Buzz buzz buzz buzz—
The air was filled with the loud flapping of wings.
A swarm of Yanma descended from above, completely surrounding the area—they were Fruitvale Village's aerial forces.
"Looks like it's over," said Jorah with a cold smirk as he was lowered into the area by one of the Yanma.
"Fruitvale Village isn't what it used to be. Anyone who dares offend us… must pay a heavy price!"
Cough, cough, cough—
Under the tree, Quinn was still coughing violently.
After taking a direct hit from Gloom's Moonblast, he had suffered severe injuries. His lower back throbbed in intense pain, and every cough only made it worse.
Far off in the marshland, Matthew and the Glooms had just arrived on the scene.
The Mightyena hadn't followed them into the swamp—this place reeked of a pungent, rotting stench. That was exactly why Quinn had chosen to hide here: the stench would interfere with Mightyena's keen sense of smell, which the Aven's knight and patrolmen relied on to track them. It was their only way to escape detection.
Soon, Matthew reached the edge of the swamp and looked at Quinn, who was struggling to stand up with his back against a tree.
"I didn't expect the person sent on this mission to be you," he said.
His expression was complex. He knew Quinn. Although Quinn wasn't particularly strong, he was an expert in wilderness survival. The two of them had even cooperated in the Black Forest once.
But afterward, Quinn had chosen to join the Gilded Fang Merchant Guild, and they had lost contact ever since. He never expected to meet again under these circumstances.
"Matthew, it's you!" Quinn clutched his aching waist with one hand and held a dagger in the other, eyes full of wariness.
"Gloom, silence him," Matthew ordered coldly. He didn't bother with small talk. Though they were once acquaintances, they now stood on opposite sides.
He quickly moved toward the iron cages to check on Nidoran♂ and Nidoran♀.
Thanks to the earlier Sleep Powder, both Pokémon were still unconscious.
Seeing they were still alive, Matthew let out a sigh of relief and immediately took out the potent healing potion that Aven had given him. The priority now was to rush these two Pokémon to the battlefield and stop the invading Nidoking tribe.
As for the two magic beast hunters present, capturing them and handing them over to Lord Aven would be enough.
"Leave this to me. You go support Lord Aven," said Jorah, who had just arrived, descending from the air with several Yanmas.
The Yanmas immediately shot upward, grabbing the iron cages and lifting them into the sky.
"Alright, I'll leave it to you." Matthew nodded and then was lifted off the ground by Crobat.
"Oddish, come with me," he said before the Crobat took off.
Oddish no. 7 had played a key role in tracking down Nidoran♂ and Nidoran♀. Matthew knew Oddish must want to see the Nidoking tribe retreat with its own eyes.
"Odd-dish~"
No. 7 hesitated for a second, then nodded happily and jumped into Matthew's arms.
With Crobat's wings beating powerfully, their silhouettes soared into the sky, chasing after the Yanmas in the distance.
"I hope the casualties on the front line aren't too severe..."
As the Black Coast Forest faded behind them, Matthew's expression grew solemn.
Although he had absolute faith in Lord Aven, the Nidoking tribe's leader was a quasi-king-level Nidoking. If that Nidoking went on a rampage, they might be able to stop it, but the cost would be tremendous.
Whooosh—
The wind howled as they flew.
Matthew could now make out the silhouette of the distant Black Forest. As they approached, what came into view was the vast horde of beasts gathered in front of it.
Purple and blue blended together—he instantly recognized the Nidoking tribe. But the atmosphere on the battlefield seemed... strange?
Logically, the furious Nidoking tribe should have launched a full assault on the breeding grounds, led by their leader. But instead, both sides stood in a tense standoff on the grasslands. No one had made a move.
Flying high above the battlefield, Matthew scanned the area for Aven.
Soon, he spotted the Pokémon gathered around Aven: Torterra and Rhydon—easily recognizable.
Seeing that Aven was unharmed, Matthew breathed a sigh of relief and directed Crobat to descend.
"Wait... what's that?"
As he descended, he suddenly caught sight of a purple figure lying on the ground.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa—is that the Nidoking leader?!"
Matthew was stunned by his own guess.
That Nidoking was quasi-king-level, yet it was lying in front of Rhydon? What had happened?
At that moment, Aven was tending to Torterra's wounds. Though the tortoise had won, its injuries were no less serious than the Nidoking's.
Whoosh—
Though Crobat's wingbeats were light, the surrounding Pokémon quickly noticed their arrival.
"Matthew," Aven stood up from beside Torterra.
He looked up at the descending Crobat and also saw No. 7 in his arms. Now that Matthew and Oddish had returned, he was sure they had found something.
"Mission accomplished. We've located Nidoran♂ and Nidoran♀," Matthew said as he landed, dropping to one knee in salute. "The Yanmas are on their way with them now."
He took the opportunity to explain what had happened during the search, giving full credit to Oddish.
"Well done. You've both worked hard." Aven also breathed a sigh of relief.
As long as the Nidoran twins were alive, there was still a chance to peacefully resolve this crisis. He was very satisfied with Matthew's rescue efforts.
"Odd-dish~" No. 7 beamed with joy.
Matthew stood up and glanced at the fallen Nidoking leader. After a moment of hesitation, he asked, "Lord Aven... is that the Nidoking leader?"
"Yes, that's him. Torterra defeated him," Aven replied with a calm smile.
Matthew froze.
Though he'd suspected it, hearing the confirmation still left him wide-eyed in disbelief.
That was a quasi-king-level Nidoking—and Lord Aven's Torterra had defeated it?!
His gaze shifted to Torterra, who was covered in wounds. He tried to process this unbelievable fact.
Could it be that Torterra was also a quasi-king-level beast?
"This matter is a bit complicated. I'll explain it in detail later."
Seeing Matthew's stunned expression, Aven turned his eyes toward the Nidoking tribe in the distance.
Now that Nidoran♂ and Nidoran♀ had been found, it was time to resolve the Nidoking tribe's invasion once and for all.
"Roar—"
In the distance, the Nidokings and Nidoqueens growled in low tones.
But with their leader defeated and captured, they dared not move an inch. The absence of their children also made them restless and uneasy.
Just then, they saw that human take several steps forward, which caused a stir in the ranks—they didn't know what he planned to do.
"Ralts, wake up the Nidoking leader."
Ralts nodded at Aven's command and closed its eyes. A soft blue light glowed around it.
The same blue light appeared around the Nidoking leader, making the other Nidokings and Nidoqueens tense up instantly.
"Nido…"
Suddenly, a weak voice rang out.
The Nidoking leader slowly opened his eyes and sat up, dazed.
After drinking a high-grade healing potion, his condition had improved slightly. He had just enough strength to sit up—not even enough to stand, let alone fight.
As his vision cleared, the first thing he saw was Aven standing before him.
In that moment, a flood of memories surged back into his mind, reminding him of everything that had happened.
"Roar!"
The Nidoking leader forced himself to let out a defiant roar.
"Lass~"
Next to Aven, Froslass silently appeared.
Her gaze was deep and chilling, a silent threat toward the struggling Nidoking.
Their eyes met—and suddenly, the Nidoking felt an overwhelming sense of pressure from deep within his soul.
It was only a fleeting moment, but it shook him. The feeling was strangely familiar.
He thought for a moment—and then suddenly recalled Staraptor.
That same kind of aura—the pressure of a king-level magic beast!
'A king-level magic beast... Is she the same as that giant bird?'
The Nidoking leader looked at Froslass in shock and uncertainty. Could she be a king-level magic beast too?
"I believe it's time we had a proper talk," Aven said calmly, unaware of what the Nidoking was thinking.
The Nidoking glanced at Froslass, then at Torterra, and finally at Aven. After a moment, he gave a small nod.
"I told you before—it wasn't me who kidnapped Nidoran♂ and Nidoran♀. It was the magic beast hunters from the Gilded Fang Merchant Guild."
"And... we've found Nidoran♂ and Nidoran♀. They'll be brought back shortly."
The Nidoking leader looked up in shock at Aven, barely able to believe what he was hearing.
Buzz-buzz-buzz—
At that very moment, the sound of fast-beating wings echoed through the sky.
Looking up at the brightening sky, the silhouettes of the Yanmas appeared. They each carried a steel cage beneath them.
Inside were none other than—Nidoran♂ and Nidoran♀!
(End of Chapter)