In Marina City, Kale let out a long breath as he looked at the snow that had finally melted away completely.
His gaze shifted toward the city behind him. Throughout this entire winter, not a single person within Marina City had died. He couldn't help but admit, this was nothing short of a miracle.
With the arrival of spring, civilians began leaving their shelters one after another. As they looked up at the sun hanging in the sky, they burst into cheers.
"Wonderful! Winter has finally ended!" one of the commoners exclaimed, shielding his eyes from the sunlight and savoring the warm rays falling upon him.
Then his eyes drifted back toward the towering castle behind them. It was still hard to believe that ordinary people like them had actually survived this winter living in the castle district.
Warm and safe lodging, combined with an ample supply of food, this winter would surely be something they would remember for the rest of their lives.
"Thank you, Lord Kale! Long live Lord Kale!"
It was unclear who first shouted these words, but the moment they did, the surrounding civilians immediately echoed the cry. The cheers spread throughout the entire city in an instant.
"There's no need to thank me. Protecting my people is my duty as lord."
"You should be thanking His Highness Aven. Everything we have now is thanks to him!"
Standing atop the castle district's walls, Kale listened to the cheers rising from below. Without hesitation, he immediately redirected the civilians' gratitude toward Aven.
"Furthermore… believe in His Highness Aven! From here on, Marina City will only grow more prosperous!"
As soon as his words fell, the commoners' eyes lit up with anticipation. Their cheers once again surged through the streets:
"Long live His Highness Aven! Long live His Highness Aven!"
"Hah… Marina City has safely made it through the winter. Next, it's time to begin the busy spring farming season." Kale allowed himself a satisfied smile.
But before anything else, he needed to visit the Pokémon Domain. The Pokémon League's council meeting was about to begin, and he would attend as a member of the Domain.
And during that meeting, he planned to officially announce that Marina City would be joining the Pokémon Domain. Even though this was technically an internal matter of the Pokémon Domain, such a declaration would undoubtedly cause a major uproar.
To other lords, the idea of an entire city joining the Pokémon Domain was utterly unbelievable. But rather than feeling worried, Kale was thrilled. He had long since determined that His Highness Aven would be the one to change the fate of Marina City.
As long as they successfully joined the Pokémon Domain, Marina City would enjoy the same treatment as Fairhaven Town. Just as importantly, the citizens of Marina City would finally be able to live as happily as the people of Fairhaven Town!
"Lord Kale, when will you be departing?" the city's scribe asked.
"The sooner, the better," Kale replied with visible anticipation. "I plan to leave tomorrow morning. I'll leave Marina City in your care."
The scribe immediately knelt on one knee. "Rest assured, Lord Kale. I will see that all the commoners are safely resettled, and we will await your return from the Pokémon Domain."
With the arrival of spring, civilians began to leave Marina City in groups, returning to their own territories. Although Marina City was large, it still couldn't possibly house every citizen forever.
Throughout this process, the Marina City Knight Order escorted the groups the entire way. These civilians would become crucial support for the city's future development—Kale was determined to protect them well.
They also needed to prepare for spring farming. According to Lord Kale's promise, Marina City would undertake a massive expansion of farmland, turning every patch of wasteland into arable fields.
Although many civilians felt this was unrealistic—after all, that land had been abandoned for far too long, and Marina City's unique environment made it nearly unsuitable for farming, they still chose to trust Kale.
"When I return from the Pokémon Domain, Marina City will be reborn." Kale looked out over the vast land stretching before him from atop the city walls.
Without lingering, he mounted his Luxray and rode off, with his Empoleon following close behind, sprinting rapidly toward the direction of the Coastal Mountains. Before long, his figure vanished into the distance.
Upon reaching the coastline, Kale patted Luxray's back, signaling it to return home for now. He himself would ride Empoleon across the sea to bypass the Coastal Mountains. That would be the fastest route to the Pokémon Domain.
Empoleon possessed the strength of a King-level Pokémon. As a Water-type, it wielded overwhelming power in the water and could easily ensure Kale's safety throughout the journey.
High above them, a Pelipper circled through the sky. It had reached the level of an Advanced level Pokémon, and with its combined advantages as a Flying and Water type, its combat ability at sea was truly formidable.
"EMPOO!"
With a sharp cry, Empoleon shot forward like a speedboat. Cutting through the waves, it surged across the vast ocean at incredible speed. In mere moments, the shoreline disappeared behind them, and they sped along the coast toward the Pokémon Domain.
Although Kale was extremely familiar with the ocean, the steep cliffs of the Coastal Mountains still made him fall silent. These mountains were the very barrier separating Marina City from the Pokémon Domain.
"Empoleon!"
Empoleon continued slicing across the water's surface.
Compared to Tentacruel, Empoleon's speed was on an entirely different level. In a little more than two hours, it had already circled around the Coastal Mountains and reached the Black Coast.
"…Huh? What is that?" Kale froze suddenly.
A green figure appeared in the sky, flying toward him from afar. As it approached, he finally recognized it, a Flygon.
During his time in the Pokémon Domain, he had frequently read through the Pokédex Handbook Aven had given him, so he immediately identified the Pokémon.
But why would a species like Flygon appear in the Coastal Mountains? And this Flygon's strength was extremely high—almost at the King level strength.
A feeling of caution rose within him. If powerful Pokémon had begun appearing in the Coastal Mountains, this was definitely something he needed to report to His Highness Aven.
"Flyyy~"
High in the sky, Flygon was patrolling its territory as usual.
Suddenly, it sensed a strong surge of energy coming from the sea. It immediately sped over to investigate.
There, it saw a human riding a Water-type Pokémon it had never seen before near the coast. Instantly, it grew wary.
Thanks to its time living in the Breeding Zone in Ironblood Fortress and at Pokémon Domain's Safari Zone, its temperament had improved greatly. Otherwise, in the past, it would have unleashed a Dragon Breath without hesitation.
"Caw—!"
Overhead, Pelipper also noticed the approaching Flygon and immediately ascended higher, its round eyes filled with vigilance.
"Flygon? Could it be the one from Ironblood Fortress?" Kale suddenly realized something.
Aven had once told him that Garchomp came with an entire tribe of Pokémon behind it.
After Aven successfully tamed Garchomp, he had also accepted Garchomp's entire tribe. So, these Pokémon had now migrated to the Pokémon Domain?
Just then, a squad of knights riding Bibarel rushed over from the Black Coast. They had spotted Pelipper and came to investigate.
When they saw Kale from afar, they froze before quickly recognizing the former Marina City Lord who had once coordinated the Pokémon Domain's support for Marina City.
"Lord Kale! What brings you here?" the patrol commander asked.
Relieved, Kale guided Empoleon to the shore. "I came from Marina City. I'm here to attend the Pokémon League Council."
"I see. Many nobles have been arriving lately, so we've increased patrols across the territory," the knight explained respectfully.
Their respect wasn't because Kale was a city lord, but because of the power he displayed. This was a trainer who possessed a King-level Pokémon!
Once Kale stepped onto the shore, his gaze drifted back toward the sky. Flygon, having noticed the patrolling knights, realized the visitors weren't enemies. With a powerful beat of its wings, it turned and flew back toward the mountains.
"That Flygon is from the breeding grounds," one knight said. "It's one of the Pokémon at the new Breeding Zone."
All the knights looked at Flygon with burning admiration. A Pokémon that strong and that cool-looking—it was practically tailor-made to suit the knights' ideals.
Many of them had already begun eyeing the Trapinch in the breeding zone as future partners.
The problem, however, was that to approach the Trapinch, they had to get past the extremely protective Flygon first. That alone made things difficult. Fortunately, they had the universal Pokémon food deliveries as a chance to interact safely.
"Pokémon from the new breeding zones?"
"It seems while I was away, His Highness Aven has accepted even more Pokémon…" Kale murmured with heartfelt admiration. Aven's affinity with Pokémon was simply unparalleled—so many species willingly accepted his guidance.
"Yes, the breeding zones have indeed grown. Many new Ground-type Pokémon have arrived. They all live within the Coastal Mountains."
The patrol knights briefly explained the situation. Besides Trapinch, many other Pokémon now inhabited the mountains—such as Geodude and Onix. All were excellent capture targets, looking naturally powerful at first glance.
Kale's eyes lit up. "Would it be possible for me to visit the Coastal Mountains and see these Pokémon?"
"Of course."
A sudden voice echoed.
Everyone turned toward the sound.
His Highness Aven had appeared on the sandy ground as if from nowhere.
Looking at Kale, Aven smiled. "Welcome back, Kale."
Warmth surged through Kale's heart. He knelt on one knee before Aven. "I have returned, Your Highness."
"Good. That's all that matters." Aven helped him up. "How is Marina City?"
Mentioning the city made Kale's eyes light up. He gave a brief report, and when he brought up how not a single resident had died this winter, his gaze filled with deep gratitude.
"That is wonderful. Not only this year—Marina City will never again suffer famine or freezing winters," Aven promised solemnly.
Then his gaze shifted toward the mountain range. "I was just about to check on the Pokémon living in the Coastal Mountains. Come with me."
Of course, Kale agreed without hesitation.
Together, the two walked into the Black Forest and headed toward the mountain range. Before long, they reached a vast stretch of desert terrain—naturally formed over time by the winds sweeping in from the Black Coast.
Now, numerous Ground- and Rock-type Pokémon lived across this sandy habitat. And high above, Flygon appeared once again, its silhouette circling powerfully.
Having finally found an ideal home, Flygon was fiercely protective of its new territory. It would never again allow anyone to harm its tribe.
(End of Chapter)