Back then, when these two King-level Pokémon appeared within the Abyssal Cavern, both of them were defeated by Aven and captured into Poké Balls.
Fortunately, Aven had stepped in at that time to subdue them. Otherwise, if those two King-level Pokémon had followed the tide of Ghost Pokémon from the Abyssal Cavern and invaded human territory, the resulting casualties would have been disastrous.
Now that everything else had been settled, Aven felt that it was time to deal with these two King-level Pokémon once and for all.
If he could bring them fully under his control, the strength of the Pokémon Domain would rise to an entirely new level. After all, no matter when or where, a King-level Pokémon was considered a powerful strategic asset.
"Let's start with this one—come out, Dusknoir."
With a flash of bright white light from the Poké Ball, Dusknoir's figure appeared before them.
Although it had undergone some basic treatment, Dusknoir still looked extremely weak.
Aven had once promised to help Dusknoir recover completely, and now was finally the time to fulfill that promise.
"Dussssk… Noir…"
Dusknoir looked around warily upon being released.
When it noticed Froslass among the group, it seemed to relax slightly—clearly, it still remembered her life-saving help back in the cavern.
However, in the very next instant, Dusknoir's expression suddenly changed.
It could feel an overwhelming aura emanating from Froslass—an energy wave that made even a King-level Ghost-type like itself instinctively wary.
The antennae on its head trembled. As a Ghost-type, Dusknoir was highly attuned to such spiritual fluctuations, and it could sense just how immense the energy radiating from Froslass truly was.
"Dusknoir, I'll begin your treatment now," Aven said calmly.
At his signal, Lilligant, who had long since been prepared, stepped forward. A soft green glow of healing energy surged from her body, gathering in her hands before she pressed them gently onto Dusknoir's chest.
Instantly, a tide of powerful vitality poured into Dusknoir's body.
Within moments, the improvement was visible to the naked eye. The wounds across Dusknoir's body began closing rapidly, and even the life energy it had lost was quickly restored.
"Whooo… whooo…" (TN: Seems wrong to make it hehehe.)
Ghost-type Pokémon were extremely sensitive to fluctuations of life energy.
To them, both life energy and spiritual energy were like the finest of delicacies—irresistibly attractive and immensely beneficial.
The instant Lilligant began channeling that vitality, all of the nearby Ghost-type Pokémon turned their eyes toward her, unable to look away.
"With Lilligant's ability to generate life energy, these Ghost-types will never have to worry about food again," Aven murmured thoughtfully, rubbing his chin.
Indeed, unlike ordinary Pokémon, Ghost-types could directly consume life energy as nourishment—and in fact, it was the best sustenance possible for their kind.
Before long, Dusknoir's injuries had almost completely healed, and its aura once again surged with strength and vigor.
Seeing this, Aven smiled and approached.
"Dusknoir, your wounds are more or less healed now. I've kept my promise."
"Next, I'd like to discuss something with you—a proposal for cooperation. I will help train you to increase your strength and provide you with energy to feed on, but in return, I need your help exploring the Ghost World."
Since he had already communicated with Dusknoir before, Aven spoke frankly. He could tell that Dusknoir longed for greater power—otherwise, it wouldn't have been drawn to the gray mist in the first place.
Upon hearing his words, Dusknoir turned to glance at Froslass in the distance, then at Lilligant beside him. It fell silent, hesitating to give an answer.
"Take your time to think about it, Dusknoir," Aven said gently. "If you wish to leave, I won't stop you. You're free to go anytime."
Seeing Dusknoir's uncertainty actually made Aven feel relieved—it meant there was still hope.
Turning his gaze away from Dusknoir, he pulled out another Poké Ball—the one containing Golurk.
This Golurk had once served as the guardian of the ruins inside the Abyssal Cavern, and Aven had never truly communicated with it before.
Now that he was about to release it, he made thorough preparations. Lilligant and Froslass both assumed a defensive stance, ready to strike the moment Golurk went berserk.
As a flash of white light burst from the Poké Ball, a towering figure materialized before them—massive, even compared to others of its kind.
"GOOOOLURK!"
A deafening roar erupted as Golurk's eyes and body lit up with brilliant sigils, releasing waves of raw energy that shook the air.
During their last battle, the runes on its body had gone dark, rendering it motionless.
But now, it seemed that Golurk had managed to recharge its own energy reserves as its runes were once again shining brightly, its body moving with newfound power.
Such was the might of this artificial Pokémon—rumor had it that deep within its body was a special energy core capable of endlessly supplying power.
Even while sealed within the Poké Ball, Golurk had re-energized itself, regaining full strength.
"Lilli!"
"Lass…"
Seeing Golurk's massive form, both Lilligant and Froslass grew tense.
Their energy flared, ready for battle—they were prepared to subdue and seal it again if necessary.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Golurk's rampage began almost instantly. Its huge fists pounded the ground over and over, making the earth tremble violently.
The air grew heavy with the pressure of impending battle. Kirlia had already teleported Aven to safety, while the other Pokémon spread out, forming a defensive perimeter around the graveyard.
But just as the fight was about to erupt, Golurk suddenly froze mid-motion.
A grinding sound echoed from its joints—and then, under everyone's stunned gaze, the gigantic figure slowly lowered one knee to the ground and bowed mechanically toward Froslass.
"Uh… what's going on?" Aven blinked in confusion.
The same Golurk that had just been rampaging was now kneeling in submission—the turnaround was so abrupt it left everyone dumbfounded.
"Wait," Aven muttered, thinking quickly. "Golurk was the guardian of the ruins at the Abyssal Cavern… and that cavern shares its origin with the relic tower beneath the Ironblood Fortress…"
"Could it be that Golurk isn't bowing to Froslass herself—but rather to the yellow crystal inside her?"
That crystal was capable of controlling the gray mist and possessed mysterious powers of its own—perhaps it could also command Golurk!
"Froslass," Aven called, "try channeling the energy of that yellow crystal. See if you can control Golurk."
"Lass?" Froslass blinked, then nodded and began to act.
A wave of powerful energy radiated from her body, and the yellow crystal floated out from within her, hovering silently in front of her face.
At once, Golurk's entire body trembled, then pressed its head even lower to the ground in reverence—confirming Aven's theory beyond doubt.
As an artificial Pokémon, Golurk must have been programmed with certain conditions that it could never disobey—perhaps one of them was submission to the power of that yellow crystal.
It was just like how, back in the Abyssal Cavern, Golurk had never attacked the ancient stone pillars of the main hall, no matter what happened.
Froslass experimented with controlling it, making Golurk move in several strange and complex ways.
To everyone's astonishment, the hulking golem followed every command faithfully—it was as if Froslass were playing with a gigantic mechanical toy.
The other Pokémon stared in disbelief. They could all feel Golurk's immense power—yet this terrifying being now obeyed Froslass without question!
"Dussssk…"
Dusknoir, too, was momentarily stunned. Its gaze shifted toward Aven.
Seeing Golurk—a being of similar strength bow in submission made its own hesitation deepen.
But then, it noticed something else: a dazzling, multicolored light flaring faintly around Aven's body.
That energy—vast, sacred, and overwhelming made even the mighty Dusknoir tremble in fear.
It was a power capable of terrifying even King-level Pokémon.
And that power was now being wielded by a human—Aven.
It realized instantly that if it ever chose to rebel, this man could crush it utterly.
Seeing Dusknoir's uncertainty, Aven no longer hesitated. He began channeling the power of Azelf.
Since being acknowledged by Azelf, he could freely draw upon part of its power within Aspiration City.
Of course, what he wielded now was only a fraction of Azelf's true might. He could channel the energy, but not yet fully control it—much like how Mira had struggled for a long time to perfect her Teleport ability.
Even after extended practice, Mira's teleportation remained imperfect, requiring constant training. It was the same for Aven—his mastery was still rough, though his psychic attacks had grown immensely strong, easily rivaling those of high-level Pokémon.
Still, the aura radiating from his body unmistakably belonged to Azelf, and under its influence, Dusknoir felt enormous pressure.
"Dusknoir," Aven said quietly, "have you made your choice?"
"If you're willing to trust me, I promise to train you just as I did Lilligant and Froslass."
After a brief pause, Dusknoir lowered its head in submission.
Whether it was because of Aven life-saving kindness, the strength he had displayed, or its own yearning for greater power—its doubts had vanished completely.
And so, Aven succeeded in subduing both Dusknoir and Golurk, bringing two more King-level Pokémon under his command.
That brought his total King-level lineup to five.
Moreover, Pokémon like Nidoking and Rhydon were already close to breaking through to King-level themselves—it was only a matter of time.
In this world, a King-level Pokémon was equivalent to a Master-level Pokémon in the future Pokémon League.
(TN: So, Elite 4 level then. smh)
Once Aven possessed six such beings, he would officially reach the rank of Master-class Trainer!
"In the future world, a Master-class Trainer can enter the Masters Tournament to compete for the title of Champion…" Aven mused with a faint smile.
But here and now, this world didn't even have a proper League yet—let alone a Masters Tournament.
His next steps were clear: establish a complete training system, set up Gyms, and organize a League Tournament—all modeled after the Pokémon League of the future.
That way, the strength of the Pokémon League could grow rapidly and flourish!
(End of Chapter)
TN: Ok, now we finally know what level is a Master Class is, which is Elite four level. Why can't they explain this at the start.