Upon hearing news related to the sorcerer's organization, Kale hurried straight to the castle.
As soon as he saw Aven return, he immediately asked in an anxious tone, "Lord Aven, I heard you've received information about the sorcerers?"
"Mm. Come with me to the study."
Aven nodded slightly and led Kale toward the study. "Mismagius, I'll be counting on you next."
Hearing his command, Mismagius nodded and swiftly activated its illusion ability. In an instant, the surroundings began to distort and transform before their eyes.
Within moments, the once brightly lit study shifted into a sealed chamber—dark and silent, with no trace of light.
Then, in the next heartbeat, clusters of ghostly blue flames suddenly ignited along the walls, bathing the entire chamber in a flickering, eerie glow.
At the same time, countless shadowy figures appeared in the center of the room. Their forms were hazy and indistinct—it was clear that the owner of the memory could not clearly recall their faces.
All of them were kneeling on the ground, pressing their foreheads flat against the floor, while strange, hoarse whispers filled the chamber. The murmuring was in a language foreign to Sinnoh's lands—thick, guttural, and impossible to comprehend.
No one knew how long the scene lasted. Eventually, the imagery began to change. As the owner of the memory slowly lifted his head, the mist before him dispersed, and the scene ahead grew clear.
"The Grand Sorcerer!" Kale's pupils contracted sharply.
At the front of the chamber now stood an altar—and atop that altar was a dark silhouette. It was the very same figure engraved in Kale's memory: the Grand Sorcerer himself!
Kale's knowledge of this man was limited. He's knowledge of this Grand Sorcerer was limited to the fact that he controlled the terrifyingly powerful Darkrai. He didn't even know his name.
"So that's the black crystal that controls Darkrai?"
Aven's gaze had fixed on the object held in the Grand Sorcerer's hand—a black crystal pulsating with energy. Even through the illusion, Aven could feel the immense power radiating from it, warping the surrounding space with visible distortion.
According to Kale's memories, every time Darkrai appeared, it had emerged from this very crystal. Whenever the Grand Sorcerer issued a command, the same crystal would throb with waves of energy.
"Could it be an artifact similar to the Adamant Orb, Lustrous Orb, or Griseous Orb?" Aven murmured thoughtfully.
Those three divine orbs were widely known due to the myths of Arceus, but a black crystal? He had never heard of such a thing before.
As Aven pondered this, the illusion continued to shift. The Grand Sorcerer began chanting in that same ancient, twisted tongue, while the kneeling figures below him let out fanatical cries, their voices echoing like worshippers in a mad ritual.
"They seem to be… worshipping something," Kale muttered softly, frowning as the scene triggered a sense of déjà vu.
In this ancient Pokémon world, it was common for ordinary citizens to possess faith in certain deities—ritual offerings and prayers to divine spirits were part of everyday life. Nearly every city had its own patron god.
"It does look like some sort of ritual," Aven agreed, his eyes narrowing as he gazed toward the dense fog behind the Grand Sorcerer.
Because the memory's owner had never dared to raise his head before the ritual leader, the details behind the Grand Sorcerer were blurred—but faintly, through the haze, one could make out the outline of a statue.
The ceremony continued, the chants growing louder. Even the Grand Sorcerer himself turned and knelt before the statue, his voice dripping with feverish devotion.
Finally, when the ritual was nearing its end, the memory's owner lifted his head completely. At that moment, the fog at the back of the chamber dispersed—and the full sight came into view.
There, looming at the very heart of the altar, stood a massive and grotesque statue of a giant.
It had a head crowned with a towering braid that rose like a horned pillar toward the ceiling, and from its temples sprouted two thick, demonic horns.
Its chest bore a gaping hole, and its body was monstrous—six arms, two legs, and a long, coiling tail. Rings of power encircled each of its wrists, and from every inch of its form radiated an aura of pure malevolence.
"This is… Hoopa Unbound!"
Aven's eyes widened in disbelief. His voice trembled slightly as he recognized the figure.
Hoopa Unbound was a mythical Pokémon spoken of only in Kalosian legends, said to possess the power to destroy entire worlds. It was claimed that only Arceus itself could suppress its destructive might.
Though Aven did not know the full details of this legend, one thing was certain—Hoopa Unbound was no ordinary being. It was a divine existence whose power likely surpassed even the Creation Trio of Sinnoh!
"Lord Aven, do you… recognize the god this statue represents?" Kale asked cautiously, noticing Aven's change in expression.
"I've seen records of it before—in ancient texts," Aven replied, nodding slowly. "If my memory serves me right, this is a demon god… the embodiment of destruction."
His tone was calm now, though moments earlier, he had been too shocked to conceal his emotions.
"A god of destruction recorded in ancient tomes?" Kale furrowed his brow.
Then, as he recalled the behavior of the Sorcerers—their cruel experiments, their obsession with power—his expression shifted to one of grim realization. Yes… this fit perfectly with the kind of deity such madmen would worship.
"Maaa~"
At that moment, Mismagius's illusion ended, and the room gradually returned to its normal state.
While hypnotizing the captured knight earlier, Mismagius had deliberately guided his mind toward memories related to the Sorcerers. This particular vision—the ritual—was the most deeply imprinted memory in his subconscious, and thus had surfaced clearly when Mismagius entered his dream.
"Mismagius, you've done an excellent job again," Aven said approvingly. "But next, I'll need you to search deeper. We must uncover more memories related to the Sorcerers."
Hearing his solemn tone, Mismagius nodded firmly before floating swiftly out of the study, heading off to find the knight once more.
"Lord Aven," Kale said, his face serious. "If we want to gather more information about the Sorcerers, we must capture Marina City as soon as possible."
From their faith alone, it was clear that this Sorcerer organization was unimaginably dangerous. Kale's heart tightened with unease—he was beginning to fear for the citizens of Marina City.
If these Sorcerers were preaching their demonic faith there, they would drag the entire populace into a nightmare of darkness and despair. Just thinking of such blasphemy made his skin crawl.
"Lord Aven, should we inform Princess Mira about this?" Kale asked cautiously.
Aven fell silent for a moment before shaking his head slightly. "It's still too soon. For now, all of this is only our speculation."
"Besides, even if we don't take the initiative to attack Marina City, the Sorcerer organization will inevitably come for us. To capture Azelf, they'll have to invade Aspiration City sooner or later."
"The attack on Ironblood Fortress was just one example. Their desperation to obtain Azelf drives them to try anything. What we need to do now is prepare to withstand their assault."
"I understand your worry for the people of Marina City," Aven continued in a calm, steady tone, "but the Sorcerers' ultimate goal remains the same—to strike at Aspiration City. They won't destroy Marina City's foundation recklessly."
"And as for their attempts at spreading their religion—the citizens of Marina City are devoted to the god of the sea, aren't they? Changing one's faith isn't something that happens easily."
His words, though gentle, carried the weight of reason. Hearing them, Kale gradually relaxed.
"My apologies, Lord Aven. I was too rash," he said with a deep breath. "You're right—this matter must be handled slowly."
He lowered his head, his expression mixed with guilt and frustration. He knew Aven's meaning clearly—everything they had seen so far was mere conjecture, drawn from the fragments of a knight's memory.
To launch a full military campaign against Marina City, especially with the presence of the Sorcerers, would require Aspiration City's cooperation. And with winter fast approaching, no ruler would dare to march an army based solely on speculation.
"For now," Aven said, "our priority remains the same—to grow stronger."
"Only when we possess overwhelming strength will we have nothing to fear, no matter what enemy stands before us."
Kale nodded heavily at that, then bowed and turned to leave the study. He would not waste a single moment—every second would be used to train and strengthen himself.
As Aven watched him depart, he sighed quietly and rubbed his temples, exhaustion flickering across his face.
"Lil~"
From the desk, the small Petilil sitting atop the table tilted its head worriedly. It immediately began to glow softly, releasing gentle waves of green light—the healing energy of life—to soothe Aven's fatigue.
"Lass~"
Next, Froslass floated gracefully over, gently massaging Aven's shoulders and back with her cool, ethereal hands.
"Kir~ lia~"
Kirlia drifted closer as well, her eyes shimmering with concern. Through her empathic powers, she could feel the tangled web of emotions in Aven's heart—unease, confusion, and a deep, unspoken worry.
Sensing this, she released a pulse of Heal Pulse, calming his mind.
"Thank you, all of you," Aven murmured softly. "But this time… we might truly be facing something troublesome."
This matter involved Hoopa Unbound—a being of godlike destruction—and the Sorcerers organization's obsession with capturing Azelf. There was no doubt that something far greater and darker was at play behind the scenes.
Moreover, Hoopa was a legendary Pokémon from the Kalos region. In Sinnoh, there shouldn't be any trace of its existence at all. This led Aven to suspect that the Sorcerer organization might in fact be a vast, cross-continental network.
If so, then the so-called Grand Sorcerer could merely be one of its regional leaders stationed here in Sinnoh. And if that were true—then the powers backing them were beyond imagination.
After all, according to Kalosian mythology, Hoopa Unbound possessed the power to destroy worlds, and only Arceus itself could halt its rampage.
And Sinnoh was Arceus's sacred domain. In its creation myth, Azelf was one of the three beings born from Arceus—representing Will.
When Aven pieced everything together, a chilling hypothesis took shape in his mind—
The Sorcerer organization might be targeting Arceus itself!
"Lil!"
"Lass~"
"Kir~ lia!"
The three Pokémon immediately surrounded Aven, their expressions firm and protective.
No matter what came, they would never leave their trainer's side.
"Thank you," Aven said softly. "But this isn't something we need to worry about yet."
"Arceus… is still far beyond our reach."
"What we must do now is become stronger. If we can reach the ranks of Elite—or even Champion—then even a legendary Pokémon won't be unbeatable."
Looking at his loyal partners, Aven took a deep breath. The heaviness in his heart slowly turned into determination once more. Worrying wouldn't help—only growth would.
Besides, he reminded himself, this was all still conjecture. Perhaps it was nothing more than coincidence.
Even if his suspicions were correct, the fact that the Sorcerers were still struggling to capture Azelf showed that their power was limited—at least the Grand Sorcerer of Marina City wasn't all-powerful.
If that was the case, then as long as Aven could protect Azelf, he needn't fear the Sorcerers' schemes.
After all, Sinnoh wasn't without its own legends. The other two lake guardians still existed, as did the Creation Trio—Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina.
With beings of such power, no ordinary organization could hope to challenge them—much less the Creator, Arceus itself.
If those divine beings were ever to awaken once more, even Hoopa Unbound would be suppressed and banished back to Kalos!
In any case, if the sky were to fall, it would be the tallest ones who held it up. For now, Aven's only immediate concern was the Grand Sorcerer of Marina City and his Darkrai—and that, he was confident he could handle.
"Our next goal," Aven said with renewed resolve, "is to raise all of your strengths to the king level as quickly as possible!"
"With that level of power, you'll be able to stand your ground against Darkrai. If several of you fight together, you can hold it off long enough for us to counterattack!"
"And once we combine our strength with Azelf's will—even if something unexpected weakens it—we'll still be able to resist Darkrai!"
Seeing Aven's fighting spirit reignite, Petilil, Froslass, and Kirlia exchanged determined looks and nodded in unison.
From now on, they would train even harder—because their new goal was clear: the King Level Strength!
(End of Chapter)