"So many supplies…" one of the officials breathed in awe, eyes wide. "There's so much of it!"
After all the supplies had been unloaded, they piled up into a small mountain before everyone's eyes.
For a brief moment, the entire crowd stood frozen in stunned silence. Then, all at once, their faces lit up with sheer joy and disbelief. With this vast amount of material, the people of Marina City would definitely survive the coming winter!
"This is only the beginning," Kale said softly, his expression filled with warmth. "Next year, Marina City will surely become even more prosperous."
In his mind's eye, he could already picture the people of Marina City working the fields in the spring—their plows cutting through fertile soil, the laughter of farmers echoing across the plains. The citizens of this city were diligent and steadfast; with their own hands, they would surely build better, richer lives for themselves.
…
"Biii~ Biii~!"
The Bibarel leader lowered the supplies it was carrying and gave a few low cries toward Aven.
Though the people of Marina City had now solved their immediate food shortage, the Bibarel leader still had many clansmen who were enduring hunger and cold outside the city.
And after witnessing the chaos caused by the rampaging Pokémon along the way and those wild Pokémon that had invaded human lands—it looked even more uneasy. Its worried eyes seemed to ask whether its kin were still safe.
Aven nodded understandingly. "Alright. Take the rest of the supplies and go find your clansmen. Be careful on the road. If anything happens, come straight to Marina City and find me."
At present, the situation in Marina City was still unstable. If possible, Aven wanted the Bibarel leader to bring as many of its kind back to the Pokémon Domain as it could.
The Pokémon Domain's territory had already extended nearly to the Black Coast. With the Fair River and the Bibarel Lake connecting directly to the sea, even more Bibarel and Bidoof could easily make their home there.
Moreover, having such a large group of Bibarel and Bidoof would be a tremendous asset to his next major goal—exploring the ocean itself.
"Biii!"
The Bibarel leader nodded firmly at Aven's words. Then, rallying its kin, it led the group swiftly out of the city, racing toward the direction of the coast.
Not long after the Bibarel departed, the civilians of Marina City began gathering in the square. When they saw the towering piles of supplies, light returned to their weary eyes.
And when they were told that all these supplies would be distributed to them for the winter, excitement rippled through the crowd.
But what truly stunned them was the next announcement—
the castle district would be opened to shelter the people from the cold.
A wave of disbelief spread through the masses.
"The castle district… is going to be opened? For us?"
Even though it wasn't the lord's castle itself that would be opened, the fact that commoners were being allowed to live in the nobles' residential area was utterly unheard of. That part of the city had always belonged to the upper class alone—ordinary people weren't even allowed to enter.
For a long moment, the crowd was silent. Then, one by one, everyone's gaze turned toward Aven—the man who had given the unbelievable order.
A strange warmth rose in their chests.
"His Highness is merciful…" someone whispered, voice trembling with emotion. Then another took up the cry, louder this time:
"Long live His Highness Aven!"
One man knelt to the ground. Then a second. A third.
Within moments, a sea of people filled the square, kneeling one after another. Their shouts overlapped, rising higher and higher, until they merged into one thunderous chant that shook the very air:
"His Highness Aven is merciful!"
They were mere commoners. They didn't care who ruled the city, nor the politics behind it. They only knew that Aven had brought them warmth, food, and hope—things they hadn't dared dream of.
That was enough.
…
Inside the lord's castle, Kale stood silently before the window of the study, gazing out at the familiar yet changed city below.
After everything that had happened, he was finally back here again. Everything looked the same as before—yet somehow, everything felt different.
He turned his head. At the desk sat Aven, flipping through the old books stacked before him. Many bore the marks of heavy use, their pages creased and faded.
After entering the castle, the two had first gone to inspect the treasury. But it had already been stripped bare—Hill and the sorcerers had looted nearly everything of value.
Aven merely shook his head, unbothered, and went straight to the study instead. To him, knowledge and the records of Marina City's past was far more precious than gold or jewels.
As he flipped through a thick tome, Aven suddenly paused, eyes narrowing. "So… long ago, Marina City also had a guardian deity."
He looked up at Kale. "And according to this, your ancestor built a temple on a nearby island to enshrine that guardian?"
"Yes," Kale confirmed, nodding. "The figure in that illustration is the city's former guardian deity. But according to our records, it hasn't appeared for nearly two hundred years. Over time, it became little more than a legend. Hardly anyone in Marina City remembers it now."
"As the lord, though," Kale continued, "this knowledge has been passed down through generations. Every city lord was required to visit the temple once a year to perform a ritual of worship."
As he spoke, Kale reached into his coat and produced a small black metal box. It looked simple, unadorned—yet the solemn expression on his face made it clear that what it contained was anything but ordinary.
"This is the heirloom passed down from lord to lord of Marina City," Kale said gravely. "And now, Your Highness Aven, as the new master of this city, it is time I entrust it to you."
He took a deep breath and nodded toward his Empoleon. The Pokémon obediently opened its beak—and spat out a small black key.
The fact that Kale and his Empoleon had separately safeguarded the box and key showed just how important this item was.
Aven accepted the key with quiet respect, his expression solemn. Kale inserted it into the keyhole with a click. A metallic grinding sound echoed as the lock turned and the box slowly opened.
In that instant, a brilliant light flared from within. The radiance was so dazzling that Aven's companions—Lilligant, Froslass, and Kirlia instinctively turned their heads.
A wave of water-type energy pulsed outward. Though not particularly strong, it was incredibly pure—and tinged with a faint, sacred aura.
Aven's eyes narrowed slightly. "This energy… it's a water-type artifact?"
From its aura, he could sense something reminiscent of Azelf's divine presence—a power that transcended ordinary elemental force.
When the box fully opened, the light gradually receded. Inside lay a teardrop-shaped crystal, shimmering with interwoven hues of pale blue and deep azure. Golden lines of mysterious patterns rippled faintly within it.
"This is… a Mystic Water?" Aven murmured in surprise.
But no—something about it felt different. It was larger, its glow purer, its golden markings unlike any ordinary Mystic Water. This was no common relic.
"This," Kale said reverently, "is the sacred token left behind by Lord Manaphy."
"According to our records, when one connects with this crystal at the temple, they can communicate directly with Lord Manaphy."
He went on to explain that countless generations of Marina lords had verified this to be true—and that in ancient times, Lord Manaphy had helped Marina City weather several crises.
"However," Kale continued, "two hundred years ago, all contact with Lord Manaphy was lost. Since then, every city lord has tried to reestablish that connection—but none have succeeded."
Aven listened in silence, deep in thought. So, his earlier guess was correct—the figure in the book truly was Manaphy, the so-called Prince of the Sea.
In legend, Manaphy possessed the miraculous power to communicate with the hearts of all Pokémon, and could summon vast armies of water-types from the ocean's depths.
Aven's gaze returned to the teardrop crystal before him.
He extended a hand and lifted it gently. Ordinary Mystic Waters held the essence of the sea—but this one radiated something far more profound.
He could feel it. This crystal was not just a key to Manaphy—it was itself a powerful artifact, capable of greatly enhancing the growth of water-type Pokémon. A true treasure of legendary grade.
"Lilli~"
"Lass~"
"Kir~ lia~"
Lilligant, Froslass, and Kirlia floated closer, their eyes wide with curiosity as they surrounded Aven, gazing at the crystal.
Unfortunately, none of the three were water-type Pokémon. They could sense the immense energy but not absorb it, which made them sigh with regret.
"Lilli~"
Lilligant's tiny eyes turned as an idea formed. After all, plants needed water to grow—perhaps if she soaked the crystal in water and used that water to nourish her flowers, it might produce… interesting results.
"Lass~?"
Froslass drifted around restlessly. Ice and water were closely related, after all—maybe she could absorb a portion of its power too?
But before she could act, both Lilligant and Kirlia grabbed her arms, pulling her back.
"Not this again," their expressions seemed to say. "You still haven't finished studying that yellow crystal, and now you're eyeing this one?"
"Kir~ lia…"
Kirlia turned back toward the glowing water crystal, sensing something strangely familiar within it—a resonance of energy that reminded her of her own emotional power, yet deeper, purer, and infinitely more sacred.
"You sense a familiar energy?" Aven asked, picking up on her telepathic signal.
"Kir~ lia~"
She nodded.
Aven thought for a moment, then said slowly, "Manaphy is said to possess the innate ability to connect with the hearts of all Pokémon. That must be a form of powerful spiritual energy. And yes… spiritual energy and emotional energy are indeed related."
Kirlia's eyes lit up.
If that was true—then this crystal truly was the perfect match for her. Perhaps, by studying it, she could even learn to wield a power similar to Manaphy's someday.
Glancing toward Lilligant and Froslass, she clenched her small fists in determination. Her strength had fallen behind theirs—she had to catch up!
"Eeem~ poo~?"
Nearby, Empoleon scratched the back of its head awkwardly.
Honestly, it couldn't understand why those three were so worked up. This was clearly a water-type relic—it should be his! He'd been eyeing that crystal for ages, but his stingy master wouldn't even let him take a closer look.
Aven chuckled softly. "I'm afraid I can't hand this crystal over to anyone just yet."
Closing his eyes, he began channeling his psychic energy into the crystal, attempting to connect with it.
But no matter how he reached out, the Mystic Water remained silent—its energy calm and unresponsive. Not a ripple stirred within it.
Aven finally exhaled and shook his head helplessly. "As expected," he murmured. "It's been two centuries since Manaphy vanished. It would be strange if I could make contact right away. I'm not that charming."
Still, the mystery nagged at him.
Why had Manaphy disappeared in the first place?
After a pause, he looked toward Kale. "Could you take me to the temple? Perhaps we can find some traces of Manaphy's presence there."
Kale nodded firmly. "Of course."
(End of Chapter)