The crisis in Meteor City was finally resolved.
The citywide lockdown that had been imposed was at last lifted, and merchant caravans from the borders began entering Meteor City one after another.
Under the leadership of Master Makin, the trade caravan from the Pokémon Domain made its way into Meteor City and was then escorted directly to the castle.
"Greetings, Your Highness Aven," Master Makin said respectfully as he bowed upon seeing Aven.
Afterward, he cast a somewhat puzzled glance at the Lord of Meteor City standing beside Aven, narrowing his eyes slightly in thought.
"Master Makin, this is the Lord of Meteor City," Aven introduced.
"Yes. He is now also a member of the Pokémon Domain. If you have any matters to handle, you can coordinate directly with the Lord of Meteor City."
Hearing Aven's words, Master Makin froze for a moment. At first, he did not fully process what he had just heard, but after a brief pause, his eyes suddenly widened in shock.
What had he just heard? The Lord of Meteor City was now part of the Pokémon Domain? In other words, Meteor City itself had joined the Pokémon Domain?
Once the realization sank in, Master Makin opened his mouth slightly in disbelief. He had learned something about how Aven had taken control of Marina City back then, but the current situation seemed completely different from that time!
However, after the initial shock passed, excitement quickly surged within him. Meteor City possessed an enormous quantity of mineral resources—it was practically a holy land coveted by all master blacksmiths.
And now, the entirety of Meteor City belonged to His Highness Aven. Didn't that mean he could gain a steady and endless supply of ores from Meteor City? Even more so, wouldn't all the master blacksmiths of Meteor City now be under Aven's command as well?
"Master Makin, this is the steward of Meteor City. You can bring up any requirements you may have to him," the Lord of Meteor City said with a nod.
At this moment, the steward of Meteor City was still somewhat dazed. He had only just received the news that his lord had sworn allegiance to the Aven standing before him!
He found it extremely difficult to accept. Why had his lord suddenly pledged loyalty to someone else? From now on, would Meteor City truly become a part of Aspiration City?
In contrast, the knights standing nearby looked perfectly calm. They had personally witnessed that decisive battle. It was His Highness Aven who had saved all of Meteor City, so they did not resist the idea of Aven becoming their new ruler in the slightest.
"Then I'll leave the rest to you," Master Makin said, nodding to the steward.
After that, under the guidance of the still-confused steward, Master Makin departed with him to proceed with the next stage of trade arrangements.
The primary purpose of their visit to Meteor City this time was to obtain mineral resources, recruit master blacksmiths, and establish long-term trade relations between the city and the Pokémon Domain.
Now, none of that posed a problem anymore. However, the necessary handover procedures were still indispensable. Integrating Meteor City into Aspiration City was by no means an easy task.
Once everything had been properly arranged, Aven left Meteor City.
Now that the Lord of Meteor City had sworn loyalty, Aven needed to return and prepare to formally receive and incorporate Meteor City.
The integration of the two cities had to be discussed with Mira as well, as it would bring about a tremendous impact on the overall structure and balance of Aspiration City.
At the same time, they also needed to seriously deliberate on the matter of venturing out to sea to search for Heatran. When that time came, they would inevitably encounter the Sorcerer Organization, and relying solely on the power of the Pokémon Domain would be insufficient to oppose them.
In addition to that, Azelf's power was absolutely indispensable. He had to ensure that Azelf would be willing to intervene when they encountered the Sorcerer Organization. Only then would there be a chance to seize Heatran.
After leaving Meteor City, Aven brought his Pokémon to the Meteorite Mountain Range, where he found the Infernape tribe that had been waiting there.
"Feeer~"
Seeing Aven return, Infernape finally let out a breath of relief.
The food Aven had left behind was almost completely gone, and Infernape had begun to worry that Aven might never return.
"Infernape, I'm back," Aven said with a smile.
"Next, come home with me."
Aven gently patted Infernape on the head, planning to bring it back to the Pokémon Domain.
In truth, the Pokémon breeding zone of Meteor City was about to be established soon as well, and Infernape could have stayed here.
However, considering Infernape's attitude toward Meteor City, as well as the fact that the Pokémon Domain needed to rely on Infernape's power for forging, Aven ultimately decided to take it back with him.
As for the construction of Meteor City's Pokémon breeding zone, there was no urgent need. When the time came, he could simply dispatch rangers to handle it—they already had extensive experience in building such zones.
"Feeer!"
Infernape nodded excitedly and followed closely behind Aven.
This return journey involved only the Infernape tribe, greatly increasing their travel speed. They crossed mountains and ridges, entered the Aspiration Mountain Range, and finally arrived in the Northeast Territory.
At this time, the knights stationed along the border of the Northeast Territory had already received word. Upon learning that a large number of Infernape were approaching, their expressions turned tense.
However, when they saw Aven leading the group, they froze for a moment before quickly stepping forward to greet him.
Although the sheer number of the Infernape tribe was indeed astonishing, if it was His Highness Aven, it suddenly didn't seem all that surprising. After all, this was His Highness Aven!
"Feeer~" "Mon!" "Charrr…"
The Infernape and its earlier forms, on the other hand, were visibly nervous upon seeing the humans before them.
In their understanding, humans were still beings to be wary of. If Aven had not been present, they would never have approached a human territory.
Only after realizing that the knights showed no hostility toward them did they finally relax, cautiously following Aven deeper into human lands.
Soon after, they arrived at the Pokémon breeding zone of the Northeast Territory. Seeing the Pokémon living freely within the zone, an indescribable emotion arose in their hearts.
Immediately afterward, they also noticed the trainers within the breeding zone. These trainers treated the Pokémon with great kindness—everything was just as Infernape had once seen before.
"Feeer~"
After hesitating for a moment, Infernape approached the nearby Pokémon groups and began to communicate with them.
Upon hearing their most direct impressions and experiences, Infernape's eyes lit up, and an inexplicable sense of reassurance welled up inside.
"Infernape, this is Aspiration City, a place where humans and Pokémon live together in harmony," Aven explained with a smile.
"Feeeer!"
Infernape nodded emphatically and continued onward with Aven.
(End of Chapter)