Chapter 89: The State of the Earth Kingdom
In the study, Alan watched as Ryuuki's mother left in a huff. She had been angry that Ryuuki had skipped class to find him. As for why she left looking worried... Alan couldn't guess what Liz had said to her.
The door opened, and Liz walked in. "Alan? Where..." Her eyes lit up when she saw him, but then she froze upon seeing a large, dragon-sized hole where the window used to be.
"Pfft... chubby baby," she giggled, walking over to rub his belly before instructing a servant to have the door and window replaced with extra-large ones. "Did you miss me too much?" she asked, throwing herself into his embrace to make up for the hugs she had missed over the past two years.
"Stop messing around. I came to ask about the Earth Kingdom," Alan said, scooping her up and placing her on his arm so she could sit. He walked her over to a wall where two maps were displayed: one of Johto, and one of Kanto, with a long drawing of the Silver Mountain Range separating them.
The Royal Capital was located just west of Mt. Silver. The Earth Kingdom's capital was marked at the location of the future Viridian City. The straight-line distance was surprisingly close.
"Oh?" Alan pointed to the Earth Kingdom on the map.
"You want to know their current situation? Yes, it's time I told you," Liz said, understanding him instantly.
She retrieved several documents and began her explanation. "A year ago, the civil unrest in the Earth Kingdom ended. The victor, naturally, was their king, Sakaki."
"Sakaki?!" Alan's eyes widened. This was Giovanni. The feud between the future champions Lance and Silver had begun with their ancestors, a thousand years ago. His attention to the Earth Kingdom was immediately raised by several notches.
Liz continued. While dealing with the unrest, the Earth Kingdom had also discovered that battling could accelerate a Pokémon's growth. And King Sakaki was not as benevolent as Liz. To quickly rebuild his army, he implemented brutal training policies. Pokémon and their Trainers were tormented for failing to meet daily standards. Many trainers, unable to bear seeing their Pokémon suffer, secretly released them into the vast Viridian Forest.
This was an act of desertion, and Sakaki did not forgive it. The consequences were cruel, but people continued to do it. The kingdom's military strength decreased instead of increasing, forcing Sakaki to change his policy. He reduced the training load slightly and added rewards for exceptional performance. With the harsh past as a comparison, the new system was grudgingly accepted. This, combined with new recruits, caused the Earth Kingdom's military strength to increase almost linearly.
The Royal Dragon Kingdom couldn't replicate these methods. Their training was already demanding, and they couldn't afford the rewards. The situation had reversed. Previously, the Royal Dragon Kingdom had wanted to delay a conflict, but now, it was the Earth Kingdom that was buying time as its army grew stronger.
"If we continue to wait, their military strength may surpass our own," Liz said, her expression serious. "I think we can't delay any longer. Perhaps... this war should be started by us."
"Do what you feel you must," Alan said solemnly. After nodding, he turned and left the study. He now had one more thing to do. He had to personally scout the Earth Kingdom and see their strength for himself. But that would have to wait until he had learned Extreme Speed. He had no intention of dying the moment the war began.
[Inorin Note:
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