Lucien was enjoying the experience of acting like a Pokémon Professor, and he had to admit that guiding these children to become Trainers was genuinely exciting.
Lillian, who oversaw the orchard and took care of the Pokémon, was truly happy for them.
Lucien then turned his gaze toward a pile of simple Poké Balls made from Berries.
These were the results of Morik's recent research.
Once the Royal Workshop was established, Lucien personally joined and began directing its development.
Poké Balls were easy to carry and were capable of housing Pokémon of any size, making them strategically invaluable.
Such technology absolutely needed to remain in their control.
Unfortunately, Poké Balls of this era did not possess the capture function familiar from modern times.
As in the early stories, this primitive Poké Ball worked only when a Pokémon willingly entered it, and it could leave at any time. In many ways, this design was more considerate of a Pokémon's feelings than modern versions.
Lucien recalled that modern Poké Balls had a locking mechanism that prevented escape once activated.
In the movie Pokémon: Mewtwo Strikes Back Evolution, Professor Orin even blocked the Poké Ball IDs of the main characters, preventing them from sending out their Pokémon.
He wondered if some details could be modified to prevent such restrictions under his rule.
Lucien set the idea aside and turned his attention back to the group of Pokémon around him.
The old king had sent him roughly one thousand citizens and about one hundred and fifty Pokémons.
After excluding Pokémon such as Machoke, Machamp, Timburr, and Gurdurr who were already working in construction, as well as those that had integrated into town life, there were around eighty Pokémon remaining in the nursery.
The children numbered forty-two, so there were more than enough Pokémon for each child to have a partner.
More importantly, not every Pokémon wanted to live with humans. Lucien would not force any of them. He believed that fate would guide each Pokémon to the human destined for them.
He sat in the nursery for a while, and soon the first group of children arrived.
They knocked politely, and Lillian hurried to open the door.
It was a group of three boys and two girls, led by a tall, muscular boy. When they saw Lucien, their eyes sparkled and they exclaimed:
"Your Highness Lucien! We made it here without any trouble!"
Before they finished speaking, their attention was already drifting toward the Wooloo and the other Pokémon waiting inside.
The children's eyes met the Wooloo's, and at that moment, both sides lit up.
Lucien smiled and said, "Very good. As a reward, you may be the first to choose your partners from among these magical beasts."
He continued, "But remember, choosing a partner is mutual. You choose them, and they must also choose you. Introduce yourselves, show your personalities, and try to earn their approval."
"Introduce ourselves?" the burly boy said. "I'll go first!"
He had short, fiery red hair and an energetic attitude that matched it. He stepped confidently toward the group of Pokémon, going straight to the Tepigs.
"Hello. My name is Alex. I'm fifteen years old, and I love to fight. If you choose me as your partner, I'll train you hard. I'll take you around to battle, help you get stronger, and we'll become the strongest together."
Lucien paused for a moment.
This kid really was as intense as his report had suggested.
Lucien glanced at Alex's file and saw that he fought nearly every day and was the undefeated champion among the neighborhood kids. Recently, he had stopped fighting to avoid worrying his mother and instead helped at her tailor shop.
Hearing Alex's introduction, the Tepig's eyes lit up with determination.
"Tey Tey!"
Tepig wanted to become a powerful Pokémon.
Their eyes locked in an instant.
"It seems you've already made your decisions," Lucien said with a smile.
"Hey, little guy, want to come with me?" Alex grinned as he asked Tepig.
"Tepig!" The equally fiery Tepig answered without hesitation.
"Tepig is a Fire-type magical beast, skilled in fire-based attacks. The two of you seem like a perfect match," Lucien laughed.
He intentionally didn't explain Tepig's quirks. Those were things the new partners should discover together. That was the real experience of becoming a Trainer.
"Yes!" Alex lifted Tepig over his head triumphantly.
He finally had his own magical beast.
"Go spend a little time getting to know your new partner. Once everyone has chosen, I have something to explain to all of you," Lucien said.
"Got it!" Alex stepped aside with Tepig.
Next came a quiet girl with long blue hair. She stepped forward, clearly nervous. Facing the group of Pokémon, she didn't know who to choose.
After hesitating for a long moment, she turned to Lucien and asked softly, "Your Highness, could you introduce these magical beast to me?"
"Of course," Lucien said, stepping forward.
Just then a familiar voice called from outside.
"Teacher, I'm here!"
Lucien turned and saw Anna running in excitedly.
"Anna? Why are you here?" he asked in mild surprise.
"Hehe, how could Zoroark and I miss something this fun?" Anna grinned.
Lucien sighed inwardly, but he had plans for Anna. He had already taught her everything about Pokémon and training. He intended to have her assist at the Trainer Academy and teach the younger students.
"Since you're here, stay and watch quietly," Lucien said.
"Yes!"
The blue-haired girl turned back to the Pokémon. Lucien began introducing them one by one.
"This is Psyduck, a Water-type magical beast. It can attack with Water Gun, and it also holds a mysterious psychic power inside its body. It can unleash telekinesis, but using that power often gives it headaches."
"Drilbur, a Ground-type magical beast, is skilled with its sharp claws and is excellent at digging. It can move swiftly underground and strike from below."
"Patrat, a Normal-type magical beast, excels at scouting and keeping watch. It can bite fiercely with its sharp incisors and also has a hypnotic glare that can put opponents to sleep."
...
STONES PLZZ
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