But what else could they do?
Queen Rin let out a long sigh. As a queen, she could not possibly lead her people to surrender their homeland.
Silence fell over the council chamber. This was the cruel reality facing Cameron Palace.
And moreover, not everyone was Lucien.
Watching her expression, Lucien smiled faintly.
He knew better than anyone what fate awaited this land.
Before long, the two enemy nations would clash in a decisive battle here. Cameron Palace would be dragged into the flames of war, standing on the brink of annihilation.
To stop that catastrophe, Sir Aaron the Hero would go to the Tree of Beginning. He would pour his Aura into Mew and the Tree, using their power to halt the war, at the cost of his own life.
Lucario would be sealed within the staff.
Aaron would do so because he knew that if Lucario followed him, it would make the same sacrifice. He sealed Lucario to spare it that fate.
That was how the story was supposed to end.
But now, Lucien was here.
He had already befriended Aaron. Cameron Palace and Eindoak had already formed ties.
There was no reason, none at all, for that tragedy to repeat itself.
Lucien spoke calmly, breaking the silence.
"If that is the case, perhaps I have a way to help."
"What?" Queen Rin looked up instantly.
"I will dispatch a force from Eindoak to station here," Lucien said evenly. "You may call it an embassy, a volunteer corps, whatever name you prefer. They will help defend Cameron Palace and prevent the outbreak of war."
The eyes of Queen Rin and the ministers lit up at once.
But soon, traces of caution appeared among them.
Lucien noticed immediately and smiled.
"Please rest assured. We will not interfere in your internal governance. Our presence is solely to strengthen cooperation between our nations. At the same time, we will teach you the methods of coexisting with magical beasts, helping Cameron Palace enhance its national strength."
The ministers fell into deep contemplation.
After a long pause, a white-bearded elder stepped forward and asked, puzzled,
"May I ask why His Majesty Lucien is willing to help Cameron Palace to such an extent?"
Queen Rin looked over. So did Aaron and Lucario.
Lucien answered calmly, "As I said, to deepen cooperation between our nations. I would rather not see Cameron Palace destroyed before our trade routes have even begun."
Then he added softly,
"And because I hope the magical beasts of this land may one day live in peace with humans, just as they do in Eindoak."
Of course, there were other reasons. But those needed no words.
"Lord Lucien truly is a great king," Queen Rin said with a smile. Her hesitation vanished.
"On behalf of Cameron Palace, I formally establish an alliance with Eindoak."
She extended her hand.
"Lord Lucien, we will do everything in our power to meet your requests."
Lucien stood and clasped her hand firmly.
At that moment, Eindoak and Cameron Palace officially became allies.
The matter did not end there.
Lucien returned briefly to Eindoak aboard Kyurem, spending half a day clearing the mountain of affairs awaiting him at the castle. Once finished, he returned to Cameron Palace.
The search for Miltank, Chansey, and Mr. Mime was still ongoing. Seeing no immediate results, Lucien took the opportunity to visit the Tree of Beginning once more.
The moment he arrived, a familiar pink figure appeared.
"Miu!"
Mew looked genuinely delighted.
But then it tilted its head, eyes filled with confusion.
"Miu?"
"Kyurem, translate for me," Lucien said.
After a brief pause, Kyurem's voice echoed in his mind.
"It asks where you went. It went to the human castle and could not find you."
"Oh, that?" Lucien smiled and gently patted Mew's head. "I went home for a bit."
"Miu?" (Home?)
"Yes," Lucien nodded. "My home is in Eindoak, very, very far away. I came here riding Kyurem."
'A faraway place.'
For reasons it didn't understand, a quiet unease surfaced in Mew's heart.
If Lucien returned home someday… would it still be able to see him?
Mew could not leave the Tree of Beginning. Their bond was absolute.
If Lucien left… would they never play together again?
The thought made Mew's ears droop slightly, its joy dimming.
Lucien noticed at once.
"Come here," he said gently.
He removed the backpack from his shoulders and poured out its contents beside Mew's toy pile, poffins and pokéblocks in abundance.
"These are snacks from my home," Lucien said. "There's enough to last you a long time."
"Miu?"
"I still have things I must take care of," Lucien continued softly. "So I might not be able to come play with you for a while."
Whether it was Pokémon or the countless affairs awaiting him in Eindoak, all of it required Lucien's personal attention.
Because of that, he couldn't remain in Cameron Palace for long.
Yet the moment he finished speaking, he noticed the expression on Mew's small face.
Pitiful. Reluctant. Quietly crestfallen.
Lucien: "…"
If Mew could leave the Tree of Beginning, he would have taken it back to Eindoak without hesitation and raised it properly.
But that was impossible.
"Don't be sad," Lucien said gently, smiling as he patted Mew's head. "I'll come see you whenever I have time in the future."
"Miu?"
"Of course it's true."
Lucien couldn't help thinking that perhaps Mew had lived alone on the Tree of Beginning for far too long.
Too lonely. Too isolated.
Poor little guy.
The next day, Queen Rin finally sent word.
Aaron and Lucario personally came to inform Lucien.
"Your Majesty Lucien, we have found the Magical Beasts you requested."
"Oh?" Lucien's spirits lifted immediately. "Take me to see them at once."
"Please follow me."
Aaron led the way. They left the castle and soon arrived at a marble-paved plaza.
Many people were already present, guards, maids, officials, and even Queen Rin herself.
At the center stood several cold, heavy iron cages.
Inside them were rows of Pokémon.
Lucien's gaze immediately locked onto one figure.
A pink, cow-like Pokémon with a black orb at the tip of its tail.
Miltank.
The very Pokémon he had been hoping for, the kind capable of producing over twenty liters of nutrient-rich milk per day.
Beside them were Pokémon with soft pink bodies, egg-shaped forms, and pouches holding eggs against their bellies.
Scarred. Disheveled. Trembling.
Chansey.
And then, off to the side, sat a group of small orange dog Pokémon with black stripes.
They weren't caged at all.
Instead, they sat obediently on the ground, tails wagging, barking cheerfully.
Growlithe.
Lucien's expression softened slightly.
Growlithe had lived alongside humans since ancient times. Archaeological records even showed their remains in Stone Age ruins.
Loyal. Brave. Clever. Naturally close to humans.
Lucien made a quick estimate.
Roughly four hundred Pokémon in total.
"Reporting to Your Majesty," a guard stepped forward nervously, "because time was limited, this is all we were able to gather."
Queen Rin surveyed the scene, her brows knitting together.
"Were any of them harmed?"
"No! Absolutely not!" the guard shook his head frantically."We intercepted these Pokémon from black market traders!"
"Those traders claimed wealthy nobles paid enormous sums to acquire Chansey for private collections. As for the Miltank, we purchased them from rural farmers."
"And Slugma…" the guard hesitated, then dropped to one knee."That species has molten magma flowing through its body. Our men didn't dare approach. Please forgive us, Your Majesty!"
Queen Rin turned to Lucien, her expression apologetic.
"Lord Lucien… please forgive us."
Lucien shook his head calmly.
"There's nothing to forgive. Eindoak and Cameron Palace are allies now. Cooperation takes time, we don't need to rush."
He stepped toward the cages.
The Miltank were uninjured. Likely because they had been raised by farmers, they didn't seem especially afraid of humans.
But the Chansey;
That was another matter entirely.
Aaron had already told him.
Because their eggs were considered delicacies, Chansey had been hunted relentlessly for years. Nobles paid obscene prices just to obtain those eggs.
As a result, Chansey numbers in the wild had plummeted.
Nearly all of them feared humans to the core.
And now, as Lucien approached, the Chansey inside the cages began to tremble violently, shrinking back in terror.
Lucien's gaze lingered on their wounds.
The scars told everything.
These Chansey had clearly endured terrible things before being brought here.
"Chansey…" he murmured softly.
Some of the Chansey recoiled deeper into the cages, faces filled with raw terror.
"Don't be afraid," Lucien said gently. "I won't hurt you. It's all right now."
He kept his voice low and calm, careful not to step any closer.
But the Chansey's tension did not ease.
"Y-Your Majesty…" the guard beside him hesitated, then spoke quietly.
"These Chansey suffered greatly at the hands of black market traders. They're extremely afraid of people. They may never be able to approach humans the way Growlithe do…"
"I know," Lucien replied.
He let out a silent sigh.
Beyond Unova, there were still countless places where humans and Pokémon regarded each other as enemies.
Lucien said nothing more.
Once they returned to Unova, once these Chansey saw Lucien City with their own eyes, saw Pokémon walking freely through streets, treated as family rather than property, they would understand.
Trust could not be forced.
It could only be earned.
Lucien shifted his attention to the nearby Miltank.
Unlike the Chansey, the Miltank gazed back at him with open curiosity.
"Hello, Miltank," Lucien greeted them.
"Moo moo?" The Miltank blinked in unison.
"Queen Rin," Lucien asked, "since when has Cameron Palace been raising Miltank?"
She thought for a moment.
"A very long time. Miltank are gentle by nature and rarely attack humans."
"Long ago, wild Miltank would even feel discomfort when their milk built up too much. They'd wander into villages on their own, looking for help."
"That's how people discovered how nutritious their milk was, and how beneficial it is to the human body. Since then, farmers have raised them willingly."
"I see." Lucien nodded.
That matched what he already knew.
"Your Majesty," the guard added, "we also prepared companion Magical Beasts to go with the Miltank."
At his signal, several large, muscular Pokémon were led forward.
Tauros.
"These are called Tauros," the guard explained.
"They're temperamental, but farmers use them to breed with Miltank. Perhaps they'll be of use to you."
Lucien's eyes lit up.
He had nearly forgotten.
Miltank were an all-female species. In Kanto, Tauros were their counterpart. Together, they could produce either Miltank or Tauros offspring.
A sustainable foundation.
"Well done," Lucien said sincerely. "You've been very thorough."
The guard flushed and scratched his head awkwardly.
Lucien then turned to the Growlithe.
They were sitting neatly in a row. The moment his gaze fell on them, their tails began wagging furiously.
"Woof! Woof!"
"These Growlithe were originally meant for Cameron Palace's guards," Queen Rin said.
"But since you need them, Lord Lucien, please accept them as a gift."
"Thank you," Lucien replied.
At last.
The final piece fell into place.
Though he had yet to meet Jennys in this era, Lucien had a strong feeling they would appear soon enough.
...
Support me on P@reon and read upto 20 chapters ahead @Keepsmiling 818 p@reon