At this moment, behind the spatial passage, Kirlia was standing guard.
It was there both to prevent any unforeseen accidents with the passage and to constantly monitor the fluctuations of the spatial energy within it.
When Kirlia saw Aven return, it finally let out a sigh of relief. Guiding him forward, it swiftly led Aven through the spatial tunnel and back into the grand hall ruins inside the Abyssal Cavern.
By now, all the gray mist within the ruins had been completely absorbed by Froslass. The spatial rift no longer released any new fog, and even the haze lingering inside the great hall had thinned considerably.
"Lass~"
After emerging, Froslass cast her gaze around, quietly observing the traces of mist still floating in the air.
"Froslass, can you still absorb any more of it?" Aven asked with concern.
The Odd Keystone on Froslass's neck had already reached its limit — it could no longer absorb any additional gray mist.
As a result, Froslass had been directly channeling the fog into her own body, which placed an enormous strain on her. Continuing to absorb it any further carried a serious risk of losing control.
"Lass…"
Froslass closed her eyes and sensed carefully. After a moment, her expression grew tense, and she nodded solemnly.
She could still absorb a little more, yes — but to take in all the remaining gray mist? That was clearly impossible.
Aven pressed a hand to his temple, sighing. "Let's get out of here first."
Riding atop Luxray, they sped swiftly through the winding tunnels of the Abyssal Cavern and soon emerged back outside.
From afar, Aven was startled to find that the entrance of the cave was now wrapped in a thick layer of snow. A frigid wind howled past, carrying delicate snowflakes into the mouth of the cavern.
"It's snowing…"
He reached out his hand, catching a single flake upon his palm, and murmured softly.
When he lifted his gaze again, he saw that the entire forest had been swallowed by a blanket of gray mist. Everything around him looked dim and lifeless beneath its shroud.
The fierce snowstorm and the gray haze had mingled together, causing the mist to surge and swirl restlessly. The cold air and the gray fog blended until even the white snow appeared dull and ashen.
"Lass~"
Froslass floated outward gracefully.
Snow and ice were her element — and this kind of weather was where she thrived most.
"Rooaar…"
Garchomp shuddered, shrinking its neck slightly.
For a Ground Dragon like it, freezing weather like this was far from pleasant.
"Garchomp, you've worked hard. Return to your Poké Ball and rest for now."
Upon hearing Aven's words, Garchomp glanced reluctantly at the snowstorm outside, then nodded and touched its Poké Ball.
A beam of red light enveloped it, drawing it back inside. Aven placed the ball carefully into his pocket as the rest of his Pokémon gathered around him.
"We're heading back to the frontline fortress," Aven said, striding out of the cavern.
Froslass hovered ahead, her icy presence dispersing the worst of the cold wind and snow, shielding Aven and the others from its bite.
"Meowr~"
Luxray's steps were light and sure.
Even while carrying Aven, it glided effortlessly across the deep snow, as though running upon solid ground.
Perhaps due to the blizzard's arrival, there was now no sign of life within the forest — no cries, no movements, not even footprints.
In past years, when snow fell this heavily near Aspiration City, it usually marked the end of the Abyssal Beast Tide.
When the forests froze under heavy snow, wild Pokémon would seek out safe shelters, hidden places to survive the bitter winter.
The cold and the snow presented a harsh test of endurance — only those who could find warmth and food would make it through to spring.
They continued pushing through the forest, finally breaking free from the gray mist's range.
Now that the source of the mist had been severed, it would no longer spread throughout the woods.
However, those Pokémon that had already been corrupted by it would still carry remnants of the fog with them — spreading it wherever they roamed. As the mist continued to devour life and soul energy, it would grow ever stronger and more widespread.
Luxray ran swiftly, its form slicing through the storm. Before night fell, they finally arrived back at the frontline fortress and even from afar, Aven could already see flashes of battle.
Howling winds raged outside the fortress walls, but not a single knight retreated.
Amid the darkness of the winter night, the fortress blazed with the glow of firelight — soldiers and Pokémon alike standing their ground against both the cold and the enemy.
"Awooo— awooo— awooo—!"
The air was filled with the echoing cries of Mightyena packs.
Dozens of them charged at the forefront, clashing fiercely against the invading Ghost-type Pokémon.
Although the knight order itself had a few Mightyena among their ranks, this massive pack clearly didn't belong to them. These were wild Mightyena and yet, they had chosen to stand beside humans, fighting together to repel the Ghost-types.
Among the roars and howls, Aven could also distinguish the sounds of Skuntank, Luxray, and even Rattatas — all different species, all fighting as one.
"Those must be the Pokémon from the Breeding Zones of other lords," Aven murmured, his eyes widening slightly before a faint smile tugged at his lips.
If they could truly overcome this crisis together, then the relationship between humans and Pokémon would undoubtedly take a great leap forward.
"Lass~"
Froslass hovered quietly beside him, ready to strike at any moment.
"No — there's no need to intervene here. We're heading for the Ironblood Fortress."
Aven's tone was firm.
The frontline fortress could still hold its ground for now. Even if they joined in, their help would be limited. And if they focused solely on this front, they'd leave countless other places unguarded from the Ghost-types' advance.
He had a stronger feeling now after everything that happened with Golurk and the spatial ruins — that the secret to resolving the gray mist might lie hidden within the ancient stone tower of the Ironblood Fortress.
"Let's go, Luxray. Head west!"
"Meow!"
Luxray nodded and bounded forward, sprinting westward through the night.
They crossed the border of the northern frontier, passing beyond the fortress and into the vast Pokémon Breeding Zone.
Many of the Pokémon tribes there had already sent their strongest members to aid the defense of the frontline fortress, while the rest remained to protect their territories.
These tribes clearly sensed the looming danger as well. After spending time alongside humans, they had chosen to face this crisis together.
"Good. That should help contain the Ghost-types for now," Aven muttered under his breath. "Luxray — faster! We need to reach the Ironblood Fortress as soon as possible!"
"Meowr!"
Electric sparks coursed across Luxray's legs, surging through its muscles, pushing its body beyond its limits.
"MEOOWR!"
Even as pain rippled through its limbs, Luxray gritted its teeth and forced itself to keep running.
"Lil~"
From Aven's arms, Petilil gently patted Luxray's back, channeling soothing life energy to ease its pain and heal its strain.
Watching this, Aven clenched his jaw. He knew they had to keep going — Luxray's speed was their only chance to arrive in time.
"MEOOOWR!!"
With a roar, Luxray's body glowed, its speed skyrocketing once more.
The world around them blurred — the storm and the snow vanished behind them, reduced to streaks of white.
The snow underfoot melted into mist as Luxray's electrified paws struck the ground, racing faster and faster until its figure became nothing more than a fleeting shadow across the endless winter plain.
After half a day of relentless travel, a towering wall finally appeared before them.
Luxray looked up at it — at the massive, iron-gray walls of the Ironblood Fortress and a faint smile appeared on its face before its body collapsed from exhaustion.
It had made it. Through sheer determination and its own Guts ability, Luxray had endured all the way to their destination.
"Luxray, you've done wonderfully."
Aven knelt beside his fallen companion, gently stroking its fur.
He placed a recovery potion between Luxray's fangs, helping it drink before recalling it into its Poké Ball.
Then, turning toward the fortress in the distance, he took out Kirlia's Poké Ball. "Teleport us inside."
In the blink of an eye, their figures vanished silently from the snowy field and reappeared within the Ironblood Fortress.
After orienting themselves, Aven instructed another Teleport and in an instant, they stood outside the ancient stone tower.
His sudden appearance startled the knights guarding it.
"Lord Aven?! You're here at the Ironblood Fortress?"
The knights exchanged bewildered looks. The northeastern front was currently in chaos — even Captain Kevin had led the knight order there.
So why had Lord Aven come here instead? A grim thought crossed their minds.
Could it be… that the northeastern territory had already fallen?
"I came to retrieve something," Aven said solemnly.
As he spoke, Froslass floated to his side, her hand sweeping through the air to clear away the snow piled around the base of the tower.
Aven released another Poké Ball, summoning Garchomp in a flash of light. The dragon's immense presence filled the air.
"Froslass… and Garchomp?!"
Recognizing the two powerful Pokémon, the knights quickly stepped aside.
Aven moved swiftly toward the tower, pushing open the heavy doors and entering.
"Garchomp — guard the entrance. No one is to come in."
"Roar!!"
Sensing the gravity in Aven's tone, Garchomp nodded firmly, planting itself at the doorway like a living wall.
Aven then descended with Petilil, Froslass, and Kirlia, heading straight into the underground chamber.
His gaze locked onto the altar at the center of the room — the same one that could open the spatial ruins when activated.
"Froslass, it's your turn now."
At his command, Froslass drifted up to the altar, extending her hands.
The ghost energy within her began to gather, condensing before flowing into the altar beneath her.
Last time, she had relied on the energy from several Ghost Gems to activate it — but this time, she was doing it on her own.
After all, during their recent battles, Froslass had absorbed an enormous amount of gray mist — mist that was rich in Ghost-type energy. And now, she was channeling all of it to awaken the altar once more.
As her energy poured in, faint light began to radiate from the stone. The altar pulsed with power, releasing waves of energy that rippled through the chamber.
The very air began to distort — shimmering like water and soon, the familiar purple-black portal reappeared, swirling open before them like a gaping void.
"The spatial ruins… have opened again."
Aven took a deep breath, eyes narrowing as he gazed into the darkness ahead.
(End of Chapter)