Nimbasa City, the Machoke's Home.
Led by two Machoke, the former slave Machoke and Conkeldurr quickly arrived at their destination.
They looked up, staring blankly at the mansion before them.
The mansion had two stories, looked very large, and had a courtyard outside. In the courtyard grew a Berry tree laden with berries.
The two Machoke turned to the Pokémon and said, "Kuri Kuri!" (This is our home!)
A Pokémon's — home?
The Conkeldurr were stunned. They took their gaze off the house and looked at the two Machoke in front of them.
They hadn't misheard, had they? Could Pokémon also have a home of their own, just like humans?
The two Machoke seemed to understand their thoughts and immediately explained:
"Kuri Kuri!" (That's right, we two used to be like you, forced to work by those bad people. But then, we came here. Draconis-sama forgave us, letting us not work as hard as before. If we get tired, we can rest, and as long as we work hard, we can get food to fill our bellies and a house to shelter us from the wind and rain, just like humans!)
Saying this, the two Machoke turned to look at the house and happily said, "Kuri!" (This house was specially given to us by Draconis-sama!)
Hearing this, the Conkeldurr and other Pokémon were utterly astonished. They looked at the scene before them in disbelief.
All of this sounded incredibly unbelievable—
The Pokémon, who had long been exploited as slaves by humans, dared not believe it.
"Kuri!"
The two Machoke gestured for them to follow and come inside to see the house.
They walked forward, pushed open the door, and revealed the simple furnishings within.
The internal structure and furniture arrangement of a Pokémon's house were much simpler compared to a human's.
In the living room, there were only two sofas, a few tables and chairs for eating, and a fireplace for warmth.
On the table, there was a vase with a vibrant, fresh flower in it, which the Machoke had picked from outside that morning.
Although somewhat simple, the place was full of life.
The Conkeldurr and other Pokémon stood at the entrance, completely dumbfounded.
"Woo-wah—"
They had never seen Pokémon living in such a clean and beautiful place before—.
In the past, they had always been confined in dark, sunless cells.
"Kuri!" (Come in!)
The two Machoke, mimicking humans, invited the Pokémon to sit on the sofa and rest. Then, one Machoke went to get a bowl of berries from a cabinet and placed it in front of them.
Of course, these berries were all given to them by humans.
They worked with humans every day, and humans would give them food like berries.
Food!
The eyes of the group of Pokémon instantly lit up.
After getting permission from the Machoke, several Timburr immediately couldn't resist devouring the berries.
The two Machoke smiled as they watched this scene.
They could see that these Pokémon in front of them had experienced the same fate as they once did.
Because of this, they sincerely hoped that these Pokémon would join the territory and live together with everyone.
Thinking of this, the two Machoke exchanged glances and then invited:
"Kuri!" (If you don't have a place to stay, then stay here and live with us!)
Especially since this house was very large, besides their resting place, there was also a lot of space.
However, upon hearing this, the Conkeldurr hesitated.
They already knew their fate: they had been bought by a human named Draconis from their previous owner.
The Conkeldurr, who had grown accustomed to a life of slavery, couldn't help but ask:
"Woo-wah?" (Then what do the humans here need us to do?)
The two Machoke were slightly taken aback, then smiled and explained: "Kuri!" (You don't need to do anything specific, just do what you want to do! Whether it's building houses with everyone, or helping humans mine ore, or transport wood, it's all fine!)
Hearing this, one Conkeldurr became a little excited.
"Woo-wah?" Does that mean they could leave here and return to live in the wild?
However, the two Machoke were very confused by this.
"Kuri?" (Why go back to the wild? This place is so good, not only is there no danger, but there's also endless food. Although we still have to work, the tasks are very easy, and after we're done, humans even reward us with delicious food!)
"Kuri!" (That's right, not only us, but many other Pokémon also live here! If you're unsure, come with us to see tomorrow!)
Upon hearing this, the Conkeldurr fell silent.
They rested in the house for a night, and early the next morning, they followed the two Machoke to their usual workplace.
That place seemed to be another part of the city.
When they arrived, many humans were already there. They smiled and greeted the Machoke, then began to work together.
With the combined efforts of humans and Machoke, in a short while, a red-brick wall appeared before them.
After an unknown amount of time, these humans stopped.
They sat on rocks at the construction site to rest, drinking water and handing berries to the Machoke, looking very harmonious.
Seeing this scene, the Conkeldurr and other Pokémon were instantly dumbfounded.
Humans and Pokémon working together, sharing their water and food with them—they had never seen or heard of such a thing before!
In the Conkeldurr's memory, humans were always terrifying beings.
They were fat and ugly, often holding a long, thin whip behind them, and if they were in a bad mood, they would strike them hard with the whip.
But the humans here not only didn't hit them, but also actively shared food with them...
The Pokémon, who had never imagined such a thing, instantly froze in place.
Thanks to the inherent nature of Timburr and Conkeldurr, who enjoy working on construction sites, they even began to imagine themselves working alongside these humans.
Connecting this with what the Machoke had told them yesterday about this territory, at this moment, whether it was the Conkeldurr, Timburr, or other Machoke, their hearts were somewhat moved.
If—if they also stayed here to help with work, would humans share food and water with them, just like with those two Machoke?
Thinking of this, a group of Pokémon, led by a Conkeldurr, took a step forward.
The eyes of the workers and the two Machoke were instantly drawn to them.
The Conkeldurr gripped the concrete in its hand, feeling both nervous and expectant.
Seeing this scene, the two Machoke immediately understood what was happening.
It seemed these Pokémon had made up their minds!
Smiles appeared on their faces, and they all stood up, expressing their welcome to the Conkeldurr and the others.
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