At this moment on the southern gate battlefield, Torterra was leading the grass-type Pokémons in a steady advance.
Compared to the frenzied assault of the Nidoking tribe on the eastern front, the southern advance seemed slow and methodical—much like the pace of a turtle.
By now, the Vileplume had already laid down Grassy Terrain, covering the entire battlefield in lush greenery and continuously empowering the surrounding grass-type monsters.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Stones rained down from the sky—launched high into the air by catapults, crashing down with considerable force.
However, seeing this, the advancing Pokémon began to emit a green glow and simultaneously used Absorb.
Although the power of a single Absorb beam wasn't particularly strong, when combined into a concentrated stream, the force was enough to shatter the falling rocks into dust!
"Damn it! These catapults are completely useless!"
Viscount Kilton watched the scene unfold with growing agitation. The steady and disciplined tactics of Fruitvale Village were slowly grinding away at his patience.
Faced with the solid and unified ranks of grass-type magical beast, they had no effective means to stop them!
"Lord Kilton, let the knight regiment charge!"
"At this distance, our Rhyhorns can still manage one full charge. If we let them get any closer, that window will be gone."
The captain of the knight order glanced at the towering Torterra, gritting his teeth. Only when the knights began a full charge could they unleash their true power!
"Very well. Order the Rhyhorns to charge!" Kilton nodded firmly.
With the command given, the knight captain quickly withdrew. Moments later, the city gates swung open, and the Rhyhorns stormed out.
In the distance, Aven, holding Ralts and Petilil in his arms, watched the battle from afar. Naturally, he noticed the gates opening and the Rhyhorns charging out.
"Ralts, have Torterra halt and prepare for battle."
Ralts nodded upon hearing Aven's command, her eyes glowing blue as she activated her telepathic powers.
"Tooaaar!"
Responding to the order, Torterra let out a mighty roar, signaling the entire tribe to come to a halt.
Immediately, Vileplume swiftly cast Grassy Terrain once more, enveloping the entire group in lush grass.
With the aid of Grassy Terrain, the area filled with dense grass-type energy, and the grass-type Pokémon began to emit vibrant green energy waves from their bodies.
"Tangro!!"
Seeing this, the massive Tangrowth also roared, its body radiating a dazzling green light.
It then used Ingrain, channeling grass energy deep into the earth!
Suddenly, the already-grown grass from the Grassy Terrain began to surge and grow wildly once more, rolling in like a tide.
This was a combination move—Vileplume's Grassy Terrain and Tangrowth's Growth—which could rapidly transform the battlefield into a verdant forest.
The grass-type Pokémon hid within the grassy thicket, their energy pulsing and converging into the vegetation.
On the distant battlefield below the city walls, the Rhyhorns had already formed up into a charge formation.
But now, as they suddenly saw the vast grass forest rise up ahead—grass nearly half a meter high obscuring the enemy forces—they hesitated.
"Should we still charge?" the lieutenant asked the captain quietly.
Not being able to see the enemy clearly created a sense of unease. He had a faint but chilling sense that deadly danger lurked within those grasses.
Even the knight captain found himself unsure of what to do. He had originally planned for a full-speed charge across flat ground—this change was completely unexpected.
"Charge! Forward!"
In the end, the knight captain gritted his teeth and gave the order.
He knew that hesitating at such a moment would be fatal to the morale of the defending soldiers.
Woooooo~
With the sound of the war horn echoing through the air, the Rhyhorns began their charge.
Their heavy hooves pounded the earth, shaking the ground as they thundered forward like an unstoppable tidal wave.
"Yes! All-out charge!"
"Overwhelm them with sheer momentum! Don't give them a chance to fight back!"
The knight captain ordered the buglers to continue sounding the horn, driving the Rhyhorns to charge with everything they had.
"They're coming. Have Tangrowth use Vine Whip!"
Aven issued another command through Ralts' telepathy.
Tangrowth raised both arms high, and the grass on the battlefield surged upward, forming a towering wall of green.
"Rhy! Rhy! Rhy!"
The Rhyhorns charged rapidly, soon reaching the edge of the Grassy Terrain.
Despite the eerie movement of the grass, the Rhyhorns didn't slow—they stormed straight into the thicket!
In the blink of an eye, their upper bodies remained visible while their lower halves were swallowed by the tall grass.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
As the Rhyhorns entered the grassland, the vegetation began to writhe—like serpents, the grass coiled tightly around the charging beasts, dragging them down as if they'd entered a marsh.
Crack! Snap! Tear!
The sounds of grass being ripped echoed through the battlefield.
Using their charge momentum, the Rhyhorns pushed forward, tearing through the vines and grass.
However, as they continued, their speed gradually slowed.
"Toar!"
Torterra roared, and leaves whirled around its body—it unleashed Razor Leaf.
Countless leaves swept forward, striking the leading Rhyhorns. Though protected by their sturdy armor, visible scratches formed across their hides, and several collapsed to the ground.
Hot on Torterra's heels, the other grass-type Pokémon launched their own attacks, bombarding the Rhyhorns with relentless force.
Swish swish swish!
Rustling sounds echoed through the grassy field—using the vegetation for cover, the grass-type Pokémon swiftly moved into position, surrounding the hundred or so Rhyhorns.
Trapped in the dense vegetation, the Rhyhorns thrashed about violently.
The once-fragile grass now acted like reinforced cords, binding the Pokémons tightly. They could no longer break free.
"Use Absorb!"
At that moment, the grass-type Pokémon hidden in the foliage sprang into action.
With the activation of Absorb, radiant green light flooded the field, flowing into the Rhyhorns' bodies and sapping their strength!
"Archers! Set fire! Set it all on fire!"
Seeing the Rhyhorns trapped in the thicket, Viscount Kilton shouted desperately.
The archers swiftly lit their arrows and took aim. Flaming bolts rained toward the field.
Fire had always been the most reliable way to counter grass-type Pokémon—just a spark could ignite an inferno.
However, there were no native fire-type monsters near Aspiration City. To capture a fire-type Pokémon, one would have to travel to places like Meteor City and transport them back.
Moreover, Aspiration City was near the sea and surrounded by forests. Fire-types had little utility in this environment, so few monster hunters were willing to invest in catching them.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Flaming arrows shot across the sky toward the grasslands.
"Ralts, send Yanma to intercept those fire arrows!"
Aven gave another quick command. At this moment, Ralts was like a living transmission station.
Bzzzzzzzzzz!
The Yanmas rapidly flapped their wings.
One after another, invisible shockwaves blasted from them, creating turbulent gusts in the air.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The flaming arrows exploded mid-air, scattering embers across the sky.
But because the explosions occurred high up, the sparks never reached the grass—they merely fizzled out on the cold ground with a hiss.
"Damn it! The enemy is too powerful!"
Watching his last resort thwarted mid-air, Viscount Kilton clenched his sword tightly.
Now, a deep sense of regret began to stir in his heart. Had he known this Earl Aven was such a lunatic, he would've approached the situation with far more caution.
"Damn it! How did things end up like this?!"
His expression darkened. Those two monster hunters were supposed to be reliable experts—this wasn't their first time doing this.
Yet they had failed at Fruitvale Village. And the village had somehow captured and tamed a Nidoking?
None of it had gone according to plan.
"But... as long as we hold on a bit longer, reinforcements from the Ironblood Fortress will arrive."
"When that time comes, I'll make sure this Aven pays tenfold!"
Kilton glanced up at the sun, biting his lip hard.
Though regret crept into his heart, he showed no fear—after all, with Ironblood Fortress as his backing, he feared nothing within Aspiration City.
Still, he silently vowed to settle accounts with the neighboring lords who refused to send aid after receiving his calls for help.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
On the battlefield, the fight between the Rhyhorns and the grass-type Pokémon continued.
Trapped within the Grassy Terrain, the Rhyhorns were at a decisive disadvantage, falling one after another.
"The Rhyhorns are finished…"
The soldiers on the wall looked on in silence.
No one could have expected that these once-unmatched war machines would fall so easily in a grassy field.
"Captain…"
The knights looked grim.
After all, those Rhyhorns weren't just beasts—they were companions. True knights raised their mounts from childhood, training together for years to achieve the synergy needed for a proper knightly charge.
"Rhyhorns aren't that fragile…"
"Based on what I've heard of that border earl's character, he's unlikely to kill them outright."
"When the war ends, we'll retrieve them."
The captain's voice was low. He had heard rumors about Aven's character. Though just hearsay, in this moment of helplessness, he could only cling to those hopes.
"The battle isn't over. Knights—keep your spirits up!"
Hearing their captain's words, the knights nodded gravely.
Right now, they had no way to change the situation. Their duty was to buy Keystone Town as much time as possible and wait for the Ironblood Knights to arrive.
In that sense, the Rhyhorns had already fulfilled their mission by stalling the enemy's advance.
Woooooo~
Before the captain could even breathe a sigh of relief, a sudden alarm horn sounded from the eastern side of the town.
Everyone's faces changed drastically—this particular horn meant only one thing: the eastern gate had fallen!
"Damn it! So fast?!"
Viscount Kilton jerked his head up, staring east in disbelief.
That section was supposed to be defended by the Merchant Guild. It had only been two hours—how could they have lost it already?
"Lord Kilton! The eastern gate has been breached!"
A knight riding a Staraptor swooped down urgently from the sky.
"What happened?" Kilton demanded, teeth clenched.
"At first, the eastern defenses were holding well..."
"But then an advanced-tier Rhydon emerged from underground, breaking through the rocky terrain and entering the city!"
"It brought a horde of Raticates and Rattatas with it, causing chaos at the gates, and the Nidoking tribe took that opportunity to storm in."
The knight gave a rapid report. He was here to request reinforcements. The Nidokings were already wreaking havoc inside the city!
"We can't spare anyone from this front."
"If I move the troops to the east, the southern gate will fall too!"
"Have the Hunter teams and merchant caravans inside the city take up arms. Let them defend the eastern district!"
"Tell them—if they hold out just a little longer, Marquis Hormay will surely reward them heavily!"
"If they let these beast run rampant, they'll be the next targets!"
"Remind them—reinforcements from nearby lords will arrive soon. The battle will be over before long!"
Kilton issued one order after another. He hadn't climbed to the rank of Viscount and built a town of his own by being mediocre.
Though Keystone Town was in dire straits, he remained remarkably composed, making rational decisions based on the situation.
"Yes, Lord Kilton!"
The knight received his orders and departed swiftly.
Kilton's gaze turned back to the battlefield. After the fierce battle, all the Rhyhorns had finally fallen.
Torterra, massive and unstoppable, once again led the grass-type Pokémon as they approached the city walls.
Keystone Town had no choice but to commit even more forces to halt their advance.
(End of Chapter)