Kale had already been living in the Pokémon Domain for three days.
"Go on, take a walk, look around a bit. Maybe it will help lighten your mood." At the gates of the castle, Aven waved his hand with a faint smile.
"Alright… thank you."
Kale opened his mouth, a little taken aback. He felt that this Earl in front of him seemed to trust him far too much.
During these past days, other than the Bibarel Leader who always shadowed him wherever he went, Aven had not placed any restrictions on him at all.
And the Bibarel Leader's role was not only to keep an eye on him but also to protect him, which Kale could fully understand. In fact, it made him feel relieved rather than stifled.
Having the Bibarel Leader by his side gave him a sense of security, and he found that his own mood had improved considerably.
His gaze unconsciously drifted past the castle walls toward the direction of the Safari Zone. To be honest, over these past days, he had been wanting to go back there, to once again see those Bibarel and Bidoof.
But every time he recalled the hostile, resentful gazes those Bibarel and Bidoof had cast at him before, he could not summon the courage. In the end, he still lacked the strength to face them.
"Don't worry, I won't run away. I'll be back here by nightfall." After hesitating for a moment, Kale once again gave his assurance.
"Go on then, and while you're at it, help me take a look at how my territory is developing," Aven said with a smile.
"As a former city lord yourself, perhaps you might be able to give me many valuable suggestions."
Aven chuckled and waved his hand again, completely unconcerned that Kale might try to escape.
Not to mention that the Bibarel Leader was watching him closely, Aven also still held Empoleon firmly in his hands. With that in his possession, Kale naturally wouldn't dare flee.
"Mothim, secretly follow and keep an eye on him." Watching Kale's figure disappear into the distance, Aven issued his command from the courtyard.
"Moth~"
Mothim flapped its wings in acknowledgment and took off into the sky.
At once, normal energy surged over its body, and its figure gradually faded, blending with the air. Accompanied by the faint rustling of wind, it swiftly drifted off into the distance.
…
Leaving the lord's castle behind, Kale walked along the stone-paved road toward Fairhaven Town, with the Bibarel Leader faithfully at his side. The stone road was laid evenly and flat, making the journey smooth and effortless.
Fairhaven Town—this was a settlement newly established in the Pokémon Domain. The name "Fairhaven" symbolized a fresh start, a complete new beginning. Just hearing the name stirred a strange feeling in his chest, a subtle and indescribable emotion.
"Biii~"
The Bibarel Leader quietly trailed behind him, vigilant and steady.
It was just like a most loyal bodyguard—silent, steadfast, and always watchful. Its duty was to ensure Kale's safety at all times.
Before long, they arrived at the eastern gate of Fairhaven Town. Even before entering, Kale noticed many civilians with their magical beasts at their side.
These civilians were chatting happily with their companions, laughing and smiling. The relationships between human and beast seemed very harmonious. The magical beasts themselves came in all kinds, but the one that appeared in the greatest numbers was Oddish.
Kale couldn't help but look at them a few times more. He knew that it was the Oddish and Gloom who had played a decisive role in defeating the knights of Marina City.
Could it be… were all these people with Oddish actually knights?
But as soon as he stepped into the town, he quickly shook his head and denied that thought. There were simply too many Oddish here.
Nearly every single person owned an Oddish. If all of them were knights, then Fairhaven Town would possess an absurd number of knights—something utterly impossible.
Entering from the northeast gate, a wide plaza came into view. Kale's eyes swept across it and soon landed on a large signpost.
Hurrying closer, he read it carefully. The neatly planned town was divided into four districts: the Trainers District, the Commercial District, the Workshops District, and the Residential District.
Right now, they stood within the Trainers District. By this point, Kale was no longer unfamiliar with the terms "trainer" and "Pokémon." He already knew that a trainer simply meant a person who possessed a Pokémon.
However, compared to knights, the strength of these trainers was far weaker—there remained a very large gap.
Still, looking toward the Trainers District, he saw several prominent landmarks: the Pokémon Breeding House, the Pokémon Center, a Pokémon Battle Arena, and the Trainer Headquarters.
"Trainer Headquarters…" Kale thought for a while, deciding that he would first go there to take a look.
He was curious about how trainers were managed and organized. By classification, knights themselves could also be considered a type of trainer, couldn't they?
Moving quickly, Kale, with the Bibarel Leader beside him, soon reached the Trainer Headquarters. His attention was instantly drawn by a "Trainers Handbook" posted on the wall.
Stepping closer, he studied it carefully, and to his surprise, he discovered that becoming a trainer was nowhere near as difficult as he had imagined. One only needed to capture a single Pokémon to qualify!
After becoming a trainer, one could then participate in patrol squad examinations, and from there even attempt the knight examinations. If they succeeded, they could officially become knights!
"To let an ordinary commoner become a knight…" Kale was astonished at Lord Aven's boldness.
Under normal circumstances, someone who wished to become a knight had to undergo cultivation and training from childhood. But here, knights could seemingly be cultivated in a very short time.
Of course, he had his doubts about just how capable these newly-made knights would be. In his opinion, when facing true, veteran knights, they might collapse in an instant.
"Hm? Half a month from now, there will be a knight selection tournament? I must remember to come and see."
Withdrawing his gaze, Kale did not go inside the Trainers Headquarters. Instead, he continued to wander the town, following the flow of the crowd until he reached a place called the Pokémon Breeding House.
According to the sign, this was a place dedicated to raising and training Pokémon. After a short pause, Kale pushed the door open and walked in with the Bibarel Leader.
The moment he entered, many people turned to look at him. When they noticed the Bibarel Leader at his side, envy immediately flickered in their eyes.
"Hello, esteemed trainer, may I ask what kind of service you would like to purchase today?" A staff member greeted him warmly.
"Service? Could you show me what you have?"
The staff member was a little surprised. Seeing him accompanied by a Bibarel, she had assumed he was an experienced trainer.
Recovering quickly, she handed him a price list.
Kale glanced at it—and his face instantly betrayed shock. The price list contained various training programs!
There was even a complete Oddish training program. It looked as though simply following the listed methods would be enough to raise a very powerful Oddish.
Not only that, there were training courses for Oddish's Absorb move, Rhyhorn's Rock Throw, Bidoof's Water Gun, and Bellsprout's Vine Whip, among others!
"Excuse me… if someone purchases one of these training services, can their Pokémon really learn the move?" Kale asked hesitantly.
"Of course," the staff member replied with confidence. "Our establisment employs professional breeders."
"They have all received personal guidance from Lord Aven himself. They can absolutely guarantee that within the specified time, your Pokémon will master the move. And naturally, if they fail to achieve results, our breeding house will return the full payment to you—so you may rest assured."
She patiently explained. When she mentioned Lord Aven, her eyes were full of admiration.
She herself had once been just an ordinary commoner. It was Lord Aven who had given her such a wonderful job. She truly loved working at the Pokémon Breeding House.
Every time she saw trainers growing stronger thanks to their services, she always felt a deep sense of satisfaction.
"Would you like to purchase any services today?" she asked again.
"Uh… well, I'll just buy a bag of Pokémon food," Kale answered quickly.
He had seen Pokémon food back at the castle before and knew Bibarel was especially fond of this special kind of food.
"Of course. Please come to the counter to settle the payment."
Not long after, Kale had purchased a bag of Pokémon food and handed it to the Bibarel Leader.
"Bii Biii~!"
Bibarel received it happily, immediately tossing some into its mouth. Crunching noises echoed as it chewed.
Watching Bibarel eat with such joy, Kale's lips curved into a smile. He sat down with it in the lounge area, quietly observing the trainers passing by.
Most of these trainers indeed carried Oddish. The items they bought most frequently were a kind of fertilizer and another substance called pollen powder.
After asking around, Kale learned that the fertilizer could accelerate Oddish's growth, while the pollen powders came in three varieties: one taught Sleep Powder, another Stun Spore, and the last Poison Powder.
Once Oddish could learn these three powder moves, their combat potential would increase tremendously—especially in large-scale battles, where their power multiplied.
In his mind, a terrifying image arose: countless Oddish releasing powder moves simultaneously. A chill ran down his spine.
Just as the trainers here had said, if hundreds of Oddish all used Sleep Powder together, even properly trained knights would have a hard time breaking through!
Suddenly, his thoughts conjured the memory of Marina City's knight order charge being swallowed up under clouds of powder. His pupils contracted—perhaps this was exactly how the knights had lost back then!
"Nearly every single person owns an Oddish…"
"In such a situation, the town doesn't even need its formal knight order. These trainers alone can unleash enormous fighting power!"
"If that's the case, then just how terrifying is Fairhaven Town's overall combat strength? Even if Marina City's entire knight order mobilized, they might not be able to break through its defenses."
The chilling thought left Kale trembling. Regret welled up in his heart—why, oh why, had he ever made the decision to send his knights to attack Fruitvale Village in the first place?
"Uncle, is this Bibarel yours?"
While he was still lost in thought, a young boy suddenly approached, gazing at the Bibarel with envious eyes.
At the boy's side was an Oddish—clearly his own Pokémon partner.
"We're… friends," Kale replied, unsure how else to answer.
"Friends, huh? That's wonderful!"
"I really want to catch a Bibarel of my own someday!" the boy said with shining eyes. "But for now, I've finally become an apprentice trainer. One day, I'll definitely earn the recognition of a Bibarel!"
His tone brimmed with confidence. The bright, sunny smile on his face stirred Kale deeply—for such expressions were rare among the commoner children of Marina City.
In Marina, ordinary folk struggled daily just to survive. How could they have the luxury of optimistic goals? All they ever thought about was enduring one more day.
"Yes, work hard. I believe you can do it," Kale encouraged with a smile.
"Thank you, Uncle! I'll do my best. That way, I can repay Lord Aven for giving us hope!" The boy nodded vigorously.
Then, he began counting aloud, "One, two, three, four!" and marched off briskly with his Oddish, his voice fading into the distance until it disappeared altogether.
"Trainers and Pokémon… this truly is a remarkable place," Kale sighed with heartfelt admiration.
Glancing at Bibarel, who had finished its food, he stood and headed for the exit, intending to continue wandering about the town.
(End of Chapter)