"Good day, Lord Aven." At that moment, an apothecary walked over.
It was a woman dressed in a snow-white nurse's uniform, with a nurse's cap perched on her head that bore a red cross. Her appearance was exactly the same as the Pokémon nurses Aven remembered from his impressions of Pokémon Centers in the past.
"Mhm. Hello, and thank you for your hard work." Aven nodded gently, his tone warm, before continuing with his question. "How is Buck's condition?"
"Mr. Buck has already regained consciousness. After a thorough examination, he is in a stable condition and is completely ready to be discharged." The nurse spoke in a professional tone.
The current Pokémon Center, aside from its treatment ward, also had an inpatient ward. It was divided into two separate buildings, one for humans and one for Pokémon, each independent of the other.
Since the Center had only recently been established, and because the vast majority of injuries could be fully healed in the treatment ward, the inpatient section seemed rather quiet. In fact, Buck was the only one staying there at present.
Following the nurse's lead, Aven quickly arrived at Buck's room. Inside, Buck seemed to be packing up his belongings. He had only stayed for one day, yet he already felt completely recovered.
What an unbelievable power…
Buck thought to himself, still filled with awe.
If it had been an ordinary serf who had suffered such injuries, the only outcome would likely have been waiting for death.
Now, he felt nothing but gratitude that he had been able to come to Lord Aven's Pokémon Domain, that he had the chance to become one of his subjects, and that he could offer his own strength in service to him.
"Lord Aven!"
When Buck turned around after finishing his packing, he suddenly froze for a second. Then, flustered, he hurriedly attempted to bow in respect.
Although he had already been promoted to the status of a freeman, the instincts of a man born as a serf remained ingrained in him, compelling him to perform the gestures of submission one would offer to their liege lord.
"No need for formalities." Aven reached forward and helped him up. "I came because I wanted to ask you about the water-dwelling Pokémon you encountered."
"The one from the water…"
Buck exchanged a look with Bidoof, then gave a simple recounting of the situation as it had happened.
To be honest, they hadn't even gotten a clear look at the creature's true appearance. All they had seen was a pair of black tentacles wrapping tightly around Stunky.
When they entered the water, they immediately launched an attack on those tentacles, but during the fight they were suddenly bombarded by a surge of foul, muddy sludge.
After a fierce battle, the shadowy figure abandoned Stunky and fled. It was only then that they managed to rescue the Pokémon—but right after that, Buck had collapsed unconscious.
"Mhm. You handled things very well this time."
"With trainers like you joining the patrol squads, I believe the relationship between humans and Pokémon will only grow stronger and better."
Aven smiled as he encouraged him, then asked again, "So how are you feeling now? Do you think you're ready to head with me once more into the Black Coast Forest?"
The moment Buck heard that, he straightened up with excitement, replying fervently, "There's no problem at all, Lord Aven!"
Soon after, with the nurse's assistance, Buck completed his discharge procedures.
Although the cost of treatment at the Pokémon Center was extremely high, the medical expenses of the knights, patrol members, and rangers who defended the territory were all fully covered by the territorial treasury.
At the same time, the families of these knights, patrolmen, and rangers could also enjoy both discounts and priority access whenever they sought treatment at the Pokémon Center. This was considered part of their benefits.
Because of this policy, now everyone in the territory was desperate to secure a position within these groups, even willing to push their way in by any means. In a way, it also greatly increased the motivation of aspiring trainers, all hoping that one day they could pass the required examinations and join.
Leaving the Pokémon Center with Buck in tow, Aven headed straight toward the Patrol Guard Division of the Trainer Headquarters. There, he once again met with Jean, the captain of the coastal patrol squad.
"Greetings, Lord Aven!" The moment the patrol members saw him, they all bowed in respect. Immediately afterward, their gazes fell on Buck.
This time, the fact that they had been able to return safely was entirely thanks to Buck. Every single one of them could honestly say they owed him their lives.
"I was only doing what I should," Buck replied shyly, scratching his head with a sheepish smile.
Without a doubt, after this event, this trainer who had been once a serf would be able to blend far more smoothly into the patrol team.
"Then let us set out at once."
Under Aven's lead, the patrol squad set out in the direction of the Black Coast Forest.
Along the way, he listened to their reports about the current state of the reclamation efforts in the forest.
The greatest difficulty for the clearing teams now came from the many areas within the forest that were filled with poisonous swamps and toxic grounds. They could do nothing more than observe from a distance, unable to get any closer.
"I will think of a way to deal with that." Aven spoke with resolve.
"Although the eastern part of the Black Coast Forest is indeed a fine place for training Poison-type Pokémon…"
"The region near the Fair River must be cleared. The Poison-types need to be pushed further eastward."
As he studied the map, his eyes swept back and forth until they finally landed on a location marked as a landfill.
For a Pokémon like Muk, which were pure embodiments of poison, such a garbage dump would actually be a very suitable place. They could all be relocated there.
As for the other Poison-types, the best option would be to move them toward the territory of the Drapion tribes, forming a concentrated Poison-type habitat encircling that area.
He had already scouted the place and found that the Drapion's territory was vast, easily capable of accommodating the vast majority of Poison-types currently in the Black Coast Forest.
However, the Drapion tribes were incredibly aggressive. They would mercilessly attack any Pokémon that dared to intrude into their territory. Even the Nidoking tribe might not be able to stand against them.
Under such circumstances, it was no wonder that almost no Poison-type Pokémon were willing to approach that place—even though it was saturated with Poison-type energy.
"It seems the next step will be to subdue the Drapion tribes!" Aven made his decision firmly in his heart.
As the patrol squad continued forward, following the banks of the Fair River, they soon arrived at the outskirts of the Black Coast Forest.
"STUNNN!" "TANKK!"
But just as they drew near the forest, they heard a series of roars.
Everyone immediately halted in caution, their eyes darting toward the sound. There, they saw a small group of Skuntanks and Stunkys.
When those Pokémon noticed the approaching patrol squad, they suddenly grew restless and agitated. Then, to everyone's surprise, a lone Stunky suddenly broke away from the group and began sprinting straight toward them.
At once, the Bibarel and Bidoofs in the patrol team moved to the front, preparing to intercept this sudden charge.
"Meowr!"
Luxio crouched low, its body tense as it assumed a hunter's posture, ready to pounce.
"Hold your attacks—don't move just yet. This Stunky doesn't seem like it wants to fight."
Aven raised his hand and stopped everyone from making a move, watching carefully as the Stunky drew closer and closer.
"Wait… could this Stunky be that one?" A patrol member suddenly muttered in surprise.
Buck too froze for a second. His gaze locked on the Stunky, and at the same moment, he noticed the little Pokémon was staring right back at him, its eyes brimming with joy.
In the very next instant, the Stunky slipped past the Pokémon standing at the front and leapt straight toward Buck.
"Oddish, Bidoof, don't attack!"
Buck quickly called out, though his eyes never wavered from Stunky's.
The Stunky reached him in no time, jumping up into his arms.
Without thinking, Buck spread his arms wide and caught it, his face lighting up with just as much happiness.
"Little one… you're the Stunky that fell into the water, aren't you?"
"It looks like you've completely recovered. That's wonderful—truly wonderful."
Overjoyed, Buck held the Stunky tightly, his hand gently stroking its soft, purple-black fur.
"Stun! Stunnn!"
The Stunky cried out happily, rubbing its head affectionately against Buck's chest again and again.
"TANKK! TANKK! TANKKK!"
Just then, from a distance, the Skuntank let out deep roars one after another.
Then, under everyone's astonished gazes, the Skuntank turned around, leading their group slowly back into the depths of the forest until they disappeared from sight.
From the way it looked, they had come here deliberately to send the Stunky off. Now that it had found Buck, they chose to leave, entrusting their companion into his care with peace of mind.
"Does this mean… Stunky, do you want to follow me?" Buck asked with some hesitation.
His answer came in the form of more cheerful cries. The little head nodded repeatedly, followed immediately by another bout of affectionate rubbing.
"Congratulations, Buck!"
"I'm honestly so jealous. To think you actually managed to get a Stunky!"
"And the most unfair part is—it wasn't even you chasing after it, the Stunky practically threw itself at you! Next time I see a Stunky drowning, I'm definitely jumping in without hesitation!"
The patrol team members all began offering their congratulations, their voices carrying with them a strong sense of envy.
Aven quietly observed the scene before him, the corners of his mouth lifting into a faint smile.
This—wasn't this exactly the kind of sight he had longed to see?
The harmonious coexistence between humans and Pokémon. He firmly believed that as this new generation of trainers continued to grow and mature, the concept of mutual harmony between people and Pokémon would gradually take root, becoming deeply ingrained until it was unshakable.
(End of Chapter)