After making all necessary arrangements, Aven once again mounted Luxray and continued toward the mountains, gradually entering the dense forests at their base.
"Come out, Garchomp."
Reaching the forest, Aven retrieved a Poké Ball and released Garchomp.
"Garr! Chomp!"
With a fierce bellow, Garchomp appeared, its golden eyes scanning the surrounding woods with excitement.
Before being captured by beast hunters, this had been its home—the Aspiration Mountains. Now, it had finally returned.
"Garchomp, I'll be counting on you for this," Aven said, patting its sturdy shoulder.
The main goal of his trip was to find Garchomp's tribe—or rather, the powerful Pokémon tribe led by a Garchomp.
Just as Torterra led its own grass-type tribe, Garchomp commanded a mixed Pokémon tribe of many species—one of the largest and most powerful groups in the entire mountain range.
Because the Aspiration Mountains were part of the Mt. Coronet range, countless Pokémon tribes thrived here.
According to Garchomp's memories, there were at least three king-level Pokémon tribes dwelling within these mountains—far more than what existed in the Black Forest.
And within Mount Coronet itself, the number of such high-level tribes must be even greater. After all, it was the largest mountain range on the Sinnoh region, home to endless legends—and even legendary Pokémon themselves.
"Garr!"
Garchomp nodded deeply, giving Aven a look of gratitude before striding into the forest, with Luxray following close behind.
The outer woods of the mountain were teeming with low-level Pokémon —the main forces behind the Winter Beast Tide.
Though individually weak, when gathered in massive numbers, even high-level Pokémon would avoid provoking them, preferring to detour around their swarms.
"GAARR! CHOMP!"
As Garchomp advanced, it unleashed a few loud roars, its immense aura spreading outward like a tidal wave.
At once, the entire forest exploded into chaos—flocks of frightened birds and herds of lesser Pokémon fled in all directions.
Ignoring the panic, Garchomp and Luxray pressed on, crossing through the lower forest beneath Aspiration City and ascending into the higher mountain slopes.
Once deeper inside, Garchomp's pace slowed noticeably. It began sniffing the air and scanning the terrain carefully, trying to discern familiar scents and landmarks.
It had only been captured less than half a month ago—so the mountain's ecology shouldn't have changed much. If it could just find the right trail, it would soon rediscover its tribe's territory.
However, it had to be careful not to trespass into the territories of other high-level Pokémon. Even with two king-level Pokémon on their side, unnecessary conflict could still cause serious trouble.
"…Hm? That's strange," Aven murmured, narrowing his eyes. "Why aren't there any Pokémon around here?"
Aven sat astride Luxray's back, a look of mild confusion flickering across his face as he surveyed the surrounding mountains and forests.
This place was merely the outer region of the Aspiration Mountains. By all logic, there should have been a great many Pokémon gathered here.
Especially now, with winter drawing near, the lower slopes of the mountains were relatively warmer, which should naturally attract large numbers of magical beasts seeking refuge from the cold.
"Meowrr, meowrr~"
Hearing Aven's reminder, Luxray immediately became more cautious. The electric energy within its body began to hum and crackle, as it released electromagnetic waves to sense everything around them.
Then suddenly, Luxray halted mid-step, its expression turning grim. From the direction ahead, it could feel an immense surge of electrical activity—one that belonged to a vast group of creatures approaching rapidly.
Clearly, a massive Pokémon horde was headed straight toward them.
"GOOON!"
At that very moment, a deep, thunderous dragon's roar echoed from high above.
Aven looked up sharply—just in time to see a green figure streaking across the sky, its body resembling both a dragon and a giant dragonfly.
The figure closed the distance in the blink of an eye, diving rapidly toward them with a violent rush of wind pressure that sent dust swirling everywhere.
"Flygon!" Aven's gaze sharpened.
The moment he identified the newcomer, Froslass and Petilil tensed, ready to defend their trainer. But Kirlia, who stood at Aven's side, showed only mild confusion—she couldn't sense any hostility from this Flygon.
"GAAARR!"
Upon seeing the green dragon descending, Garchomp suddenly roared in excitement, its voice booming across the forest.
"Oh? Garchomp—you know this Flygon?" Aven asked, his tone laced with surprise.
"Garrr~!"
Garchomp nodded eagerly, eyes burning with joy.
As a strong gust swept across the clearing, Flygon landed gracefully on the ground before Garchomp. The dragon-like Pokémon lowered its noble head deeply, its eyes shimmering with emotion—it was clearly greeting its king.
"Gaaar!"
Garchomp stepped forward and gestured for Flygon to rise.
Then the two began communicating rapidly in deep, resonant growls and trills that only they could understand.
"Kir~ lia~"
Kirlia floated to Aven's side, her expression focused as she listened closely to their exchange, then began translating through telepathy.
According to her translation, after Garchomp had been captured, its tribe had never stopped trying to find and rescue their king.
Dragon-type Pokémon were known for their intelligence. Flygon had searched tirelessly, and at last, discovered where Garchomp had been taken.
However, knowing the strength of humans, Flygon hadn't dared to attack recklessly. Instead, it had spent this time gathering surrounding Pokémon tribes, preparing to launch an assault on human lands to save their king.
"No wonder this area was so eerily quiet…" Aven murmured as realization dawned on him. "It wasn't empty—it's because Flygon gathered all the Pokémon together."
He exhaled slowly, his expression turning relieved. Fortunately, he had managed to rescue Garchomp when he did—otherwise, Ironblood Fortress would soon have faced an overwhelming invasion.
Even without their king, Flygon, who served as the tribe's second leader, possessed power close to that of a king-level Pokémon. If it had led an army of ground-type Pokémon against the fortress, the result would have been catastrophic.
"Fly~!"
Garchomp and Flygon continued to converse, their tones fluctuating between urgency and disbelief. Occasionally, Flygon's gaze flickered toward Aven, eyes filled with astonishment.
Garchomp had already begun explaining everything that had happened—how it was captured by the Ironblood Marquis, controlled through unnatural methods, and then finally freed by Aven.
At the mention of the marquis's name, Flygon's face darkened in fury, its wings trembling. But upon hearing that Aven had personally defeated the marquis and rescued their king, it let out a heavy sigh of relief.
Then Garchomp spoke again—this time telling Flygon that it had chosen to follow the human standing before them.
The effect was instant. Flygon froze, its face shifting from disbelief to shock.
A heated discussion followed. It was clear Flygon couldn't accept the idea of its mighty king pledging allegiance to a human—even if that human had defeated their enemies.
If Garchomp were to follow this man, what would become of their entire tribe?
Seeing the tension rise, Aven stepped forward calmly.
"Flygon," he said firmly, his voice steady. "This time, I came here for your tribe."
"I want to invite all of you to live in human territory."
"Between Ironblood Fortress and the Aspiration Mountains, we will establish a special region designed just for your kind. There, you will have a stable habitat and an endless supply of food."
Aven then explained the concept of the Pokémon Breeding Zone in full detail—its purpose, layout, and the vision of peaceful coexistence.
If Garchomp's tribe could guard it, they could ensure order among the Pokémon within the area, while also protecting both humans and wild Pokémon alike.
"Flyyy~ Gon!"
Flygon frowned, its eyes narrowing in thought.
It was true—their tribe was powerful enough that even if the mighty Pokémon from Mt Coronet invaded the Aspiration Mountains, they could handle it easily.
And though this human had saved their king, trust toward humankind did not come easily.
Flygon turned toward Garchomp again, seeking guidance.
"Gar!"
Garchomp nodded resolutely and began relaying the visions Kirlia had shown him through psychic projection—the images of humans and Pokémon living together peacefully, side by side, as equals.
It wanted Flygon to understand: Aven was different.
He wasn't like other humans. His dream was to build a world where Pokémon and humans could coexist in harmony.
"Gooon…"
Flygon hesitated, its expression softening slightly, though traces of doubt remained.
"Kir~ lia"
At that moment, Kirlia floated gently toward it, a sweet, knowing smile on her face.
She placed her small hand on Flygon's head, and a soft glow of psychic light enveloped them both.
In that instant, Kirlia transformed into what could only be described as the ultimate social butterfly—connecting minds through the deepest level of telepathy, just as she once did with Garchomp.
"FLYY…!"
When Flygon's eyes finally opened again, there was something different in them—understanding, maybe even warmth.
It swallowed hard, glancing at Garchomp. For a long while, neither spoke.
Then—
"Fly?"
"Gar~ Chomp~".
They exchanged a few low growls, after which Flygon nodded.
Perhaps… this human could be trusted.
And besides—those Pokémon foods Kirlia had shown it really did look delicious.
"Did… did it work?"
From a short distance away, Aven stared blankly at the sight before him, utterly dumbfounded.
He suddenly realized that compared to Kirlia, his own persuasion skills were practically nonexistent.
He hadn't been sure he could ever convince Flygon—but Kirlia had done it effortlessly.
"Kir~ lia~"
Kirlia laughed, her voice light and bell-like, as she floated above Flygon's head.
"Flyyy~"
Flygon reached out a claw to gently pat Kirlia with clear fondness, like reuniting with a dear old friend. It was a closeness born from genuine telepathic connection.
"Gaarr!"
Next to them, Garchomp scratched his head awkwardly, then plucked Kirlia from Flygon's head and placed her onto his own shoulder instead.
Aven: "…"
Regardless, judging by their interaction, it was obvious that Garchomp and Flygon had reached an agreement.
Soon after, under Garchomp's enthusiastic lead, Flygon summoned its kin. From the surrounding cliffs and burrows emerged Trapinch, Sandshrew, Geodude, and even a few towering Onix.
Garchomp's tribe, it seemed, consisted mostly of Ground-type Pokémon who thrived in rocky terrain.
Alongside them were several other Pokémon like Raticate, Skuntank, and Mightyena—species often seen in the Black Forest.
These Pokémon had likely been recruited by Flygon for its planned assault on the humans—a formidable force, no doubt.
Now, however, Aven intended to bring them all into the Breeding Zone. With a bit of training and gentle taming, they could form a powerful Pokémon and Ranger Defense Line to protect the border.
"Ground-types… and even Geodude and Onix," Aven murmured, his eyes gleaming.
Back when he was developing Fair Haven Town, he'd often thought how useful a few Geodude would be—they were ideal for heavy labor and construction work.
And now, they had come right to him! The thought made him almost giddy. His construction corps was about to level up.
"Geoo~!" "Traa~!" "Nixx~!" "Shreew~!"
Seeing their leader once more, the gathered Pokémon cried out in excitement.
Soon, Garchomp began explaining their next step—the migration to human lands.
Thanks to the persuasion of both Garchomp and Flygon, there was no chaos or resistance.
Within this mountain range, the tribe's survival had always depended on those two as their guardians.
Wherever Garchomp and Flygon went, they would follow—without fear, even if that place belonged to humans.
"Garchomp," Aven said softly, stepping closer. "Let's lead them back together."
"Don't worry. As long as I'm here, no harm will come to them."
"Gaaarr! Choomp!"
Garchomp let out a deep, resonant roar in response, nodding firmly before commanding the tribe to move out toward Ironblood Fortress.
(End of Chapter)
TN: Sorry for not updating yesterday guys, was to lazy to turn on my computer and do it. As an apology.... Read my new translation? Uwu?....... yuckkk