"Elif, how are the two Nurse Joy apprentices doing?" Lucien asked.
Elif straightened slightly, a hint of pride warming his expression.
"Your Highness, the two Miss Joys are exceptionally bright. They've already mastered identifying herbs and preparing remedies for different injuries. As instructed, both are now serving full-time at the hospital, treating injured residents and magical beasts across the territory."
"And Miss Lila," Elif continued, "has taken up her post as head physician at the hospital."
Lucien nodded.
Lila was immensely dependable.
Elif then added, "Additionally, the academy is nearly ready. The carpenters have crafted all the tables and chairs exactly as you specified. Among the people His Majesty sent, several are well-read scholars. They can teach the children to read and write."
Lucien thought for a moment.
"Let's add a course on identifying magical beasts."
Elif hesitated.
"But Your Highness, besides you, no one here knows much about magical beasts beyond what you've taught us."
Lucien recalled Christina's drawings of Pokémon and said,
"I'll compile the teaching material myself. Also, have Christina come see me later, I'll need her to sketch accurate portraits of each magical beasts."
"Yes, Your Highness," Elif replied, though his brows tightened slightly.
"However, we currently lack skilled parchment artisans. We can't create proper books or manuals."
Lucien fell silent.
In this era, parchment was precious and slow to produce. Ordinary families could barely afford scraps, let alone books.Education belonged to nobles and merchants, not the common folk.
And yet… Lucien wanted every child in his territory to learn.
Three words formed in his mind, clear and decisive:
Papermaking.
A technology he could unlock with enough satisfaction.
Replace expensive sheepskin parchment with cheap, abundant plant fibers, bark, hemp, reeds, even old fishing nets.
And suddenly, books would become affordable for everyone.
"I'll take care of that," Lucien said firmly.
"Yes, Your Highness."
Elif bowed.
He continued, "Per your instructions, we've built a shelter in the protected nature reserve. Injured magical beasts are brought there and fed. The enslaved beasts transported from the royal capital… they're no longer afraid of people."
A faint smile tugged at his lips.
"They even greet us when we visit."
"Well done," Lucien praised.
It wouldn't be long before Pokémon could walk freely through the city without fear.
Lucien turned to Geralt next.
"And the Knights?" he asked.
"How is their training?"
Geralt stepped forward, voice steady.
"Your Highness, just as you ordered, every knight has been partnered with a magical beast. Their progress is remarkable. Many magical beast have already mastered new, more powerful moves."
"Good." Lucien exhaled softly.
He suddenly felt the exhaustion catching up to him, a month of travel, battles, diplomacy, training, and planning all weighing on his body.
Once he was fully briefed, Lucien waved his hand lightly.
"That's enough for today. Go get some rest."
Elif nodded, then paused.
"Oh, Your Highness, there is one more matter."
Lucien raised an eyebrow.
"What is it?"
"It concerns the construction of your castle," Elif said.
"All infrastructure in the territory is finished. The construction team has officially begun building the castle."
Lucien had seen the silhouette from the sky.
A true castle.
In this era, such a project was enormous. It required time, manpower, and a mountain of resources.
It wouldn't be finished for at least a year and a half, even with constant labor.
And the territory, though prospering, was still developing. Its coffers weren't endless.
Lucien wasn't worried.
"Tell them not to rush," he said. "A castle is a long-term project."
He would need to find new ways to generate revenue, and papermaking was the perfect starting point.
But most of all, Lucien was excited for one section of the castle:
The ecological garden he had specially requested when working with Elena on the design.
A sanctuary within the castle walls where his Pokémon could roam freely.
Fluffy Pikachu, Playful Eevee, Majestic Tyranitar.
And, two legendary Pokémon he adored more than any others:
Koraidon and Miraidon, the ancient and future dragons of the Paldea region.
He smiled faintly.
"In this era… the Paldea region must still be deep in its Age of Exploration."
Countless adventurers ventured into the Paldea Great Crater, seeking the legendary treasure said to lie at its depths.
Lucien wondered, fleetingly,
Would he one day meet Koraidon and Miraidon there?
But now wasn't the time to chase such fantasies.
Not yet.
The war between humans, Reshiram, and Zekrom loomed ahead. Until the Unova region achieved full peace and stability, such dreams had to wait.
"Understood, Your Highness Lucien," Elif said with a deep bow. "Please rest well."
The retainers quietly withdrew from the study.
Left alone, Lucien leaned back in his chair, mind drifting through countless plans, territory development, war preparation, Kyurem's trust, the Swords of Justice, the academy, papermaking…
After a while, he finally rose and headed downstairs.
The house was warm, quiet.
After days of traveling, battling, and hard work, the Pokémon had all collapsed into deep sleep.
Dragonite had slumped onto the thick carpet, sitting upright with its head drooping, snoring softly.
Serperior lay curled elegantly on the sofa, tail tucked neatly beneath its coils.
Larvesta slept by the fireplace, embers reflecting off its feathers.
Victini sprawled comfortably on its cushion, breathing gently.
The three Swords of Justice, however, remained awake.They rested on the carpet, alert yet calm, as if waiting for Lucien.
Kyurem was the same, its massive, icy body lying quietly, eyes closed but consciousness awake.
As Lucien stepped into the room, all four legendary Pokémon turned their heads toward him.
"Terrakion, Virizion, Cobalion," Lucien greeted with a gentle smile,
"Welcome to Lucien City."
"Please rest for tonight. Tomorrow, I'll show you around this town, a place where humans and Pokémon live together."
"I look forward to it," Cobalion replied with a dignified nod.
If this town was truly as Lucien described…If every human here treated their Pokémon with the same care he gave Dragonite and the little Squirrels.
Then this place could become something rare.
A haven.
A sanctuary for humans and Pokémon alike.
A seed of harmony.
The Swords of Justice exchanged glances, silently agreeing.
Their own strength, the strength of only three Pokémon, could never save every displaced creature left wandering in the devastation of war.
This conflict was not merely between humans and Pokémon.
It was a war fueled by human greed, human belief, human division.
Cobalion knew: Until the root cause was resolved, nothing would truly change.
And if they must choose a side, they would choose Lucien.
After all, even a being like Kyurem acknowledges his beliefs.