Paul felt the howling wind in his ears and fell into silence.
He glanced back at the Yanma that had been left far behind, but in his heart, there was no joy at surviving a hopeless escape.
Before choosing to flee, he had already made peace with dying—ironically, it would have been a kind of relief.
Now, he had no idea how to return to Marina City—or how to face Lord Kale, or their people, once he got back.
This defeat was too devastating.
They hadn't even set foot in Fruitvale Village, and they had already lost everything.
A thousand Bibarel, thousands of Bidoof, the Pelipper, the Luxray…
That had been his entire force—and now, none of it remained.
He didn't even know what became of the knights.
If they had all died, was he supposed to return to Marina City alone?
If so… he would rather have died here than survive in disgrace!
'Maybe… dying here would've been the best outcome.'
That hopeless thought echoed in Paul's mind.
"Captain Paul, do you think we'll be able to take revenge?"
"For our fallen comrades. To wash away the shame of today."
Hill's voice drifted into Paul's ears as Mightyena began to slow down.
Paul blinked in confusion.
"Revenge…?"
He closed his eyes—and scenes of the day's events flashed through his mind.
A subtle fear began to take root in his chest.
He opened his eyes, his voice trembling:
"It's impossible… Even when we gave it our all, we couldn't breach Fruitvale Village. What chance do we have in the future?"
"Revenge? I don't want revenge. I won't take revenge. That would just mean leading my remaining comrades to their deaths… I can't do that… I won't…"
As he spoke, Paul shook his head again and again, his eyes wide and now completely filled with fear.
Fruitvale Village was just too strong.
Even if he tried again from the start, he still couldn't see any path to victory.
And if just Fruitvale Village was this powerful…
He could hardly imagine how terrifying Aspiration City must be.
As long as Fruitvale Village stood in their way, Marina City would never set foot in Aspiration City!
If he had a second chance to choose, he would never have attacked Fruitvale Village.
Thinking of all the fallen Bibarels, Bidoofs and knights, Paul felt his heart clench like it was being crushed—he couldn't even breathe.
"You're not planning to take revenge?"
"Even if you run, do you really think Aspiration City will just let us go?"
Hill's cold snort cut through the air, filled with disdain and mockery.
Paul flinched again.
A look of anguish flashed across his face.
This defeat would come with a price—Marina City had failed, and they would pay for it.
Originally, they'd believed that while Aspiration City was stronger than Marina City, the gap wouldn't be that great.
With the Pelipper's Rain strategy, and Bibarel's natural advantage over Rhyhorns, they thought that with careful planning, they would actually have the upper hand.
Their goal had been to capture the southeastern corner of Aspiration City and hold it until reinforcements arrived.
Even Lord Kale himself might join the frontline—then they could solidify their control of the land.
But now, just the strength held by Fruitvale Village had completely shattered that expectation.
Marina City's entire expedition had been crushed.
"So you're still planning to run?" Hill sneered.
Paul's expression turned blank.
His spirit—once proud and unshakable—was now shattered. He just shook his head weakly, utterly lost.
The once-confident Knight Captain now looked like a dying old man, his vigor and will utterly drained.
Seeing this, Hill gripped Mightyena's fur tightly, and a flicker of coldness passed through his eyes.
…
Elsewhere, Jorah hovered over the coast, frowning as he looked over the sea.
A swarm of Yanma patrolled the area, scouring the ocean for Paul and Hill.
But after searching for so long without finding them, frustration crept onto Jorah's face.
Mightyena's sudden speed burst had taken them completely by surprise—even his Yanma had been left in the dust.
This gave Mightyena enough time to carry the two men off the cliff and into the ocean.
Jorah had rushed to the scene and immediately ordered the Yanma to search the waters, but so far, they had found nothing.
That was when he began to suspect—perhaps this wasn't just a lucky escape…
Perhaps they had planned to jump into the ocean from the start.
"Jorah, still no sign of them?"
Aven had arrived, rubbing his temples as he looked out over the endless sea.
"Apologies, Lord Aven. I… I let them escape," Jorah said, landing and lowering his head.
"It's not your fault," Aven replied with a shake of his head.
"I didn't expect that Mightyena to have the Quick Feet ability."
On his way over, he'd noticed the traces of the purple toxin on the path.
That confirmed his suspicion: the Mightyena had been poisoned intentionally.
Quick Feet—a hidden ability that greatly boosts a Pokémon's speed when afflicted with a status condition.
It was clear that Hill had recognized this rare trait and used the toxin to activate it.
As a breeder, Aven felt a bit ashamed.
He should've seen this coming—but in dealing with ancient humans, he had let his guard down.
"Quick Feet?" Jorah asked, puzzled.
Aven realized he'd said too much.
"It's a special ability—when under a status condition, the Pokémon's speed increases drastically."
Jorah wasn't surprised.
At this point, he and the others half-suspected that Aven was actually a noble from Wisdom City, considering how much he always seemed to know.
"Forget it. It seems Marina City wasn't entirely unprepared."
"But the sea is dangerous. Even if they escaped our pursuit, they'll have to face its many unpredictable hazards."
"And besides, their Pokémon are almost entirely wiped out. This is already a devastating blow for Marina City—they won't be able to threaten us again anytime soon."
Jorah nodded slightly at Aven's words.
Indeed, Fruitvale Village had achieved a tremendous victory.
He too believed that after this, Marina City wouldn't dare to challenge Fruitvale Village again.
And if they ever did—they might not even make it out of the Black Forest.
…
Knight Commander Hunter had rushed to Fruitvale Village as soon as they received the call for aid.
Even though he knew Fruitvale Village had some strength, their enemy was Marina City—a well-prepared invading force. That made him anxious.
Hunter had a deep fondness for Fruitvale Village—whether it was Earl Aven's knowledge, or the miraculous potions from the Pokémon Breeding House—he didn't want anything to happen to them.
His knights marched rapidly, heading directly to the southern part of the village.
If the battle was still ongoing, they could strike from the side and deliver a heavy blow to the enemy.
But as they reached the battlefield, Hunter realized—the fight was already over.
The scorched land and traces of blood left no doubt as to how fierce the battle had been.
"Is Fruitvale Village… alright?"
Leon stood beside Hunter, asking with a trembling voice.
His expression was grim.
Even though he had phrased it as a question, he already feared the answer.
Marina City had come fully prepared.
Fruitvale Village shouldn't have stood a chance.
This was war between cities—and Fruitvale Village was far too small.
…
Back in the village, Fessen was directing the villagers in cleanup.
After the flood, the village was a mess.
Many injured Pokémon also remained in need of care, and the entire village was busy and overwhelmed.
Fortunately, they had Master Olai, Link, and Phyllis, so the Pokémon's condition was relatively stable for now—though more intensive treatment would have to wait for Aven's return.
"Sir Fessen! Reinforcements from Aspiration City have arrived!"
A patrol member rushed in to report.
"At last," Fessen breathed out, relieved.
With Aven away, it was up to him to welcome them.
…
Outside the village, Commander Hunter had begun to sense something unusual.
Fruitvale Village… felt too calm.
If Marina City had really invaded successfully, the village should be preparing to receive reinforcements.
But while there were some defenses built at the entrance, they didn't seem like they were expecting a fight.
Suddenly, a wild thought struck Hunter.
Could Fruitvale Village… have driven them back in a direct battle?
Was that even possible?
When Fessen came out to greet them, Hunter's suspicion was confirmed.
Despite being attacked by Marina City, Fruitvale Village had truly held the line!
"Where's Lord Aven?" Hunter asked urgently.
(End of Chapter)