Marina City was located at the southeasternmost edge of the Sinnoh Continent.
It was a seaside city built along a stretch of coastline that jutted out from the cape, and its only land route connecting it to the rest of the mainland was completely blocked by the Coastal Mountain Range.
Through the winding mountain paths, the figures of Bibarels and Bidoofs were moving swiftly. The steep and rugged terrain posed no challenge to them.
"Your Highness Aven, once we cross the ridge ahead, we'll enter Marina City's territory," Kale said as he turned toward him.
Ever since he had pledged Marina City to Aven, and after witnessing Aven be chosen by Azelf—marking him as a legitimate candidate for the throne of Sinnoh—Kale had begun addressing him with far greater formality.
He had also noticed that Aven had been lost in thought for some time now. The steep, rugged terrain ahead was no easy path to tread, and Kale couldn't help worrying that the grueling mountain journey was wearing Aven down.
"Hmm, so we're almost there?" Aven nodded lightly.
Then, turning his gaze to the mountain ridge behind them, his eyes narrowed slightly.
According to the map, Marina City wasn't actually far from the Black Forest.
If they were to travel in a straight line, they could have crossed the distance in less than half a day. But in reality, they had already been traveling for three full days.
Even that was only possible thanks to the Bibarels and Bidoofs, who were naturally adept at climbing mountains. If they had been an ordinary merchant caravan, the journey would've taken far longer.
In fact, regular carriages couldn't even make it through the Coastal Mountain Range at all. Transporting goods purely by manpower and Pokémon was incredibly costly.
That was probably one of the main reasons behind Marina City's poverty. With no merchant willing to brave such a treacherous journey to do business there, the city had naturally stagnated in its development.
"Kale, has Marina City ever tried using sea routes instead?" Aven asked after a moment of contemplation.
Hearing that, Kale instantly understood what Aven was thinking and shook his head with a bitter smile. "Actually, we've considered that before. But the problem is—there are far too many sea Pokémon in the ocean."
"To sail safely across the sea, not only would we need sturdy, well-built ships, but also a capable aquatic escort fleet. Unfortunately, Marina City lacks both."
Kale sighed. After becoming Marina City's lord, he had of course considered developing trade with other cities and other regions. That would have been the best way to ease Marina City's chronic food shortages.
But the sea was far too dangerous. The crude wooden boats they had could barely go beyond sight of the shore. Even encountering just an intermediate water Pokémon could mean disaster—capsizing and drowning before even realizing what had happened.
"Sturdy merchant ships and an escort fleet…" Aven murmured, nodding thoughtfully.
Those two were indeed the key prerequisites for developing maritime trade.
Just the thought of constructing such ships already gave him a headache—he had no idea how to even begin building a seaworthy merchant vessel.
As for the escort fleet, that was easier. The sailors themselves could simply be trained as Pokémon Trainers. That was, in fact, how things worked in the future world—no sailor would dare venture into the sea without at least a few Water-type Pokémon under their command.
In the future world, it was practically a requirement: no water Pokémon, no voyage.
Of course, Aven's desire to build ships wasn't merely for the sake of trade. That was only one of his reasons. His greater ambition lay in exploration.
The ocean was the richest, most resource-abundant place in the entire world. If he could explore and tame the seas, he would gain an endless source of rare resources.
Moreover, this world contained countless unknown regions waiting to be discovered. Aven had long been curious about what those ancient lands might hold—what civilizations, Pokémon, and histories had once existed there.
But that was all for the future. For now, if the sea remained impassable, then he had no choice but to rely on land routes.
Turning back to glance at the vast mountain range behind him, Aven considered the only realistic option: if he wanted to open a proper trade route connecting Marina City to his Pokémon Domain, he would have to carve a road straight through the Coastal Mountains.
There were only two ways to do that—digging tunnels or literally moving the mountain aside.
And between the two, Aven preferred the second. If it could be done once and for all, why not take the permanent solution?
Hearing Aven's calm statement, Kale's eyes went wide. "Your Highness… did you just say—move the mountain?" His voice trembled slightly. That was an entire mountain range!
"Yes," Aven replied calmly. "Move the mountain. With enough Rock-type and Ground-type Pokémon assisting, it's not impossible."
He nodded thoughtfully. In fact, many Rock-type Pokémon literally fed on stone. Given enough time, they could hollow out an entire mountain by themselves.
And in his Pokémon Domain, he already had a large number of Ground- and Rock-types at his command. Once winter ended, even Garchomp's tribe that was led by Flygon would return.
When that time came, he could settle these Pokémon around the Coastal Mountains and let them dig and reshape the terrain, opening up a new path that would permanently link the two regions.
Now that Kale had fully entrusted Marina City to him, Aven's next task was clear: unite both territories and develop them together.
Seeing Aven deep in thought, Kale couldn't help but feel a warm sense of reassurance. He truly believed—Marina City would thrive under this young lord's leadership.
"Meowr~"
Luxray carried Aven at incredible speed, leaping easily from one steep slope to another. Its movements were powerful yet steady, its balance unshakable.
Behind it followed the Bibarel, burdened with heavy supplies, their pace naturally much slower.
Bringing up the rear were the knights of Marina, cautiously guarding the Bibarel and the precious goods they carried—these supplies were the last hope of Marina's civilians.
After crossing the final ridge, the landscape suddenly opened wide before them—a flat expanse stretched out to the horizon.
Compared to the lush and fertile lands of Aspiration, this plain looked bleak and desolate. The soil was poor and dry, clearly unsuitable for large-scale farming.
"Marina City… I've finally returned," Kale whispered beside Aven, his eyes filled with emotion.
"Bi~ Biii~ Biiii~"
Aven's Bibarel also reached the top of the ridge, gazing down at the barren land below. Though it was poor and unforgiving, this was still the land where they were born and raised.
"Come on," Aven said softly, stroking his Bibarel beside him. "Let's go to your home."
With that, he led the group down the mountain slope, stepping onto Marina City soil once more.
Because heavy snow had fallen two days prior, much of the snow still remained unmelted. The rivers running through the territory were coated with thick ice.
Aven and the convoy traveled for a long while without encountering a single sign of human habitation. After some time, they finally spotted the first village in the distance.
But when they saw its condition, everyone's expression instantly darkened—the village lay in ruins. Debris was scattered everywhere, and faint traces of blood stained the snow.
"Meowr! Meowr!"
Luxray suddenly growled lowly, its fur standing on end.
And almost immediately after its warning, movement erupted from within the village.
Out of the shadows crawled a swarm of Rattata, their small eyes glowing a menacing red.
"Rattata… and there are a lot of them," Aven frowned.
Could it be that Marina City had fallen victim to the winter beast tide as well? Were the villagers hiding underground, or—
"Rattata!" Kale gritted his teeth in frustration.
After spending most of the winter safely within the Pokémon Domain, he had almost forgotten that winter was the season when wild Pokémon invaded most frequently.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The knights behind them quickly rushed forward, raising their weapons.
Without hesitation, they charged into the village, clashing with the frenzied Rattata.
The sounds of battle soon filled the air, but it didn't last long. Against the disciplined Marina Knight Order, the Rattata horde stood no chance.
Moments later, the fight was over. A knight sergeant emerged from the village, shaking his head grimly—there were no survivors.
"Damn it…" Kale's expression turned dark, his eyes fixed on the horizon.
Aven frowned deeply, a bad feeling rising in his chest. "Marina Knights, split up and check every nearby village!"
He already had an idea what had happened. With nearly all of Marina's knights having gone to war, the domains of Marina City had been left undefended.
In such a situation, the civilian population stood no chance against invading Pokémon.
"Lord Kale… what should we do?" one of the captains asked, his face pale.
They all understood the cause by now. Without knights to protect the borders, and with food in the Coastal Mountains depleted to supply the army, the wild Pokémon had been forced into desperation.
Driven by hunger, the starving Pokémon invaded human settlements in search of food—thus causing the beast tide.
"Your Highness Aven, what are your orders?" Kale asked, turning toward him anxiously.
Aven thought for a moment, then said calmly, "Send a portion of the knights to investigate the surrounding villages. The main force will come with me to Marina City."
"Yes, Your Highness!" The knight commander saluted sharply and immediately divided his troops—some scattered in all directions while the rest followed Aven.
Luxray sprinted through the snow, the group following closely behind. Along the way, they saw deep, chaotic footprints in the frozen earth—clear evidence of many beasts having passed through.
The knights' hearts grew heavier with each step. The further they went, the more their regret gnawed at them.
They should never have left their people unprotected.
"Damn it…" one muttered under his breath, urging his Bibarel to move faster. "Please, let the city still stand…"
The scattered villages had little food to offer—so all those starving Pokémon would have headed straight for Marina City to raid it.
(End of Chapter)