When Aven was mentioned, a proud look appeared on Fessen's face.
"Lord Aven went after the fleeing knights of Marina City!"
His words made Hunter a little dizzy. Not only had Fruitvale Village defeated Marina City, but they had even chased them down?
His first reaction was disbelief—that was the Marina City Knight Order! Even the knights of Aspiration City would approach them with caution. And yet, Fruitvale Village had not only won, but also pursued the enemy?
"Fessen, you're not joking, are you?" Leon asked skeptically. He was usually on good terms with Fessen.
"Hmph! Do you think we'd joke about something like this?"
"Look at this battlefield—Lord Aven defeated the Marina Knight Order right here in open combat!"
"Right now, there are over a hundred captured Bibarel and Bidoof being held in the village. I'm certain Lord Aven will bring back even more prisoners when he returns!"
Fessen snorted coldly. No matter how close they were normally, he would never tolerate doubts on such a matter!
"It's really a relief that Fruitvale Village is safe. Let's head inside."
Hunter took a deep breath and ordered the knights to move forward toward the battlefield.
As they stepped onto the muddy ground, he could tell a heavy rain had recently passed through. But the weather was sunny now. In this kind of climate, only Pelipper could have created such rainfall.
Could the Pelipper have been involved in the battle too?
If so, it meant that Marina City had mobilized their main forces for this invasion.
Looking down at the battle scars on the earth, it was obvious that a fierce fight had taken place—evidence of Fruitvale Village's resistance.
Yet, in such conditions, the village had still won… Hunter found it unbelievable.
They walked through the muddy terrain and reached a patch of grassland. It felt like stepping into another world.
Thick green grass covered the area, completely erasing any signs of battle—as if it had never reached here.
Hunter couldn't help but think of the village's Gloom and Oddish. It seemed that these Pokémon had repelled the knights from this very place.
They knew all too well how powerful the Gloom were. But even so, their opponents had been the Marina Knight Order!
Soon, Hunter and his knights arrived in Fruitvale Village.
The village was a mess, but all signs of damage came from flooding—there were no signs of a direct fight within the village.
In an open area within the village, they found dozens of captured Bidoof and Bibarel.
Seeing the densely packed prisoners, they finally had no choice but to accept this unbelievable truth.
Marina City's long-prepared invasion plan had fallen apart before even breaching Aspiration City's borders.
The knight order had been crushed by Fruitvale Village—and now, they were even being pursued.
The villagers of Fruitvale Village showed no strong reaction to the arrival of the knights.
Some even stood up straighter with pride in their eyes.
They were proud of the strength their village now held.
This was Fruitvale Village, the domain of Lord Aven.
When danger arrived, it wasn't the knights who protected them—it was Aven.
Subtly, the villagers had begun to change.
They no longer feared the oppression of knights and nobles.
Yes, knights were noble—but given time, they believed they too could become powerful. They could become knights in their own right!
"Lord Aven is back! Lord Aven is back!"
Suddenly, excited shouts came from the scouts at the village gate.
Upon hearing this, Hunter quickly led the knights to greet him.
He looked toward the sky and saw them first—a swarm of Yanma flying overhead in formation.
Their sheer number was overwhelming. If Fessen hadn't explained that these Pokémon belonged to Fruitvale Village, Hunter might have ordered his men into full alert.
After a few more moments, dark silhouettes began to appear in the distance.
There was Aven, wearing his familiar white coat, riding atop a Torterra.
Behind him came a crowd of Gloom and Oddish, an image that filled the knights with awe—it reminded them of the battlefield once again.
But then, behind the Gloom and Oddish, a group of unexpected figures emerged—
Bibarel and Bidoof, large in number, marching peacefully toward Fruitvale Village, surrounded by the village's Grass-type Pokémon.
"Bibarel and Bidoof!"
Hunter's eyes widened, then slowly he shook his head.
He had no more doubts.
The power Fruitvale Village now held was truly staggering—even Marina City's elite forces had been thoroughly defeated.
He could already imagine how this news would shake all of Aspiration City once it spread.
…
The Bibarel leader returned to Fruitvale Village alongside Aven.
As it approached the battlefield once more, its heart was filled with mixed emotions.
Though only a single day had passed, it had gone through so much.
Aven hadn't taken them into the village but left them on the grassy outskirts.
Only the leader was allowed inside—for many of its kin were still within.
As it walked, it watched the white-cloaked human ahead of it, holding a Petilil in his arms.
The Bibarel leader felt conflicted.
It couldn't understand how this human thought.
They had attacked his village—yet he still chose to heal them?
Maybe… he wanted to tame them, just like the knights from Marina City had.
To make them tools for war?
The Bibarel leader was a smart one.
It had thought of many things.
At first, the Marina knights had also treated them well.
If this war hadn't happened, they might have continued living that way.
But the kindness of the knights had been only to use them in battle.
The peaceful life it had longed for could never exist under such conditions.
If its companions were safe—and if this human truly wanted to tame them—
Then… maybe it should accept him.
"Bibarel, we're here."
Aven's voice brought the Bibarel leader out of its thoughts.
It looked up and saw an open clearing filled with familiar faces—dozens of Bibarel and Bidoof, resting on the ground.
Some were wrapped in white bandages, but they were alive.
"Biii, Biii!"
The Bibarel and Bidoof quickly noticed their leader. After a moment of stunned silence, they began to squeal with excitement.
The less-injured ones even rushed over.
"Biii, Biii!"
"You're safe!"
The Bibarel leader was surrounded by its kin. Its heart swelled with emotion, and tears began to well up in its eyes.
Aven stood quietly to the side, watching the heartfelt reunion.
A gentle smile appeared on his face as he looked on.
…
In the Pokémon Breeding House…
All of Fruitvale Village's key personnel were gathered.
Aven sat silently at the head of the table, eyes closed in thought.
The others looked at him with reverent admiration.
This time, facing Marina City's full invasion, Fruitvale Village had handled everything perfectly.
Through this battle, Aven had fully demonstrated the village's strength.
His brilliant command had left everyone breathless.
Sutter, Fessen, and Jorah—the three former knights—looked at Aven and saw the shadow of Baron Ruize in him. In fact, Aven might have even surpassed him.
Especially the tactics he'd used against the Bibarel—taking them down without a single casualty—it was nothing short of incredible.
Every time they recalled the scenes of the pursuit, Sutter and Fessen couldn't help but draw a sharp breath.
Combined with Aven's profound knowledge, they were certain—this was all his design.
He had exploited the Bibarel's reliance on their kin to turn them against the Marina knights.
It was a psychological masterstroke!
Phyllis wore a similar expression.
She recalled Aven's earlier words to her—
Now that she'd seen the battle unfold, the meaning behind those words was clear as day.
"His intelligence… could rival the lord of Wisdom City!" she thought, her admiration for him growing ever stronger.
It was thanks to Aven's knowledge that Fruitvale Village had grown so powerful almost without anyone realizing.
Now, they looked back at all the strange things Aven had done before—things they hadn't understood.
In hindsight, every step had laid the foundation for Fruitvale Village's rise:
The Oddish colony, the Pokémon from the Abyssal Battle, the Pokémon Breeding House—every piece had been critical.
Uncle Mike and the village chiefs were just as inspired.
This victory had filled them with unshakable confidence.
They were proud to be part of Fruitvale Village.
Under Aven's leadership, they believed it would become the strongest territory in Aspiration City!
"Now, everyone—report the current situation in the village,"
Aven suddenly opened his eyes and swept the room with a calm gaze—yet it carried a subtle pressure that made hearts tremble.
Sutter and Fessen exchanged a glance.
Then, Sutter stepped forward and began to report:
"Lord Aven, we've made a preliminary assessment of the battle's results."
"We've captured almost the entire force of Marina City's magical beasts—including one thousand Bibarel and two thousand Bidoof."
"Unfortunately, the Pelipper escaped in the final moments, but we successfully captured the Luxray—they're being held in the abandoned orchard."
The moment Sutter finished, everyone in the room gasped in unison.
Those Bibarel and Bidoof were still outside the village—and based on what they'd seen, it was clear that after Aven healed them, he had already earned their trust.
They knew exactly what was coming next.
Just like with the Mightyena pack and the beasts from the Abyssal Caverns, these Bibarel would likely be tamed—and become part of Fruitvale Village's strength.
The very thought was thrilling.
These were the main forces of Marina City's knight order.
Their combat power was undeniable.
With the Bibarel tribe under their command, Fruitvale Village's strength would explode—they might even be able to rival an entire city!
This was the charisma of Lord Aven.
But more than that, it was his genuine love for Pokémon that won their trust.
(End of Chapter)