The city of Lucien stood peacefully across the plains under the moonlight.
Families who had worked all day now sat around their tables. The soft glow of kerosene lamps lit their homes as they enjoyed dinner together.
As the territory continued to grow, the food available to ordinary people had become richer and more varied.
Most households could now afford soft white bread, warm oatmeal porridge, eggs, fish, lettuce, ham and bottled fruit juice. Their dinners were far more abundant than before.
Alex sat with his mother, Martha. Back in the royal capital, she had run a tailor shop, but because of her beauty, she was often harassed by rough men on the streets. Alex had fought those thugs nearly every day just to protect her.
Since the day they followed Prince Lucien to this land, those dangers vanished. Alex fought less and less, and instead spent his days helping his mother with her work.
For months, only the two of them sat at this table.
Tonight, however, they had a new family member.
Both mother and son stared curiously at the Tepig beside them, its small head buried in its plate as it munched on bread.
"Is this the magical beast Prince Lucien assigned to you?" Martha asked.
"That's right. Its name is Tepig, and it can breathe fire!" Alex replied proudly.
He had tested Tepig's strength earlier that afternoon. Compared to the girl next door who had partnered with a Buneary, Alex was certain his Tepig was a very strong magical beast.
Hearing its trainer speak, Tepig lifted its head and obediently snorted out a burst of flame.
The flash of orange light filled the whole room, startling Martha.
"Don't worry, Mom. Tepig won't hurt us," Alex quickly reassured her.
Martha stared at the little creature, amazed. "Incredible."
Tepig grinned at the compliment.
"Tey, Tey."
"By the way, Mom, I probably can't help at the shop tomorrow," Alex said excitedly. "Prince Lucien said that tomorrow we're going to school. Real scholars are going to teach us to read and write."
"What?" Martha's voice cracked in disbelief.
She could hardly believe her ears.
"His Highness even said the lessons will be free. Not a single coin." Alex clenched his fist with determination. "Mom, when I become a great Trainer, I'll give you a good life. I'll never let anyone bully you again."
Hearing this, Martha felt tears welling up. Her heart ached with pride.
What shocked her even more was Prince Lucien's decision to teach commoners to read and write.
In the royal capital, only nobles and wealthy families received an education. Ordinary people were never given such opportunities.
Although Martha was not educated, she understood kindness.Under Lucien's leadership, they were eating well, dressing warmly and now her son could learn letters like a noble child.
She wiped her tears and said gently, "Alex, there may be no one in this world who treats us better than Prince Lucien. When you go to school, you must study hard and repay His Highness for everything he's done."
Alex stopped smiling and nodded with deep sincerity. "I will, Mom."
The merchants who passed through town often spoke of unrest across the kingdom. War could break out at any moment.
Martha clasped her hands quietly and prayed in her heart."If only Prince Lucien could become king."
Meanwhile, back at Lucien's mansion.
Lucien had ordered several buckets of fresh clay to be delivered. Surrounded by his Pokémon, he began shaping it carefully following every step recorded in his system.
To directly sculpt a Golurk, Lucien would need not only a huge amount of clay but also an enormous amount of Ghost-type energy.
To conserve resources, he decided to attempt creating a Golett first.
He shaped the clay into a humanoid body.
With the assistance of his system, the sculpting process was almost effortless.
Before long, a lifelike Golett shell sat before him.
The next step was the most important one: inscribing the runes.
Lucien studied the instructions carefully and was startled to discover that the runes required blood to activate.
Blood served as the catalyst that awakened Ghost energy and allowed it to fuse with the clay shell.
"So Golett can't be mass-produced," Lucien murmured.
A king of this era might have ruthlessly used the blood of slaves without hesitation.
After all, even in ancient Kalos, AZ built the ultimate weapon to resurrect Floette, consuming countless lives in the process.
But Lucien, shaped by modern values, couldn't do anything so cruel.
There was one small comfort: once created, Golett and Golurk can lay eggs like any other Pokémon, allowing their species to continue naturally.
That was one of the peculiar wonders of the Pokémon world.Man-made Pokémon, like Golett, like Porygon, could still reproduce.
"Well… since that's how it works, I'll try it myself."
Lucien made up his mind.
Under the concerned eyes of his Pokémon, he lifted a dagger and lightly cut his fingertip.
He dipped his finger into the wound, then began tracing the intricate spiral runes across the Golett's chest.
Kyurem watched silently, narrowing its eyes.
Victini shrank back nervously.
Dragonite and Serperior looked worried.
Larvesta immediately rushed forward, gently taking Lucien's hand and licking the wound to stop the bleeding.
Lucien paused, then smiled at them. "I'm alright."
With the rune inscription complete, the next step required a Ghost-type Pokémon.
He ordered someone to bring John and his newly partnered Shuppet.
After Lucien explained what was needed, John eagerly agreed, grateful for Lucien's help the day before.
Shuppet floated in front of the Golett shell and began channeling Ghost-type energy into it.
Lucien watched closely.
As the energy seeped into the clay, the dim runes slowly began to glow, a soft yellow light rising from the base as if resonating with something deep within.
However… the progress was painfully slow.
At the current rate, the runes would need at least a full week to fully awaken.
...
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