In the castle district of Marina City—
The civilians who had once lived in makeshift tents were now moved into the castle's guest residences.
Having resolved their food and shelter issues, the people's hearts once again brimmed with hope as they awaited the coming of spring.
After inspecting the situation of the refugees settled in the castle district, Aven and Kale circled the area once before heading out beyond the city walls. Their destination—
the Temple of Manaphy.
…
The Temple of Manaphy stood upon a small island off the coast.
Aven and Kale rode upon their respective Luxray's back, and it didn't take long before they arrived at the coast.
The air near the ocean was much colder than that within the city. Gusts of bone-chilling wind swept past them, causing Aven, Lilligant, and Kirlia who both sat upon Luxray's back to shiver involuntarily.
"Lass~!"
Froslass, however, was overjoyed by the cold.
She swiftly floated beside Aven and used her ability to regulate temperature, creating a barrier that blocked the chilly sea winds.
Only then did Aven feel a sense of relief, his body warming slightly. Luxray padded forward, its paws sinking into the soft sand as it stopped at the shoreline.
Ahead, the endless blue ocean stretched into the horizon, and faintly visible in the distance was the silhouette of a small island.
"Your Highness Aven, we'll have to cross the sea from here," Kale said as he approached.
At his side, Empoleon had already waded into the water. Though the sea's temperature was frigid, such cold posed no problem for a Water-type Pokémon.
"Alright, then let's cross directly," Aven said with a faint smile.
He took out a Poké Ball, and with a flash of light, Tentacruel emerged from within.
During the chaotic period of war against the Sorcerer Organization, Tentacool had evolved without Aven even realizing it.
The evolution had been triggered by the overwhelming amount of Poison-type energy it absorbed while it dwelled in the poison-swamp territory of the Drapion tribes. The Poison-type energy was so dense it saturated every breath of water of the swamp and combined with the few Water Stones Aven had previously provided for its growth, the evolution had happened naturally and suddenly.
Now, upon entering the ocean, Tentacruel paused for a moment. Then, all its tentacles began to flutter with excitement—it could feel it.
The familiar scent of salt, the steady rhythm of the waves—this was home.
Born and raised in the ocean, Tentacruel had a natural affinity for it. Compared to living in lakes, it far preferred the boundless freedom of the sea.
"Now that we've arrived at Marina City," Aven said, reaching out to stroke one of Tentacruel's tentacles, "we should take the chance to explore this part of the sea. Maybe we can even find others of your kind."
Tentacruel happily chirped in response, its tentacles curling around Aven to lift him gently onto its back.
Meanwhile, Kale climbed onto Empoleon's back. With its broad, metal-like frame gliding through the waves, the Emperor Pokémon resembled a sleek, living motorboat.
Riding their respective Pokémon, Aven and Kale set off toward the island.
Standing atop Tentacruel, Lilligant and the others peered curiously into the water below.
"Lilli~"
A soft green light glowed faintly around Lilligant.
By sensing the flow of life energy, she could feel countless pulses of vitality stirring beneath the waves—clearly, there were many aquatic Pokémon nearby.
Yet, perhaps deterred by the powerful auras radiating from Aven's Pokémon, none dared approach them.
…
"The ocean… it's my next goal," Aven murmured, gazing out at the endless horizon where sky and sea met in deep azure.
"Kir~ lia~"
Kirlia floated alongside him, her psychic senses faintly picking up the emotional currents from Pokémon under the waves.
She turned toward Aven, feeling his calm yet exhilarated emotions. Sharing his joy, she too smiled softly.
Tentacruel and Empoleon cut swiftly through the water, and before long, the group reached the small island.
They stepped onto the beach. Ahead of them stood a dense forest, through which a wide, stone-paved path led deeper inward.
"Your Highness Aven, this way please," Kale said, walking ahead to lead the path.
Aven followed close behind.
Before long, an ancient temple emerged before their eyes.
It was built entirely from stone, towering and majestic. The entrance was massive—twice the height of a grown man and upon its gates were carved reliefs of countless Pokémon swimming joyfully through the ocean.
At the center of these carvings, surrounded by many other Water-type Pokémon, was a small, delicate figure—Manaphy.
The depiction showed Manaphy's two long, antenna-like feelers curving outward, their spherical tips glowing faintly, radiating a sense of gentle divinity.
Creak—
With a metallic groan, the heavy stone door slowly opened.
Light poured into the spacious interior, illuminating the great hall within. At the center of the temple stood a statue of Manaphy, smiling serenely.
Aven entered alongside Kale, his eyes sweeping across the walls, where he found countless carvings and mysterious inscriptions.
As his gaze roamed, he suddenly froze upon one particular image—a massive, bird Pokémon with outstretched wings.
His pupils narrowed.
"This is… the Guardian of the Seas, Lugia!" Aven whispered.
He recognized those sharp, mask-like eyes instantly.
When he had first communicated with Tentacool then through telepathy, he had caught a vague image of a silver giant bird. He had suspected then that it might be Lugia—and now that suspicion was confirmed.
If Lugia was carved into Manaphy's temple, it meant that Lugia had once appeared near Marina City. The ancient builders must have witnessed it with their own eyes.
Aven's gaze shifted again—and on another wall, he spotted the image of a massive, fish-like creature with an enormous body and wide fins.
At that sight, he immediately thought of another oceanic legend—
the ancient Legendary Pokémon Kyogre.
"Lugia and Kyogre…" Aven murmured in awe. "Truly the sovereigns of the sea—beings who command the very essence of the ocean itself."
At last, he approached the altar where the statue of Manaphy rested.
Taking out the black iron box, Aven carefully opened it. Inside lay the Mystic Water its teardrop-shaped crystal radiating a soft blue glow.
Holding it in his palm, Aven exhaled slowly. He was about to perform the ritual—the same ceremony that Marina City's lords had carried out for generations and to try to establish contact with Manaphy.
"Your Highness Aven," Kale said respectfully, "please begin the communion with Lord Manaphy."
"Alright," Aven nodded.
Closing his eyes, he began to recite the ancient prayer Kale had taught him, while extending his psychic power toward the crystal.
Gentle waves of his psychic energy flowed outward, seeking a response from within the Mystic Water.
But the temple remained silent.
Time passed quietly.
No divine light appeared, no ripple of power stirred within the gem.
"…Still nothing," Aven murmured. "Could it be that Manaphy has already left the Sinnoh region? That's why there's no response?"
He opened his eyes and stared at the unchanged crystal in his hand, then sighed softly.
He wasn't truly disappointed—he had anticipated this outcome.
After all, every Marina City lord before him had failed to contact Manaphy. For him to fail as well was only natural.
Kale sighed beside him. "It's been two hundred years since Lord Manaphy vanished. I no longer dared hope we'd ever reach Him again."
Aven turned his gaze to the walls again. "Kale, do you recognize these inscriptions?"
Kale nodded. "These are the writings of the People of the Water."
He walked forward, brushing the carvings gently with his fingertips. "They record the history of our ancestors. Legend says that the People of the Water were not native to Marina City but instead came from a distant land called Fiore."
"In the ancient tongue, 'Fiore' meant Flower." Kale's tone grew solemn. "For reasons unknown, the ancestors of the People of the Water fled from Fiore and crossed the ocean, eventually settling here in Sinnoh, where they founded Marina City."
Aven listened quietly, absorbing the weight of this forgotten history.
After a thousand years, the truth was blurred, buried by time. Yet the story hinted at something far larger—a migration, perhaps even a catastrophe.
Kale led him to another mural near the altar. Aven had noticed it earlier, but hadn't understood its meaning.
Now, with Kale's explanation, he realized it might actually be a map—though an abstract one.
It showed four circles drawn far apart, each possibly representing a continent.
One of them was much larger than the others—very likely Sinnoh.
If that was the case, then the remaining three smaller circles represented distant lands—and one of them, perhaps, was Fiore.
All three smaller circles were positioned to the southeast of Sinnoh. That meant if one sailed in that direction, one might eventually reach the land of Fiore.
"Yes," Kale nodded. "That was what our predecessors believed as well. Many city lords and knights once attempted to seek Fiore but all expeditions ended in failure."
For generations, they had searched the seas after losing contact with Manaphy, but none had found anything. Eventually, the attempts ceased, and the story faded into legend.
"So, they never found Fiore…" Aven muttered thoughtfully.
Perhaps Fiore was nothing more than a myth. Or perhaps Marina City's ancient ships were simply incapable of sailing far enough to reach it.
Another possibility lingered—something terrible might have happened there.
"According to the old records," Kale continued, "our ancestors didn't cross the ocean by normal means. They escaped by invoking the power of Lord Manaphy's Temple of the Sea. That's why no nautical charts were ever drawn."
"The Temple of the Sea…" Aven's eyes glinted faintly.
If he could find the Temple of the Sea, he might be able to locate Manaphy as well.
But searching for a temple hidden somewhere in the endless ocean was like finding a single grain of sand in a desert.
Still, he looked down at the Mystic Water in his hand.
If this crystal was truly Manaphy's token, then perhaps—it shared a mysterious connection with the Temple of the Sea.
After a moment of thought, Aven said, "When the time comes to explore the ocean, we'll start by heading southeast."
"The Temple of the Sea, the Continent of Fiore, and Manaphy…" He could feel it—these three were linked somehow. If he could find Fiore, he might uncover the reason for Manaphy's disappearance.
The task would be difficult, but if he succeeded—then with Manaphy's aid, Aven would gain easier dominion over the seas themselves.
With that power, he could expand trade routes, explore new lands—and even summon legendary Pokémon to his side.
If Manaphy truly possessed the power to call upon Lugia and Kyogre, then its might could easily surpass even that of the Lake Guardians.
"Thank you, Your Highness Aven," Kale said suddenly, his voice trembling.
The lords of Marina City had long abandoned their dreams of exploration, crushed beneath the city's decline.
But now—Aven had rekindled that flame.
He believed that under Aven's rule, Marina City would rise again—stronger and more glorious than ever before.
…
Deep beneath the vast ocean—
Lugia lay silently asleep in the abyssal trench.
Though avian in form, it bore traits of dragons and plesiosaurs alike. Its body gleamed with a silver sheen; the mask-like pattern around its eyes and the fins on its back were deep blue, while its underside was a lighter shade of azure.
It had a long, slender neck and a sleek, streamlined body. Sharp, fin-like protrusions jutted from its back and tail.
Lugia possessed the power to control the weather—to create or calm tempests at will.
Even the slightest flap of its wings could stir hurricanes powerful enough to shatter cliffs. If it were to spread its wings in earnest, the resulting storms could rage for days without end.
Because of this overwhelming power, Lugia had long secluded itself, sleeping deep within ocean trenches, far from human sight.
But today—
Its eyes suddenly snapped open.
A faint pulse of blue light shimmered across its form. It spread its wings once, and with a single motion, its immense body surged upward from the depths.
The surface of the ocean exploded into towering waves as it emerged, silver wings gleaming beneath the sunlight.
For a moment, Lugia turned its gaze toward the distant coast—toward Marina City then slowly shifted its head southeast, to the endless, shadowy ocean beyond.
With a powerful beat of its wings, Lugia dove back beneath the waves, vanishing into the depths as swiftly as it had appeared.
The ocean soon grew calm once more, as though nothing had happened—
only the faint undercurrents below hinted at the great disturbance, sending ripples of unease through every Water-type Pokémon dwelling in the sea.
(End of Chapter)
TN: Guys the explanation of the evolution of Tentacool into Tentacruel was my own creation. I don't know if I miss it or forgot about it but its not mentioned on my notes and I'm pretty sure this is Tentacruel since the Chinese name match for tentacruel and not tentacool so I had to make up a reason for its evolution for my own sanity. It might be another mistake and the author mentions it in later chapters soo just please go with it for now.