This was the first time Aven had seriously explored Aspiration City.
Walking along the streets, the impact on him was far greater than what he had experienced in Fruitvale Village.
Behind him, the Rhydon wore beast armor, looking every bit like a loyal bodyguard. The surrounding citizens all moved aside in shock at the sight of the creature, instantly recognizing Aven as a person of great importance.
"Lil Lil, Lil Lil ~" The Petilil in Aven's arms chirped softly. The little one was constantly surveying the area, a strange feeling welling up in its heart.
Back in Fruitvale Village, one could always spot Pokémon within the village. But here, they were a rare sight. And even when they did appear, they were all wearing beast gear, their faces expressionless, lacking the spirit seen in the Pokémon of the village.
Cherrim also felt this difference. She could sense a certain greed in the eyes of both the commoners and the nobles. It was a look she knew well—one that regarded her as food.
"Lass~" The Frosslass echoed the sentiment. She felt that both the Pokémon and humans here lacked any vitality. Fruitvale Village was much better.
"This is the reality of the times. The Pokémon world today is in such a state," Aven sighed, gently stroking the Petilil in his arms.
He felt completely out of place in this world, and for a moment, he was overwhelmed by the desire to return to Fruitvale Village, where his spirit could find peace.
"Lord Aven, just two more streets and we'll arrive at Baron Cass' residence," Fessen said as he walked in front. The scribe from Fruitvale Village was clearly distracted.
Earlier that morning, Aven had already sent a formal visiting request to Baron Cass' residence in his capacity as the newly appointed Border Earl. Now, they were en route to the Baron's home.
Aven nodded and smiled, "Relax. I'll help you get your mother out of there."
As he spoke, his gaze shifted to the distant sky, a hint of seriousness in his eyes.
In fact, he had met Baron Cass the day before, and his impression of the man had not been good—there was something instinctively repelling about him.
After the banquet, Aven had asked Kevin to investigate Baron Cass' background.
The findings revealed that the Baron was involved in the enslaving, taming, and sale of magical beasts.
Upon learning this, Aven finally understood his discomfort. In his previous life, Baron Cass' family had been known as Pokémon hunters—a group harshly punished back then.
…
At the same time, Baron Cass' household was in a flurry of activity.
He had been surprised to hear that the newly appointed Border Earl was paying him a visit.
Unlike other noble families, his was involved in the magical beast trade— enslaving, taming, and selling them.
"Could it be that this Earl wants to buy a magical beast from me?"
"Or maybe he wants to collaborate on the beast trade. After all, his territory is close to the Black Forest, which is rich in magical beast resources."
The more Baron Cass thought about it, the more plausible it seemed. If it were the former, that would be simple. But if it were the latter, it would be problematic.
Currently, many families in Aspiration City were involved in the magical beast trade, but most of the resources were controlled by Marquis Hormay. If the Border Earl wanted to join the market, it could cause a reshuffle—something that would hurt small families like his.
"Baron, the Border Earl is almost here," a butler quickly reported, though he sounded hesitant.
After a pause, the butler added, "My Lord, I saw Young Master Fessen among the Earl's entourage."
"Fessen?" A huge question mark formed in the Baron's mind, and his expression immediately darkened.
Fessen was his son, born to a maid after a drunken night. He had never paid much attention to it. After all, the household maids were property of the family.
But when he found out the maid was pregnant, he had nearly killed her in a fit of rage.
At the time, he had not yet inherited the barony and was still unmarried. Having a child out of wedlock could ruin his reputation and even jeopardize his inheritance.
Unfortunately, by the time he learned of the pregnancy, it was too late. His brothers, rivals for the title, had protected the maid and the unborn child. He had no chance to act and could only watch the child be born.
For a while, the illegitimate child became a source of ridicule among nobles.
Luckily, he had later succeeded in taming a powerful Rhyhorn and evolved it into an Rhydon, securing his place as a baron.
He eventually married the daughter of another baron and achieved noble legitimacy, but he always regarded Fessen as a disgrace.
Still, to maintain appearances, he never showed this openly. After Fessen came of age, he found an excuse to send him to the patrol camp in the southeastern edge of Aspiration—close to the dangerous Black Forest. He had never intended for the boy to return.
And now, his eldest son had come back—alongside the Border Earl.
This made him very uneasy.
"The Border Earl does have ties with the southeastern border..." the baron muttered, pacing back and forth in his study.
Suddenly, he stopped and made a decision. "Butler, go to Mary and have her dress up properly."
"Don't tell her her son is back. Wait until the Earl mentions it. She should know what can and can't be said."
The butler nodded and quickly left to instruct the servants accordingly.
Taking a deep breath, the baron adjusted his noble attire and prepared to greet his guest.
But just as he stepped out of his study, he paused again and frowned. "Butler, bring me my casual clothes instead."
…
At the entrance of the Cass estate, Aven met Baron Cass in person.
He was a tall, muscular middle-aged man who bore a 70-80% resemblance to Fessen. He wore a simple formal outfit.
As Aven assessed him, Cass was also evaluating Aven.
Unlike the previous day when Aven had worn commoner's clothes, today he donned a noble's outfit, complete with the badge of an Earl on his chest.
Seeing this, Baron Cass raised an eyebrow subtly—he hadn't expected Aven to dress so formally.
He's trying to assert his noble status, Cass thought, putting on a friendly smile as he greeted Aven.
When he saw Fessen, he also smiled and nodded affectionately, putting on the appearance of a caring father.
Fessen, unsurprised, respectfully called him "Father" in return—fatherly and filial.
As they entered the estate, Aven kept his eyes on every detail of this Pokémon-hunter's home.
The first thing he noticed was the large training ground—clearly used for training magical beasts. On it, an Rhydon was currently exercising.
As Aven looked at it, the beast paused and looked back at him and his own Rhydon.
"Baron Cass, your Rhydon seems well-trained," Aven said with a smile, noting the scar on the beast's forehead.
Cass beamed with pride. It was thanks to this creature that he had achieved his current position.
"Your Rhydon is also very powerful, Lord Aven."
"I often hear news of you here in Aspiration City," Cass flattered. He was always happy to talk about his prized beast—one of the few of its kind in Aspiration City.
"Also?" Aven chuckled, then suddenly added, "This training ground looks perfect for a match. How about a duel between our Rhydons?"
Cass was caught off guard by the challenge. As he hesitated, Aven's Rhydon had already stepped onto the field.
"Alright, I'd like to see what the Earl's beast can do," Cass agreed after a moment.
He knew a bit about Aven's Rhydon—it was one of the few in Aspiration City and had only recently evolved. He figured the Earl might be looking to learn from his training experience.
So, Cass decided he would go easy, making sure not to embarrass Aven's beast too badly.
Fessen stood quietly aside, silent since entering the familiar yet foreign house.
When Aven suddenly issued a challenge, Fessen's eyes flickered.
He looked at the white-ribboned Rhydon and knew his father's beast was no match.
This was a warning. Aven was clearly sending Baron Cass a message.
Not just the duel—even his noble attire made it obvious: this was a display of status.
"RHY!" In the arena, the two Rhydon were now face to face, ready to battle.
(End of Chapter)