Early in the fourth month of kingdom calendar year 150, winter gave way to spring; the snow melted and life returned, and with it the Kingdom of Eindoak welcomed a brand-new year.
It would be a year of upheaval.
The moment His Majesty ascended the throne, he launched sweeping reforms.
He issued decrees abolishing private farmland ownership, reclaiming all arable land for the crown and redistributing it among every Commoner.
Slavery was likewise abolished; the king proclaimed that all were equal and that Education for All must prevail—no man or woman might lord over another, nor over any Pokémon.
The proclamation sent shockwaves through the realm; countless nobles rallied in protest, yet the army quickly quelled the unrest.
In its place rose the cheers of the common folk and the lowest rungs of society.
The Kingdom of Eindoak was transformed overnight!
With the cooperation of City mayors, every City, town, and even remote village began erecting a new kind of building: the Pokémon Center.
Poké Marts, academies, Trainer Association branches, and police stations sprang up alongside them.
The king dispatched envoys far and wide to preach harmony between humans and Pokémon, teaching people how to live alongside them—and how to better their lives through these partnerships.
Accumula Town, central square.
The plaza was packed with townsfolk drawn by curiosity.
They crowded around the square's center, eyes fixed on the lone figure there—curious, respectful, excited.
A gentle-faced man with a perpetual warm smile addressed them in soothing tones:
"In the past, we humans often forced Pokémon into labor through violence and subjugation."
"But that is wrong."
"Such cruelty fills Pokémon with fear and hatred—emotions they share among themselves—so that wild Pokémon now see us only as enemies to attack."
And we, in turn, fear them more with every strike, branding them foes."
Here the young man frowned slightly, shaking his head as he glanced at the fierce-looking Pokémon beside him.
It was an Electivire.
One burst of its electricity can reduce a person to cinders.
Yet beneath the man's gaze the fearsome creature was docile, almost bashful.
It mirrored his smile, and when he spoke it scratched the back of its huge head in shy agreement.
As if answering him, the Electivire met his eyes and gave a slow nod.
"That old way is wrong," the man continued.
"Pokémon, like us, are children of this land."
"They are clever, feeling beings—capable of loyalty and gratitude…"
"Why can we not share this world with them?" His words rang through every heart present.
Hearing him, some in the crowd began to ask themselves the same question.
"Mama, can we live with Little Seed too?"
A five-year-old boy at the edge of the crowd tugged his mother's hand and whispered.
Little Seed was the Pokémon he had found injured by the forest seven days earlier.
The child had carried it home, and under his care the creature had regained its strength.
He longed to keep it, but Mama said it was a "beast" and should return to the wild.
After so many days together, the boy couldn't bear to part—and Little Seed had never once hurt him!
The envoy's words fanned a spark of hope inside him.
His mother, hearing the plea, found herself unsure what to do.
The speaker resumed.
"Many Pokémon share our land—some breathe fire, some spout water, some possess great strength."
"His Majesty Draconis began living side by side with them long ago."
"In Nimbasa City, the realm's most prosperous metropolis, humans and Pokémon live in happiness together."
"Fire-types light hearths and warm homes."
"Water-types quench fires and irrigate fields."
"Strong Pokémon haul lumber and raise walls."
"Even common Grass-types can tend crops, ripening them faster and fuller."
"Humans gain better lives; Pokémon gain food, shelter, and chances to grow stronger."
In short—everyone wins."
His speech planted seeds in every heart in Accumula Town.
"Pokémon… can really do all that?"
"Living with them sounds wonderful!"
"I want a fire-breather too—cooking would be so easy!"
The square buzzed with animated chatter.
But a new question soon surfaced.
"Sir, how do we actually live with them?" a girl asked.
Humans might be willing, but Pokémon still attacked on sight.
"Fear not—His Majesty has prepared for that," the envoy replied with a smile.
"After I leave, specialists from the capital will arrive to teach you how to befriend Pokémon and share your lives. They are Trainers—bridges between our two peoples."
"Moreover, His Majesty decrees: any youth of fifteen who wishes to grow closer to Pokémon may enroll at the local Trainer Association; mentors will guide them."
"But becoming a Trainer is no small task—you must master Pokémon lore. All children turning seven may enter the new schools, where expert teachers await."
"Wow, Mom, I can really go to school now?" Among the crowd a child's voice was electric with excitement.
"Yes, my love. It's a gift from His Majesty Draconis." The woman gently stroked her son's hair. "You must always thank His Majesty Draconis!"
Not only had His Majesty averted war, but since taking the throne he had issued countless laws that favored ordinary folk like them.
From this day on they could live on this land in fairness and freedom.
"I will!" The boy's small face was solemn; standing in the sun, he thumped his chest in promise.
Scenes like this were playing out across the kingdom.
Meanwhile, inside the castle in Nimbasa City.
"...Your Majesty, Pokémon Centers, Trainer Associations, police stations and Poké Marts have all been built to your specifications across the realm and will open within days."
Old Butler Alfred reported the intelligence gathered from every province.
Draconis gave a slight nod; these facilities were the keystone of every plan he had.
Schools would teach children the knowledge they needed about Pokémon; Pokémon Centers would heal travelers' partners; Poké Marts would supply essential medicines; and the Trainer Association would keep all Trainers under unified management.
In the end everything would converge.
Every Trainer would gather in the Grand Colosseum for a final tournament until the strongest among them stood alone.
Yet the kingdom was still under construction; education had not spread, ninety percent of Commoners remained illiterate, and they knew nothing of Pokémon types, moves, or match-ups.
The time was not yet ripe—at least another year or two would be needed.
Still, Draconis had time to spare.
He lifted his gaze. "And how fare the nobles now?"
"Your Majesty, after the initial suppression they appear to have quieted down," Alfred replied.
The nobles were far fewer than the Commoners; faced with the might of the royal army and the support of the masses, they had gradually submitted.
Draconis was not surprised.
It was the tide of the age; when the era of Trainers arrived even these nobles would begin to embrace Pokémon.
Perhaps... this was how the Dragon Clan behind Lance and the family behind Caitlin in the anime had originated?
As long as they did not resist and simply followed the current of history, Draconis would leave them untouched.
Right now, more important matters awaited him.
Draconis closed his eyes and pondered quietly.
Most of Nimbasa City's soldiers had been dispatched across the kingdom to serve as police, Trainers, Pokémon teachers...
...but so far, apart from the sisters Joy Rin and Joy Alia, he had met no other members of the Joy or Jenny clans and could not staff every Pokémon Center.
"We'll have to wait," Draconis murmured.
He paused. "And the factories outside the towns—how do they stand?"
Alfred: "Your Majesty, all factories are complete; raw materials are stockpiled and they can begin operation at any moment."
Draconis's mind eased at the words.
Excellent—at last the problem of employment for Nimbasa's jobless Commoners could be solved!
"Starting tomorrow, advertise Factory jobs in the newspaper. And finish drafting the labor-protection laws as soon as possible!" Draconis ordered.
"Yes, Your Majesty!" Alfred answered.
Draconis was about to speak again when an excited shout came from outside.
"Your Majesty! Your Majesty! The device you asked for—the steam engine—we've successfully built it!"
"Oh?" Draconis's eyes lit up.
Inside the Royal Workshop, the brand-new machine thudded and whirred, the harbinger of an industrial revolution, and Draconis's heart pounded with excitement.
"Your Majesty, what does this... steam engine... actually do?" Alfred eyed the contraption in puzzlement.
Draconis thought: the uses are endless.
The steam engine could power spinning jennies and looms to expand textile output, and it could smelt iron on a vast scale.
More than that, it could drive trains and steamships, multiplying their speed and range, binding the world together and boosting trade and travel between regions.
Unova lacked people?
Then display Unova's strength to all: a stable realm, generous treatment, limitless prospects... In this age of turmoil such a land would seem paradise to Commoners and Slaves alike.
Immigrants would swarm in their thousands.
"You'll see soon enough," Draconis said.
Recalling His Majesty's past deeds, Alfred found his anticipation for the machine called steam engine soaring.
*
At dawn the next day, pale morning light spilled over the land as people woke from sleep.
Famas stepped outside, planning to wander the City and hunt for work.
Famas had lost his family in the war; fleeing as a refugee to Nimbasa City, he had almost exhausted the little money he carried. Without a job he would starve.
He could bear hunger himself, but his wife and child would share it with him.
A man who lets his wife and child go hungry is no true husband and no true father.
Yet Nimbasa was crowded; more than half the people were searching for work, and suitable jobs were almost impossible to find.
Both sides of the street were already packed with knots of people.
They were the same as he—those at the City's bottom, still running merely to fill their bellies.
Seeing his fellows, Famas sighed deeply, anxiety and helplessness weighing on him.
Just then a cry of delight burst from the crowd.
"Everyone—come look!"
Heads turned in unison.
A weather-beaten, unshaven middle-aged man stood holding up a newspaper.
It was the latest morning edition printed daily in Nimbasa City.
It carried current news, Pokémon data, and occasionally other items.
Famas paid little heed; none of that could give them jobs.
"Listen—the factories outside the City are hiring! Eight hours a day, two days off each week, ten silver coins a month!"
W-what?!
Famas and several other indifferent men jerked their heads up, eyes wide.
Had they heard correctly?
....
Power Stones PlZZZZ
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