The noble boy said nothing. He merely crossed his arms, lifted his chin, and strode arrogantly toward the backyard. Freya followed behind him, fuming.
The two soon arrived at an open battleground. Sunlight glinted off the gem-inlaid Poké Ball in the noble boy's hand, its brilliance impossible to ignore.
"Hey, country bumpkin," he sneered. "Don't start crying when you lose later."
"I won't cry! How annoying!" Freya shot back. "Since you want to do this so badly… then come on, I'll send you out!"
She had originally planned to use Patrat, but after a moment's hesitation, she changed her mind and pulled out Heracross's Poké Ball instead.
The noble boy pressed the button with practiced elegance.
A burst of white light flashed, and a Lairon appeared on the battlefield. Its steel body gleamed dully, blue eyes sharp and alert. One look was enough to tell it had been carefully trained.
On Freya's side stood a Pokémon resembling a giant rhinoceros beetle. Its body looked as hard as iron, and the thick horn on its forehead gave off an imposing presence.
Yet the moment it emerged from its Poké Ball, Heracross began looking around curiously, its large insect face oddly adorable, and just a little silly.
Just a big bug, huh?
A confident smile spread across the noble boy's face. He made no move to start the battle, instead gesturing toward his Lairon with pride.
"This Pokémon is used exclusively in His Majesty Lucien's army," he declared smugly. "You and that oversized bug don't stand a chance."
"Hmph!" Freya huffed. "Heracross, he's looking down on us! In that case, let's show him what we're made of!"
"Hera?"
Heracross glanced around, as if searching for something, then frowned slightly. A hint of resistance crept into its expression.
It clearly didn't feel like battling right now.
The noble boy froze for a moment, then burst out laughing.
"Oh my god, are you serious?" he mocked. "You're a Trainer, and you can't even command your own Pokémon?"
Freya stiffened. Then she clenched her fists and said stubbornly, "Of course I can!"
She hurried over to Heracross's side and whispered softly, almost pleading, "Please, Heracross… if you help me win this battle, I'll buy you two bottles of your favorite sweet honey afterward."
At those words, Heracross's expression changed instantly.
The reluctance vanished. It lifted its head and stared straight at the Lairon across the field, an intense fighting spirit igniting in its eyes.
"Hera!"
"Yes!" Freya breathed out in relief. She straightened up, pointed at the noble boy, and shouted, "Heracross! Let's show this guy what happens when he looks down on us!"
"Hera!"
The battle officially began.
"Lairon, Iron Head!" the noble boy commanded without hesitation.
Lairon lowered its head, steel plating gleaming as it charged forward like a battering ram.
Heracross didn't flinch.
Its eyes narrowed, burning with determination.
"Hera!"
Under everyone's stunned gaze, Heracross bent its legs slightly, then surged forward to meet the attack head-on.
It didn't retreat.
It advanced.
The impact echoed across the battlefield.
In the next instant, Lairon's body was sent flying backward, crashing to the ground at the noble boy's feet. Its eyes spun helplessly as it completely lost the ability to battle.
The smug confidence on the noble boy's face shattered into disbelief.
"Lairon?! How is that possible?!"
Victorious, Heracross turned and trotted back to Freya's side.
"Yes!" Freya cheered. "Don't worry, Heracross! I'll buy you two bottles of sweet honey later, no, five bottles!"
"Hera?!"
Heracross's eyes lit up immediately.
Freya then turned toward the noble boy, snorted, and said, "So? How does it feel to lose to a 'country bumpkin' like me?"
The noble boy's expression darkened. He said nothing.
"Hmph. Judging by that look, you still don't even know why you lost. Fine, I'll be merciful and explain it to you."
"Lairon is a Steel- and Rock-type Pokémon. The move Heracross just used was Close Combat, a Fighting-type move. Fighting-type attacks deal four times damage to Lairon. That's why your Pokémon went down in one hit."
Freya puffed out her chest proudly. She'd paid close attention in her Pokémon School classes.
"You win," the noble boy muttered at last.
Unable to accept the outcome, the noble boy recalled Lairon into its Poké Ball without another word and turned away, leaving in silence.
Freya didn't care in the slightest. She looked down at Heracross with a bright smile.
"Alright, let's head to the street and buy you some sweet honey!"
"Hera~!"
The girl and her Pokémon gradually walked off, their figures growing smaller as their cheerful voices faded into the distance.
"Oh, and I'll need your help with Gym challenges later too!"
"Hera!"
Kingdom Calendar, Year 151, Mid-June.
Lucien officially implemented the Central Bank system and launched a sweeping currency reform.
From this day onward, all residents holding the old currency could go to their local Unova Bank branches and exchange it for the new banknotes.
The moment these two policies were announced, they caused an enormous stir across every major city in the Kingdom of Unova.
At first, very few people were willing to make the exchange.
In the eyes of many, a thin sheet of white paper, one that looked easy to tear, could never compare to the solid weight of metal coins. Those coins were what they had relied on for generations, the very foundation of their livelihoods.
This resistance was even stronger among noble households and wealthy families. For them, a single change could ripple through their entire financial structure. They were deeply accustomed to the old economic system, and any sudden reform was bound to make them uneasy.
The second day after the currency reform began, Lucien City, inside the royal castle.
Elif finished listening to a series of reports before turning toward Lucien, concern evident on her face.
"Your Majesty, the number of people exchanging their currency is still extremely low in most regions," she said carefully. "Do we truly not need to intervene more forcefully?"
Lucien showed no signs of impatience.
Standing by the window, he gazed down at the bustling streets of Lucien City below and replied calmly, "There's no need to rush."
Meanwhile, In Striaton City, inside the modest home of a farming family.
A woman wearing a heavily patched apron looked at her husband anxiously, unable to hold back her worries.
"Ethan… are we really going into the city tomorrow to exchange our silver coins for those paper notes?"
The man named Ethan nodded without hesitation.
"Don't worry, Mia. I trust His Majesty Lucien," he said firmly. "If it weren't for him, we might've already lost our home because of the war."
"Think about it, since His Majesty Lucien took the throne, the lives of commoners and farmers like us have improved more than ever before. Everything he does is for our sake. He wouldn't harm us."
He paused, then continued with quiet conviction.
"If he didn't care about us, he wouldn't have gone so far for people like us. We should trust him."
"And if someone refuses to accept the new banknotes, or tries to damage them, I believe His Majesty will definitely stand up for us."
Mia listened in silence. Slowly, the tension in her expression eased.
That made sense.
She didn't say anything more, simply nodding as she silently chose to support her husband's decision.