Three days later, Aven finally decided it was time to return to the Pokémon Domain.
For now, the affairs of Marina City could be considered settled, but many matters still awaited his return in the Pokémon Domain.
Kale, of course, still had countless questions regarding the construction of the Pokémon League, yet he also understood that the Pokémon Domain was now filled with pressing responsibilities that only Aven could handle.
"Your Highness Aven, when spring comes next year, I will return to the Pokémon Domain," Kale said respectfully.
Although Marina City now belonged to Aven, it would soon be handed over to Kale to manage.
After all, Marina City's power structure was far more complicated than the Pokémon Domain's. Countless nobles and factions had tangled interests here, and it would take a long time just to straighten out their relationships.
Letting Kale govern the city would save Aven considerable trouble. All he had to ensure was that the Pokémon Domain maintained absolute control over Marina City—and with the strength the Pokémon Domain currently possessed, that would be no problem at all.
Moreover, after everything they had been through, Aven already trusted Kale deeply. As long as no situation like the previous one with Hill—who had colluded with a sorcerer organization to seize Marina City—occurred again, everything would remain under his control.
Aven nodded lightly. "Good. When spring arrives, I'll summon all the lords of Aspiration City to the Pokémon Domain to discuss the establishment of the Pokémon League."
It was worth noting that, as a border earl, Aven possessed territorial expansion rights. Any land he conquered could automatically be incorporated into his domain.
Originally, the Aspiration City council members had only intended for him to serve as a defensive stronghold against Marina City. None of them expected that the Pokémon Domain would grow so rapidly—or that Aven would actually capture Marina City outright.
Given that, Marina City now naturally and rightfully became part of the Pokémon Domain. With this new territory under his control, the Pokémon Domain had effectively become the largest territory in all domains of Aspiration City.
Of course, with Aven's current status and strength, the nobles and council members of Aspiration City would have no objections. In fact, he didn't even need to report anything to them; he could complete the entire annexation procedure on his own.
At the mention of the "Pokémon League," Kale's expression turned solemn. He had personally witnessed its creation and growth in the Pokémon Domain, and now his next task was to remove all obstacles within Marina City and officially integrate it into the League's fold.
At that moment, before the gates of Marina City, a massive crowd of civilians had gathered.
Though Aven had only been in the city for three days, every single person had witnessed the tremendous changes brought by his arrival.
They could now eat their fill and live without fear of starvation—all thanks to His Highness Aven.
Thus, the people regarded him with heartfelt gratitude and reverence.
Standing before the city gates, Aven waved toward Kale and the gathered civilians, then turned and rode away atop his Luxray, departing alone.
…
At the foot of the Coastal Mountains, a great number of Bibarel and Bidoof had gathered—far more than the number that had originally accompanied him here.
These were the tribes that the Bibarel leader had summoned in the past few days, all prepared to return to the Pokémon Domain with Aven. That was where their true home awaited.
"Biii~! Biiiii~!"
The Bibarel tribe cried out excitedly the moment they saw Aven appear.
The Bibarel leader quickly waddled forward, its goofy face barely able to contain its joy.
"You've worked hard, Bibarel," Aven said warmly, reaching out to pat the leader's head.
Then he turned his gaze to the vast crowd of Bibarel and Bidoof in the distance. By rough estimation, there were tens of thousands of them gathered here.
Taking a deep breath, Aven declared, "Bibarel—lead your people! We're heading home!"
"BIIII~!"
Amid their excited cries, Aven led the group toward the coastline.
The last time they had crossed the mountains to reach Marina City, it had been because they were transporting a large number of supplies.
This time, however, the Bibarel were traveling light. So, Aven decided to take a different route—following the coastline and bypassing the Coastal Mountains altogether.
Before long, they arrived at the beach.
The cold sea breeze howled across the shore, but for Water-type Pokémon like Bibarel, the chill meant little.
"Once again, I'll be relying on you, Tentacruel," Aven said, releasing the massive Pokémon into the ocean before recalling Luxray back into its Poké Ball.
For the past three days, Tentacruel had been exploring the waters, searching for traces of its kin—but to no avail.
It seemed its species didn't inhabit the waters near this coast. To find them, one would likely have to venture further out into deeper, more distant seas.
With a splash, Tentacruel waved its long tentacles and gently lifted Aven onto its back.
The Bibarel tribe followed suit, leaping joyfully into the water and paddling behind Tentacruel, their heads bobbing above the surface as they swam.
However, despite their sturdy builds, Bibarel were still far too small compared to Tentacruel's massive body. They couldn't carry humans or heavy supplies across the sea, which meant Aven couldn't form an "aquatic cavalry corps" with them.
This made Aven recall another Pokémon he had seen in Marina City—the Buizel.
Buizel had inflatable yellow flotation sacs around their necks. When inflated, these allowed them to float freely on the water.
If a Buizel evolved into a Floatzel, its flotation sacs would grow even larger—large enough to support an adult human, almost like a living inflatable boat.
"When I first saw Floatzel," Aven thought, "I wondered—could Pokémon one day replace ships altogether?"
But after a brief consideration, he shook his head.
The idea sounded appealing, but evolution wasn't easy, and even with Floatzel, the range and capacity would still be far inferior to an actual ship.
Floatzel could work for short inland lakes or rivers, but for the vast ocean? No—it wasn't realistic.
Tentacruel, on the other hand, might indeed be capable of traveling much farther into the open sea. Still, even that came with limitations. In long-distance voyages, endurance, weather, food, and navigation were all critical factors—far beyond mere swimming ability.
"So," Aven murmured thoughtfully, "we'll focus on nearshore exploration for now. Oceanic expeditions will have to wait until we're better prepared."
…
Tentacruel swam rapidly, its tentacles slicing smoothly through the waves.
Behind it, the long trail of Bibarels and Bidoofs followed closely, paddling energetically with their webbed feet. Their dog-paddling technique wasn't elegant, but it was fast enough.
Their formation stretched far along the coastline. Beyond the sandy beach rose steep cliffs, towering as though carved by a giant blade.
"Everyone, stay alert," Aven called out. "Up ahead is where many Water-type Pokémon tribes live."
Because of those cliffs, few humans had ever set foot here. The area had become a paradise for Water-types, home to countless aquatic Pokémon.
It was precisely because of this that Marina City's fishing vessels never dared to sail beyond this point toward Aspiration City—this region served as a natural boundary.
Today, Aven had brought along numerous Water Pokémon to investigate these waters. With both Froslass and Lilligant, two King-level Pokémon by his side, he had no reason to fear any threat that might emerge.
"Lilli~"
Lilligant gently released waves of life energy, radiating a calm aura around her.
This not only helped deter potential threats, but also allowed her to sense the strength and number of the nearby Water-type Pokémon through their life forces.
"Lass~"
Froslass floated beside Aven, humming a cheerful tune as she happily munched on an ice-chilled berry she'd somehow conjured from nowhere.
Even here, surrounded by the endless sea, she retained formidable combat power.
With her mastery over Ice energy, she could freeze the very seawater around them in an instant, sealing any enemy that dared to approach in solid ice.
"Kir~"
Kirlia sat quietly next to Aven, immersed in deep meditation.
To catch up to Froslass and Lilligant, she had been diligently training her mind whenever she could, strengthening her psychic power.
Of course, if danger struck, she would react instantly—teleporting Aven to safety in the blink of an eye.
Even if the cliffs here were steep and towering, with her full psychic focus, teleporting Aven to the top would be effortless.
(End of Chapter)