"So be it."
Hearing Lucien's firm reply, the old king let out a long, helpless sigh.
He had failed his youngest son far too much…
Since fate had pushed things to this point, then at the very least, he would teach Lucien how to be a true ruler, how to govern a land, and how to survive the coming storm.
The old king made his decision.
Three hours later
With Victini's assistance, Lucien slipped out of castle just as silently as he had arrived. No guards, no knights, no attendants noticed a thing.
"Victini, aren't you going to stay with father for a while?" Lucien asked.
"Nini…"
Victini shook its head at first, then its small voice grew firmer.
"Nini!"
Lucien understood instantly.
Victini had chosen him.
Its place, at least for now, was by Lucien's side. And with Dragonite, Victini could return to see the old king any time it wished.
"Alright."
Lucien exhaled softly. He fully grasped what his father had been trying to do.
This was not just a reunion between father and child. It was the beginning of the old king teaching him the responsibilities of a monarch, perhaps out of guilt, perhaps to support him from the shadows. Either way, it was invaluable to Lucien.
Originally, Lucien had wanted to escort the old king to Lucien City, but the king had refused.
"If I leave suddenly, it will alarm your brothers. The timing isn't right. You must remain hidden.
Focus now on growing your own strength and wait for the opportunity to strike."
"Reshiram and Zekrom will bring unimaginable destruction.
Your brothers won't use them unless absolutely necessary."
"And Lucien, if you win in the end, promise me you will spare your elder brothers."
That had been the old king's only plea.
As Dragonite descended into the courtyard of Lucien City, Lucien let out a quiet sigh.
He had returned.
Dragonite folded its wings neatly as Lucien dismounted.
Eif rushed forward the moment he saw him.
"Your Highness Lucien! Where did you go?!"
"I went to visit my father," Lucien replied casually. "What happened, Eif?"
"You went all the way back to the capital?!" Eif exclaimed. "Already?!"
"That's the speed of a Dragonite." Lucien smiled.
In truth, Dragonite was fast enough that he could fly straight to the Johto region right now and bring back dozens of Miltank for ranching.
With Miltank, his people would never lack milk again. Moo Moo Milk would help the population grow healthy and strong.
If only he knew where Johto actually was in this world.
"The power of magical beasts is incredible…" Eif muttered.
Then he remembered his purpose and straightened.
"Your Highness, someone reported that in the past few days, several townsfolk have seen ghostly figures wandering the streets late at night!"
"Ghosts?" Lucien raised a brow.
Eif nodded nervously. "Yes. Quite a few residents are afraid to go out after sundown."
Hearing this, Lucien's curiosity instantly rose.
A ghostlike figure, could it be a Ghost-type Pokémon?
He could send the Knights or ask Anna to investigate, but if this was truly a Ghost type, he wanted to see for himself.
"I understand. Bring me the first person who saw it."
"Yes, Your Highness!"
Lucien had barely taken his seat at the city hall office when Eif returned with a thin man, about 1.75 meters tall, who looked like he wanted to bolt out the door at any moment.
"Y-Your Highness Lucien!" John stammered. Clearly, he had never expected the prince to question him personally.
"Relax," Lucien said. "Tell me, when did you see this ghost? And where?"
John swallowed hard.
"It… it was a pitch-black night, around two or three in the morning. I was asleep, and suddenly, I heard a sharp, giggling sound outside my door."
"At first I thought it was some brat playing a prank, so I went outside to look. But then I saw," his voice cracked, "a ghost floating in the street!"
John's expression twisted in fear as he described the scene.
"It was wrapped in a black cloth, and its mouth...its mouth was open so wide no normal person could do that!"
Lucien raised an eyebrow.
"And then?"
"Then I fainted from fright," John admitted, cheeks flushing with embarrassment.
Lucien: "…"
"But Your Highness," John continued nervously, "for the next few days, I heard that ghost every single night at the same hour! I didn't dare go outside, but it never tried to enter my house."
That last detail caught Lucien's attention.
If it wanted to harm him, why wouldn't it go inside?
"I understand," Lucien said with a thoughtful nod. "I'll investigate tonight."
"What?! Your Highness is going personally?!"
John nearly jumped. "No, no, please, I'm just an ordinary citizen. I can't trouble you with..."
"There's no need to worry," Lucien interrupted with a small smile. "I'm simply curious about this 'ghost.' Go home and rest."
"Yes, Your Highness!" John bowed and hurried out.
Once he left, Lucien turned to Elif.
"Elif, look into John's recent circumstances. Everything he's gone through these past few days."
"Yes, Your Highness."
The old steward quickly departed to gather information.
This was work normally done by trained intelligence officers… but manpower was still scarce in the city. For now, Lucien had to handle many matters personally.
Later that night - 3:00 AM
The city lay silent under a pale moon, the cold silver light stretching across the empty streets.
From within the deep darkness, something drifted out.
A creature floated above the stones, around 0.7 meters tall, draped in what looked like a tattered black cloak. Its body was a smoky gray-black, as if made of shadows themselves.
A single sharp horn protruded from its head. Two large, eerie eyes glowed faintly.
It had no legs, its body simply hovered soundlessly through the air.
And it was heading straight toward John's home.
Lucien narrowed his eyes from his hidden vantage point.
"That Pokémon… Shuppet?"
He hadn't expected that.
Shuppet, a Ghost-type Pokémon drawn to strong negative emotions: jealousy, resentment, grief, envy. It fed on these emotions, absorbing them as nourishment.
Where jealousy grew thickest, Shuppet would appear. It lingered beneath the eaves of those consumed by obsession or envy, silently drinking in their emotions.
It was rarely seen during the day, for it moved only under the cover of night.
On quiet nights like this, it wandered the streets, searching for the taste of negative emotions.
Unlike Pokémon such as Lampent or Chandelure, who consumed life force, Shuppet fed only on emotions.
In some regions, spiritualists and certain tribes even valued Shuppet for this ability, considering it a guardian for those plagued by overwhelming negative feelings.
...
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