"Moth~"
Mothim gently flapped its wings, its body now emanating a violet hue. Its entire form radiated with thick poisonous energy.
Thanks to Mothim's assistance, Aven soon returned back to the heart of Drapion's territory. There were still many tasks he had to accomplish, but above all, the most important one was to subdue and bring the Drapion tribe under his control!
"Lord Aven!"
When they saw Aven return safely, both Matthew and the rangers immediately breathed a sigh of relief.
Although they were aware that Aven was always accompanied by a large number of powerful Pokémon, this place was nonetheless full of dangers, and they had been deeply worried about him.
"Don't worry, I'm fine," Aven nodded, choosing not to bring up the gains he had obtained inside. "Tell me, how are the Drapion within the territory now?"
Hearing this, Mathew and the rangers quickly reported the situation. Without their leader and without the other elite Drapion of high beast-level strength, the Drapion tribe was no longer a major threat.
"Good, you've done well."
"Now, the most important thing is to first subdue the Drapion leader."
As Aven spoke, he swiftly drew out the Poké Ball containing the Drapion leader.
With a flash, a burst of white light shot out from the Poké Ball, materializing into the battered form of the Drapion leader.
Although it had already recovered a little while resting inside the Poké Ball, at this moment the Drapion leader still appeared utterly miserable, its body riddled with scars.
"DRAAA!"
As soon as it was released, Drapion let out a deep, angry roar.
But in the very next instant, it sensed a powerful aura locking tightly onto its body. Its eyes shifted toward the source and quickly found Empoleon.
The Drapion leader was already deeply aware of Empoleon's terrifying strength from their earlier battle. Its pupils contracted sharply, and when it looked around to find the battlefield deserted, with not a single companion remaining at its side, an unsettled feeling arose in its heart.
"Drapion, as you can see for yourself, your tribe has already been defeated," Aven said directly, without sugarcoating his words.
Hearing Aven's blunt statement, the unease on Drapion's face only grew stronger. It roared repeatedly, its expression brimming with unwillingness and resentment.
"Hm?" Aven narrowed his eyes slightly at Drapion's response.
Then, without warning, he lifted his hand. The Poké Ball he held suddenly released a bright red glow, pulling Drapion back inside.
But the very next moment, Aven released it once more. "Just as you have seen with your own eyes, you are already defeated!"
Hearing the same declaration once again, Drapion's gaze flickered as it fell into silence. Its eyes soon turned toward Aven, as if trying to figure out what his true intentions were.
"It's very simple," Aven said firmly. "As long as you choose to submit, I will grant you freedom again."
"Furthermore, your tribe will still be allowed to live here within this territory. Of course, the prerequisite is that you must be willing to abide by the rules I establish."
This time, Aven's tone was far more forceful than usual. When facing the Drapion tribe, he did not intend to slowly reason with them using emotion or persuasion.
Time was pressing. He had to subdue the Drapion tribe quickly so that they could establish a defensive line in the southeastern border, one strong enough to resist the invasion from Marina City.
The more delicate work of fully assimilating the Drapion tribe into the ecosystem of the breeding zone could wait until spring. Aven believed that, relying on the strength of trainers, the Drapion would eventually integrate into life in the breeding district.
"DRAA!"
The Drapion leader roared furiously, unwilling to concede.
But the instant it saw Aven raise his hand again, preparing to recall it into the Poké Ball, the sound abruptly stopped.
Its eyes flickered unsteadily, showing that it was still wavering, unsure whether to obey Aven or resist.
"It seems you still do not wish to comply," Aven said after a brief silence.
Then, without hesitation, he pressed the Poké Ball again, sealing Drapion inside, only to release it once more a moment later.
"You should understand now. I have the power to seal you away."
"If you refuse, I will simply seal you away forever and then cultivate a new Drapion leader in your place."
"Right now, all of the other advanced-level Drapion from your tribe are already sealed away. I am certain that among them, some must be eager to take your position as the leader."
As he spoke, Aven produced several more Poké Balls in his hand. Inside each of them were other powerful Drapion from the tribe.
Drapion's face immediately changed at those words. It could not tell which prospect it feared more—the possibility of being sealed away forever, or the thought of being replaced as leader by one of its own kind.
"They wouldn't dare!!!" Drapion howled silently in its heart.
But when it looked once more at Aven, a heavy sense of helplessness washed over it.
It shifted its gaze toward the Nidoking Leader standing beside Aven, then at Empoleon, who stood silently yet menacingly in front of it.
Escape was impossible. Victory was equally impossible.
At long last, after a tense silence, the Drapion leader lowered its head, finally yielding and pledging its submission to Aven!
"Good. Remember your promise," Aven said solemnly.
"And of course, I will keep mine. I will grant the Drapion tribe protection."
Seeing this outcome, Aven finally exhaled in relief. He then tossed out the other Poké Balls he had been holding.
With multiple flashes of white light, the other Drapion appeared one after another, each roaring in confusion, clearly not yet understanding the situation.
"DRAAaa?"
One loud bellow from their leader immediately silenced the battlefield.
The Drapion all turned their attention toward their leader, their eyes filled with disbelief.
"DRAA!"
Sweeping its gaze over its companions with a stern look, the Drapion leader let out another series of commanding cries, explaining that it had already sworn loyalty to the human before them.
At that moment, one Drapion raised its head suddenly. This one's twin stinger tails had been severed in the battle. Hearing the leader's words, it roared furiously.
Its eyes locked onto Empoleon, the one who had severed its tails earlier, and its gaze blazed with anger. Clearly, it sought revenge.
But before it could act, the Drapion leader moved. With a flash, its body lunged forward, its own massive pincers snapping out and seizing the tailless Drapion before flinging it violently away!
Fury burned in its heart at its subordinate's disobedience. At the same time, Aven's earlier warning echoed in its mind—the others had been eyeing its position all along.
Unlike the united Nidoking tribe, the Drapion tribe was divided into many smaller groups, far less cohesive.
"Return," Aven said calmly, raising the Poké Ball and recalling the disobedient Drapion. "It seems this one will have to be sealed forever."
He placed the Poké Ball into his pocket, his eyes glancing at the distant Drapion leader. Its body stiffened noticeably.
For the Drapion leader, the Poké Ball itself had already become the greatest source of fear and intimidation. Better to submit obediently than suffer the eternal nightmare of being sealed away.
"What an incredibly powerful and mysterious ability," Mathew and the rangers murmured, their eyes filled with awe and reverence.
In their eyes, their Lord, Aven seemed to grow ever taller and more imposing. This was power that could seal even the mightiest of Pokémon with ease!
Normally, attempting to subdue the Drapion tribe would have been extremely difficult. Even if you defeated or killed the Drapion leader, that alone would rarely suffice to win the loyalty of the entire tribe.
But with the sealing ability in play, the Drapion had no choice but to obey. Only then could it be said that the Drapion tribe had truly been subdued, forced to follow commands alongside the Skorupi.
"Draa!"
The Drapion leader began organizing its subordinates, calling them back together.
Aven had now firmly established his authority, instilling fear in the Drapion leader, who had no choice but to obey his commands.
"The stick has already been used; now it's time to offer a little sweetness as well," Aven said, glancing at Vileplume beside him.
Petilil had exhausted much of its energy, so the responsibility of healing now fell upon Vileplume. By relying on Grassy Terrain, it could provide quick treatment.
Though its healing power was far weaker than Petilil's, it was still more than enough to meet the needs of the current situation.
Bathed in the energy of Grassy Terrain, faint green light began to flow over the Drapion's bodies, mending their wounds continuously.
"Draa…"
The Drapion looked startled at first, but soon their faces showed comfort and relief.
Once their wounds were treated, the Drapion scattered swiftly, gathering their tribesmen to prevent them from running astray throughout the Black Forest.
Fortunately, the Drapion tribe's collapse had only happened recently, so it wasn't long before large groups of Skorupi began gathering again. Under the leader's restraint, there were no acts of violence.
"Rangers, go bring food to these Drapion and Skorupi," Aven instructed.
Pokémon food was something most Pokémon found nearly impossible to resist—especially when it was a special blend formulated precisely for Poison-types. Neither Drapion nor Skorupi could refuse it.
Crunch, crunch, crunch~
Before long, the sound of chewing filled the area as Drapion and Skorupi alike devoured the Pokémon food ravenously.
"As long as you obey and behave, you will be able to enjoy such food often in the future," Aven said with a smile.
This tactic of his had proven effective countless times before, a nearly foolproof way of rapidly raising his favorability among Pokémon. It was practically a charm for building goodwill.
With such food, the rebellious emotions among the Skorupi would surely diminish even further, making the next steps of subjugation much smoother.
"Good. With this, it can be considered that the Drapion tribe has been preliminarily subdued," Aven finally breathed out a slow sigh of relief.
Mathew also spoke with deep feeling: "Indeed, I never imagined everything would proceed so smoothly."
"Yes," Aven nodded. "But this kind of relationship is not yet reliable. If they were to lose my deterrence, these Drapion might still rebel."
"That is the flaw in forcibly subduing a tribe. However, for the simple task of guarding their own territory, it should not pose a major issue."
"What comes next is redrawing Drapion's territory. Soon, more Pokémon tribes will move into this poisonous fog area to live here."
As he spoke, Aven pulled out a map, already planning to divide Drapion's territory into multiple sections. This fog-shrouded area was also highly beneficial for the growth of other Poison-type Pokémon.
"First, the central core area—I intend to assign that to the Nidoking tribe."
Without hesitation, Aven marked the areas around the swamp. This was the region the Nidoking would need to guard most closely.
To the north, the land facing the Safari Zone would be assigned to the Glooms, ensuring the safety of the Safari Zone.
And in the coming days, more and more Poison-type tribes would surely enter this area, their presence serving as an effective counterbalance against Drapion.
"Ah yes, the Kebia berries as well. That grove must be marked off separately."
"Though Pokémon can directly eat the Kebia berries to grow stronger, their full value can only be unleashed once they're processed into potions."
Thinking of the Kebia berries, Aven's eyes narrowed slightly. With them, he could mass-produce poison rich potions, enabling many Pokémon to learn the move Toxic.
In a sense, Toxic was similar to moves like Earth Power or Ancient Power. Not only did it have its own potency, but it could also amplify the effectiveness of other moves.
If a Pokémon mastered Toxic, the venom in its body would surge dramatically, further increasing the power of its other Poison-type moves.
With Toxic potions, the Vileplume tribe, the Skuntank tribe, and the Nidoking tribe would all grow significantly stronger. For these long-time allies, Aven had no intention of being stingy.
"Furthermore, we must designate an area specifically as a training ground," Aven continued to plan.
For trainers, this place would be an excellent location to train Poison-type Pokémon. It could be officially opened as a special training site for Poison-type specialists.
"Lord Aven, how should we arrange the defensive line?" Mathew asked from the side.
Seizing Drapion's territory was, after all, mainly for the purpose of establishing a line of defense against Marina City's forces.
"This can be coordinated with the Black Coast defensive line," Aven explained.
"My plan is to push the line forward, all the way to the gap in the Coastal Mountain Range, letting the poisonous fog extend and blanket that area as well."
As he spoke, Aven smiled faintly, drawing a large circle on the map that even encompassed a portion of the Seaside Mountains, expanding the range of the poisonous fog.
"The poisonous fog will spread that far?" Mathew's eyes lit up.
"Yes. I have already uncovered the secret of how this fog is generated. Expanding its range further will not be difficult."
Aven nodded. The fog originated entirely from the poison swamp—or rather, from the deadly poisonous crystal buried within. By amplifying Poison-type energy, more fog could easily be condensed.
Moreover, the Vileplume tribe was capable of generating poisonous fog on their own. Through careful coordination, the fog's reach could be continually extended, further expanding the territory available for Poison-type Pokémon!
(End of Chapter)