"Excuse me, excuse me, thank you, thank you—"
Walking along the street, Kale suddenly heard a series of urgent shouts.
Almost instinctively, he shifted to the side, and at that moment he caught sight of a boy sprinting past, carrying a young girl on his back.
That girl—whatever had happened to her—was clearly badly injured. Fresh blood had already soaked through her linen clothes, dyeing them a deep red. With every step the boy took, droplets of blood fell to the ground, leaving a trail behind.
Such a wound… she might not survive. Kale couldn't help but think this to himself.
"Pokémon Center! Quick, take her to the Pokémon Center!" At that very instant, another voice cried out loudly.
The elderly man shouted beside him while Kale clenched his fists tightly, his face tense with worry, silently praying that the boy would make it in time to bring the girl safely to the Pokémon Center.
"Pokémon Center? What's that?" Kale asked curiously.
"Hm? Ah, from the way you're asking, you must be an outsider, aren't you?"
"The Pokémon Center is a place where the wounded are treated. Inside, there are miraculous Pokémon capable of healing injuries. That kind of wound? It's nothing serious if you bring them there."
The old man spoke lightly, almost casually: "I've even seen people with worse injuries, like someone whose stomach had been split open. But as long as they made it to the Pokémon Center, it wasn't a problem at all!"
Kale froze for a moment in astonishment. Pokémon with the ability to heal injuries?
As a city lord, he was well aware that such Pokémon did exist, but those with healing powers were always considered exceedingly rare and precious.
Anyone who obtained a healing Pokémon would protect it strictly, keeping it safe and hidden.
Yet, from what this old man said, it seemed like the Pokémon Center was open to the public, and anyone could go there to receive treatment?
Thinking this through, Kale quickly made his way toward the direction of the Pokémon Center. It was a distinctive building with a cross-shaped symbol on its roof.
Upon entering, he immediately spotted the boy from earlier. The boy now looked visibly relieved, his expression loosening as though a weight had been lifted from his chest.
"Sir, your sister is already out of danger. Please, come with me."
At that moment, a staff member dressed in white clothing, wearing a square cap, walked out from the back room.
Hearing her words, the boy expressed his gratitude repeatedly and hurried after her toward the inner chambers. Through the open doorway, Kale glimpsed a Chansey busily moving about.
So, it really was true—this place was openly providing healing for common folk. Kale couldn't help but marvel at this silently in his heart.
Almost at once, he thought of Marina City. Every year, countless fishermen set out to sea, only to be attacked by the sea monsters lurking in the waters.
If Marina City had a Pokémon Center as well, then surely countless lives could be saved.
But then another thought surfaced—did Aven have a way to breed and train such healing Pokémon? The question stirred in his mind, and he couldn't help but picture the Pokémon Breeding House. Could it possibly provide such a service?
Since he himself had no injuries, and not wanting to trouble the healers here unnecessarily, Kale quietly stepped out of the Pokémon Center, his emotions tangled, and continued wandering through the streets.
Before long, he reached the very heart of the town, where a towering structure stood—the last of the town's landmark buildings: the Pokémon Battle Arena!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Even before he got close, a thunderous roar reached his ears.
Following that came the explosive cheers of a lively crowd, so loud and passionate that within it, he even faintly heard cries of encouragement for a Bidoof.
A Bidoof was currently battling! Kale's heart stirred, and on impulse, he decided to go in for a look.
He purchased a ticket at the entrance of the arena and stepped inside. Passing through a narrow corridor, his vision suddenly opened up wide.
Before him lay rows upon rows of neatly arranged seats, the front rows already packed with people.
"Go, Bidoof! Go, Bidoof!"
"Come on, Stunky! Don't give up, get up, get up!"
The voices of the audience rolled over one another, wave after wave of fervent shouts.
Kale's eyes turned toward the center of the field. What filled his gaze was a square-shaped arena, with the most striking feature being the large red-and-white spherical pattern painted in its center.
On either side of the field stood a Bidoof and a Stunky, both panting heavily from exhaustion.
After a brief standoff, the two Pokémon simultaneously lifted their heads. Their bodies flashed with white light before they charged again at high speed, colliding fiercely with another deafening crash!
In the middle of the battlefield, neither side yielded, both unleashing the last of their strength. They knew well that this was very likely the deciding blow!
Finally, Stunky's hind legs slipped, its entire body sent flying across the arena, slamming hard into the guardrail before crumpling limply to the ground.
"OHHHH! The match is decided! The final victor is Bidoof!" The referee, who also served as the announcer, immediately shouted with excitement.
The atmosphere of the entire stadium ignited in an instant. Every spectator leapt to their feet, shouting and cheering to celebrate Bidoof's victory.
"Thank you, everyone! Thank you so much!"
Bidoof's trainer was equally exhilarated, bowing again and again to the crowd in gratitude.
"Bii Bii Biii!"
Watching its kin claim victory, the Bibarel leader by Kale's side was just as excited, punching the air and roaring with joy.
"That's one of your kind, isn't it?" Kale muttered in surprise, puzzled why a Bidoof had appeared here.
The Bibarel nodded happily, showing that this was indeed the Bidoof's own decision. It respected any choice its companions made—for that was what Aven had taught it!
Kale nodded slowly in thought, not entirely sure if he understood, but his expression revealed he was deeply moved.
His gaze returned to the arena, where both Bidoof and Stunky had already stepped down and were now drinking bottles of potion to restore their stamina.
Soon, the announcer called out the names of the next match-up. This time, the contenders were not particularly strong: a Oddish and a Rattata.
At first glance, Kale instinctively assumed the battle would end with Rattata's victory. But to his surprise, the result turned out completely different.
The Oddish clearly had been trained in the Pokémon Breeding House, well-trained in absorption moves and the three powder moves. By continually draining and exhausting its foe, it eventually wore Rattata down to defeat.
Hearing the crowd erupt in cheers for Oddish's victory, Kale quietly closed his eyes, the sight of the Breeding House flashing vividly in his mind. Yes, even a Oddish could become powerful!
With a complicated expression, Kale left the Battle Arena. Passing through Fairhaven Town's eastern district, he eventually arrived at the western commercial district.
The marketplace bustled with merchants, their cries ringing out constantly, the entire area lively and full of energy. This level of prosperity, Kale had only ever seen before in Marina City's central district.
Yet what struck him most deeply were the faces of the commoners. Smiles lit up their expressions, radiating happiness and contentment. He had never once seen such looks on the faces of Marina City's commoners.
Even he himself, when facing these people, felt his mood calm considerably. In his heart stirred a sudden impulse to remain here.
'If only Marina City could become like this one day,' Kale thought, a faint sense of longing rising within him.
The notion surfaced in his mind—that if Marina City were handed over to Aven's management, it would surely develop far better than under his own.
Realizing this thought, his entire body jolted. He quickly shook his head, his expression dimming as he remembered Marina City's barren land.
Year after year, the soil suffered erosion from seawater, compounded by the coastal gales and violent storms. There was no way to plant crops on a large scale.
It was the land itself that restricted Marina City's development. Not even Aven could change that. Poverty inevitably meant an absence of happiness.
If the people of Marina City truly wished to live lives like the citizens of Aspiration City, then the only solution was to migrate here, to this fertile land.
With a long sigh, Kale resumed walking, leaving Fairhaven Town behind and continuing westward across the Pokémon Domain.
His path led him ever westward. His final destination: Fruitvale Village.
It was at Fruitvale Village where Marina City's knightly order had fallen. Kale wished to visit the battlefield outside the village and pay his respects to the knights who had perished there.
Once he left Fairhaven Town, what came into view was a vast expanse of open plains. Walking swiftly with Bibarel, he soon came across a golden sea of wheat fields.
By now, most of the serfs' fields had already been harvested, but some that had been planted later were only just ripening now.
Looking at the golden wheat ears swaying in the fields, the serfs' faces glowed with joyful smiles—joy not only for the harvest itself, but also for the hope of soon shedding their status as serfs.
Kale stood quietly at the edge of the fields, observing the faces of the workers. With just a glance, he could tell they were serfs, for only serfs performed such backbreaking labor.
But what puzzled him was that, instead of the usual numbness and despair that belonged to serfs, what he saw on their faces was the complete opposite.
The serfs hummed cheerful tunes as they worked, and one of them even shouted at the end of his song: "From now on, I'll never be a serf again!"
"These serfs… seem different," Kale murmured to himself, staring blankly at the scene before him.
Then suddenly he realized something. His gaze snapped toward the fields—the golden wheat swaying in the breeze.
Wait. It was already late autumn. How could wheat be harvested at this time? Wasn't wheat normally sown in autumn and only harvested the following summer?
And according to the information he had, Aven hadn't even been lord of this southeastern border of Aspiration City for a full year yet. That meant these crops couldn't have been planted last year.
So… were they sown this year and harvested in the same year?
As the thought formed in his mind, Kale was stunned.
His eyes flickered with realization. In Marina City, the failure of wheat cultivation was not only due to barren soil, but also the harsh climate.
Even if wheat survived the winter, it could never withstand the violent summer storms. It would be destroyed before harvest.
But—if there was a way to avoid the most brutal part of summer, then perhaps wheat could actually be grown in Marina City too! That could help its poor citizens survive the harsh winters!
Taking a deep breath, Kale stepped into the field, eager to ask one of the serfs how this wheat had been grown.
"These ripe wheat? Of course I planted them myself!" the serf replied proudly.
Here, the motto "Labor is the most honorable" already echoed across the land. The serf's face was full of pride—they were the ones who fed the entire territory. Lord Aven had even personally praised them for their efforts!
Kale stared blankly at the man's expression, hesitating before asking again: "What I meant was… why are these wheat able to ripen in autumn?"
"Eh? You're not from the Pokémon Domain, are you?" The serf blinked in surprise, then glanced at the Bibarel at Kale's side.
Until now, he had assumed Kale was an official from Fairhaven Town inspecting his fields. But clearly, that wasn't the case.
"Mm, I only just arrived in this land not long ago," Kale admitted with a nod.
"Oh, then you've truly witnessed a miracle this time."
The serf nodded, then looked back at the wheat fields before him. He explained in simple words the story behind this autumn harvest.
When speaking of Lord Aven, his face naturally lit up with reverence. To them, Lord Aven was the beacon who had brought hope into their lives.
"Planting in autumn, harvesting in autumn? How could this be possible?!" Kale exclaimed in disbelief.
(End of Chapter)