Gene looked at the apprentices around him with a mocking smile, ordering them to light a bonfire and boldly begin roasting meat.
Meanwhile, the Mightyena, bound in an iron cage, could only watch the humans in front of it with bloodshot eyes, feeling the hunger gnawing at its belly. A low growl escaped from its throat.
Hearing the Mightyena's growl, Gene cast his gaze toward it and picked up a whip lying beside him.
The Mightyena instinctively shut its mouth, but its blood-red eyes remained fixed on the human in front of it.
Seeing this, Gene laughed smugly and, as if taunting the beast, waved a large drumstick in his hand before taking a huge bite, tearing off a chunk of meat.
The Mightyena remained disdainful, keeping its eyes locked on the human in front of it, as if longing to tear him apart and devour him whole!
Time passed quickly, and the night soon slipped away.
The next morning, the Mightyena—having not slept a wink—became extremely irritable. The hunger in its belly grew unbearable, prompting it to unleash furious howls.
At that moment, Gene approached the Mightyena again, holding a large piece of beef and grinning.
Its eyes stared coldly at Gene. As he came within range, the Mightyena suddenly lunged at him.
However, the iron chain behind it was pulled taut, halting the Mightyena mid-air, leaving it unable to reach its target.
"Howl! Howl! Howl!"
The Mightyena roared in frustration, an overwhelming sense of helplessness sinking in. It was starting to realize that it no longer had control over its own fate. Its freedom was gone, and now it was merely at the mercy of these humans.
It struggled constantly, and the chains bit into its flesh, drawing blood that dripped onto the ground.
Days passed, and the Mightyena's will slowly began to erode in the face of constant confrontation. It grew increasingly silent.
Overwhelmed by exhaustion and intense hunger, it no longer wanted to fight—it just wanted to rest. But Gene would always find ways to provoke the Mightyena, denying it even a moment of sleep or rest.
'If I could just rest for a little while… If I could just get some food… I'd be willing to submit.'
At this point, the Mightyena began to attempt surrender. Its body was caked with dried blood, and the fury in its eyes faded. Its weary body could no longer pull against the chain binding it.
Time after time, the Mightyena felt nothing but loneliness and helplessness. Its body began to tremble uncontrollably, the rage in its eyes now replaced with desperation and pleading.
It could feel death drawing near and saw no future beyond resistance—only death awaited it.
Seeing this, Gene approached the Mightyena under the protection of an Rhyhorn.
He came to its side, wrapped his arms around the beast, and gently stroked its head, trying to soothe its emotions.
The Mightyena no longer struggled. It allowed Gene to pet it, its gaze now lingering on the roasted meat in Gene's hand—its eyes showing submission.
In the end, the Mightyena survived, but its will was broken. It had lost its sense of self and become a puppet that only followed orders—a human's pet.
"Take good care of this Mightyena. All it needs now is a beast harness, and it will be a completely obedient magical beast," Gene said tiredly to the apprentices, who looked at him with admiration.
The beast gear harness would be put on by the buyers themselves and contained special energy that would deepen the magical beast's fear and obedience, ensuring absolute loyalty.
Every tamed magical beast had been broken by earlless rounds of torment. Those that could not be broken had long turned into lifeless bones.
…
Aven walked calmly through the street, his face unreadable.
This was a district dedicated to the sale of magical beasts, with vendors and cages lining both sides of the road.
Nearly all of the beasts wore lifeless expressions. There was no light in their eyes, and a deep sadness welled up in Aven's heart.
Standing silently behind him, the Rhydon looked at the beasts around them and couldn't help but recall its own past.
Back then, it too had been numb like this—until it met Aven and found itself again.
As memories of moments shared with Aven flooded its mind, the Rhydon's eyes softened. It had been training so hard all this time—for the sole purpose of protecting its master!
"My lord, what kind of magical beast are you looking to buy?" a merchant asked courteously.
"Look at these Mightyenas—they've all been thoroughly trained and are extremely obedient."
"We also have Rhyhorns. If you're looking to outfit your knight squad, they're the best choice."
The shopkeeper led Aven forward enthusiastically, explaining the beasts in detail.
"Do you have any magical beasts that haven't been tamed?" Aven suddenly asked.
The shopkeeper froze for a moment, then quickly replied with a respectful tone, "All of our magical beasts undergo strict training and are guaranteed to be obedient."
Clearly, he misunderstood Aven's meaning. To most buyers, untamed magical beasts were dangerous and bad for business.
"If not, then never mind. That'll be all for today," Aven replied flatly. "Even if I want to form a knight squad, I need knights willing to follow me first."
He then turned and left the magical beast district with the Rhydon and Fessen.
"Huff... Huff..."
Outside the market, Aven frowned and said nothing.
"Rhy..." The Rhydon gently patted Aven's shoulder in concern.
Petilil, Cherrim, and Froslass ran up as well, worry written across their faces.
"Are you all right, Lord Aven?" Fessen asked.
Aven shook his head and then spoke seriously: "A Pokémon without a soul—how can it still be called a Pokémon?"
Fessen froze, then glanced at Aven's own Pokémons and nodded silently.
He had felt something off while observing those beasts earlier, and now Aven's words brought clarity to that unease.
"What should we do now, Lord Aven?" Fessen asked humbly.
"The magical beast trade isn't something we can interfere with—at least not yet," Aven replied.
Though he wanted to save those Pokémon and strike at the magical beast market, now wasn't the time. As long as there was demand, the trade would never truly end.
To solve the problem permanently, the only way would be to outright ban the sale of magical beasts—just like how the League in his previous world had declared it illegal.
But that clearly wasn't realistic in this world. Too many nobles had vested interests in the trade, and it played a major role in maintaining the strength of the city.
Even if Lady Mira wanted to issue a ban, she would face massive pushback from the nobility, and the decree would never be implemented.
That left only one other option.
"No demand, no trade," Aven muttered, eyes flickering with thought. "Cut it off at the source."
"Fessen, I have a task for you," Aven said.
Fessen bowed slightly, showing he was listening.
"Go into the city and see if there's a suitable shop location. I plan to open a Pokémon Breeding Center in the city to provide services for magical beasts."
Fessen was surprised. He'd heard of the Pokémon Breeding Center idea before, but didn't expect it to begin so soon.
"I was going to wait a little longer... but now's as good a time as any."
Aven looked toward the magical beast market. "Where there is demand, there will be trade. But I believe the Pokémon Breeding Center will be the better choice."
"In addition to magical beast trading alternatives, the breeding center will also sell potions and offer magical beast nurturing services."
"Compared to those soulless beasts, naturally bonded companions have far more potential and can become even stronger."
Aven smiled with confidence. As a Breeder with his own Pokémon Breeding Center, he knew its advantages well.
While setting up the Breeding Center, he would also continue promoting the Apprentice Trainer Program, deepening bonds between humans and Pokémons.
Anyone who joined the Breeding Center as a member would gain the right to enter the Pokémon Fields and try capturing a companion for themselves.
Compared to the beast market, where a single magical beast cost hundreds of gold coins, he only required one coin to gain a chance to form a bond.
There would also be many other services available through the Breeding Center.
With time, more and more apprentice trainers would emerge.
As promotion continued, these apprentices would come to see magical beasts in a new light and rethink how they should interact with them.
Once the trainers matured, they would realize that forcibly tamed beasts could never match the strength of those nurtured through care and understanding.
The gap in strength between the two would encourage more people to become trainers. It was inevitable—trainers would become the new mainstream.
And if no one went to the magical beast market anymore, that market would lose all reason to exist. The Pokémon Breeding Center would completely replace it.
And the advent of Pokéballs would become the final nail in the coffin—crushing the outdated Beast gear once and for all.
The rise of trainers marked the birth of a new era—an era where the old ways ended, and a new world emerged. A world where humans and Pokémons could live in freedom, equality, and harmony was bound to arrive!
(End of Chapter)