Aven carefully observed Garchomp. The black miasma that had once controlled it was gone.
Evidently, that mist had been a unique kind of energy specifically meant for controlling Pokémon. Once Garchomp was defeated, the energy dissipated.
Aven finally exhaled in relief. He had been genuinely worried that the black miasma might have corrosive properties like the grey mist. If that had been the case, things would have become far more troublesome.
But now, with the miasma gone, it meant Garchomp was freed from control. As long as its injuries were healed, it could recover completely.
"Garrr!"
At Aven's words, Garchomp paused for a moment, though vigilance still gleamed in its eyes.
Clearly, the damage Marquis Hormay had inflicted upon it ran deep. It was not ready to trust Aven so easily.
"The Marquis who controlled you—Hormay—is already dead. No one will hurt you again." Aven continued calmly.
"Kir~lia~!"
Kirlia also helped explain.
At the same time, she released another soothing Heal Pulse to calm Garchomp's emotions.
The effect was immediate. The healing warmth seeped directly into Garchomp's spirit, making it feel an unfamiliar comfort.
It recognized this power. It was the very same energy that had healed its wounds earlier. Its body slowly relaxed, and its gaze shifted to the Kirlia bathed in pink light.
"Kir~lia"
Kirlia softly continued her reassurance.
She floated gently toward Garchomp, closing the distance.
Froslass's expression grew stern, ready to intervene, but Aven stopped her with a hand.
"Leave this to Kirlia."
"Lass…"
Froslass gave a reluctant nod and held her ground, watching as Kirlia approached.
All the way until Kirlia drifted up to Garchomp's side, it remained calm.
Then, raising her small hand, Kirlia placed it softly atop Garchomp's head. Waves of psychic energy pulsed outward.
The two Pokémon closed their eyes simultaneously—Kirlia had initiated direct communication through telepathy.
A short while later, Kirlia's eyes opened again. And to everyone's astonishment, she sat down atop Garchomp's shoulder, gently stroking its scales.
The once-ferocious Garchomp, under her touch, now bore a surprisingly gentle expression.
"Garr…"
Garchomp turned toward Aven, letting out two low, rumbling cries.
The tone of its voice was completely different from before—calm and soft.
Clearly, Kirlia's telepathy had succeeded in clearing away Garchomp's misunderstandings.
Such communication, directly through the heart, could even project memories into the other's mind. It was the most efficient form of dialogue.
Moreover, during this link, their minds partially fused, rapidly narrowing the gap between them.
According to what Aven knew, telepathy could even influence the subconscious, subtly altering the other's perception—a very advanced use of psychic technique.
Regardless, what mattered now was that Garchomp no longer displayed hostility. Aven finally breathed a sigh of relief, sending a look of praise toward Kirlia.
"Kir~lia~!"
Kirlia floated over in front of Aven, her expression both proud and shy.
She then shared the results of her exchange with Garchomp directly into Aven's mind.
"…What? Garchomp wants to follow me?"
Aven froze in surprise. He hadn't expected Garchomp to willingly choose to join him.
"Kir~lia...~"
Kirlia nodded, scratching her head with slight embarrassment.
During her conversation with Garchomp, she had secretly slipped in a little "extra," projecting some of her own memories of the Pokémon Domain into its mind.
Upon seeing the peaceful environment of the Safari Zone, the delicious food enjoyed there—and most importantly, feeling Aven's genuine sincerity—Garchomp had resolutely decided to pledge itself to him!
"Gar! Chomp!"
When Garchomp saw Kirlia looking its way, it immediately began nodding its head up and down frantically, as if afraid she would misunderstand.
After that, it even discreetly wiped the corner of its mouth—those Pokémon foods were simply too delicious to resist.
Aven: "…"
Good heavens, had Kirlia really learned all of his tricks for winning hearts?
The most outrageous thing was that when he had been winning over Pokémon, he had taken out real Pokémon food with his own hands, speaking of the future while handing them actual meals as proof.
But when it came to Kirlia, she had directly played out the memory inside Garchomp's mind, making it feel as though it had already eaten them. And with Kirlia's personal "live demonstration" of tasting them, Garchomp had instantly substituted itself into the scene.
This was a straight-up case of: what I have eaten, you have eaten as well; what I feel is delicious, you too will feel is delicious. The substitution was seamless and perfectly natural. It went even further than Aven's own method of "painting big pies in the sky"—more outrageous, and at the same time far more convincing and absolutely genuine, leaving not the slightest room for doubt!
"Phew… no matter what, a King-level Garchomp offering itself willingly—there's no reason to refuse!"
Taking a deep breath, Aven stepped forward to Garchomp's side. He reached out his hand with a smile and said, "Garchomp, from here on out, I'll be in your care!"
Seeing this, Garchomp also revealed a faint smile. It extended its massive claw and clasped Aven's hand firmly.
Its eyes locked onto Aven's face, carrying a rare gentleness. Through the earlier telepathic exchange, it already knew the fate of Marquis Hormay.
Aven had not only rescued it from Hormay's control but had also avenged it. Even without that comfortable environment and the delicious Pokémon foods, it would still feel deeply grateful.
"Kir~lia~!"
Kirlia floated gracefully onto Garchomp's shoulder.
The two Pokémon exchanged glances and smiled. Even though they had only just begun spending time together, it already felt as though they were old friends who had known each other for many years.
"Lil! Lil!"
Watching this scene, Petilil puffed up her cheeks and let out a small cry of protest.
Hmph! Obviously, it was I who healed Garchomp's injuries—so how come all the goodwill was snatched away by Kirlia instead?
On top of that, with Garchomp now joining the team, that meant yet another King-level Pokemon had been added. If Petilil wanted to claim the spot of being the strongest in the team, she now had another rival standing in her way.
Still—whether fighting one or fighting two, a battle was a battle. Petilil took a deep breath, her eyes sweeping across Froslass and then toward Kirlia, determination flickering in her gaze.
"We should return to the city first. Your injuries still require further treatment," Aven said with a gentle smile.
After that, he led his Pokémon back to the Ironblood Fortress. Only this time, an imposing Garchomp followed quietly at his back.
"Lord Aven, Marquis Hormay's and the Gilded Fang Merchant Guild's properties have all been tallied. Earl Ruize has sent me to summon you."
At that moment, Berrin hurried over from a distance. When he spoke of the property, his eyes glimmered with shock and excitement—the late Ironblood Marquis had truly been unimaginably wealthy!
"Alright, I'll head over immediately." Aven nodded, then turned straight toward the Gilded Fang Merchant Guild.
From the southern gate into the fortress stretched a great avenue that led directly to the Guild. This was the infamous "Beast Road," paved with blood—each year, countless magical beasts were transported along it into the Guild's hands.
Seeing this, Berrin quickly followed after Aven. Yet when his gaze caught the towering Garchomp at Aven's back, he suddenly froze. His pupils widened slowly in disbelief.
He recognized this Garchomp instantly. It was the very king-level Pokémon that Marquis Hormay had once controlled, its terrifying battle strength still vivid in his memory.
But now, this fearsome creature was obediently following at Aven's side, clearly subdued. The sight left Berrin dumbfounded.
'This… this is a king-level Pokémon … and it's been subdued just like that?'
He sucked in several deep breaths, his chest heaving. At this point, he could only sigh in awe: As expected of Aven—even such a powerful Pokémon can be tamed with ease!
That made three king-level Pokémon now at Aven's command. And if one added Nidoking, Drapion, and Rhydon, who together could rival a King-level foe, the combined force was terrifying beyond words.
Thankfully, we are his allies, not his enemies…
Berrin secretly let out a breath of relief. He truly couldn't imagine what it would feel like to have such a man as his opponent. The mere thought was enough to bring despair.
Following the Beast Road at a brisk pace, they soon reached the massive square before the Gilded Fang Merchant Guild. At the moment, the entire area had been encircled by the knights of the lords.
Upon seeing Aven's arrival, the knights immediately parted, creating a clear passageway that led him straight into the Guild's headquarters.
During the process, they inevitably caught sight of the Garchomp trailing Aven. Their faces paled, and one by one, they bowed their heads even lower in awe.
"Earl Aven, at last you've come." Earl Ruize stepped forward with a smile to welcome him.
Although both were border earls, Ruize dared not show the slightest arrogance. In his heart, Aven's status had already far surpassed that of the fallen Ironblood Marquis.
His eyes also lingered calmly on the Garchomp at Aven's back. After witnessing the armies of Pokémon from Aven's territory, he was no longer surprised—though inwardly, he still made a note.
This Earl Aven possessed a unique aura, one that made it astonishingly easy for Pokémon to recognize and accept him. Ruize faintly felt that this must be tied to Aven's attitude toward Pokémon.
His gaze flickered briefly toward Berrin. Now that the Ironblood Marquis was dead, the magical beast-trading business would surely wither away, and the Pokémon breeding houses would completely replace it.
In truth, this battle had not simply been Aven versus Marquis Hormay. It had been Pokémon Breeding House versus Magical Beast Trading. And now, Pokémon Breeding House had won a total victory.
Thus, Ruize had already decided: once he returned, he too would establish breeding houses and adopt the policies of Aven's Pokémon Territory. Aven had already proven the path was not only possible but prosperous.
"Well done, my lords. You've worked hard," Aven said warmly as he greeted the surrounding nobles.
The lords returned his salute at once, eager to ingratiate themselves and exchange pleasantries with him.
Though Aven was not fond of these noble formalities, he had no choice but to smile and reciprocate.
Soon enough, the conversation shifted to the matter of the Ironblood Marquis's and the Guild's properties. The nobles were tactful enough not to touch a single coin before Aven's arrival.
"According to the rules we established before," Aven began, "the property will first be distributed according to merit in battle, and whatever remains will then be divided according to outstanding debts."
Among the lords present, there were nobles from both the Eastern and Northern territories of Aspiration City. Aven himself didn't mind where they hailed from.
But as far as dividing spoils went, it was only right to prioritize merit. Those who had contributed nothing could not expect to share equally.
Upon hearing this, the Eastern nobles voiced no objections. The Northern nobles, however, fell into a heavy silence.
They had all wavered like reeds in the wind, never committing to the war. Yet faced with Aven's Froslass and Garchomp, not one of them dared speak a word of protest.
Their expressions made their feelings clear: seething inside, but utterly powerless to resist. They doubted there would be much left for them at all.
Especially considering Earl Aven—if battle merit were to be counted properly, he alone would take more than half. What little remained would be crumbs.
Noticing their thoughts, Aven swept the group with his eyes and said in a steady voice, "Rest assured—I will prioritize taking slaves and magical beasts, and only afterward select some other resources. As for grain and coin, I will not take much."
"You have no objection to that, I presume?"
The nobles stared in astonishment, caught off guard. They had never expected Aven to say such a thing.
"Slaves… and beasts?"
One lord blinked in surprise before quickly agreeing he had no objections.
In truth, not only had he no objections—he even felt relieved.
Slaves and magical beasts were indeed valuable under normal circumstances, but this was winter!
In winter, feeding slaves and magical beasts required enormous amounts of food. They could barely sustain their own serfs and peasants as it was.
Many had already been forced to sell their slaves for grain. Some had even sold off large numbers already. So even if they were given more slaves for free, they dared not accept them!
As for the magical beasts, the burden was even greater. Tamed magical beasts could still be useful, but untamed ones were nothing but mouths to feed.
"Then it's settled. Earl Ruize, please help tally up the merits."
Aven handed over the ledger. With that, the matter was no longer his concern. Leaving everything to Ruize, he moved deeper into the guild.
The Gilded Fang Merchant Guild was vast. Beyond the main headquarters stood an entire street for magical beast trading, along with a training ground.
Earlier, to throw the city into chaos, Marquis Hormay had ordered all the magical beasts released. But thanks to the lords' combined efforts, they had since been recaptured.
Now, Aven intended to bring all of them back to his Pokémon Domain, where they could finally live free once more.
As they entered the beast-trading district, a suffocating pressure hung in the air.
The entire place was in shambles, littered with traces of rampaging magical beasts, human and magical beast blood smeared across the ground in a ghastly mess.
"Lord Aven!"
Knights of the Pokémon Domain rushed forward to greet him, led by none other than Peter.
Their numbers were not great, but behind each knight trailed whole groups of Pokémon. Thanks to them, the city's chaos had been quelled with such speed.
"Mhm. Have the Pokémon all been contained?"
Peter nodded. "They've all been put under Sleep Powder."
"Good. Prepare to transport every last one of them back to the Domain."
"And those stewards and servants of the Merchant Guild—bring them as well. I will judge them personally."
These stewards, servants, and knights were all his prisoners now, and as such, fell under his sole right of judgment, not under property distribution.
For the guilty, he would mete out the harshest punishments. For the rest, he would decide between imprisonment or reduction to serfdom, according to his laws.
"Yes, Lord Aven!" Peter saluted firmly.
He quickly led the knights and Pokémon toward the holding pens to begin the massive task of transporting them back.
Fortunately, with the likes of Rhyhorn, Skuntank, Nidorino, and Nidorina to pull carts, the burden of transport would be greatly eased.
Watching them depart, Aven cast his gaze around, letting out a faint sigh. With the fall of the Ironblood Fortress, the beast-trading in Aspiration City was finished.
And this was only the beginning. One day, across the entire Sinnoh region—and even the whole Pokémon world—the trade of magical beasts would disappear completely, giving way to an era belonging to Pokémon!
"That day is not far off."
A confident smile spread across Aven's face.
Hearing his words, the Pokémon beside him exchanged glances, their own faces lighting up with the same hopeful smile.
"GARCHOOMP!"
Garchomp's gaze was tender.
It was the first time it had heard Aven speak of his ideals. In that moment, a powerful sense of purpose welled up in its heart.
Indeed, Lord Aven was worthy of following. A world where humans and Pokémon lived in harmony—that was a future it too longed for with all its might.
(End of Chapter)