"Honk! Honk!"
Accompanied by a clear, melodious whistle, the steam train departing from Opelucid City slowly pulled into Lucien City Station.
Sharon and his butler Kran stepped off the carriage together with the crowd of tourists, both of them surveying their surroundings with expressions filled with novelty.
"It's only been a short while since I last came here, and Lucien City has changed again," Sharen said with interest.
Kran nodded, but his attention was not on the buildings or streets. Instead, his gaze lingered on the passengers disembarking around them.
Since the train had departed from Opelucid City, the vast majority of the travelers were Commoners from their territory.
Looking at their faces, filled with anticipation and hope for the future, Cran felt something stir deep in his chest.
He still remembered how, just a few years ago, the people of the territory had worn numb expressions.
They toiled endlessly in the fields or served the great nobles, living lives with no future in sight. That hopeless existence had reduced them to little more than walking corpses, drifting through the world without purpose.
But now, ever since His Majesty Lucien ascended the throne, everything had changed.
The lives of the Commoners were steadily improving, and the numbness that once filled their eyes had been replaced with hope.
They were no longer confined to a single place. They could travel freely, choose where to live, and even work in the factories established throughout the kingdom, earning stable wages.
And with money in hand, they could ride the steam train to other cities to settle down, visit friends, or simply see the world.
Cran exhaled softly.
He felt genuine happiness for them.
No… the Unova Kingdom no longer had slaves.
"Cran?" Sharen noticed the look on his old friend's face and raised an eyebrow.
"My lord," Cran replied, "I was just thinking that people's lives truly are getting better."
"That is only natural," Sharen said calmly.
As mayor of Opelucid City, no one understood this more clearly than he did. In his daily work, he could feel it with certainty. Opelucid City, and the entire Unova Kingdom, were becoming more prosperous with each passing day.
"Perhaps those Commoners are right," Sharen said after a pause. "His Majesty Lucien may truly have been sent by the gods to save this land."
"My lord, I didn't expect you to believe such things," Cran said helplessly, torn between laughter and disbelief.
In his view, those stories were simply legends born from admiration.
"Why shouldn't I believe it?" Sharen replied, shaking his head gently. "You haven't seen what His Majesty was like before."
He grew quiet, memories surfacing.
"Once, when I went to Eindoak to pay my respects, I saw His Majesty Lucien in the Castle of the Sword of the Earth. At that time, he gave off a completely different presence than he does now."
"It felt as though the gods themselves could no longer bear the suffering on this land and granted him the wisdom to lead us toward a prosperous future."
From Sharen's perspective, the difference between the old kingdom and the current Unova Kingdom was undeniable.
Unova… a land where humans and Pokémon lived together, regardless of status or origin.
His Majesty Lucien had truly brought unity to all.
Such achievements would likely be remembered and praised even thousands of years in the future.
But that was not their concern.
What mattered now was enjoying the life His Majesty had created.
There was no reason to waste this visit.
Instead of lingering, they would explore the city, dine at the newly opened Pokémon restaurant, and then head to the Grand Arena to watch an exhilarating Pokémon battle.
What a peaceful, fulfilling life it was.
Sharen and Cran arrived quietly and departed just as quietly, never once going to the castle to disturb His Majesty Lucien.
Lucien, however, was not entirely unaware.
Some guards reported that the mayor of Opelucid City had come to Lucien City earlier in the day.
At first, Lucien assumed it was an urgent matter. But upon learning that Sharen had merely come to eat, sightsee, and watch Pokémon battles, he could only feel speechless.
Even the former nobles could not resist these novelties.
So be it.
Lucien set the matter aside and lowered his gaze to the document freshly drafted on his desk.
"Order Regarding the Construction of New Urban Districts Across Various Regions."
He recalled the letters sent earlier that morning.
Those officials who had once resisted reform were now the most eager.
Exactly as he had hoped.
Aside from Lucien City, most cities in the kingdom remained trapped in outdated urban structures. If they wished to develop, they would need to expand beyond their original foundations.
Pokémon Centers, tourism districts, railway stations… none of it could function without proper infrastructure.
"Send these documents to the other cities," Lucien instructed as he handed the order documents to a subordinate.
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
The subordinate accepted them and hurried away.
At that moment, Elif entered from outside.
"Your Majesty, the bicycle you requested has been successfully manufactured by our craftsmen," Elif reported.
"Oh?" Lucien's interest was immediately piqued. "Take me to see it."
"Yes!"
Under Elif's guidance, the two arrived in front of the castle. There, resting quietly on the open ground, was a mode of transport Lucien found all too familiar.
A bicycle.
"Your Majesty, I am willing to test it for you," Elif said earnestly.
"Do you know how to ride?" Lucien asked.
Elif shook his head honestly. "Reporting to Your Majesty, I do not."
However, he had watched the craftsmen ride it earlier with ease and assumed it could not be that difficult.
Lucien fell silent for a moment.
"Never mind. I'll do it myself."
Elif was already getting on in years. If he fell and injured himself, handling official affairs would become troublesome.
Lucien mounted the bicycle.
Having not ridden one in a long time, he felt slightly awkward at first, but his balance quickly returned. With his feet on the pedals, he gave a light push.
The bicycle rolled forward smoothly.
The guards stationed nearby immediately turned to look, curiosity written all over their faces.
"It's moving!"
"That thing is called a bicycle?"
"It looks much faster than walking!"
"If I had one, commuting from home would be so much easier."
Lucien overheard them and nodded with a smile.
Naturally.
Noticing His Majesty's attention, the guards immediately straightened up.
"Your Majesty!"
Lucien completed a full lap before stopping. He dismounted, nodded to the guards, and then examined the bicycle more carefully.
Compared to steam trains, bicycles were far more suitable for short-distance travel. They were ideal for citizens who did not own rideable Pokémon.
As urban expansion continued, Lucien City was growing larger by the day. Walking from one end of the city to the other was increasingly time-consuming.
In that context, bicycles were not merely convenient. They were transformative.
"They can be mass-produced," Lucien said calmly. "Begin preparations to officially put them up for sale."
"Yes, Your Majesty," Elif replied at once.
Lucien nodded slightly.
Then, it was time for the next step.
The Unova Kingdom's development was proceeding smoothly. Public support was at an all-time high, and satisfaction points had reached unprecedented levels.
Under these conditions, Lucien decided it was finally time to implement a unified national currency.
The existing monetary system was outdated. Gold, silver, and copper coins relied on limited resources, were heavy, and were inconvenient for large-scale transactions.
Printed banknotes would be far more practical.
More importantly, a formal banking system had to be established.
Lucien returned to his study, sat at his desk, and closed his eyes, organizing his thoughts.
The first challenge was implementing a new currency.
With industrial expansion and economic growth, reliance on precious metals alone could no longer meet demand. A more flexible issuance system was necessary.
However, the people of Unova had long been accustomed to the old system. Sudden change would not be easy to accept.
The second issue was exchange rates.
How much should one gold coin be worth in banknotes? The conversion needed to feel intuitive and fair, especially to Commoners.
Finally, there was the matter of banking institutions.
Before the war, Lucien had already established rudimentary banks where people could store currency. While they were welcomed by the populace, they were far too primitive.
"Yes," Lucien thought, "the banking system must also be reformed."
Finance was not his area of expertise.
Fortunately, he had something better than expertise.
With a single thought, the interface unfolded before his eyes.
Lucien scrolled through the branches of the Industrial Age, his gaze stopping at a newly unlocked section.
[Currency Reform]
[Central Bank]
[Currency Reform: Provides technology for restructuring the monetary system. Exchange cost: 80,000 satisfaction points.]
[Central Bank: Establishes a professional institution to manage currency issuance and the financial system. Exchange cost: 150,000 satisfaction points.]
Lucien glanced at his current satisfaction points.
They were more than sufficient.
Lucien's thoughts shifted slightly, and in the next instant, a massive influx of knowledge surged into his mind.
Economic theory. Monetary circulation. Credit systems. Issuance controls.
"So… it can be done like this."
Lucien's eyes lit up with realization. Without hesitation, he picked up his quill and began writing rapidly across the parchment, ideas flowing one after another.
A new era of finance was taking shape beneath his pen.
—
"Wow… so this is Striaton City?"
Standing before the towering city gates, Freya lifted her head in awe. The walls were tall, the streets wide, and the city bustled with life far beyond anything she had ever seen in Accumula Town.
After several exhausting days of travel, she and Patrat had finally passed through the forest and arrived safely.
Not only that…
She had even caught a new Pokémon.
Freya subconsciously glanced at the Poké Ball on her waist and thought of the Heracross who had practically thrown itself inside just to eat sweet honey.
The memory made her feel both amused and helpless.
"But now's not the time for that!"
Arriving in a new city meant priorities.
First, the Pokémon Center to rest and recover.
Then, the Friendly Store to resupply.
And finally, the Gym Challenge.
According to the Trainer Association's travel manual, Striaton City had a Gym. Only by defeating its Gym Leader could she earn a badge and take another step forward as a Trainer.
"Patrat, Heracross, we have to do our best!" Freya clenched her fists, eyes full of determination.
"Patrat!" Patrat replied energetically.
"Let's go! To the Pokémon Center!"
After asking a passerby for directions, Freya hurried forward.
The moment she stepped into the Pokémon Center lobby and spotted the familiar pink-haired figure, her eyes widened in shock.
"Nurse Joy?!"
The woman looked up in confusion. "Eh? You know me?"
"Yes!" Freya nodded repeatedly. "We met before in Accumula Town! I didn't expect you'd arrive in Striaton City before we did!"
Nurse Joy blinked, then smiled gently.
"That wasn't me," she explained softly. "The Nurse Joy working in Accumula Town is my older sister, Joy Yuki. I'm Joy Tsuki. We may look exactly alike, but we're not the same person."
"Ah?"
Freya froze on the spot.
Before she could process that revelation, a mocking voice cut in from nearby.
"Hah. Country bumpkin. What's there to be so surprised about?"
Freya turned sharply.
A boy dressed in elegant clothes, clearly of noble background, was looking at her with open disdain.
"Every Pokémon Center has a Nurse Joy who looks exactly the same. That's basic knowledge every Trainer should know."
"You're the country bumpkin!" Freya snapped, instantly bristling.
"Oh?" The boy sneered and pulled out a gem-studded Poké Ball.
"Not satisfied? Then I'll be kind and battle you. Let you see what a real Trainer looks like."
"Fine!" Freya shot back, anger flaring. "Who's afraid of who? You're the rude one!"
Nurse Joy watched the exchange with a troubled expression.
She wanted to stop them, but judging by their tempers, anything she said would only make things worse.
In the end, she spoke calmly.
"You two, please head to the backyard. There's a designated battlefield there for Trainer battles."
"Thank you, Nurse Joy," Freya said politely, bowing.