"It's over already?"
Sutter stared blankly at the scene before him, rubbing his eyes in disbelief.
He then calmed himself and carefully recalled Aven's previous commands, realizing how incredibly smooth and seamless the entire combo had been. From the moment he instructed Rhyhorn to brace for a counterattack, to the shockwave and the rock pillar follow-up, it was as if every move of the Mightyena had been anticipated in advance.
Such rich combat experience... Is this Aven actually a seasoned beastmaster? Or maybe he's just extraordinarily talented in battle, Sutter mused to himself.
Back in the field, Aven was now walking toward the defeated Mightyena.
In his previous life, this would have been the perfect time to dramatically throw out a Poké Ball. But now, all he had was a Beast Gear collar, so he could only walk over and equip the Mightyena manually.
Might... Mightyena lay beneath a berry tree, letting out a low whine as Aven slowly approached.
At this moment, the pack leader could hardly believe how powerful this human was. It had been so easily defeated by Rhyhorn, and yet it could sense that Rhyhorn wasn't actually stronger—it was the human's guidance that made the difference.
"I'm Aven," he said in a calm voice, "This is Beast Gear. If you're willing to become my companion, I'll put this on you."
"Of course, you can refuse. But if you do... I'll force it on you."
Aven's voice was calm and resolute, expressing his determination to make Mightyena his.
The Mightyena looked up at Aven, the two of them locking eyes for a full minute.
The word companion echoed in its mind. It glanced at the excited Rhyhorn beside Aven—it could tell that Rhyhorn wasn't stronger than itself, yet had so easily defeated it under this human's command.
Then, it turned to glance at its still-sleeping clan members in the orchard. After a long internal struggle, the Mightyena finally lowered its head in submission.
Among the Mightyena pack, lowering the head was a sign of surrender. Clearly, it had chosen the first option—willing submission over forced obedience.
Seeing this, Aven suppressed the excitement in his heart and slowly stepped forward.
Meanwhile, Petilil jumped up onto Aven's shoulder, watching the Mightyena warily. The little one was still a bit anxious.
"Don't worry, Petilil," Aven said, patting it gently on the head before setting it down on the ground. "For a Mightyena, once it agrees, it will never break its word."
Hearing this, the Mightyena looked slightly surprised and watched Aven as he approached.
Beast Gear was complicated to make, but its design was simple enough to fit most beasts. Aven slipped the collar around Mightyena's neck, and finally exhaled in relief. That meant he had officially subdued the Mightyena.
Once the collar was fastened, the Mightyena suddenly felt a sense of closeness toward Aven.
Images of Aven's strength flashed in its mind, deepening its sense of reverence.
"From now on, let's take good care of each other," Aven said gently.
The Mightyena's eyes softened as it heard this.
Turning to look back at the human beside it, its gaze lingered on Aven's smiling face. In that moment, it felt as if it could see into the human's heart. That gentle nature—it had never encountered it before.
From a distance, Petilil let out a relieved sigh upon seeing the collar on Mightyena's neck. Just then, a faint green light flickered briefly on Aven's shoulder and gradually faded.
"Congratulations, Aven," Sutter walked over, looking at the Beast Gear on Mightyena's neck. He still couldn't quite believe how smoothly everything had gone.
"Magical Beasts are actually very simple," Aven said with a gentle smile, placing a hand over his heart. "If you treat them sincerely, they'll return that sincerity."
As a Pokémon breeder, this was his conviction.
Emotional energy could be mysterious—while you couldn't always see it, it definitely existed. It could create a powerful bond between trainer and beast.
Hearing this, Sutter's expression shifted. It was the first time he'd heard someone describe magical beasts like this.
In their experience, magical beasts had always been ferocious creatures that fought humans for limited land and resources. Human history, in many ways, was a history of conflict with beasts.
…
In the Berry Orchard of Fruitvale Village.
Even though it was already early winter, berries still hung from the trees.
The Mightyena pack stood quietly outside the orchard, blankly staring at the berries hanging from the trees.
Howl... Low growls echoed through the pack as they paced in place, clearly itching to charge forward.
They were starving. The temptation of food made their stomachs growl loudly.
But without their leader's command, they didn't move. Their discipline was impressive.
Aven observed them quietly, quite satisfied with their display of restraint.
Howl... Mightyena, now standing beside Aven, kept glancing back at him anxiously, clearly worried about its companions.
"Alright, let your pack eat their fill," Aven said with a smile, patting the Mightyena on the back.
Immediately, the leader nodded excitedly. With a low growl, it gave the order—and the Mightyena pack could no longer hold back. They bolted into the orchard, leaping at the berry trees and biting into the berries, overwhelmed by a sense of joy.
"Aven, are you really planning to let these Mightyena live in the village?" Uncle Mike finally approached, his face filled with concern.
From his perspective, the Mightyena were still a threat. If they rioted inside the village, it could be devastating for the villagers.
Aven looked toward the Mightyena beside him. Their eyes met again. Clearly, the pack leader cared a great deal about how Aven would respond.
"Don't worry," Aven said. "I trust the Mightyena."
Hearing this, a warmth filled the Mightyena's heart.
It lowered its head slightly, then turned to watch its companions happily eating in the orchard. Suddenly, it thought—this is actually pretty nice.
If we can live in peace, who would choose to wander?
(End of Chapter)