Thank you for your praise, Father," Berrin replied, both relieved and gratified.
"Mm. See to things here, then come to my study—I'll be waiting."
Watching his father's departing back, Berrin clenched his fist. He knew he had earned his father's recognition today.
Turning to the surrounding knights and villagers, he said:
"Spend more time with the Gloom. I want each of you to gain their trust and become true knights. And as for the rest of you—Gloom are simply the evolved form of Oddish, which I'm sure you're all familiar with. If you can gain an Oddish's trust, any commoner has the chance to become a member of the Brambleford Village patrol force."
The words sparked murmurs among the villagers.
Berrin remembered well what Aven had told him—only by earning a Pokémon's recognition could one truly become its Trainer, its partner to rely on.
That, he believed, was the real reason Fruitvale Village had grown so strong. There, everyone could become a Trainer, and when battle came, such a force was impossible to ignore.
He had decided—Brambleford Village would adopt the same Trainer system, with generous support for those who took up the role.
(End of Chapter)