After resolving the issues in Fruitvale, Aven made his way to the Pokémon Safari Zone.
At this time, across the Valorpeak River, the construction of the lord's castle was already underway. One could see the workers laboring tirelessly.
All of these were craftsmen invited from Aspiration City. After all, building a castle was a highly skilled task.
On this matter, Aven could do little himself. Though he was a Pokémon breeder from a future world, he wasn't particularly knowledgeable about architecture.
What he could do, however, was to have Pokémon within the territory participate in the construction. For example, Rhydon, which could use the move Rock Throw, could continuously generate stones, solving the problem of building materials.
Dig could be used for quick excavation, Bulldoze for quickly flattening ground, Stone Edge to harden the rocks, and Rock Tomb to instantly create earthen walls.
Even Rock Polish could directly refine the rocks, shaping them into forms needed by the craftsmen.
When the craftsmen saw a Rhydon use Earth Power and Ancient Power to instantly raise a stone house from the ground, they were utterly stunned!
Typically, Rhyhorn and Rhydon were used as mounts for knights, and no craftsmen had ever considered using them to assist with construction work.
Of course, even if a knight wanted to switch careers and become a builder, their Rhyhorns likely wouldn't be able to learn so many Rock- and Ground-type moves, so naturally, such feats would have been impossible.
"Master Thomas, I wonder if my Rhydon and those Rhyhorns can assist you in constructing the castle," Aven said with a smile to the wide-eyed master craftsman beside him.
Although craftsmen in this world didn't hold as high a status as apothecaries, they still enjoyed considerable social standing. Master Thomas, for example, was responsible for many of the castles in Aspiration City territories.
"Hm... Your Rhydon do have some incredible abilities," Thomas nodded lightly.
"However... teaching these big lugs to cooperate with stonemasons will still take some time."
After a moment of hesitation, he added, "Lord Aven, are you really going to entrust your Rhydon and these Rhyhorns to our command?"
Recalling what Aven had just said, Thomas still found it difficult to believe. This earl raised these powerful creatures not for war, but for construction?
"That's right," Aven nodded slightly. "From now on, these Pokémon will be under your direction. I've already explained everything to them—they'll cooperate with your work."
In terms of construction, Rock- and Ground-type Pokémon were tremendously useful.
In the future world of Pokémon, it was completely normal to see such Pokémon at building sites.
The most commonly seen Pokémon on construction sites were typically Geodude. Their dexterous arms made them ideal for labor-intensive work.
Meanwhile, Pokémon like Rhydon were often seen on tunnel-digging projects. With the drill on their heads, they could quickly bore through the ground and use their elemental energy to reinforce tunnel walls.
Unfortunately, Geodude didn't inhabit the Black Forest. However, outside Meteor City, there were rocky mountains where Geodude could be found.
But since Geodude were made entirely of stone and fed on rocks, they were much harder to raise than Rhydon, which could at least eat grass.
As a result, no one had attempted to domesticate Geodude.
Moreover, the most commonly seen Pokémon on job sites were Fighting-types, which Aven still hadn't managed to capture.
These humanoid Pokémon were incredibly helpful for construction and could efficiently perform tasks that were difficult for humans.
Unfortunately, Fighting-type Pokémon were very rare, and humans generally found them harder to tame, making them difficult to encounter.
"Well then, thank you, Lord Aven. I'll make good use of your tamed beasts," Thomas said, bowing once more.
Watching Thomas lead the Rhydon and his tribe toward the construction site, Aven smiled.
He had always said he wanted Pokémon to become a part of every aspect of life, and this was a great beginning.
Perhaps, one day in Fruitvale, there might be a construction crew made entirely of Pokémon.
Thinking of that possibility brought a heartfelt smile to his face.
In the future Aspiration City, Pokémon would no longer be merely knights' mounts. Their purpose would not be limited to battle.
Human life would certainly become far more interesting with Pokémon involved.
Soon, Aven turned his gaze toward the riverside behind the castle's construction site.
In the river, a group of Bidoof were playfully frolicking along the banks.
A Pokémon Nursery, built near the riverside, wasn't far from the castle, so Aven walked over with his Pokémon and crossed the wooden bridge that led into the Safari Zone.
Thanks to the excavation work done by the Bidoof and Bibarel, this bridge had become the only passage across the river.
Patrolling Bidoof in the water ensured that no one could swim across to the opposite shore.
Upon entering the Safari Zone, Aven headed for Bibarel Lake, planning to bury the dozen or so Water Stones he had obtained from the Gilded Fang Merchant Guild there.
"Bi, bii~"
At the lakeshore, the Bidoofs greeted Aven excitedly.
The Bibarel leader, having received word of Aven's arrival, quickly came over.
Although it hadn't participated in the recent battle, it felt a bit guilty about it.
Seeing Aven return safely, it secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
"Bibarel, thank you all for protecting the Safari Zone during this time," Aven said with a smile as he patted the Bibarel leader's soft fur.
Hearing this, the Bibarel was deeply moved and shook its head firmly.
This was their home, and no matter what, they would protect it.
Soon, led by the Bibarel leader, Aven arrived at the lakeside and took out the Water Stones, handing them to the leader.
Upon seeing more than ten Water Stones, the Bibarel let out a cry of surprise.
Living in the lake, they had constantly been absorbing the Water-type energy emitted by the stones.
Now, thanks to the stones' nourishment, the lake was rich in Water-type energy.
All the Pokémon living there were reaping great benefits.
"Hmm, not bad at all," Aven nodded in satisfaction.
"Even ordinary Water-types will benefit greatly just by living here, even without training."
Aven was very pleased with the environment he had created for Water-types.
This lake would eventually become the primary habitat for raising Water Pokémon at the Nursery.
After inspecting the lake, Aven asked the Bibarel leader to gather the Bidoof he had specially selected.
These were Bidoof with strong Ground-type potential. Aven had them drink potions containing Ground- and Grass-type energy, in hopes they could eventually learn the move Rototiller.
"Biii!!"
The Bidoofs were very excited and crowded around Aven.
"How's your Ground-type training going?" Aven smiled and patted their heads.
There were only about twenty of them, but each had high potential and had inherited the Ground-type move Mud-Slap.
Mud-Slap was the only Ground-type move Bidoof could naturally learn, and it allowed them to better grasp Ground-type energy.
With this move, they might have a greater chance to learn Rototiller upon evolving into Bibarel.
These Bidoof were currently Aven's top priority for nurturing.
As for the rest of the Bidoof, Aven had selected some close to evolution and given them potions.
Whether they could learn the move upon evolving was up to luck.
Hearing Aven's words, the Bidoof happily began playing with mud, covering the area in a messy yet joyful scene.
"Very good," Aven encouraged them with a smile.
He then looked at the others and instructed, "If you feel you're about to evolve, come find me. I'll help you set up a suitable place for your evolution."
After giving instructions, Aven walked around Bibarel Lake, his gaze drifting toward the distant Black Coast Forest.
The expanded river channel now reached the forest's edge.
Next, they would begin pushing into the Black Coast Forest bit by bit, gradually bringing it under the territory's control, until eventually reaching the Black Coast and entering the Southern Sea.
Leaving the lake behind, Aven continued deeper into the Safari Zone.
His next destination was the Pokémon Orchard, formerly known as Stonefall Village.
The Pokémon rescued from the Gilded Fang Merchant Guild were being held there now.
Even from a distance, their roars could be heard—some were clearly still agitated.
However, the tamed magical beasts were much more docile.
Originally, Aven had planned to release them back into the wild.
But these tamed beasts had clearly lost their wild nature and now depended on humans.
Given this, Aven entrusted them to the care of knights he trusted.
Perhaps, under their protection, the Pokémons would eventually recover.
"Howl~ Howl~ Howl~"
Seeing Aven arrive, a pack of Mightyena quickly surrounded him.
They were responsible for guarding the captive beasts during this time.
"Mightyena, thank you for your hard work."
Aven's praise always delighted his Pokémon—it was the best recognition of their efforts.
The Mightyena wagged their tails happily, their eyes gleaming with spirit.
Surrounded by the pack, Aven entered the former Stonefall Village.
The village homes and orchards had all been converted into enclosures for Pokémon.
"Howl~ Howl~ Howl~"
As Aven approached, one of the Mightyena let out a furious growl.
Hatred for humans burned in its eyes—it had clearly suffered after being captured.
Taming magical beasts was often a cruel process, and those only half-tamed often had many issues.
(End of Chapter)