Kale's hands trembled slightly as he reached into his pocket. A moment later, he carefully pulled out a handful of wheat grains.
Then, without saying another word, he took a deep breath and slowly stepped onto the patch of cultivated earth in front of him. Gathering all the strength in his arms, he flung the grains out across the soil with a sweeping motion!
The golden kernels scattered across the field, landing softly upon the freshly tilled ground. Instantly, a faint green radiance began to flow around them.
And then—before everyone's stunned eyes—the grains sprouted.
A hushed silence spread through the ranks of Marina City's knights.
"Th-the wheat… it's sprouting," one of them murmured in disbelief.
He turned to look at the distant figure of Kale, the former Lord of Marina City, his lips parting soundlessly. For a long moment, he didn't know what to say.
"You all saw that, didn't you?" Kale called out, his voice loud and full of emotion.
He pointed to the large Bibarel standing proudly behind him. "This ability of Bibarel's is called Rototiller. Even barren wastelands can be transformed into fertile fields!"
"The land Bibarel tills becomes brimming with life, allowing crops to grow more easily and abundantly!"
Taking a step forward, Kale's eyes shone with passion. "Can you imagine it? With Bibarel's cultivation power, even Marina's infertile soil can be used to grow wheat!"
"With that wheat, the people of Marina City will never have to go hungry again! I've always believed that our people are among the most hardworking in the world—as long as they have good soil to plant in, no one will ever starve again!"
As Kale spoke, his voice filled with conviction. And as they watched those tiny green sprouts pierce through the soil, the knights of Marina could only stare in astonishment.
"Lord Kale… everything you said—could it really be true?" one of the knights asked, his voice trembling.
He knew Bibarel well—Marina City had plenty of them. If every Bibarel could learn to wield this kind of power, then the endless tracts of desolate land surrounding their city could all be turned into fertile farmland!
The thought alone made his blood rush with excitement.
If they could live in peace without fighting, without killing who among them truly wanted to die in battle?
"Yes," Kale declared firmly, "every word I've said is true!"
"When I first came to the Pokémon Domain, I didn't believe it either. But this autumn, I witnessed it with my own eyes, the magical bea—No, the Pokémon reclaiming and cultivating the wastelands."
"That sight… I'll never forget it. From that moment on, I knew—someday, Marina City would be filled with fertile farmland too!"
Kale nodded vigorously, a warm smile softening his face as he recalled his days in the Pokémon Domain. He had gained so much there—not just food and knowledge, but faith.
"And I promise you this," he said solemnly, "I will make it happen!"
"Moreover, if you're willing to trust me, the Pokémon Domain is willing to lend Marina City enough food to last through this winter."
"By next spring, you'll be able to plant your own crops and when harvest comes, every citizen of Marina City will live in abundance!"
At that, Aven finally spoke. He stepped forward, a Poké Ball glowing faintly in his hand, his calm eyes sweeping over the assembled knights.
"You all know," he said, "that I have no reason to deceive you."
The knights of Marina City instinctively turned their eyes toward the strange round ball in his hand.
And then—clang, clang, clang!
The sharp sound of metal hitting the ground echoed across the battlefield as the first swords were dropped… followed by many more.
"You… you…"
Hill's body trembled violently as he watched, unable to contain his rage.
His eyes darted toward one of his own captains—only to see the man, too, throw his weapon down.
"Lord Hill," the captain said quietly, "please surrender."
"You know as well as we do… even if we keep fighting, we can't win."
He sighed heavily. The power the enemy wielded had already crushed their hopes.
Now, faced with a promise of peace and a chance for a better future, not one of them had the will to continue fighting.
If surrender meant returning home and rebuilding Marina under this new hope—then their choice was already made.
"Traitors… you filthy traitors!" Hill's face twisted with fury and madness.
"Hmph! If we're talking about traitors," Kale shot back coldly, "then you, Hill, are the greatest traitor of all!"
He glared at the man with a mixture of fury and grim satisfaction.
Once, Hill had framed and banished him in the very same manner. Now, at long last, Hill would know how it felt to be abandoned and powerless.
Hearing Kale's words, the knights around Hill averted their eyes. Then, slowly, they began to back away—forming a circle that isolated Hill and the two sorcerers standing beside him.
The two sorcerers, already terrified since Darkrai's appearance, began to retreat frantically.
They pulled out a dark violet crystal from their robes, clearly intending to use it to flee.
But Aven knew that move all too well.
"Not this time," he murmured.
He flicked his wrist. A Poké Ball opened, and a burst of frost filled the air as Froslass appeared, her spectral form shimmering.
With an icy glare, she extended a hand toward the forming rift in midair.
A surge of ghostly power exploded outward—shattering the spatial crack instantly, the fragments scattering like broken glass before vanishing entirely.
"H-how is that possible!?" one of the sorcerers cried out in horror.
"D-don't come any closer!"
Their shadows writhed and split, manifesting into two ghost-type Pokémon but compared to Froslass, their auras were pitifully weak.
"Froslass…"
Hill's face contorted again, veins bulging on his forehead.
In his mind, countless memories flashed before his eyes. All of it—had begun with her!
His Staraptor, his Sneasel… both had died because of her.
All that was left in his heart now was pure hatred—hatred so deep it threatened to consume his very soul.
"Kill it!" Hill roared, pointing a trembling finger at Froslass.
His Mightyena howled in fury and leapt forward, its form a blur of black mist as it lunged through the air toward her.
Above, Froslass looked down coldly, her expression unreadable. Slowly, she placed both hands over her chest.
Then, waves of gray mist began to pour from her body, spiraling outward as her aura spiked sharply. Within seconds, her power reached its absolute peak!
A low, eerie hum echoed across the field as she raised one pale hand.
A pulsing orb of darkness materialized in her palm—Shadow Ball.
The gray mist gathered around it, making it denser, heavier, until its energy crackled with terrifying power.
Hill's eyes widened in horror as he stared at the scene above him.
In his mind, a memory surfaced—the moment his Staraptor and Sneasel fell lifeless from the sky.
"No… no! Stop!" he screamed, reaching out desperately toward his Mightyena.
But it was too late.
The Mightyena had already leapt into the air, colliding directly with Froslass's Shadow Ball.
The orb of darkness expanded instantly, engulfing Mightyena completely before slamming it down from the sky like a meteor.
BOOM!
The ground shook violently as a massive crater formed where the attack landed.
When the dust finally cleared, Mightyena lay motionless at the bottom of the pit.
"Mightyena!!" Hill's voice cracked, raw with grief.
He stumbled forward, trembling as he looked down at his fallen partner. The dark aura that had once surrounded it was slowly fading away, revealing tufts of its original gray-and-white fur.
But as the corruption dissipated, so too did Mightyena's life force.
Its breathing grew shallow. Its body weakened with every passing second.
Hill fell to his knees, clutching the Pokémon in his arms, his tears streaming freely as he stroked its fur.
Mightyena's half-lidded eyes flicked up at him, full of lingering affection. With a weak motion, it lifted a paw and brushed away Hill's tears—then, slowly, its paw slipped to the ground as its eyes closed for the final time.
Hill let out a broken cry. His heart felt like it had been ripped apart; it hurt so much he could barely breathe.
He looked up toward Aven, his eyes full of despair, haunted by countless memories flashing before him.
Beside the crater, Kale stood silently, watching Hill's hollow, lifeless expression. A strange, faint sorrow welled up in his chest.
Beside him, Mismagius floated quietly. Her eyes began to glow as she extended her power toward Hill, invading his mind—delving into his deepest memories.
Moments later, Mismagius's eyes flew open, releasing a burst of spectral light that twisted the space around them.
An illusion spread across the battlefield.
Within it, Hill stood alone on a rocky shore. Lying before him on the rocks was another man—a familiar figure.
"Captain Paul!" one of the Marina knights shouted in shock.
The others stared wide-eyed at the vision, confused at first but soon, their confusion turned to rage.
They saw Hill draw a dagger from his waist and plunge it mercilessly into Paul's chest.
Paul's eyes snapped open in agony, his trembling finger pointing weakly at Hill, yet not a single word escaped his lips.
"Captain Paul," Hill said coldly, "I'm sorry. But to achieve my goal… you must die."
With a cruel twist, he pulled the blade free and kicked Paul's body into the sea. The waves turned crimson in an instant.
The illusion shattered—yet the horror remained.
The knights stood frozen, their faces pale with shock. Then, realization struck.
It was Hill—Hill himself—who had murdered Captain Paul!
Memories of that day resurfaced in their minds—Hill's false claims, his lies, the way he had manipulated them all.
It had all been a deception. A cruel, calculated lie.
Pain and guilt overwhelmed them. One by one, the knights dropped to their knees, tears streaming down their faces.
When they looked up again, their eyes burned with fury—directed straight at Hill.
"Damn you… Hill!!"
"You betrayed us all!"
Kale closed his eyes, his voice low and heavy. "So… it was true all along."
Nearby, Paul's Bibarel and Luxray both let out mournful cries, tears welling in their eyes.
They had waited for their master's return for so long—only to discover this was the truth behind everything.
Their red eyes glimmered with rage as they took a step forward, barely restraining themselves from attacking Hill outright.
"...Kale," Aven said quietly, "I'll leave him to you."
Kale blinked, momentarily stunned—then dropped to one knee before Aven. "Thank you, Lord Aven… for granting us this justice."
Aven was caught off guard for a moment, but he could feel the sincerity in Kale's heart.
He smiled faintly and helped Kale to his feet. "This is what I promised you."
Kale nodded firmly, then turned to face the remaining knights of Marina.
He felt no regret for his choice. In fact, his heart was filled with gratitude.
To serve under Lord Aven's banner—he felt truly honored.
(End of Chapter)