"Lord Aven!" the leading knight exclaimed upon seeing him.
He quickly dismounted from his Bibarel, knelt on one knee, and bowed his head respectfully before Aven.
Seeing this, the rest of the knights followed suit, all kneeling in unison. "Greetings, Lord Aven!"
"Mm, rise, Mado," Aven said with a smile and a nod.
This patrol captain of the outpost was none other than the one-armed knight, Mado.
Originally, Mado had been in charge of clearing the Black Coast Forest. But now that the work there was nearly complete, he had been transferred to the coastal camp.
He now served as the commander of the seaside patrol outpost and was officially recognized as a knight-captain of the Pokémon Domain's Knight Order.
"Lord Aven, these Bibarel and Bidoofs…" Mado asked, glancing at the countless Bibarel and Bidoofs gathered nearby.
When he first received word of the incoming horde, he had been alarmed, suspecting some emergency involving Marina City. Now, finally seeing Aven in person, he breathed a sigh of relief.
"These Bibarel and Bidoofs are ones I brought back from Marina City," Aven explained simply. "They'll be traveling through the Fair River to return to their home or new home to some of them in the Safari Zone."
Aven was pleased with the knights' alertness. Though they would never interfere with ordinary Water Pokémon entering the Fair River, such an enormous number of Bibarel was indeed unusual.
After giving a full explanation, Aven returned to the shore and instructed the Bibarel leader to lead its tribe into the Fair River.
Even though they had anticipated the herd's size, seeing the endless waves of Bibarel and Bidoof stretching as far as the eye could see still left the knights breathless.
"Lord Aven, with so many Bidoof here, could we perhaps have a few assigned to our seaside patrol?" Mado asked, eyes gleaming.
Joining the seaside patrol required each member to have a Water-type Pokémon, but Bibarel and Bidoof were notoriously difficult to tame. As a result, the patrol's numbers had remained small.
Mado had long wanted to expand their ranks. Now, seeing this as the perfect opportunity, his mind was already racing—these Bidoofs and Bibarels didn't even need to be trained Pokémon. They could simply join the patrol as partners, much like Jorah's airborne knights and their flying companions.
"That depends entirely on you," Aven said with a faint smile.
"If these Bibarel and Bidoof are willing to join you on their own, I have no objections."
Aven was genuinely pleased. The knights of the Pokémon Domain had none of the arrogance or corruption found among noble orders.
Composed of wounded veterans and commoners, they were sincere, hardworking, and genuinely cared for Pokémon. Each one could be considered a Trainer who had earned the trust of Pokémon through their own effort.
Hearing Aven's words, Mado turned to his men and shouted, "You heard the lord!"
"Right now, I want all of you to give your utmost to earn the trust of these Bibarels and Bidoofs! Anyone interested, step forward immediately—I'll personally grant you a few days of leave to bond with them!"
The knights cheered in unison, their eyes shining with excitement as they turned toward the Bibarel and Bidoof entering the Fair River.
"Hmm, but relying only on these recruits won't be enough," Mado muttered to himself.
"I'll have to return to Fairhaven Town as well. These Bibarel and Bidoof are newly arrived—it's the perfect time to nurture bonds."
"There must be many Trainers in Pokémon Domain eager to join the seaside patrol. This is their opportunity too."
Aven chuckled softly. "I'll make sure that happens," he said. "If more Trainers can capture Bibarel and Bidoof, all the better."
After encouraging the knights once more, Aven mounted Tentacruel again and entered the Fair River.
As they advanced upstream, both sides of the riverbank were being cleared—preparation for expanding the waterway.
The Pokémon Domain had previously widened the river once before, but since the Black Coast Forest hadn't been fully developed then, the work was left incomplete.
Now, with all the Pokémon relocated from the Black Coast to the eastern side, clearing the western forest would be far easier. Even in the winter months, the reclamation teams had not stopped working.
By next spring, the Black Coast Forest would likely be fully reclaimed. Construction on the new port and seaside town could then begin.
Splash, splash, splash!
The Bibarel tribe swam swiftly.
Because the river wasn't wide enough to accommodate them all, many of the Bibarel and Bidoof climbed onto the banks, running eagerly alongside the current.
Though they had only been gone for a little over ten days, the Bibarels and Bidoofs who already live here couldn't wait to return home, while the newly joined Bidoof looked around with bright, curious eyes.
Just then, a patrol squad appeared in the distance, drawn by the commotion.
"Lord Aven!" the squad leader called excitedly upon seeing him.
It was Buck—the former serf who had once joined the seaside patrol. Now, he had become a fully qualified squad leader.
Several patrolmen followed behind him, each accompanied not only by their own Pokémon but also by a Bibarel or Bidoof at their side.
"Good work keeping watch here," Aven said warmly, nodding to them.
He glanced over the patrol members—most of them were new faces, likely recent recruits.
As Pokémon Domain continued to develop, more and more civilians had arrived, many of whom had become Trainers and joined the patrol squads.
After gaining experience in patrol duty, they would later move on to become rangers or knights, contributing to the territory's growth in their own way.
Hearing Aven's praise, the patrolmen grew visibly excited. For people who had risen from the very bottom of society, Lord Aven was the greatest benefactor of their lives.
After parting with the patrol, Aven rode Tentacruel upstream and finally emerged from the forest. In the distance, the familiar silhouette of Fairhaven Town came into view.
Not far away lay Bibarel Lake. Even from afar, the returning Bibarel and Bidoof could already sense the dense Water-type energy emanating from it.
As they approached, the Bibarel leader quickened its pace. In the river ahead, countless young Bidoofs or older Bibarels had already gathered, waiting eagerly for the return of their parents, older siblings, children or companions' return.
Seeing them return, the entire lake erupted with joyful cries.
"Welcome home—and welcome to your new home!" Aven said with a gentle smile.
"Biiii~! Biiii~! Biiii~!"
The cheers grew even louder as the Bibarel and Bidoof plunged into the lake, filling it completely and splashing playfully in delight.
"Hmm, it seems the current lake is no longer big enough," Aven murmured, watching with a smile.
A new expansion project would soon have to begin—but this time, it wouldn't be within the Safari Zone itself. Since Bibarels and Bidoofs naturally possessed the ability to build dams, constructing another lake in an upstream area would be far more effective.
He had long wanted to build a dam. With one in place, they could store water, prevent floods and droughts, and even harness hydropower—a resource that could be used for countless purposes.
"Lord Aven, welcome back," said Mathew, arriving with the rangers.
The former vice-captain of the Ironblood Knights had now fully adapted to his new identity as a ranger—just as Aven had hoped.
Behind him stood many rangers in straight posture, most of them former knights of the Ironblood Knight Order.
"These Bibarels and Bidoofs will be in your care for now," Aven said with a smile.
Though the Safari Zone now operated under the "work-for-food" system, the newly arrived Bibarel and Bidoof would still need proper care and adjustment time.
Once they were settled, they could participate in the construction of the new Marina City.
With the reclamation of the Black Coast Forest nearing completion, more rivers would soon need to be dug to irrigate new farmland.
Beyond Pokémon Domain, Aven also planned to extend reclamation into other nearby lands. Those unused territories were too valuable to waste. He intended to collaborate with other lords to develop them.
The Bibarel and Bidoof would dig canals first, while the Pokémon Domain's reclamation teams and Trainers assisted with cultivation and fertilizer management. With the help of Pokémon, vast tracts of farmland could be created in no time.
In this process, Pokémon Domain would also earn significant profit. Soon, the entire domain of Aspiration City would no longer need to worry about food shortages—this would also stimulate population growth.
At the same time, as Pokémon became more involved in farming and daily labor, the people's understanding and acceptance of Pokémon would deepen. This was vital to the long-term development of the Pokémon League.
Once they truly witnessed the power of Pokémon, humans would inevitably grow more reliant on them—strengthening their belief in the profession of Trainers and paving the way for a harmonious world where humans and Pokémon coexist.
Moreover, by incorporating Pokémon into daily labor, productivity would be greatly enhanced. Once Pokémon-based agriculture became widespread, a single farmer's output could sustain tens of thousands.
By using fewer farmers to feed more people, human labor could be freed from the fields—allowing more workers to join workshops and factories, or become Trainers themselves to develop the Pokémon industry.
All of this would further accelerate the growth of the Pokémon League and the dawn of a new age of coexistence between humans and Pokémon!
(End of Chapter)