Kale was still in a daze.
His figure lay sprawled across a stretch of soft grass, eyes staring blankly at the endless blue of the sky above. For a moment he felt as if he were drifting inside a dream, unable to grasp what was real and what was not.
"What happened? Where am I?" He tried to recall the last fragments of memory before he had lost consciousness.
Then suddenly, his whole body shivered violently. A sharp image tore through his mind—the moment when Empoleon had turned into a flash of crimson light and disappeared before his eyes.
"You've finally woken up."
A sudden voice broke the silence.
The voice sounded strangely familiar, faintly echoing in his mind. He was certain—he had heard this voice just before he had blacked out.
With difficulty, Kale turned his head. Not far away, dressed in clean white robes, stood Aven, watching him with a calm but intrigued expression.
"Who are you?" Kale struggled to sit upright, his gaze sharp with suspicion. His eyes flickered for a moment before he asked with strained breath, "Was it you who saved me?"
Aven nodded lightly. "Mm. Yes, I did save you. If I hadn't arrived when I did, both you and your Empoleon would already have been nothing more than food for the Drapion tribe."
He shrugged casually. The truth, however, was that Aven had arrived earlier, but chose not to intervene until the very last moment—when he saw Empoleon collapse into unconsciousness, he had finally stepped in to pull Kale out of danger.
"Empoleon… that's right, Empoleon!" Kale's eyes widened, panic flashing across his face.
The scene of Empoleon dissolving into red light was eerie and unexplainable, yet in his heart he was certain it was connected to the mysterious young man before him.
"Relax," Aven said evenly. "Empoleon only fainted. Nothing serious has happened to it."
He lowered himself to sit cross-legged on the grass across from Kale, his gaze still calm. "Now then, it's about time we talked properly, Lord Kale—City Lord of Marina City."
The title struck like a hammer. Relief had just washed through Kale upon hearing Empoleon was safe, but his heart tightened immediately after. He had not expected his identity to be uncovered so easily.
"So, it really is you, the City Lord of Marina City," Aven continued. "After all, a King-level Empoleon is practically your signature."
He observed the shifting expression on Kale's face and nodded slightly to himself. Truthfully, it had only been a strong suspicion before—but now he was certain.
What puzzled Aven was why the City Lord of Marina City would appear here of all places, deep inside Drapion territory, and nearly lose his life in such a reckless manner. Even more suspicious were the wounds covering Empoleon's body.
Many of those injuries were not ones a Drapion could inflict. Clearly, before stepping into this poisonous land, Empoleon had already fought a fierce and grueling battle.
"Yes…" Kale's eyes dimmed. "I am indeed the City Lord of Marina City."
His voice carried deep defeat. This time, he had lost utterly and miserably. If not for the man before him, both he and Empoleon would have perished here.
Thinking of Empoleon, he could not stop himself from asking again, "Where is my Empoleon now?"
"I already told you—it's fine," Aven replied calmly. "But for the time being, I cannot return it to you."
His voice remained steady. "A King-ranked beast is not so easily handled. If it were to resist, it would cause unnecessary trouble."
That was why, at the very moment he had acted, Aven had chosen to seal Empoleon away inside a Poké Ball first. Only then could he safely rescue Kale without fear of the unconscious creature suddenly lashing out.
Of course, this also served as leverage. From the battle earlier, Aven had already seen how close Kale was to his Empoleon. By keeping Empoleon firmly in his grasp, he ensured the Marina City City Lord dared not harbor any reckless thoughts. It also gave him an advantage in the conversation to follow.
"…I understand," Kale muttered at last, his eyes flashing with resignation.
He knew exactly why Aven was doing this. Without Empoleon, his threat was drastically reduced.
"Good. Then let us talk." Aven's tone hardened. "Since you are here, that can only mean something has happened to Marina City. The question is—was it overrun by sea beasts, or did some sort of internal disaster occur?"
His probing words hung heavy in the air. Marina City had always been one of the greatest potential threats to his Pokémon Domain. Aven was eager to know the truth.
"Marina City…" The name itself made Kale's expression flicker. His heart churned with fierce struggle.
A faint guess about Aven's identity had already formed in his mind. Just like his own King-ranked Empoleon, the young man before him also had a highly recognizable companion—Petilil. That alone made him nearly certain who Aven was.
But if he revealed the state of Marina City to this youth, would that not be equivalent to betraying his city? Even if Hill had usurped him, Marina City was still his home, his responsibility. He hesitated, torn between truth and loyalty.
"What's wrong? Don't want to speak?" Aven's voice dropped to an icy edge.
"You should know—we are enemies. And when it comes to enemies, I have never shown mercy. If you will not tell me what I wish to know, then I will simply take what I want by my own means!"
As he spoke, Aven lifted his hand and revealed Empoleon's Poké Ball.
Kale's eyes went wide. The memory of Empoleon being absorbed into a red light and sealed into this strange ball rushed back vividly.
This strange object was much like the sorcerers' black crystals—a vessel capable of sealing magical beasts inside!
"Tell me everything you know," Aven demanded coldly. "Do so, and I will treat you as I would any other prisoner of war. Otherwise…" His fingers tightened meaningfully around the Poké Ball, as if preparing to crush it.
"You—" Kale's eyes narrowed, glaring at him with fury.
But after only a few breaths, all the strength seemed to drain from his body. His shoulders slumped, his face twisted with pain, and at last he shut his eyes. "Fine… Ask."
"First question." Aven's gaze sharpened. "What exactly happened to Marina City?"
"The Knight Order… they betrayed me. I barely escaped with my life."
"The Knight Order betrayed you?" Aven's face revealed genuine surprise. No wonder, then, that even with a King-level Empoleon, Kale had nearly failed to survive. "Why would your own Knight Order turn against you?"
"This…" Kale's expression flickered with turmoil. After a long pause, he finally clenched his teeth and spoke. "The current Knight Captain, Hill, has thrown his lot in with the Sorcerers. He wanted to become the new City Lord of Marina City."
"...The Sorcerers?" Aven's eyes narrowed.
"Yes. They are a powerful organization that has gained control over a Guardian Deity."
Lowering his head, Kale slowly recounted all he knew about the Sorcerers.
"They intend to use Marina City as a stepping stone to strike at Aspiration City. But their true goal… is Azelf."
Perhaps, he thought bitterly, if Aspiration City's strength could be united, they might stand a chance at defeating the Sorcerers. For Kale, reclaiming Marina City meant first overcoming the Sorcerers—and the only being who could counter their Guardian Deity was none other than Azelf, the Guardian Deity of Aspiration City.
"Wait—let me get this straight." Aven pinched the bridge of his nose. "You're saying this Sorcerer organization possesses a Guardian Deity equal in power to Azelf? And they plan to attack Aspiration City through Marina City, so that Azelf will be forced to appear?"
Guardian Deities were none other than the legendary Pokémon spoken of in myths. For Aven to suddenly receive such information from Kale was utterly shocking.
Unconsciously, his eyes turned to Ralts by his side. The little psychic Pokémon gave a small nod, signaling that Kale's words were no lie.
But at the same time, Ralts sensed a faint malice hidden within Kale's heart. The man was deliberately revealing this information, clearly hoping to push Aspiration City into conflict with the Sorcerers.
'So, he wants to drag us into his battle,' Aven thought grimly. 'He wants Aspiration City to help him strike down the Sorcerers.'
The logic was transparent enough. Yet one question gnawed at Aven. If the Sorcerers truly wanted to deal with Azelf, why not simply attack Aspiration City directly?
Once confronted by an equal foe, Azelf would have no choice but to emerge. Wasn't relying on Marina City unnecessary?
Kale seemed to anticipate the doubt. His voice grew heavy. "Because… within Aspiration City's territory, Azelf can draw upon the willpower of its people. If the Sorcerers confronted it there, their Guardian Deity would be no match for Azelf, empowered by the collective will of its citizens. That is why they need to weaken Azelf first, using Marina City's forces to attack Aspiration City from outside. Only then can they strip Azelf of its advantage."
His words spilled faster now, urgency pushing him. "Not only that—the recent beast tide from Abyssal Caverns was also orchestrated by the Sorcerers. Their purpose was the same: to gradually erode Azelf's strength!"
Having reasoned it all out, Kale confessed every piece of information he possessed. In his mind, defeating the Sorcerers was now paramount.
By exposing their true goal, he ensured that Aspiration City would see them as the common enemy. If Aspiration City wished to prevent the Sorcerers' plan, they would have no choice but to fight.
"…This is no longer something I can handle alone." Aven rubbed his temples with a weary sigh.
He had not expected that by rescuing Marina City's fallen City Lord, he would stumble into a secret touching on the existence of legendary Pokémon themselves.
That Azelf's power drew from the will of its people did not surprise him too greatly—after all, Azelf was known as the God of Willpower.
"I need you to let me meet with the Lord of Aspiration City," Kale said suddenly, his expression solemn.
He hoped that the City Lord of Aspiration City would intervene, prevent war between territories, and help to defeat the Sorcerers.
"…Very well." Aven nodded after a pause. "But first, you must return to my territory with me."
Matters concerning a Guardian Deity were not his alone to decide—this had to be reported to Princess Mira.
At the same time, an urgency burned in his chest. Forget Guardian Deities—even dealing with King-level Pokémon was troublesome enough already.
No matter what decision Lady Mira made, one thing was clear: Aven's first priority was still to strengthen the Pokémon Domain. Only by doing so could they stand unafraid before any threat, and finally establish the Pokémon League.
(End of Chapter)