Deep within the Abyssal Cavern, inside the sealed space known as the Sendoff Spring.
At this moment, the entire area had already been consumed by the thick, swirling gray mist. The lake at the center was covered with spreading fractures, spiderweb-like cracks that had almost completely engulfed the surface.
And then suddenly—
Without warning, the mist over the lake began to churn violently. Waves of gray fog rolled outward as a dark figure suddenly emerged from the widening rift.
That figure floated half-suspended in the air, with no legs—only two massive hands. Its entire body was pitch-black, except for a single glaring eye in the center of its face. From beneath its torso trailed a ghostly, flickering tail, while atop its head rose a gray, column-like shape capped with a yellow antenna.
It was none other than a Dusknoir, the so-called "Messenger of the Ghost World."
Yet compared to the one Aven had seen before, this Dusknoir was far more terrifying—its entire form was shrouded in gray mist, as if the corruption had seeped into its very essence.
Its eye was empty—void of any soul or consciousness.
After slipping free from the fissure, it began to drift aimlessly through the space in the Sendoff Spring, moving without purpose, as though it neither knew why it had come nor what it was meant to do.
But this… was only the beginning.
A short while later, a flickering flame floated out from the same crack. It condensed into the shape of a small candle, its wick burning with an eerie blue fire.
And with the fissure expanding wider and wider, more and more shadows began pouring forth.
Glimmers of light like jewels flashed within the mist, and then—
a group of Pokémon with several eyes appeared all at once, their sinister, multi-eyed faces swirling within the dense fog.
Suddenly, a black haze surged within the gray mist. The two mingled together, twisting and warping until they faintly took on the outline of a body—one with eyes and a gaping mouth.
That shape, almost instinctively, began to drift in the direction the fog flowed. Its form flickered, turning translucent, fading in and out like a phantom.
…
Meanwhile, in Marina City, Lord Hill sat proudly upon his throne.
After weeks of ruthless cleansing and suppression, order in the city had at last been restored.
Now, in this land, he was the undisputed ruler.
Before him, nobles knelt in neat rows, their foreheads nearly touching the ground. Hill surveyed them from above, a surge of satisfaction swelling within his chest.
"Lord Hill," one armored knight knelt and reported in a low, tense voice,
"According to our scouts within Aspiration City—
The Pokémon Domain has completely subdued the Drapion tribes, expanding their borders all the way to the base of the Coastal Mountains."
"Furthermore, the Black Coast is heavily guarded by their knight order. Our routes leading toward Aspiration City have been completely sealed off."
The speaker, captain of the city's knight order, wore dark armor and a grim expression.
That swamp of the Drapion tribes was one that even Marina City's own knights found difficult to cross. Yet the Pokémon Domain had subdued it with ease… and even turned it into a defensive barrier aimed directly at Marina City.
At present, Marina City was cut off entirely from the Black Forest. Any hope of marching across land to reach Aspiration City had been destroyed.
Conquering Aspiration City had become little more than a dream.
The nobles kneeling below looked ashen. Every one of them was a staunch warmonger, part of the faction that had helped Hill seize power over Marina City in the first place—all with the promise of war and plunder.
Yet now, before their campaign could even begin, they were greeted with such grim news.
Their enemies were already formidable to begin with but now, with the addition of the Drapion legions, the Pokémon Domain's strength had grown even more terrifying!
Even Marina City's elite knights could not step into Aspiration City's lands—they would be intercepted and crushed long before that.
A creeping sense of helplessness began to seep into the hearts of many nobles.
And then came the next blow—word that the Ironblood Fortress had been utterly annihilated by the Pokémon Domain.
That helplessness turned to fear.
The Pokémon Domain's power… had reached a level far beyond anything they could hope to resist.
"Hmph! Why the panic?"
Hill's voice echoed coldly through the hall. He leaned lazily against his throne, a faint smile curling his lips.
"Don't forget—we still have the Sorcerers on our side."
"Have you all forgotten how those sorcerers took this very castle by storm?"
At the mention of the sorcerers, the faces of the nobles softened slightly. They exchanged looks, each breathing a little easier.
Hill continued,
"The only reason the Pokémon Domain managed to bring down the Ironblood Fortress… was because they possessed three King-level magical beasts."
"But that doesn't concern us. We can handle King-level magical beasts ourselves and do not forget, we have Darkrai, the Guardian Deity of Marina City!"
At that, a cloaked figure standing nearby finally spoke.
Wrapped in a flowing black robe, his thin frame seemed frail but the aura radiating from him was chilling, suffocating, and demanded reverence.
The other nobles immediately turned toward him, their expressions filled with awe.
During the struggle for Marina City, these sorcerers had displayed overwhelming might—so much that even the proudest knights dared not challenge them.
And when they thought of Darkrai, their confidence returned.
Everyone here knew the truth: though Hill sat upon the throne, real control of Marina City rested in the hands of the sorcerers.
But none of them minded. As long as they could share in the spoils once Aspiration City was conquered, who ruled afterward was meaningless.
"One mere Pokémon Domain is nothing to fear," said the sorcerer representative calmly. "Our only true concern lies with Aspiration City itself."
"What you must do now," Hill commanded, "is rally every knight in Marina City. Prepare them for the great expedition ahead!"
The nobles nodded quickly. Seeing their shifting expressions, Hill waved his hand in dismissal. "Go, gather your forces. Be ready to march at any time!"
After they had all withdrawn, Hill turned his gaze to the sorcerer standing at his side.
"Still no word from the Grand Sorcerer?" he asked.
The robed man opened his mouth to answer but suddenly froze. His face changed slightly.
Hill's expression stiffened as well. The two exchanged a brief glance, then rose instantly and strode out of the hall.
Moments earlier, they had both heard the Grand Sorcerer's summons—a voice calling to them within their minds. Without hesitation, they made their way to his sanctum.
…
The Grand Sorcerer's chamber was located atop the only mountain within Marina City's territories. After Hill's rise to power, a grand temple had been constructed there—its purpose known only to the sorcerers themselves.
When Hill and his companion entered, they saw that the other sorcerers were already assembled.
All wore black robes, their bodies veiled in strange, shifting shadows.
The moment new footsteps approached, the shadows behind them rippled, writhing like living things—only to sink back into stillness when they recognized their own.
"Grand Sorcerer," Hill bowed deeply. "May I ask why you have summoned us so suddenly?"
His position was a peculiar one both a devoted follower of the sorcerers and the city's ruling lord. Thus, among those present, his standing was unusually high.
The old sorcerer at the center slowly raised his head, his pale eyes gleaming faintly beneath the hood.
"Yes," he said softly. "I have called you here… because the Sendoff Spring is ready."
For a heartbeat, the room fell silent. Then, as his words sank in, every sorcerer and knight present drew a sharp breath.
After waiting so long—
At last, the Sendoff Spring Opening was about to begin!
Hill immediately bowed again, his voice trembling with excitement.
"Grand Sorcerer, Marina City stands ready for your command!"
Now that the Sendoff Spring had been activated, the long-awaited assault on Aspiration City could finally commence.
The Grand Sorcerer nodded slowly. "Our original plan was to attack in coordination with the Ironblood Fortress," he said coldly.
"But since that worthless Marquis is gone, the burden of the main offensive will fall upon your Marina City Knight Order."
"I am already aware of the situation regarding the Black Forest," he continued, idly turning a dark crystal in his hand.
"Your knights must focus on holding back the Pokémon Domain. Leave the rest to us."
"When the time comes, our comrades from Wisdom City and Heart City will engage Mesprit and Uxie. That will leave only Azelf for us to deal with."
His voice grew quieter—but also more sinister. The black crystal pulsed faintly in his palm, throbbing with shadowy light.
…
Meanwhile, at the borders of Aspiration City, the forest ranger defense lines were being carefully constructed.
For the local lords, assigning parts of their land and food supplies to house and feed Pokémon was a heavy sacrifice—one that required both courage and trust.
But the rapid development of Pokémon breeding houses, along with the steady supply of feed and medicine from the Pokémon Domain, had eased many of their doubts.
As long as they could prevent the winter beast tide, their efforts would already be worth it. And with Lord Aven's vision for long-term Pokémon cultivation and trade, many could already foresee new prosperity ahead.
In the northeastern domain, which bordered both the Aspiration Mountains and the Abyssal Forest, the terrain was crucial—it was the most vital section of the ranger defense network.
Though most of the magical beasts from Mount Coronet had already been relocated to the Pokémon Domain's safari zone, a number still migrated toward the Abyssal Forest.
Yet within the depths of the Abyssal Cavern, the gray mist had already begun to appear.
If those migrating Pokémon entered the forest and became infected by the mist, they would surely transform into part of the Abyssal Beast Tide.
To prevent that, the northeastern lords had felled the entire forest at the foot of the Aspration Mountains, clearing the land into an open plain and erecting barriers to block the magical beasts' advance.
With that, the Pokémon from the mountains could safely migrate southward—directly into the Pokémon Domain's prepared zones—ensuring the security of the entire Black Forest.
Meanwhile, the remaining Pokémon of the Abyssal Forest were being herded toward the Black Forest as well, where eastern lords would receive them and establish new breeding sites.
…
Outside the Abyssal Forest, a squad of knights was conducting their daily patrol.
They had traversed this desolate region countless times. It was utterly silent, lifeless, and cold.
But they were used to that.
From past experience, they knew it took months for the gray mist to spread from the cavern's mouth to the forest itself.
"Phew… it's getting colder by the day," one knight muttered, tightening his thick cloak. "Won't be long before the first snow falls."
"Captain," another said, glancing around, "everything's clear. The cavern's quiet—no beast in sight. Can we return?"
The captain nodded slightly, taking one last look toward the distant cavern.
And then—his eyes widened.
From the depths of the Abyssal Cave, billowing gray mist was gushing outward, spilling like a flood across the barren ground!
"G–gray mist! The gray mist—it's coming out!" he shouted, voice shaking.
"Impossible! It's far too soon!" another cried. "The mist wasn't supposed to appear for months yet!"
But before their words even faded, the air before them darkened—
and the first of the Ghost-type magical beast began to emerge.
(End of Chapter)