In the Safari Zone, a vast number of Pokémon were being mobilized.
Looking at the countless groups of Pokémon gathered before him, Kale finally felt—truly and tangibly—the immense strength of the Pokémon Domain.
He recalled how, according to the reports from the knights of Marina City who had returned earlier, the strongest defensive force in Fruitvale Village had once only been the frontline wall formed by large numbers of Oddish and Gloom.
But now, if that same Marina City Knight Order were to march again on Fruitvale Village, there would absolutely be no chance of any of them escaping alive. Not a single one would return.
"We'll head to the Black Forest first. The Nidoking tribe will serve as the main fighting force in this battle," Aven explained to Kale.
And what they saw now was not even the entirety of the Domain's strength. Kale silently nodded, following Aven as they entered the Black Forest.
Inside the Black Forest, to Kale's astonishment, they walked straight through the territories of many different tribes.
Unexpectedly, not one of these tribes attacked Aven. On the contrary, some of the Pokémon tribes even greeted him warmly, calling out with friendliness as he passed.
"The entire Black Forest… are all these tribes under your command?" Kale's eyes were filled with disbelief.
If Aven really called upon all the Pokémon tribes of the Black Forest to fight, then Marina City would never be able to hold out!
"Not all tribes," Aven shook his head. "These tribes simply follow the rules laid down by the Safari Zone. They won't attack humans casually."
At present, the Safari Zone's relationship with the wild tribes was more like that of partners. The Safari Zone provided them protection and shelter, while in turn, the tribes abided by the rules set for them.
"What an incredible way of coexisting…" Kale's gaze flickered with emotion.
For humans and Pokémon to live together in harmony—had it been in the past, he would never have believed it. But now, he was entirely convinced.
Even Luxray, once an enemy, had come to acknowledge Aven. If not for the vow it had once made to its former master, perhaps it would already have chosen to join the Pokémon Domain outright.
Of course, it had already joined now, and in the future it would stand beside him, fighting for the Pokémon Domain, striving together toward the harmonious world between humans and Pokémon that Aven envisioned.
"Meow meow meowr!"
Luxray also turned to glance at Kale at this moment, nodding its head firmly, eyes carrying the weight of determination.
"Up ahead is the territory of the Mothim tribe," Aven introduced.
"Their current leader is one of my Pokémon. So, this stretch of land is already considered a part of the Domain's strength."
As he continued to explain, he allowed Kale—who had just recently sworn his allegiance—to better understand the combat strength of the Domain. In the days to come, Kale would surely become a pillar of the Domain, leading charges in battles as one of its core warriors!
"Flutter, flutter, flutter!"
When they saw Aven arriving, a large number of Mothim immediately rose into the air, fluttering their wings to welcome him.
After completing its training under Aven, Mothim had returned to its tribe to challenge the former leader.
Through the training it had undergone, it had successfully mastered the move Nature Power and had grown far more adept at manipulating normal energy.
Thus, after only a few rounds of battle, the former leader had been defeated, allowing Mothim to ascend as the new head of the tribe.
From then on, the Mothim tribe also pledged itself to the Pokémon Domain. Now, many Sky Knight units led by Jorah had already begun capturing and training Mothim here.
It was only a matter of time before these Mothim would fly alongside knights, defending the skies of the Domain. With their aerial superiority, they would be perfect for patrol missions.
In addition, large numbers of Burmy had also migrated into the Safari Zone to live. As excellent starter Pokémon, they would further strengthen the overall abilities of apprentice trainers.
"The Sky Knight units composed of Mothims and Yanmas are indeed formidable," Aven explained.
"With such an aerial force, the Wingull sky squadron of Marina City would be rendered practically useless."
Without even realizing it, Kale compared everything before his eyes with the knightly forces of Marina City. The result left him utterly dispirited. No matter how he tried to calculate, he could not see a scenario in which Marina City could claim victory.
Step by step, they advanced until they arrived at the valley of the Nidoking tribe. At that moment, a few rangers happened to be outside.
The rangers immediately hurried over to salute when they saw Aven, then guided him into the valley.
The first thing that entered Kale's vision upon entering was the vast stretches of berry orchards. With the combined efforts of fertilizers and Pokémon, the trees were thriving in abundance.
He could also see many Oddish moving between the groves, diligently clearing weeds and tending to the berry trees. It was clear that next year's harvest would be bountiful.
"This is Nidoking Valley," Aven explained.
"It also serves as a ranger outpost. These berry orchards are cultivated specifically for the Nidoking tribe and will serve as their primary food source in the future."
He had already told Kale about the importance of resolving food sources in building ranger defense lines, and here, that solution was clearly taking shape.
"Indeed. With steady food supplies, tribes will no longer raid human settlements so recklessly," Kale nodded.
Looking at the thriving orchards before him, he suddenly felt a strange pang—an illusion that the wild Pokémon here lived even better than the citizens of Marina City.
After passing through the orchards, the view opened up, revealing the wide grasslands of Nidoking Valley.
Countless Nidoran, both male and female, roamed freely across the fields, mingling with Nidorino and Nidorina as well.
"Nido, nido, nido!"
Nidorino and Nidorina who had accompanied Aven were equally excited to be home. They rushed quickly into the tribe, playing and frolicking with their companions.
"NIDO!"
From deep within the valley, the Nidoking leader emerged, having sensed Aven's arrival.
It strode out quickly, followed by several other Nidokings and Nidoqueens.
At once, Kale noticed the injuries marked across their bodies.
But these were not wounds from enemies. Instead, they were the results of training. The Nidoking leader had been using the methods it had learned from Aven to rigorously train its tribe.
When it saw Aven, its eyes lit up. It had long harbored some questions about training and wanted to consult him. In fact, if Aven had not come today, it had been planning to visit the Safari Zone itself to seek him out. To the Nidoking leader now, the Safari Zone was as familiar as its own backyard.
"Empo, Empo, Leon!"
Behind Kale, the towering form of Empoleon appeared.
The moment its gaze fell upon the Nidoking leader, Empoleon's eyes lit up as well.
It could sense clearly the overwhelming strength radiating from this Nidoking—its power was only a step away from the rank of a true king-level Pokémon.
Immediately, Empoleon's fighting spirit was stirred. The battle-lust it once felt for Froslass now shifted entirely toward Nidoking.
"Nido, nido, nido!"
The Nidoking leader also looked toward Empoleon with awareness.
Its eyes narrowed, and from the steel penguin before it, it too sensed the dense aura of battle intent.
Both were naturally aggressive by nature, and now their wills clashed fiercely as they locked gazes, neither side willing to yield an inch!
'This Nidoking leader… could it be a pseudo-king-level?'
'And with so many other Nidoking and Nidoqueen behind it, the combined strength of this tribe might not be any weaker than that of the Drapion tribe!'
Kale judged silently in his heart. After so many shocks along the way, he suddenly felt calm—perhaps capturing a pseudo-king-level tribe was not an impossible task for Lord Aven.
He had just opened his mouth to speak when he suddenly realized the tense standoff between Empoleon and the Nidoking leader. His expression shifted slightly. "Lord Aven, Empoleon means no hostility!"
"I know," Aven nodded calmly.
"The Nidoking leader doesn't either. Both Empoleon and Nidoking are extremely combative by nature. When they encounter a worthy opponent, it is only natural for them to feel the urge to battle. So… why not let them fight?"
Kale froze at Aven's words. Then, turning his gaze to Empoleon's eyes—brimming with excitement—he closed his own for a deep breath.
Scenes from battles he had once watched in the great arenas flickered in his mind.
Opening his eyes again, a smile had spread across his face.
"Alright! In truth, I have long wanted to experience it myself—
a battle that belongs solely to trainers!"
"You will grow to love this feeling."
Aven's face also lit up with a smile as he quickly walked up behind the leader of the Nidoking.
Hearing that it could finally engage in battle, the Nidoking leader let out a thunderous roar of excitement. Its massive body retreated a few steps as it took up a battle stance, muscles coiled and ready to strike.
Around them, the surrounding Nidoran and Nidorino instantly erupted into excited cries. Their eyes gleamed with anticipation as they hurriedly retreated to both sides, clearing out the battlefield so the two great Pokémon could clash without obstruction.
"Nidoking, let me see the results of your training during this time," Aven said with a smile.
"NIDOOO!"
The Nidoking leader roared back, nodding heavily, its entire body brimming with fighting spirit!
"EMPOLEOON!"
On the opposite side, the mighty Empoleon was equally spirited, its own battle intent blazing high.
The energy of water-type power surged around its body, while its wings gleamed with sharp luster, lifting high as they pointed directly at Nidoking.
(End of Chapter)