Meanwhile, deep within the Black Forest, fierce combat still raged.
The Pokémon Domain's knights had gathered in the territory of the Drapion clan, uniting with numerous Pokémon tribes to repel the invading forces.
This battle had drawn in nearly every Pokémon species from the breeding grounds, and the knights of Marina City could barely endure the overwhelming pressure.
At the rear of the battlefield stood Kale, calmly commanding his troops.
In raw strength, the Pokémon Domain clearly held the advantage—but Marina City's knights had the support of the sorcerer organization.
As Kale watched the corrupted Pokémon oozing with black energy, rage burned in his chest.
Those knights of Marina City had once been proud defenders of their homeland—and now they were nothing but tools of the sorcerers.
He closed his eyes for a moment, recalling the peaceful life in the Pokémon Domain. Once this war ended, he swore he would return to Marina City and reform it completely.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Explosions echoed across the forested battlefield—the fight was far from over.
Hidden among the trees, a group of Glooms unleashed waves of green light that enveloped the forest.
Using Absorb and other draining moves, they completely suppressed the enemy Bibarel packs. And in sheer numbers, the Gloom far outmatched them.
Whenever the Bibarel charged, clouds of Sleep Powder, Stun Spore, and Poison Powder filled the air, blanketing the forest and halting their advance entirely.
On both flanks, the Nidoking and Drapion clans joined in, spewing poisonous mist at the enemies.
This toxic battlefield—the Drapion tribe's domain was pure poison-type territory. Any foe daring to advance had to wade through venomous fog, their bodies affected by poison with every step forward.
"Useless… all of them are useless!"
The sorcerers sneered coldly as they watched the Marina City Knight Order fail again and again to break through the enemy lines.
Seeing this, Hill's eyes flickered with cold light. His fists clenched tightly as he glanced sideways at the two sorcerers beside him, a trace of mockery flashing through his eyes.
"Idiots," he muttered inwardly.
Their true objective was never to crush the Pokémon Domain's knights outright—it was merely to stall them. And now, that objective had already been fulfilled. All they needed to do next was wait until the Grand Sorcerer captured Azelf—then the final assault could begin.
"It won't be long now," Hill said, eyes shining with barely contained excitement. "Once the Grand Sorcerer takes down Azelf, we'll launch our last and greatest offensive!"
His gaze swept across the battlefield and settled on the man standing behind the Pokémon Domain knight formation—Kale.
That the former Lord of Marina City was still alive surprised him for a brief moment. But then he sneered. It didn't matter. Soon enough, everyone here would be dead anyway.
Just then, a ray of light appeared behind him, stretching his shadow long across the ground.
Hill's face lit up with delight. Unknowingly, dawn had arrived. Under normal circumstances, that meant Azelf should have already been captured by now!
"The battle is over," Hill said smugly, casting a triumphant look toward Kale in the distance.
But the instant that thought crossed his mind, the heavens suddenly flared with a brilliant, seven-colored radiance!
A heartbeat later, a white-robed figure appeared abruptly on the battlefield surrounded by a host of Pokémon!
The sudden change made everyone freeze in shock, their gazes all locking on that dazzling figure bathed in the light of seven colors.
Hill's expression instantly twisted. That silhouette—he could never forget it. His Staraptor and Sneasel had both perished at the hands of that man's Froslass!
"Aven!" he snarled, his voice half a growl, half a roar.
The two sorcerers beside him both blanched at the name.
Aven? How could he possibly be here? And what was that radiant, multicolored aura flowing around him? Wasn't that… Azelf's power?
"Lord Aven!!"
On the Pokémon Domain's side, the knights erupted in joy at the sight of him.
"Marina Knights! And sorcerers!"
"The battle has ended! Darkrai has been defeated!"
With Azelf's power coursing through him, Aven teleported directly onto the battlefield, his calm voice carrying across the plain.
At once, the entire battlefield fell silent. Every eye turned toward him—friend and foe alike.
Then, the stillness shattered into an uproar. The expressions of the two armies diverged sharply: on one side, the Pokémon Domain knights' faces were lit with hope and triumph; on the other, the Marina City knights wore masks of disbelief and panic.
"This… this is impossible!"
"The Grand Sorcerer can't have lost!"
After a brief silence, Hill's voice broke out in a furious snarl, his energy surging violently.
"I have no reason to deceive you!" Aven's voice rang clear across the battlefield. "I will give you one chance. Surrender, and you will be spared."
He didn't even spare Hill a glance as he spoke, his calm eyes sweeping across the knights.
If this war could end without further bloodshed, that would be the best outcome.
Under Aven's gaze, the knights hesitated.
"Bastard! Don't think you can make us surrender with such empty words!" Hill bellowed. "If Azelf truly defeated Darkrai, then bring it here to destroy us yourself!"
As he roared, he drew his sword, his body engulfed in roiling black energy.
Beside him, a massive black Mightyena stepped forward, its body shrouded in dark mist as an overwhelming aura erupted outward.
That Mightyena is Hill's own partner and had once been no more than an advanced-tier magical beast. Yet now, the power radiating from it had reached the level of a King-level magical beast. The energy it gave off was so vile it made those nearby nauseous.
From afar, Aven's eyes narrowed as he studied it. He could feel it—death energy, thick and suffocating.
"Kir…"
Beside him, Kirlia's horn quivered slightly.
A moment later, her expression darkened. There was no emotional fluctuation from that Mightyena—none at all.
It had given up all its feelings, abandoned everything, just to become stronger. The realization filled her heart with sorrow.
"This Mightyena…" Aven whispered, his eyes closing briefly as fury flared within him.
To him, Hill was no different from a murderer. Stripping away a Pokémon's will, twisting it into a lifeless weapon for power's sake—how was that any different from killing it?
Taking a deep breath, Aven extended his hand. A Poké Ball appeared, pulsing with immense power.
The next moment, waves of black mist spilled forth—and the familiar shadowy figure of Darkrai emerged, floating silently in midair!
A suffocating wave of energy burst from it, washing across the battlefield. The Marina City knights trembled violently as that pressure pressed down upon them.
"T-that's… Darkrai!"
The sorcerers gasped in shock, faces drained of color.
They couldn't believe it. Why—how—was Darkrai being summoned by the enemy!?
Even Hill, who had been raging just moments ago, froze like a statue as his mind went blank.
That aura—it was identical. There could be no mistake. This was the Darkrai that had belonged to the Grand Sorcerer!
"Why… Why!? Why is Darkrai here!?" Hill's voice rose in a desperate, almost hysterical shriek.
In that instant, Aven's earlier words echoed through his mind—Darkrai has been defeated.
And now he understood. Not only defeated—but sealed within the bastard magic ball!
"No! No, that's impossible! Darkrai belongs to the Grand Sorcerer!"
"Yes! It's his familiar—it must still be under his control!"
"Darkrai! Kill him! Kill that bastard!" Hill screamed hoarsely, pointing his sword at Aven, his fear bleeding through his madness.
He refused—could not—accept the truth. The Grand Sorcerer's defeat, Darkrai's capture—everything he had believed in was crumbling before his eyes.
He had dreamed of ruling this land, of becoming its king. They had held every advantage… so why—why had everything turned upside down!?
Then, the battlefield was engulfed in motion—Darkrai's body erupted with waves of dark purple energy that swept outward like a storm.
The entire battlefield was swallowed by the darkness. For a brief, terrible moment, the world fell utterly still—silent as death.
"It's over," Aven murmured softly.
He stood amidst the chaos, his body aglow with divine radiance. The dark energy that brushed against him was instantly dispelled by the light—within which faint traces of Azelf's form shimmered.
Though Azelf had not fully manifested in the mortal world, Aven could still draw upon its power through their bond.
"Kir~ lia~"
Within the Pokémon ranks, Kirlia spread waves of soothing aroma, her energy forming a gentle barrier around the knights and Pokémon alike.
Her eyes lifted toward the floating Darkrai, worry flickering in her gaze.
She had witnessed the battle between Azelf and Darkrai firsthand, and understood just how vast the gap was between herself and those two legendary beings.
Even now, this faint pulse of residual power from Darkrai's unconscious body was enough to make her strain to resist—it was terrifying.
As the purple energy spread, Pokémon across the forest collapsed in waves, overcome by Darkrai's Nightmare Power.
Even in its mindless state, Darkrai continued to unleash nightmares instinctively.
According to ancient texts, Darkrai had long chosen solitude to prevent its nightmare aura from harming others.
Yet now, this kind-hearted being had been enslaved by the Black Crystal's power—reduced to a mere weapon of war.
"Don't worry, Darkrai," Aven whispered.
"One day, I'll free your will from the darkness."
Drawing in a deep breath, he raised the Poké Ball and recalled Darkrai back inside.
Although Darkrai was now sealed, its consciousness remained tainted by the crystal's corruption. Should the Grand Sorcerer appear again, Darkrai could still be controlled.
Closing his eyes, Aven recalled the brief conversation he'd shared with Darkrai in their brief psychic connection.
To purify the Black Crystal's power, he would need the other three crystals—its counterparts.
After tucking the Poké Ball away, his gaze swept across the devastated battlefield.
The ground closest to Darkrai lay littered with unconscious knights and Pokémon, leaving behind a hollowed expanse of silence.
Those who still stood stared at Aven in horror and awe, unable to comprehend how he wielded such impossible strength.
"I'll say it once more," Aven said quietly, his voice carrying through the still air. "Surrender—and you will not be killed."
This time, his words struck like thunder. The knights' faces twisted in hesitation and turmoil.
"Lay down your weapons!"
Kale's deep voice rang out from the front lines as he stepped forward, his Empoleon towering beside him.
"Lord Kale…"
The knights faltered, confusion flickering in their eyes.
"Knights of Marina," Kale began solemnly, "I know why you attacked Aspiration City. I know what you've been seeking."
He paused, gesturing toward the large Bibarel beside him. "But I can prove to you right now—you don't need to invade Aspiration City to get what you want."
At his command, the Bibarel began to move, its body glowing with a dense, earthen light. The cracked ground trembled and began to turn over, freshly cultivated under its power.
The knights stared in shock, momentarily speechless. They knew Bibarel well—but they didn't understand what this one was doing.
"And next," Kale said calmly, "there's this…"
(End of Chapter)