June, Year 149 of the Kingdom Calendar, Night. A full month had passed since Lucien left his territory.
Riding atop Dragonite, Lucien finally returned to Lucien City from Lacunosa Town.
Even from afar, he could see it, a massive, half-finished castle rising proudly against the night sky. Its silhouette glowed faintly in the darkness, incomplete yet already majestic.
Below the castle, orderly rows of homes stretched across the land.
Warm kerosene lamps flickered in every window, scattering soft orange light across the night.
Beyond the town lay rolling fields and pastures.
Further still, lush forests and expansive plains swayed in the moonlight.
Knights patrolled the streets with Swablu and Aron at their side.The moment they spotted a massive flying creature overhead, they tensed.
A strange beast!
But then they recognized the figure riding on its back.
"Prince Lucien!"
"It's His Highness, Prince Lucien has returned!"
Excitement rippled through the entire city.
Dragonite landed smoothly at the city square.
Lucien nodded at the knights, signaling them to continue their patrols, and headed toward his residence.
Inside the courtyard, he released Serperior, Larvesta, the three Swords of Justice, and Kyurem from their Poké Balls.
Within seconds, the old butler Elif and Geralt rushed in, faces overflowing with relief and joy.
"Prince Lucien!"
Elif hurried forward, but froze mid-step.
Because before him stood Kyurem.
A colossal, terrifying dragon beast.
"G-God above!"
Elif nearly fainted on the spot.
Geralt instinctively stepped forward, hand on his sword, feeling an oppressive pressure from Kyurem that made his skin crawl.
"Don't panic," Lucien said calmly.
"This is Kyurem. He's here to help us. And these three, Cobalion, Virizion, Terrakion, are also my allies."
Kyurem swept its cold gaze over them but stayed silent. The three Swords of Justice, however, lowered their heads slightly in polite greeting.
A realization struck Elif like lightning.
His Highness… he actually succeeded. He really gained the allegiance of the Divine Dragon of Unova.
"Cobalion, Virizion, Terrakion, rest here tonight," Lucien instructed them with a smile.
"Tomorrow, I'll show you around the city."
Cobalion nodded with quiet dignity.
Lucien opened the door, gesturing for everyone to enter.
Dragonite, Serperior, and Larvesta slipped inside easily, visibly happy to be home again.
The Swords of Justice followed quietly, their eyes scanning every detail of Lucien's home with curiosity.
Kyurem ducked its enormous head to enter, its massive frame nearly scraping the ceiling.
"Chiiirp!"
A group of Minccino sprinted across the floor, excitedly leaping at Lucien.
They chittered proudly, as if saying:
"Look! We cleaned the house perfectly while you were gone!"
Lucien laughed softly and patted their fluffy heads.
"Good work, all of you."
"Miccin!"
Only then did the Minccino notice Kyurem behind him.
Immediately, five tiny faces twisted in horror, and they dove behind a sofa, trembling.
Kyurem blinked.
Lucien reassured them gently,
"Don't be afraid. This is Kyurem, he's our friend."
The Minccino peeked out timidly, slowly calming down.
"Kyurem, Terrakion, you two rest for now. I need to take care of some official work," Lucien said, instructing the maids to bring food.
The Pokémon all relaxed, unbothered.
Lucien then called for Elif, Geralt, and the other retainers, leading them upstairs to the study.
Downstairs.
The three Swords of Justice lay sprawled comfortably on the polished wooden floor. They exchanged glances, still a little stunned by Lucien's casual interactions with the tiny Squirrels.
Their gazes drifted to the sofa.
The terrified little creatures peeked out, watching Kyurem with wide eyes.
And Kyurem, the legendary dragon, lay curled on the floor in calm, silent slumber.
Soon, soft footsteps approached.
Maids entered with steaming dishes and placed bowls of food before the Pokémon.
Virizion quietly observed the humans around them.
Their eyes held curiosity when looking at the three Swords of Justice, but when they glanced toward Kyurem, their expressions shifted to pure fear.
Perhaps that was inevitable.
Kyurem's aura was cold, ancient, and overwhelmingly distant.
Cobalion watched this in silence, thoughtful.
Terrakion, however, didn't bother pondering such things. Its eyes were fixed on the plate in front of it.
"Well," it declared cheerfully, "I'm digging in!"
The large wooden platter was beautifully arranged: fresh berries, fragrant dried fruits, soft bread and pastries, and a honey-roasted meat steak, along with a bowl of sweet tree-sap juice
The Swords of Justice were accustomed to eating fruits, leaves, and grasses.
They rarely touched meat at all.
So they ignored the steak and instead devoured the berries and bread.
"Oh! Delicious!
This is amazing!" Terrakion cried, its eyes shining.
The bread was unbelievably soft and sweet, completely different from the bland rations they usually ate in the wild.
"Hm…"
Kyurem, who had been resting with its eyes closed, slowly opened them. It glanced down at the meal set before it, and didn't touch it.
At its level, eating was no longer a necessity. Consuming food was optional… almost meaningless.
Meanwhile, Dragonite, Serperior, Victini, and Larvesta were blissfully unaware of these inner thoughts. They gathered together, happily enjoying their bowls and plates.
They had been away from home for nearly a month. Having something warm and familiar to eat again, felt wonderful.
Upstairs -The Study
On the second floor, Lucien sat behind his large wooden desk, listening as his subordinates reported the state of the territory.
"Your Highness," one of the retainers began respectfully,
"All city infrastructure projects have been completed. Everything is running smoothly."
"During your absence, many merchants traveled here from other cities. They brought specialty goods, and took local products back with them. The markets have been flourishing."
"In the past month," Elif continued, "numerous shops have opened, barbershops, restaurants, inns, bakeries, fabric stores, and clothing boutiques."
"These merchants have brought significant income into the city. And the commoners who were among the first to learn Magical beast-raising are slowly becoming wealthy."
Elif paused, remembering something, and added with a smile:
"I've heard that honey from the Combee colonies, wool from Mareep, and Pleaves harvested from Petilil, tea brewed from Sawsbuck's seasonal herbs, and syrup fermented by Shuckle are very popular in other cities."
"Especially the cloth and carpets woven from Mareep wool. They're extremely durable, some nobles are paying high prices for them."
Lucien nodded, satisfied.
Excellent.
In just one month, trade had increased so much that the entire territory was becoming prosperous.
Then he remembered something and looked up.
"And the hospital?" he asked.
"How are the two Joy apprentices doing under Lila's training?"