Chapter 26: Pokémon Trainers and Knights

"Are you saying the recent beast wave was caused by humans?"

Walter looked at Leon in shock.

He had already been startled by the Rotom Drone speaking human language, and now he was learning that the beast wave was man made.

This was a massive blow to his psyche.

"Correct. It's almost certain now. The beast wave was artificially created. Those robed figures used these Black Crystals to disrupt the Pokémon's minds, making them hate humans and triggering the beast wave."

Leon took out the Black Crystal and handed it to Walter.

Walter examined the crystal in his hand and found himself believing Leon's words.

He clenched the crystal tightly, his eyes burning with fury.

To defend against this beast wave, all the knights under his command had died in battle. Even Nord, the man he had sworn loyalty to, had gone missing during the attack.

These past few days, he had appeared as composed as ever, maintaining his usual steadiness.

But when night fell and he was alone, the hatred and grief inside him threatened to drown him.

He despised his own weakness, despised those wild Pokémon, and had even distanced himself from his trusted partner and friend, Beedrill.

He knew Beedrill was nothing like the rampaging Pokémon in the beast wave, but he couldn't overcome his own emotions.

And now, he was being told that the beast wave had been orchestrated by humans.

His heart was a storm of conflicting feelings—relief at finally knowing the truth, guilt toward Beedrill, and above all, seething hatred for those robed figures.

He wanted to tear them apart with his bare hands.

Walter suddenly raised his head and said to Leon,

"Lord Leon, please, you must assign the task of hunting down those robed figures to me!"

Leon could see the hatred in Walter's eyes.

"I called you here precisely to put you in charge of investigating this matter. But seeing you like this, I think I should hand it to someone else."

Walter stared at Leon in disbelief and raised his voice,

"Why? Don't you trust me? I swear to you, I will find those bastards and—"

"Enough! Can't you calm down? How can I trust you with this mission when you're blinded by rage?!"

Leon slammed the table. It was the first time he had ever spoken so harshly to Walter.

Walter realized he had lost control and lowered his head silently.

"I know you hate those robed figures. I hate them too. The knights who died in the beast wave were killed because of them."

"My father went missing in that attack. Just thinking about it makes me want to grind those bastards to dust!"

"But we can't let hatred and anger control us. We have to be rational. Only then can we find them and destroy them."

After hearing Leon's words, Walter gradually regained his composure.

He felt ashamed of himself. He was the older one, yet he lacked the restraint of a mere boy.

"I apologize for my outburst earlier. Please forgive my recklessness."

"No need to apologize. Anyone would be furious in this situation. It just shows you care deeply."

Leon softened his tone and continued,

"Now that you've calmed down, I'll entrust the investigation of the robed figures to you."

"Remember—your job is only to investigate. Even if you find them, do not engage. Their strength is formidable. They subdued an Ursaring with ease. We're no match for them yet."

"Understood. I'll make sure the investigators proceed with caution."

Walter nodded in agreement.

"By the way, you can delegate the investigation to the otherworlders. They're immortal, perfect for this kind of mission."

Leon suddenly thought of the players. They could respawn, making them ideal scouts. Even if they died, they could still bring back intel.

"But the otherworlders only obey your orders, don't they? They won't listen to me."

Walter agreed that the otherworlders were the best candidates, but he worried they wouldn't follow instructions and would act recklessly.

"Don't worry. Remember those coins I had you make from scrap metal? Use those as rewards. They'll obey you without question."

The players were all still in debt. Offer them Pokédollars, and they'd go wherever they were told.

"Uh… Alright. I'll post the mission at the quest hall tomorrow."

Walter didn't understand why the otherworlders valued scrap metal as payment, but if Leon said it would work, he'd trust it.

"Anything else?"

Leon asked casually, ready to wrap up the conversation and go find Bounsweet. But to his surprise, Walter did have something else to say.

"There is one more matter. When will we be selecting new knights? The territory's defenses are critically weak. I can't manage it alone. We urgently need to replenish our ranks."

"Knight selection…"

Leon fell into deep thought.

In this Pokémon world, those who could control Pokémon were called Beast Tamers.

Knights, simply put, were Beast Tamers officially appointed by the lord.

The two might sound similar, but the difference was vast.

Becoming a Beast Tamer was easy. No matter how you did it, as long as you could control even a single Pokémon—even a Magikarp—you could call yourself a Beast Tamer.

But becoming a knight was far harder. Either you started as a squire, undergoing rigorous training and selection before finally being knighted by the lord, or you were exceptionally powerful and directly appointed by the lord.

The first path took time. The second required overwhelming strength.

Either way, becoming a knight was no simple feat.

Of course, the benefits of knighthood far surpassed those of a mere Beast Tamer.

Not only did it elevate one into the noble class, but if the lord favored you, you could even receive a fief and become a minor lord yourself.

Ember Town had once had over a dozen knights, placing it in the middle ranks among baronies.

But in the beast wave, all of them had perished, leaving the town virtually defenseless.

That was why Walter was so desperate to recruit new knights.

"But as far as I know, the current squires are still in basic training. Most aren't even Beast Tamers yet. How can we hold selections?"

"That…"

Walter had no rebuttal. Leon was right—you couldn't make knights out of people who'd never even handled a Pokémon.

"For now, don't worry about territorial defense. The other baronies were also hit by the beast wave. Their losses are just as bad as ours."

"Besides, I've heard the Sea Temple has sent investigators to look into the cause of the beast wave in this region. Any major moves now, and they'll take notice."

"If anyone dares attack us under these circumstances, we'll hand over this Black Crystal to the Sea Temple and request their protection."

Walter saw the logic in Leon's words, but he was still uneasy.

"And what if the investigators leave? We still need our own forces."

"I know that. Don't forget, we have the otherworlders. Their growth rate is incredible. By then, they should be strong enough to fight."

"But we can't rely on them entirely. For now, pick some squires and have them interact with the Pokémon in the courtyard. They're friendly to humans. Let's try to turn those squires into Beast Tamers."

Leon considered that players would log off eventually. They couldn't be the only line of defense. They needed native forces too.

"Understood. I'll select suitable squires immediately."

This concerned the territory's future. Walter didn't want to waste a second.

"Wait! First, find me some skilled farmers or people with high standing among the townsfolk. Have them come to the castle tomorrow morning."

"I'm going to show them what real farming looks like!"

(End of Chapter)