"To tell you the truth…"
Lucien set down the cup of black tea in his hand and continued calmly.
"Eindoak has already mastered the method of living together with Pokémon. With their assistance, our national strength has increased rapidly. Our army, agriculture, transportation, commerce, and every other aspect of society have undergone tremendous development."
"For example, wheat that once required four to five months to mature now ripens in just two months with the help of Pokémon."
"Two months?" Queen Lynn cried out in shock.
"Does that mean my people will never have to go hungry again?" Her eyes trembled with disbelief and hope. "There would never again be anyone starving to death. Everyone could eat their fill and eat well. Aaron, is all of this truly possible?"
"It is," Lucien replied with a gentle smile. "If the Pokémon tending the fields are strong enough, the growth cycle can be shortened even further. Some crops can mature in just over a month."
"Just over a month?"
Queen Lynn was stunned beyond words. As a ruler, she found herself unable to react, and instinctively turned her gaze toward her most trusted knight.
Aaron met her eyes and nodded solemnly, confirming that Lucien's words were true.
Queen Lynn felt her thoughts nearly grind to a halt.
After a long moment of silent calculation, she spoke again.
"What Lord Lucien asks for is not an unreasonable request. I will immediately send people to search for the Pokémon you require."
"As for the rest of the proposal, I must discuss it with my ministers. I hope Lord Lucien can understand."
"It is already late. You may stay in the city tonight. By tomorrow, I will give you my answer."
Lucien inclined his head. "Naturally."
He took his leave and was guided by a maid to a guest chamber.
After Lucien departed, Queen Lynn finally turned to Aaron.
"Aaron," she asked quietly, "what exactly happened in Eindoak?"
Aaron steadied himself and began recounting everything he had witnessed.
The Divine Dragon Kyurem. The battle of the three dragons.
The renaming of magical beasts as Pokémon. Humans living alongside Pokémon. The flying Pokémon taxi system.
"By Pokémon flying taxi, it takes less than half a day to travel from the port to the Castle in Eindoak," Aaron concluded.
"Less than half a day?" Queen Lynn exclaimed.
This time, it was not the travel time alone that shocked her.
It was the implication.
In Cameron Palace, Aaron's Pidgeot could carry people, but only Aaron could use it. It was a privilege, not infrastructure.
But in Eindoak, such travel was available to everyone.
Flying taxis could move not only people, but goods.
Such a system would completely transform commerce.
The Divine Dragon Kyurem. A young monarch who unified an entire continent.
The abolition of slavery. The integration of Pokémon into daily life.
The explosive development of agriculture and trade.
These legendary deeds echoed endlessly in Queen Lynn's mind.
She slowly closed her eyes, awe filling her heart.
'King Logan, your youngest son, your Third Prince, has surpassed all expectations.'
'He accomplished what we never dared to attempt.'
'Such achievements would surely be remembered for thousands of years.'
At last, she opened her eyes.
"Aaron."
"I am here."
"What Pokémon does Lord Lucien wish to locate?" she asked.
Aaron recalled Lucien's words and answered carefully.
"Miltank. Chansey. Growlithe. Mr. Mime."
Queen Lynn nodded.
"Issue orders immediately. Mobilize all available resources to locate these Pokémon and bring them to the royal city."
"As you command, Queen Lynn," Aaron replied.
＊
Lucien and his companions were arranged in guest quarters on the third floor of Cameron Palace.
The room connected to an open terrace, from which the towering silhouette of the Tree of Beginning could be seen in the distance.
"Woo?"
Dragonite stared at the massive tree, curiosity flickering in its eyes.
"That is the Tree of Beginning," Lucien explained.
"Woo?!"
Dragonite was stunned. It had never seen such an enormous tree before.
"Do not rush," Lucien said with a smile. "When night falls, we will go and take a closer look."
He knew well that the Mythical Pokémon Mew resided there.
Mew shared a symbiotic bond with the Tree of Beginning. If the tree withered, Mew would die. If Mew weakened, the tree would collapse.
In the future that Lucien remembered, Aaron would save Cameron Palace by transferring his Aura to Mew and the Tree, using their power to end a catastrophic conflict.
As that memory surfaced, the image of Mew appeared in Lucien's mind.
A small, pink, catlike Pokémon.
Adorable.
Lucien wanted to see it in person.
Even if he could not catch it, simply petting it would be enough.
Just then, a knock sounded at the door.
"Your Majesty Lucien," a maid said softly, "Queen Lynn has sent black tea and snacks for you."
"Please come in," Lucien replied.
The maid entered, set the tray on the table, and bowed.
"The banquet will be ready shortly. Queen Lynn will invite you to dine in the banquet hall."
"Very well," Lucien said. Then he added, "Could you bring me a map of the Kanto Continent?"
The maid was surprised by the request, but nodded quickly.
"Please wait a moment."
She soon returned with a rolled parchment.
Lucien unfolded the map.
The depiction of the Kanto Continent was crude, but clear enough.
One feature stood out immediately.
A vast mountain range split the continent straight through the center.
"That must be Mt. Silver," Lucien murmured.
"And on the other side of Mt. Silver lies the Johto region, the domain of the Legendary Pokémon Ho-Oh."
"However, in this era, the Bell Tower has likely not yet been built, and the three guardians of Ho-Oh, Entei, Raikou, and Suicune, probably have not appeared in this world yet," Lucien thought to himself.
His gaze then shifted toward the location of Cameron Palace.
The castle lay within the mountains north of a territory known as the Pewter Fief, near a massive mountain called Mt. Moon.
Based on the geographical layouts he remembered from the games and anime, Lucien's eyes drifted toward another corner of the map.
That should be where Pallet Town would one day stand.
But in this era, Pallet Town did not yet exist. It was still a forested mountain region, or perhaps no more than a nameless and isolated village.
What a pity. Lucien had originally hoped to see what Pallet Town looked like thousands of years ago.
Now, he could only abandon that thought.
Outside, the sky gradually darkened. The setting sun dyed the horizon blood-red. After a long day's work, the people returned to their homes, lit oil lamps with their families, and gathered around their dinner tables.
Inside the castle banquet hall, a red carpet stretched across the floor. A long dining table was filled with a dazzling spread of delicacies, while golden candelabra bathed the hall in warm light.
Queen Lynn sat at the table with a gentle smile and addressed Lucien.
"Lord Lucien, these are some of Rota's local specialties. I hope you enjoy them."
"Thank you for your hospitality, Your Majesty," Lucien replied with a smile.
The banquet was deliberately free of politics. They spoke instead of family matters, of the Old King's condition, and of mundane affairs.
Under the bright lights, the atmosphere was relaxed and lively.
At the same time, high atop the castle roof, a Pidgeot descended silently from the sky.
Its sharp eyes drifted toward the illuminated banquet hall below, drawn by the warmth and noise. Without hesitation, it leapt from the rooftop.
Just before landing, a thick white light enveloped its body.
Within that glow, its form rapidly shrank and changed.
When the light faded, a small, adorable Pikachu landed lightly on the banquet hall window ledge.
The Pikachu clung to the stone wall with tiny paws, peering curiously inside.
"Pika-pi?"
A maid serving Queen Lynn happened to glance upward.
But there was nothing there.
Only the round moon hung quietly in the night sky beyond the window.
"Was I imagining it?" she murmured.
Shaking her head, she dismissed the thought and returned to her duties.
Meanwhile, atop the ornate chandelier above the banquet hall, an even smaller Pichu suddenly appeared.
It stood there silently, watching.
"My father is doing well," Lucien said softly. "With Victini by his side, he is not lonely."
"That is good," Queen Lynn replied.
She had once worried that Logan would be devastated by the conflict between his sons. But now, it seemed he had found peace.
Though he would surely miss the First and Second Princes, Lucien's decision not to execute or imprison them was, in her eyes, merciful.
Had either of the other two prevailed, the outcome might have been far bloodier.
As glasses clinked and laughter faded, the banquet came to an end.
"Thank you again for your hospitality," Lucien said.
"Please rest well tonight," Queen Lynn replied warmly. "I have already dispatched people to search for the Pokémon you requested."
"You have my gratitude."
Lucien returned to his chamber and stepped onto the terrace, gazing at the Tree of Beginning looming in the distance beneath the night sky.
With a thought, Dragonite appeared beside him.
Lucien climbed onto its back, patted its head, and smiled.
"Let's go, Dragonite. Let's take a closer look."
"Woo~"
Dragonite beat its wings and rose into the moonlit sky, flying toward the Tree of Beginning.
At the same time, in the castle attic, a Pichu struggled across the floor, dragging a doll larger than itself.
Just as it was about to act, it noticed a figure flying toward the distant tree.
"Chu?"
Its eyes widened.
A brilliant white light enveloped its body.
When the glow vanished, a majestic bird with golden-red feathers and rainbow-hued plumage stood upon the roof.
Ho-Oh.
The Legendary Pokémon of myth.
Clutching the doll in its talons, Ho-Oh spread its wings and followed after the departing figure.
The Tree of Beginning lay far from Cameron Palace.
Though it appeared close, the distance was vast, its surroundings shrouded in mist and winding peaks.
Yet guided by Kyurem's presence, Lucien passed through the fog with ease.
Soon, they stood beneath the colossal tree.
Lucien gazed upward.
Its trunk vanished into the clouds, its boundaries impossible to discern. A faint glow pulsed through its bark.
So big… unbelievably big.
"Woo?"
Dragonite noticed clusters of beautiful flowers growing around the tree and plucked one with care, offering it to Lucien.
"For me?" Lucien smiled, then suddenly froze.
These were Time Flowers.
Rare blooms that recorded the present and replayed it thousands of years later.
Everything happening here now could already be preserved, waiting to be shown to future generations.
A one-time recording device, Lucien mused.
As he studied the flowers, Dragonite suddenly stiffened.
Lucien turned sharply.
Nothing.
'Something was wrong.'
A heartbeat later, he spun around.
Behind him hovered a small pink figure.
Mew.
Caught, Mew tilted its head, eyes bright with curiosity.
"Miu?"
...
Support me on P@reon and read upto 20+ chapters ahead @Keepsmiling 818 p@reon