After parting with Rhydon and Makin, Aven returned to the castle.
He took out his notebook and recorded recent events, planning his next steps.
Originally, his trip to Marina City had been for spring cultivation and establishing the water Pokémon breeding zone. But during exploration of the ocean, they had unexpectedly discovered the sunken ship.
Although its contents had already been brought back, Aven knew the matter was far from over—whether it was Meteor City's possible search efforts, or the information about Heatran.
For Meteor City, all they could do for now was remain vigilant. But given the strength that Aspiration City and Marina City now possessed, he wasn't too concerned about immediate threats. And deploying troops from Meteor City to reach either location would not be easy.
Most likely, Meteor City would only send some people to investigate. As long as they weren't caught red-handed, Meteor City couldn't find trouble with them.
Thus, the matter he needed to focus on was Heatran. Now that he had information on this legendary Pokémon, should he actively seek it out?
"A legendary Pokémon… If the opportunity exists, I should try my best to capture it." Aven murmured to himself.
He couldn't help thinking about the Sorcerer Organization. From all the clues gathered, their goal appeared to be capturing the guardian deities across the regions.
If they learned of Heatran's location, there was no reason they wouldn't make a move. And with the power they wielded now, Heatran, once found would have little chance of escaping.
Therefore, this was no longer a question of wanting or not wanting to search for Heatran.
He had to prevent the Sorcerer Organization from capturing it.
Aven took a deep breath.
"So… Heatran must be found."
Immediately, he pulled out the map of Marina City. Based on their estimation, the sunken ship had been located north of the city.
If the ship had departed from Meteor City, then by connecting lines between departure point and the shipwreck, he could roughly deduce their intended destination—somewhere east of the Black Forest.
"But even knowing Heatran's approximate location, the Pokémon Domain still lacks real competitive strength." Aven frowned, realizing a harsh truth.
From the sunken ship, he understood Meteor City could forge ships of Ironwood—incredibly sturdy structures. And as for the Sorcerer Organization, they didn't even need to be mentioned—they were powerful enough to travel all the way from the Kalos continent to Sinnoh.
However, the present-day Aspiration City and Marina City could not even build a proper fishing vessel. Their strength on the sea was truly far too weak—so feeble that they simply could not compare with Meteor City or the Sorcerer Organization. In such a situation, how could they possibly search for Heatran?
"So, the most important thing right now is to construct sturdy ships and raise powerful Water-type Pokémon," Aven thought silently to himself.
He stood in front of the study window. From this spot, he could directly see the Fair River beside the castle. At this moment, Magikarp and Skrelp were frolicking in the water.
After returning to the castle, the first thing he did was release the two little ones, letting them live in the Fair River. Next, he planned to begin their Water-type training.
On the other side of the river, Tentacruel was also undergoing its own training.
Because this was the Fair River, Tentacruel mainly focused on honing its Water-type moves. Thick torrents of water were being shot out one after another, drawing looks of envy from Magikarp and Skrelp.
Meanwhile, in the courtyard, Lilligant, Froslass, Kirlia, and the others were all diligently training on their own, which made Magikarp and Skrelp appear completely out of place.
"Next, I should study Magikarp's training methods. For Skrelp, I can reference Tentacruel's approach," Aven thought.
Afterward, he went downstairs and took out the Pokémon training notes, planning to revise each Pokémon's training plan according to their condition—and simultaneously create a new training regimen for Magikarp.
Splash! Splash! Splash!
The moment Magikarp spotted Aven, it immediately began bouncing excitedly.
Even though this Magikarp only knew Splash, Aven had evaluated it during the process and determined that its physical potential was actually pretty good.
He thought for a moment about everything he knew regarding Magikarp. With continuous training, Magikarp could eventually learn Tackle—it simply required a higher level.
Therefore, what he needed to do now was improve Magikarp's physical capabilities. For that, he intended to use the Rapid-Current Training Method, a common physical-exercise method for Water-type Pokémon.
The method itself was simple: all that was needed was a Water-type Pokémon capable of producing strong water currents. Tentacruel, which was currently practicing Water Pulse and Water Gun, would be perfect for this.
Splash—
Tentacruel slapped the surface of the water with its tentacles, indicating it was completely fine with helping.
Under Aven's direction, Magikarp swam downstream while Tentacruel positioned itself further upstream.
Once Aven gave the command, Tentacruel opened its beak-like mouth and fired a powerful Water Gun. The water surged downward, crashing toward Magikarp.
Magikarp swung its tail as fast as it could, trying to swim against the current, but with the Water Gun pushing the river, the flow had become violently rapid.
Even though Magikarp was already giving its utmost effort, it still could not advance against the currents at all and was immediately blasted away.
"Lilli~"
On the riverbank, Lilligant swiftly extended her vines, catching Magikarp just in time and pulling the now-incapacitated fish up onto the shore.
Splash—
Seeing this, Tentacruel hurriedly swam over, scratching its head shyly with a tentacle.
It seemed to realize it had used too much force and ended up injuring Magikarp.
"Only enough pressure can stimulate Magikarp's growth," Aven comforted Tentacruel gently.
"If it cannot withstand even the currents generated by Water Gun, then it has no way of becoming stronger. This is a kind of tempering."
"Lilli~"
Lilligant lifted her head and glanced at Aven. Their journey so far truly had not been easy.
Whether it was her, Rhydon, Kirlia, or any of the others—their growth had never been effortless. Every one of them had endured hardship before becoming strong.
Then she lowered her gaze toward Magikarp, her hands gathering pure life energy, which flowed continuously into Magikarp's body to help restore its stamina.
Magikarp, I believe you can do it too.
Splash—
Magikarp slowly opened its eyes. It flopped lightly on the ground once.
Determination shone in its gaze. Using Splash, it bounced back into the river, staring resolutely at Tentacruel.
Again!
Splash—
Tentacruel was momentarily stunned, then nodded solemnly before releasing another surge of water.
Again, again, again—!
Magikarp was blasted away repeatedly, only to return again after being healed—again and again, displaying unyielding willpower.
"Lilli~"
Lilligant sat on the riverbank. She no longer bothered with her own training.
Instead, she watched Magikarp get swept away again and again, pulling it back with her vines each time, then healing it.
Even though Magikarp was already covered in wounds, Lilligant's life energy restored it to perfect condition in an instant.
And during this repeated healing process, life energy continuously flowed into Magikarp, making its body stronger each time.
"That's it, Magikarp!" Aven said with a smile.
Raising a Magikarp was difficult, yes—but as long as a Pokémon held unbreakable resolve, it could become strong, no matter what it was.
Right now, Magikarp was just like a carp striving to leap over the Dragon Gate. If it succeeded in passing through the gate, that would be the moment it transformed into a dragon!
"The Rapid-Current Training Method really does work well for Magikarp," Aven murmured.
"But its physical strength is still far too weak—it absolutely has to be paired with continuous healing."
Aven sat by the shore, training notes in hand. He glanced at the struggling Magikarp, then at Lilligant beside him, and his expression grew thoughtful.
Magikarp's physical endurance was genuinely too poor—so poor that it couldn't withstand even the most basic rapid-current training. There was no way it could temper its body through resisting the current alone.
Under normal circumstances, if Magikarp were forced to undergo this training, it would quickly become covered in wounds, making the entire exercise pointless.
But with Lilligant's healing, Magikarp could barely endure the flow's impact—and that life energy also promoted its growth.
Wounded repeatedly, Magikarp continuously absorbed life energy, strengthening its body. When combined with the Rapid-Current Method, the result was greater than simply adding both effects together.
"Perhaps the true difficulty in training Magikarp isn't the method—it's how to allow them to survive the process," Aven mused.
After all, under normal circumstances, Pokémon could only be treated through healing moves—and even the powerful Heal Pulse could not achieve the same effect as pure life energy.
Not to mention how healing energy not only restored injuries but simultaneously strengthened a Pokémon's body—something no potion could replicate.
Of course, the cost was enormous. Throughout Magikarp's entire training process, Lilligant had to repeatedly heal it, and she wasn't always able to spare that much time.
And this was only for one Magikarp. If he wanted to train several Magikarp in the future, he couldn't possibly have Lilligant healing all of them nonstop.
Furthermore, the rapid-current environment itself couldn't be maintained for long. After continuously producing strong currents, Tentacruel was already exhausted. They would need to find some Bibarel to help maintain water flow.
"Maybe it's possible to artificially create a rapid-current environment," Aven murmured, deep in thought.
To do that, he first needed to locate a slope and reshape it into a waterfall—something entirely doable.
After thinking for a while, he pulled out the map of the Pokémon Domain and closed his eyes, mentally visualizing the Fair River's mouth.
He could have Bibarel dig a new channel that diverted water toward the coastal cliffs. The river would then flow down the cliffside into the ocean, creating a perfect training waterfall.
With that, not only Magikarp but Bibarel, Tentacruel, and other Water-types could all train in the rapid currents.
Swish—
Back in the river, Magikarp continued resisting the rushing water.
After half a day of training, its improvement was dramatic. It had reached the point where it could actually fight against the current instead of being swept away immediately.
Clearly, Magikarp had taken the very first step toward leaping over its own Dragon Gate. Its physical strength had increased tremendously.
"Lilli~"
After such prolonged training, Lilligant also looked fatigued.
But when she saw Magikarp's progress, a warm smile appeared on her face. All the time she spent had not been in vain.
Resting her chin in her hands, Lilligant kept her gaze fixed on Magikarp, which was still struggling against the current. Aven's earlier words echoed in her mind.
To fight against nature using one's own strength—this was a form of tempering. All living beings moved forward through their struggle with the natural world.
Something within Lilligant seemed to shift. Her aura gradually entered a state where she was merging with nature itself. Natural energy flowed continuously around her.
Life grew through its battle with nature. As her mindset changed, both natural energy and life energy surged from within her, intertwining and resonating together.
And in response, the life energy contained within the natural world gathered toward Lilligant, forming a dense green glow that wrapped her entire body.
(End of Chapter)