The grand meeting hall within the fortress of Aspiration City was filled with a solemn air.
All of the council members had already gathered, seated around the long obsidian table. Low conversations murmured among them, but every now and then their gazes would unconsciously shift toward the heavy metal doors — as if waiting for someone's arrival.
From the way they spoke, traces of lingering fear could still be seen in their expressions.
The recent invasion by the Sorcerers had been far too dangerous — so dangerous that many territories had fallen. It was sheer fortune that everything had finally come to an end.
On the left side of the table sat Kevin, his face heavy and conflicted.
They had rushed to Aspiration City in a panic, and seeing the city still standing unharmed had finally allowed them to breathe a sigh of relief.
But soon after, they learned from the Guardian Knights what had truly happened in that battle. If Earl Aven had not arrived when he did, the consequences would have been utterly unimaginable.
As they continued to listen to the retelling of the battle — how Aven commanded Azelf and fought Darkrai, and eventually sealed it away — every face around the table shifted through countless shades of emotion.
Azelf had successfully defeated Darkrai. Everyone had felt immense relief upon hearing that, but when they realized it was Earl Aven who had directed Azelf in that battle, their feelings became far more complicated.
It was obvious now — Earl Aven had been recognized by Azelf.
And according to the ancient rules passed down in Aspiration City, whoever was acknowledged by Azelf had the right to become the ruler of Aspiration City — and thereby, one of the royal candidates for the throne.
But the problem was... Princess Mira had not yet abdicated.
Would Aspiration City now have two rulers?
That thought made everyone frown. Their eyes turned unconsciously toward Princess Mira, seated at the head of the table, trying to read what was on her mind.
All around, the lords and nobles were pondering the same thing — especially those who had close ties with Aven. Thinking of his achievements throughout the past year, their eyes glimmered subtly with calculation.
At the head seat, Mira sat upright with her eyes gently closed. Her beautiful face revealed no emotion whatsoever.
'If Aven wishes to become the lord of Aspiration City,' she thought softly to herself, 'then I shall yield the position to him.'
'Compared to me, Aven is far more exceptional. Under his leadership, Aspiration City will surely become more prosperous than ever.'
As those thoughts passed through her mind, countless memories flashed before her eyes — finally settling on that familiar figure clad in white. In that moment, Mira made up her mind.
— Clang.
The deep metallic creak of the grand doors broke through the silence of the hall.
Everyone turned their heads in unison and saw Aven, dressed in his pristine white attire, walking calmly through the entrance.
The moment he appeared, all those present rose instinctively from their seats and bowed slightly in respect.
Whether or not Earl Aven would become the new lord of Aspiration City, there was no denying one thing — he was already a royal candidate.
And more importantly, during the battle against the Sorcerer Organization, Aven had almost single-handedly saved Aspiration City. For that alone, he had earned the gratitude of everyone in this room.
Aven stepped into the hall, his calm gaze sweeping over the gathered nobles before he approached the head seat and bowed respectfully.
"Your Highness Mira, forgive me for keeping you waiting."
"Earl Aven, no need for such formality."
Mira quickly stood up and helped him rise, her expression soft and sincere. "Please, take your seat."
As Aven straightened up, Mira felt a faint stirring in her chest — an emotion she could not quite name.
"Yes, Your Highness," Aven replied, smiling faintly as he met her gaze.
He took his place — the only empty chair at the table situated just below the head seat, on Mira's left.
That seat had once belonged to Marquis Hormay. Now, it was Aven's turn to occupy it.
This was, in fact, Aven's first time participating in a council of Aspiration City's leaders — a meeting that was only convened when something of great significance occurred.
After taking his seat, Aven's eyes shifted to the man sitting directly across from him — a refined, elegant nobleman with flawless manners and a perfectly pressed coat. His noble bearing seemed to radiate naturally from him.
That was Marquis Salt, the ruler of the Western Domains, the only remaining marquis of Aspiration City.
When their gazes met, Marquis Salt smiled courteously and gave a polite nod. Every movement was smooth and natural — the kind that only true aristocrats possessed.
Seeing that, the other council members exchanged glances, their expressions subtle but thoughtful, before they too quietly sat back down.
"Let the meeting begin," Mira announced with a nod.
At her words, the room fell silent.
Captain Kevin was the first to stand. He began to report the details of the battle between Aspiration City and the Sorcerer Organization.
Everyone listened quietly. Though they had already heard fragments of the story beforehand, hearing that the frontline fortress had nearly fallen still caused them to frown in worry.
That fortress had borne the brunt of the gray mist's invasion and the corrupted Pokémon. A crises of an overwhelming scale, made worse by the Sorcerer Organization's manipulation from behind the scenes.
But when Kevin reached the part where Aven expelled the gray mist and defeated the Sorcerers' four king-level Pokémon, the entire room could not help but gasp aloud.
It was clear that even without relying on Azelf's power, Aven already possessed an overwhelming strength of his own — enough to rival, or even surpass, any city lord in the region.
Once the report and the accounting of military merit were complete, the discussion naturally turned to the matter of rewards.
The chief credit for victory, of course, went to Aven. No one objected.
Yet, when the topic of rewards was raised, every face subtly changed. The room grew thick with unspoken understanding as glances were exchanged.
"Your Highness Mira," said Earl Ruize suddenly as he stood, his tone serious. "Before we speak of rewards, I believe we must first address the matter of royal succession."
The words sent a ripple through the hall.
Every council member turned their gaze to him, startled that he had so boldly spoken what they were all secretly thinking.
"By right of succession," Ruize continued, "Earl Aven now fully qualifies as a royal candidate."
At that, the lords of the Eastern and Northern domains rose to their feet as well. They had already bound their interests closely to Aven's.
If he truly became the lord of Aspiration City, their own positions would naturally rise with his. It was, in every way, to their advantage.
Kevin folded his arms, sighing quietly. As expected.
As Mira's chief knight, his loyalty lay firmly with her — yet even he could not deny that this issue had to be resolved openly here and now.
"Anyone who is acknowledged by Azelf gains the right of royal succession," Kevin said solemnly. "That was a decree established by the first King of Sinnoh himself. Therefore, Earl Aven does indeed possess that qualification."
Mira nodded lightly. "I acknowledge Earl Aven's royal candidacy without reservation."
Her expression softened. "This battle, it was Earl Aven who saved Azelf, and thus saved Aspiration City as well."
The nobles around the table were stunned. None of them expected Mira to agree so decisively — to so completely recognize Aven's claim.
Instinctively, all eyes turned toward Aven, eager to see how he would respond.
'So, the legend says… those who earn the recognition of Azelf, Mesprit, and Uxie can become the King of Sinnoh?' Aven mused silently.
Though it was spoken of as myth, he had reason to believe the Sinnoh King once truly existed. But how those three beings were connected to that title remained unclear.
Still, from another perspective, if one truly possessed all three of those legendary Pokémon as allies, their combined strength alone could conquer Sinnoh.
Perhaps it was as simple as that.
He closed his eyes, sensing the seven-colored light deep within his consciousness. Through that light, he could faintly feel the bond that now linked him to Azelf. Within that light flowed a mighty current of willpower — one that seemed connected to countless other minds, merging together into an immense collective consciousness.
That power… was what gave Azelf its overwhelming strength.
Mira's voice brought him back. "Now, regarding the position of Lord of Aspiration City." Her tone turned resolute. "Compared to myself, I believe Earl Aven is far more suited for this role."
The entire hall fell utterly silent.
Every pair of eyes widened in disbelief. None of them had expected Princess Mira to personally offer the lordship to Aven!
Even Aven himself froze.
He had only been thinking about his royal qualification; he truly hadn't considered the position of lordship.
If he could earn the recognition of Azelf, Mesprit, and Uxie, it would greatly benefit his efforts to establish the Pokémon League. But to become the actual ruler of Aspiration City… that, he had never even thought about.
"I refuse."
His words broke the silence like a thunderclap.
Every head in the room turned sharply toward him — even Mira blinked in surprise.
They looked at each other and then at Aven again. Neither of them wanted the position?
This was the lordship of Aspiration City — a position that countless nobles had once fought and schemed for, even to the death!
"Earl Aven…" Mira's lips parted slightly.
"I'm sorry, Your Highness," Aven said with a gentle smile.
"But compared to being lord of Aspiration City, I believe I am better suited to remain a simple domain ruler."
"Besides, I never thought that I alone saved this city. The true saviors of Aspiration City are its people and its Pokémon."
"It was your collective willpower that gave Azelf its strength. I merely acted as your representative. I refuse to claim all the credit for myself."
He rose from his seat, eyes softening as they met hers.
"Your Highness Mira, I believe you've already done splendidly."
"For the sake of Aspiration City, you fought until the very last moment and even when facing death itself, you never once stepped back. You are… a fine ruler."
Hearing those quiet, sincere words, Mira's lips trembled. Her nose tingled, and an unfamiliar warmth surged in her chest. For the first time, she truly felt recognized and seen as a leader.
Aven smiled faintly, then turned back to the assembly. "Now, let's discuss the Pokémon League."
"At the Ironblood Fortress, we already spoke in general terms. I think it's time we make things official."
"To build a world where humans and Pokémon coexist in harmony — that was my promise to Azelf. And now, I believe we can finally take the first step toward it."
He looked around at the gathered nobles, his tone calm yet powerful.
"I'll repeat the proposal we discussed previously. Then, each of you may deliberate among yourselves."
And as Aven began to speak again, this time outlining his vision for the future — every person in the hall listened in silence, knowing instinctively that they were witnessing the beginning of a new era.
(End of Chapter)