"Lord Aven, allow me to take the patrol team into the Black Forest to assess the situation."
Sutter walked over, his tone heavy. "I have a feeling this isn't so simple. Even if it really is just a storm, the wild Pokémon of the Black Forest shouldn't be fleeing in such large numbers."
He and the knights in the order were all born in patrol camps and were no strangers to patrolling the Black Forest.
"No... no need, there's definitely something wrong with that raincloud," Aven said, shaking his head slightly before walking over to a fainted Rattata lying on the ground.
This particular Rattata had visible injuries on its abdomen, the once-white fur on its belly now bruised—likely from an attack. During the battle with the Gloom, it had only been hit by Sleep Powder, which meant this wound must have been inflicted before it arrived at Fruitvale Village.
'These are injuries caused by a Water-type attack.'
'When did Water-type Pokémon appear in the Black Forest?'
Aven narrowed his eyes. The last time he visited the forest, he had explored the area thoroughly and found no signs of any Water-type Pokémon. He then checked the other Pokémon nearby and found similar wounds. Combined with the thick clouds gathering above the forest, his suspicions were confirmed.
"We're in trouble."
As Sutter and the others gathered around, Aven said this with a grave expression, causing everyone's faces to change.
"Lord Aven, what's going on?" Phyllis asked.
Having just witnessed the power Fruitvale Village possessed, she found it hard to imagine anything that could worry Aven this much.
"If I'm right, a group of Water-type Pokémon has appeared in the Black Forest," Aven explained slowly. "And more than likely, they're Pelipper—Pokémon known to gather in large flocks and bring rainclouds with them."
His words puzzled the others. They hadn't heard of Pelipper before, but they understood that something unusual was going on. Why would a flock of obviously seabird-type Pokémon suddenly cross the Black Forest and gather clouds near Aspiration City's border?
"Wait—Lord Aven, could it be them?" Sutter's face suddenly changed.
He recalled the two Pokémon corpses they had discovered in the Black Forest. At the time, they had suspected that Marina City was involved in the Abyssal beast tide.
Now, hearing the word "water" instantly made him think of Marina City. Could it be that Marina City planned to invade Aspiration City directly via the Black Coast?!
"Yes, I've been thinking the same."
"Pelipper aren't common in the wild, let alone in large flocks."
"This must be a plot by Marina City. If they can bring heavy rain to Aspiration City, they'll greatly weaken the strength of the Aspiration City Knight Order."
"Plus, their Pokémon are undoubtedly all Water-types, and will gain a significant boost in strength during rainy weather."
Aven confirmed his suspicion. When he mentioned Marina City, the expressions of everyone present changed—they hadn't expected an invasion from another territory.
"Lord Aven, what should we do?" Phyllis asked anxiously.
Although Marina City wasn't a powerful territory, it was still far beyond what a small village like Fruitvale could resist. And with their well-prepared attack, the village seemed to be in real danger.
"Prepare for battle," Aven said firmly after a deep breath.
From the moment he became the Earl of Aspiration City's southeastern border, he knew this day would come. That's why he had been steadily capturing and training Oddish and promoting the trainer program—everything was to enhance Fruitvale Village's strength.
Although Marina City's attack came sooner than expected, he wasn't completely unprepared. Now was the time to put Fruitvale Village's strength to the test.
"Sutter, send a few knights to inform Lady Mira and the neighboring lords."
"Even if I believe we can repel Marina City's attack, we still must request reinforcements."
"Phyllis, Link—you'll be in charge of logistics. No matter what, make sure our supplies are sufficient."
"Fessen, inform the village chiefs in the each village and have everyone retreat to Fruitvale Village."
"Peter, gather all the apprentice trainers among the villagers. Have them maintain order inside the village."
As Aven issued one order after another, the entire village quickly mobilized. Everyone felt a looming sense of an oncoming storm.
….
Hill leaned silently against a tree.
Although the Marina City Knight Order was brimming with confidence, he dared not lower his guard. He had never met the southeastern lord of Aspiration City, but as the man who resolved the Abyssal War, Aven was worthy of caution.
He had a nagging feeling that this attack on Fruitvale Village wouldn't go as smoothly as Commander Paul believed.
Whooosh—
Gusts of wind swept over the Black Forest. Though night had not yet fallen, the sun was already obscured by thick clouds. A vast, dark cloud was spreading over most of the forest, slowly moving toward Fruitvale Village.
Under the control of the Pelipper, the rain would eventually fall on Fruitvale Village—signaling the beginning of Marina City's invasion.
"Awooo, awooo— "
While Hill rested with his eyes closed, the Mightyena beneath the tree suddenly stood alert.
"Mightyena, did you notice something?" Hill jumped down and stood beside it.
"Awoo! Awoo!"
The Mightyena nodded, its head peeking through the bushes, staring into the depths of the forest.
Suddenly, a small Oddish darted past from the distance and disappeared into the Black Forest.
"Oh, just an Oddish. I guess I'm too tense," Hill sighed in relief and rubbed his brow.
Drip.
At that moment, he felt a cold sensation on his neck.
Looking up, he saw raindrops starting to fall—first a few, then more and more.
"It's raining," he murmured.
The attack from Marina City... had begun.
Outside Fruitvale Village, rows of rain shelters stood tall. Rain poured down from the sky, drumming rapidly on the canopy overhead.
On the grass outside, the Gloom and Oddish had buried themselves in the soil, letting the rainwater nourish the land around them.
"Rhy!"
Next to Aven, Rhydon looked a bit frustrated. It hated the rain—every time it rained, it had to stay indoors, unable to train.
Now, with what should have been perfect training weather ruined by rain, it could only sit under the canopy watching the downpour.
Also, its trainer had mentioned possible enemies—would it even get a chance to fight?
"Lil lil lil!" Petilil, dressed in a nurse outfit, sat quietly in Aven's arms.
The little one had also heard about the upcoming battle and was gathering energy. Battles meant injuries, and injuries meant it would finally have a chance to step up.
As the "angel in white," the Petilil would never let its teammates get hurt. As long as it was there—so long as they were still breathing—it could save them.
"Lord Aven, you should rest for a moment," Sutter said softly, seeing Aven standing at the front.
Since discovering the potential threat, Aven had calmly taken charge and made thorough preparations for the coming battle.
It was precisely because of this man at the front that everyone—including Sutter—had confidence on their faces. As long as Aven was here, nothing could threaten Fruitvale Village.
"They're here."
(End of Chapter)