"Minccino!"
The Minccino's eyes widened.
They jumped off Dragonite and nimbly climbed the fruit trees, expertly picking berries with their tiny paws.
"So? Do you want to stay here, or continue living with us?" Lucien asked with a gentle smile.
The Minccino didn't even hesitate. They chose the latter immediately.
"Mincci!"
Even if Lucien sometimes made the house messy, they still liked him and wanted to live with him.
Lucien wasn't surprised.
He simply smiled, reached out, and gently rubbed their soft heads.
"Then please take care of us from now on, Minccino."
"Mincci!"
Beside them, Serperior let out a quiet, amused hiss.
It knew from the beginning that it had not chosen the wrong human.
At that moment, the group of Shuckle noticed Lucien.
"Huhuuu!"
This was the human who had invited them to live here.
The Shuckle hurried over, crowding around him in excitement and expressing their gratitude in their wobbling way.
If Lucien had not taken them away that day, they would still be hiding under a giant rock, afraid to come out except at night to search for berries.
Now they could eat sweet berries every day, live safely, bask in the sun and enjoy peace.
It was the best life they had ever had.
Almost instantly, Lucien received a wave of Satisfaction notifications.
It was not a huge amount, but several hundred in total.
More than enough to show how happy they were.
Lucien smiled warmly.
"Then stay here and live well."
"Huhuuu!" The Shuckle wiggled happily.
Footsteps sounded behind him.
"Your Highness Lucien?"
Lucien turned to see a green haired girl around twenty years old standing nearby, holding a metal pail and staring at him in surprise.
"And you are?"
Realizing she had not introduced herself, the girl quickly bowed.
"My name is Lillian. Lord Elif assigned me to look after the orchard here and to take care of the Shuckle and the other Pokémon."
"I see," Lucien said.
"Your Highness, what brings you here today?" Lillian asked.
"I came to check on the magical beasts that were rescued from the royal city. Are they doing well?"
Lillian's expression brightened.
She hurriedly set down her pail and gestured for him to follow.
"Please, this way, Your Highness."
Walking ahead, she explained:
"At first, the magical beasts were frightened. Later, Lord Elif sent me here to care for them, and gradually they adapted. They seem to understand that we will not harm them. Now they are not afraid of humans at all."
Lucien nodded, relieved.
They walked through the orchard until a two story wooden house appeared in the woods, surrounded by a fence. Many Pokémon could be seen moving inside.
"We are here. This is where I live with them," Lillian said.
Through the back door of the cabin, Lucien entered a peaceful garden filled with Pokémon.
Tepig, Sentret, Electabuzz, Excadrill, Flareon, Sandshrew, Lickitung, Psyduck, Azurill, Sylveon, Magnemite, Whimsicott, Skitty and even a rare Clefairy.
These were the Pokémon that had once been enslaved in Eindoak.
Lucien still remembered their fear and trembling when they first arrived.
But now their nervousness had melted away.
What remained were bright eyes, soft smiles and genuine happiness.
Calling this place a nature reserve felt incorrect. It was more like a Pokémon sanctuary, Lucien thought, a place where rescued Pokémon could truly heal.
Not far ahead, a Psyduck had found a berry, placed it on the grass and stared at it with deep confusion.
The sight soon attracted other Pokémon.
A Tepig trotted over, listened to Psyduck's explanation and cheerfully roasted the berry with a small ember.
Psyduck took a bite and immediately hopped around in pain, fanning its beak with its hands.
Lillian giggled softly.
"These magical beasts are actually really adorable," she murmured.
Lucien agreed wholeheartedly.
"Yeah."
At that moment, the group of Pokémon finally noticed the two figures standing nearby.
Some rushed over excitedly, while others peeked from behind the trees, a little nervous but curious.
Lillian crouched down and gently patted the head of a timid Patrat before introducing Lucien to them.
"This is Prince Lucien. He built this place so all of you could live safely and comfortably."
Hearing that, the Pokémon all turned to look at Lucien with wide, curious eyes.
Lucien smiled warmly at them.
A few Pokémon suddenly remembered that they had seen this human before when they were first brought here.
The humans had said he was the king's son.
"Hello. Are you getting used to life here?" Lucien asked kindly.
Tepig immediately snorted with excitement.
"Pigu!"
But Lucien suddenly shifted the topic.
"I heard that some of you sneak out of the orchard and into town. Is that true?"
The Pokémon instantly froze.
"Pi… pigu…"
Tepig lowered its head nervously.
Were they in trouble?
They only went because this place was wonderful and safe, and they were curious about how the Pokémon and humans in town lived together.
The humans there were gentle, patient and treated Pokémon with real kindness.
It was completely different from the horrible treatment they had suffered when they were slaves in Eindoak.
Deep down, many of them had started wishing for something they never dared to dream of.
To meet a human who liked them. To live together happily, just like the other Pokémon in town.
But now it seemed they had misunderstood. Maybe Lucien was angry.
"No. You misunderstood something."
Seeing their panic, Lucien quickly reassured them.
"Pigu?"
Tepig lifted its head slightly, unsure.
"You went because you were curious about the Pokémon in town and the way they live with humans, right?" Lucien asked.
Tepig nodded hard.
"Pigu."
"I see."
Lucien thought for a moment, then smiled and asked gently:
"Tepig, would you like to meet a human who likes you and live with them, just like the Pokémon in town?"
"Pi… pigu?"
Tepig's eyes doubled in size.
Was that really possible?
The little Fire-type's eyes sparkled with hope.
...
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