Kale opened his mouth, as he looked at the Poké Ball Aven had given him, and the very first image that surfaced in his mind was that of Luxray.
If he had possessed a Poké Ball back then, he would have been able to keep Luxray by his side, instead of leaving it behind in Marina City simply because there had been no way to bring it across the sea without one.
Aside from that, the advantages of Poké Balls were countless. In that instant, he thought of many different uses for them, and the more he thought, the more astonished he became.
"Now that you're officially a trainer, here are five empty Poké Balls. Take them and put them to use." Aven smiled as he handed over several more Poké Balls.
Kale accepted them with trembling hands, bowing deeply to express the excitement swelling inside him—at the same time, this gesture also expressed that Lord Aven trusted him completely and without reservation.
"Lilli~"
At that moment, Lilligant suddenly called out twice.
Following the direction of Lilligant's finger, Aven's gaze landed on a tree standing quietly atop a rocky patch in the distance.
Using its natural camouflage, the "tree" blended perfectly with the surrounding environment. If one did not look closely, it would be very easy to pass by without ever noticing anything unusual.
"It's a Sudowoodo. Its strength should be roughly close to the intermediate level." Aven's eyes lit up. This was exactly the target he had come for.
Perhaps realizing it had been discovered, the Sudowoodo's body trembled. It no longer maintained the form of a tree and immediately tried to run off on its stubby little legs.
But in the very next moment, numerous vines shot out from Lilligant's body like sudden blooming tendrils, quickly chasing down the fleeing Sudowoodo and binding it completely.
"Sudo! Woodo!"
Sudowoodo struggled twice, but after realizing it was futile, it immediately stopped resisting.
"Sudowoodo, don't worry. I don't mean you any harm."
"I came over because I want to ask you for a little help. In exchange, I can offer you delicious Pokémon food."
Aven stepped forward with a gentle smile, lightly patting Sudowoodo's head before handing it a serving of Pokémon food.
Sensing that the human before it held no malicious intent, Sudowoodo nodded slightly. Taking the food, it tasted a bite and its eyes instantly widened. Then it hurriedly poured the rest straight into its mouth.
"Sudo~! Woodo~!"
At that moment, Flygon, the one helping search for a Sudowoodo, also descended from the sky.
Seeing the leader of the group arrive, Sudowoodo immediately straightened its posture, raising a hand to the side of its head in salute.
With Flygon's help, the communication that followed became much simpler. After Sudowoodo agreed, Aven took out a Poké Ball and captured it.
After that, he continued wandering around with Kale. Whenever they encountered a Pokémon that caught his interest, Aven would step forward to communicate. Once the other party agreed, he would store it inside a Poké Ball.
Before long, his backpack held many Poké Balls containing Pokémon. Once he felt the number was sufficient, Aven left the Coastal Mountains and headed toward Fairhaven Town.
Returning to the familiar Safari Zone, Kale's first action was to head toward the Bibarel Lake. Although the Bibarel had ultimately chosen to remain in Pokémon Domain, he still treated them as comrades of Marina City.
"I've already spoken with the Bibarel."
"When you return to Marina City, bring them back with you."
"With the move Rototiller, the barren lands of Marina City will surely be revived and transformed into fertile farmland."
Hearing Aven's words, Kale nodded gratefully. "Thank you, Lord Aven. I will take good care of the Bibarel."
As they conversed, they arrived at the Bibarel Lake. On the riverbank, they saw large numbers of Bidoof gathered together, their bodies filled with surging Ground-type energy as they practiced the move Mud Sport.
Ever since Aven succeeded in guiding some Bibarel to comprehend the move Rototiller during evolution, he gradually pieced together a method to greatly increase the chances of Bibarel learning it.
Special potions infused with Ground and Grass-type energies, combined with innate Ground-type talent and strong mastery over the move Mud-Sport—these were the conditions he summarized through experience.
Now, the Bibarel leader had brought back many Bidoof from Marina City. All of them were excellent candidates for training, and naturally Aven would not hold back on potions or methods.
"If all Bibarel could use Rototiller, we'd never have to worry about food again," Kale said sincerely.
"Mhm. Indeed."
"So, when you leave, I'll have the apothecaries prepare a large batch of potions for you to take back."
"As for the training method, I'll give that to you as well. After some time, Marina City should also have some Bibarel who know the move Rototiller."
Aven smiled. Since a Bibarel only had a chance of learning Rototiller during evolution, the best approach was simply to cast a wide net and never let any opportunity slip past.
"Thank you, Lord Aven. The citizens of Marina City will forever remember your kindness!" Kale said respectfully.
Aven waved his hand. "There's no need for such formality between us. From now on, Marina City and Pokémon Domain are a united whole, without distinction."
The two exchanged a smile and continued observing the lives of the Bibarel and Bidoof. Because their numbers had increased significantly, not all of them lived in the lake area anymore.
Many Bibarel and Bidoof had settled along the Fair River and along the waterways extending from the Bibarel Lake, one could see their silhouettes everywhere.
These Pokémon were gentle by nature. They often helped nearby farmers with irrigation and other fieldwork, and were greatly beloved by the farmers.
After checking on the Bibarel, Kale followed Aven back to Fairhaven Town. Now that Pokémon Domain had gathered a large number of nobles, Aven wanted to introduce Kale to them.
Walking through the streets of Fairhaven Town, even though he had only been gone for two months, Kale could clearly sense just how much livelier the town had become.
At this moment, many nobles were gathered inside the Trainer District's Pokémon Gym.
When Fairhaven Town was first established, Aven had instructed Master Thomas to construct the Pokémon Gym.
Therefore, the Gym had been completed long ago, complete with Pokémon training grounds and battle arenas.
However, because other preparations had not been finalized, the Gym had never been opened to the public. Ironically, these nobles were now the first to use it.
The nobles lived here, receiving meals every day, though there were no servants—essentially more like an inn.
Some nobles were unaccustomed to this, but being in Pokémon Domain, they only dared complain in private. None of them were willing to risk offending Lord Aven.
But the training facilities within the Gym fascinated them greatly—especially the knights like Kevin, who could clearly feel the effects of these specialized training devices.
In addition, the Gym also housed a Pokémon Breeding House and a Pokémon Center. A Vileplume capable of healing served as the healing Pokémon, able to relieve the fatigue of their partners.
After staying for a while, the nobles realized that the place was specifically designed for strengthening Pokémon. Once they understood this, many who had previously been dissatisfied began to reconsider their judgments.
This place was certainly no simple training site. Lord Aven clearly had deeper intentions in arranging for them to stay here—one of those intentions being to deepen their understanding of trainers.
By now, these nobles had become very familiar with the unique profession of Pokémon Trainers, and the Pokémon battle arena was their primary means of learning.
Then there was the Pokémon Breeding House. Many nobles here were from the northern domains, and they still remembered the golden age of the Gilded Fang Merchant Guild.
What shocked them was that the Pokémon Breeding House here had the same bustling atmosphere as the Merchant Guild did at its peak with its trainers going in and out constantly, every single day.
Some nobles even spent several days observing the trading volume and price lists. Very quickly, they reached a shocking conclusion:
The daily value generated by the Pokémon Breeding House was enormous. It was no less profitable than the beast trade, and far more diverse—with much stronger competitive potential!
Realizing this, their confidence in future cooperation with the Pokémon Breeding House skyrocketed. Even if they needed to purchase Pokémon food and potions from Pokémon Domain, the remaining profit was more than enough to sustain their own territories.
Moreover, compared to the beast trade—which required obeying the Gilded Fang Merchant Guild —they felt this was a far more comfortable business. And they could also pair it with their own Pokémon Breeding zones to improve their territories' overall strength.
"Hm? Have new lords arrived?" one day, the nobles staying at the Gym received word.
This time, the new lord had been personally escorted by Lord Aven, meaning their identity was anything but ordinary. Yet their face was unfamiliar, and the nobles' attendants couldn't identify which territory this lord came from.
"How odd, an unfamiliar lord?" Several nobles furrowed their brows.
Baron Cass was also in the Gym. Ever since his conversation with Fessen, he had been sulking for a long time.
However, because of Fessen's influence, his status among the lords had risen dramatically, to the point where nobles came to visit him.
This pleased him quite a bit. Using Fessen's reputation, he had secured much business for Casston.
But whenever he remembered that all of this came from Fessen, he would drink gloomily. After returning home, he would name Fessen the heir to his title, thankfully he wasn't required to give up his barony immediately.
So, he intended to use the time he had left to secure as many future advantages for the Cass family as possible, so that when he eventually handed over the title, things would not become too humiliating.
"A lord accompanied personally by Lord Aven?" Baron Cass also received the message.
Without hesitation, he ordered the steward to prepare and went straight outside the Gym to wait for Lord Aven's arrival.
Many nobles shared the same idea. Soon, a crowd gathered outside the Gym, all gazing toward the smooth, neat street stretching into the distance.
Before long, Aven arrived with Kale. Seeing the familiar yet foreign Gym—Kale couldn't help revealing a look of wonder.
"Greetings to Lord Aven." The nobles all bowed.
"No need for formality." Aven raised his hand, then gestured beside him with a smile. "This is Kale, the lord of Marina City."
Hearing his words, the nobles froze, stunned. Why would the lord of Marina City appear here?
Some nobles, who had heard of the matter, showed expressions of understanding. They knew the Marina City Knight Order had once attacked Pokémon Domain, only to be defeated.
But since that battle took place in the Black Forest with no outsiders present, the lords had never known the full story.
Seeing Kale here now… it was clear Marina City had not merely been defeated, they likely had surrendered completely. Otherwise, the city lord himself would not be standing here under Lord Aven's lead.
"Greetings, everyone. I am Kale, lord of Marina City." Kale paused for a moment. "And at the same time, I am a follower of Lord Aven."
A heavy silence fell instantly.
Then, all at once, the nobles' eyes went wide, their faces filled with disbelief.
What did they just hear?
The lord of Marina City… is a follower of Lord Aven?
Then what was the relationship between Pokémon Domain and Marina City now?
Could it be that… Marina City had become a vassal of Pokémon Domain?
This news was far too shocking. Many nobles stood frozen, mouths open, unable to speak for a long while. After all—this was Marina City, a place comparable in rank to Aspiration City!
If Marina City truly became a vassal of Pokémon Domain, then what level had Pokémon Domain reached now?
This revelation completely shattered their understanding of the political map.
(End of Chapter)
TN: Sudowoodo's Chinese name when translated is Tree? No way!, is so funny to me.