Time moved quickly, and before long it was the third month of year 153 of the Kingdom Calendar.
In the early days of spring, a collection of letters arrived at Lucien City Castle from across the ocean. Elif received them from the messengers, climbed to the study, and placed them in Lucien's hands.
"Your Majesty, Queen Rin and Sir Aaron have both sent replies. And the messengers we dispatched to Kalos have also reported back."
"Oh?" Lucien took the three letters and opened them one by one.
"What does Queen Rin say?"
"Given the situation at Cameran Palace, she was unlikely to refuse," Elif said.
Lucien unfolded the first letter and read.
To His Majesty Lucien: We are deeply grateful for your willingness to extend assistance to us. Cameran Palace finds itself surrounded on all sides. I have heard from Aaron that you are building a new kind of nation, one where humans and Pokémon live as one. At present, Cameran Palace is caught in constant warfare that traps both humans and Pokémon alike, and even the Tree of Beginning has been affected by the fighting.
If it were possible to draw on your strength and that of the God Dragon to bring an end to this conflict, I believe this land could find peace before long.
— Queen Rin
Three months earlier, Lucien had dispatched an envoy to Cameran Palace in the Kanto Region. Kanto remained deeply fragmented: numerous small, isolated kingdoms scattered across a wide continent, each one a potential flashpoint, with Cameran Palace being only one among many.
If Unova committed forces to support Queen Rin and helped her unify Kanto while establishing a Pokémon League there, the region could achieve stability and peace far sooner than it would on its own.
Three months had passed, and Queen Rin had made her decision.
"She agrees," Lucien said. He was not particularly surprised. The situation in Kanto had been deteriorating steadily, and even Queen Rin's genuine desire for peace could not insulate Cameran Palace from the conflict pressing in around it.
"Your Majesty, Commander Geralt and the Pokémon Legion are ready and can depart for Cameran Palace at your order," Elif said.
Lucien nodded, turning it over in his mind. Though Unova had been unified for some time, the Pokémon Legion that had been built during the earlier conflicts had never been stood down.
The Altaria corps under Geralt's command, the Aggron Knights, and the rest had grown considerably in strength since the Battle of the Three Kings.
Hundreds of trained Altaria conducting Draco Meteor strikes in coordinated formation against the smaller nations of Kanto would be a decisive and overwhelming force. Against armies of that scale and composition, the outcome of any engagement was not seriously in doubt.
"Leave the operation to Geralt. But have him come see me first before anything is decided."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
The details would need to be worked out with Queen Rin as well. Lucien set the first letter aside and picked up the second. It was from AZ.
Strictly speaking, the letter was not entirely necessary, since the Pokémon League operatives in Kalos were already sending regular updates. But he read it carefully all the same.
Your Majesty Lucien: Thanks to your assistance, the reconstruction of Kalos is proceeding well. However, bringing the people to accept Pokémon is proving far more difficult than anticipated.
I had hoped to guide them toward living alongside Pokémon as partners, but the fear runs deep. Even so, progress is being made. Under the guidance of the Trainers you sent, some of the people are beginning to understand that not all Pokémon are dangerous.
I believe that given enough time, the humans and Pokémon of Kalos can learn to live together as they do in Unova.
One question, if I may: how did you initially handle the noble families who controlled the various regions when you moved to abolish slavery?
Lucien paused.
So AZ was facing fierce resistance from the Kalos nobility. That was not surprising. How had he handled it himself, all those years ago?
He thought back. He had ridden Kyurem to a certain noble's estate. That had been enough. One visit, one demonstration of what Kyurem was capable of, and the voices of resistance had become considerably quieter.
But AZ's situation was different. Lucien and Kyurem together could face an army of thousands and come away without difficulty. AZ had Floette beside him, and while the Eternal Flower had been transformed into something unique by the Ultimate Weapon's energy, the gap between her and Kyurem in terms of sheer force was substantial.
He would have to think carefully about what advice would actually be useful here.
After a moment, he decided he would write back suggesting that once the Pokémon League was fully established across the Kalos Region, the Trainers would serve as a distributed, organized presence capable of gradually shifting the balance of power away from the old noble families.
Time and structural change, rather than direct confrontation, would be the more practical path.
He set AZ's letter aside and reached for the third.
He opened it, read the first paragraph, and his expression shifted immediately.
It was an urgent dispatch from the ocean-going fleet.
Kingdom Calendar, Year 153, February.
The ship's bow cut through the deep blue waters off the Galar coast, the Kyurem emblem on its hull catching the sunlight with unmistakable clarity. Columbus stood on the deck, wooden staff in hand, scanning the waters ahead with the careful eye of a man who had learned to read situations quickly.
Three months earlier, he had led a fleet of ten large steamships out of Unova, carrying textiles, Pokémon products, and high-quality medicinal herbs. The intention had been to use the existing Unova-Galar maritime routes to open trade negotiations and sign a new treaty. It had seemed straightforward.
It had not been straightforward.
"Captain Columbus, the ships ahead are flying warning flags. They're ordering us to stop for inspection."
Columbus gave a small nod and signaled the fleet to reduce speed.
The approaching Galar warship bore the golden lion emblem of the Galar royal family on its hull.
He turned to his first mate. "Tell the crew to stow their weapons and run up the trade flags. We are an official Unova Kingdom fleet, here by order to visit Galar and establish friendly relations."
A receiving vessel came alongside shortly after, and a Galar officer in silver-white uniform climbed aboard, his eyes moving quickly across the ship's insignia and the cargo manifest he had been handed.
"Unova Kingdom."
The name produced a visible reaction. The officer's eyes narrowed, and the hostility in them was not particularly disguised.
Columbus held his composure. "My lord, this fleet carries only civilian goods. Our purpose is purely to open trade between our two countries. We are here on the personal order of His Majesty Lucien, to visit the King of Galar."
The officer made a short, cold sound and said nothing further. The name Lucien had spread through Galar well before this fleet arrived.
The King of Unova who had ridden a Legendary Pokémon into the Kalos-Galar conflict, turned the Corviknight corps back at Lumiose City, and whose alliance with Kalos had been in place when AZ activated the Ultimate Weapon.
Whether or not Lucien had fired that weapon himself, the association was there. As an ordinary officer, however, this was not a decision he could make alone.
"I will bring this to His Majesty's attention. In the meantime, I ask that your fleet come ashore and rest here."
Columbus accepted immediately and exhaled slowly once the officer had gone.
The fleet docked and the crew settled in under Galar's arrangement. The officer traveled to the Galar capital to deliver his report.
In the throne room, Paty IV, current King of Galar, received the news with narrowed eyes.
"A fleet from Unova. The same Unova that allied with Kalos and helped drive our army back."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Paty IV made a short sound in the back of his throat, something between a cold laugh and a considering hum. These people had the nerve to sail directly into Galar waters.
He let his mind go back to a year ago. A beam of light crossing the ocean and falling on their capital. The royal city that had stood for generations, buried beneath it.
The Galar royal family, reduced to a fraction of what it had been. The casualties had been enormous, and the full count had never been properly established.
From that moment, Paty IV made up his mind. Galar and Unova would be enemies. Galar and Kalos would be enemies. There was no other conclusion to draw.
"Your Majesty, what are your orders?"
A cold smile crossed Paty IV's face. "Detain them all. Every ship, every crew member. Have them brought ashore and held to await judgment. Confiscate the cargo."
The chief soldier hesitated for only a fraction of a second, then bowed. "Yes, Your Majesty."
Several hours later, a trained Corviknight formation swept out of the capital and descended on the coastal harbor where the Unova fleet was docked. Columbus and his crew saw them coming from the deck, and the mood shifted immediately.
"What is the meaning of this?!"
A Galar officer drew his sword and leveled it at Columbus. "By order of the Galar Royal Family. The Unova Kingdom has interfered in foreign affairs and colluded with an enemy state. This fleet is implicated accordingly.
All crew are to disembark immediately and await judgment ashore. All cargo is hereby confiscated."
Columbus felt the anger rise through him like a wave. Behind him, the crew tensed, and the Pokémon on board moved into fighting stances.
"How dare you!" the Galar officer snapped. "You are in Galar territory, not Unova. Make another move and I will have every one of these ships sunk where they sit."
The sea wind pressed against the hull. Columbus looked around at the warships surrounding them and understood the arithmetic clearly. Resistance now would accomplish nothing except getting people killed.
He took a slow breath and pressed his anger down.
"We are here on the direct order of His Majesty Lucien and have colluded with no one. If your government insists on this action, produce the official documents authorizing it. We are willing to go to the Royal Palace ourselves and speak with the Royal Family directly."
The officer smiled without warmth, turned, and waved a hand. "Take them."
Galar soldiers moved in from every side. The helmsman started forward, and Columbus stopped him with a quiet gesture. He had understood, somewhere in the past few hours, that this had never been a trade visit that went wrong.
It had been a trap from the beginning, and they had walked into it. The Galar Royal Family had regarded Unova as a problem long before this fleet arrived in their waters.
But he could not afford to panic. The most important thing now was that news of this reached Lucien. Whatever happened to them here, Lucien needed to know that Galar had made its position explicit.
The ten great ships were guided one by one into the harbor under armed escort. Columbus and his crew were shackled on the dock. He looked up at the Galar castle against the bright sky, and felt the cold of it reach through the warmth of the sun.
In the study of Lucien City Castle, the present.
Lucien set the urgent dispatch down on the desk.
The coldness in his eyes had nothing to do with the temperature of the room.
Fleet blockaded. Crew imprisoned. Cargo confiscated. Diplomatic visit treated as an act of war.
He had not sought conflict with Galar. He had not been looking for enemies. His support of Kalos had been about protecting innocent lives and offering a path toward coexistence. His outreach to Galar had been a genuine attempt to open dialogue. He had wanted none of what was now in front of him.
But the Galar Royal Family had made their interpretation of events, and they had acted on it.
Elif stood nearby, reading the worry in Lucien's expression carefully. "Your Majesty..."
"I'm fine," Lucien said, quietly. He shook his head once.
Elif hesitated, then asked the next question carefully. "What does this mean for Queen Rin? If we move against Galar, Cameran Palace may have to wait."
It was a real problem. Geralt's Altaria corps and Aggron Knights were prepared to deploy to Kanto and had been waiting only for the order.
If that army was redirected, Unova's available forces would be stretched. And the situation in Kanto was already deteriorating. Every week the conflict there continued, more people and Pokémon were caught in it.
Lucien stood by the window and looked out at the early spring countryside. In the distance, from the training grounds, the sounds of the Pokémon Legion carried on the wind. Altaria cries cutting through the upper air.
The deep, rhythmic impact of Aggron moving through drills. The force he had built and shaped, Unova's shield and reach, waiting.
He had never been someone who yielded passively. He was not going to start now.
"Geralt proceeds as planned," he said. "The Kanto situation cannot be allowed to drag on. Every day of delay costs lives.
Geralt leads the Legion to Cameran Palace and assists Queen Rin in clearing the separatist forces and establishing the Kanto Pokémon League."
Elif looked up. "But Galar..."
"Galar, I handle myself."
He turned from the window. His eyes were clear and without hesitation.
"Issue the following orders."
"First: send a fast reply to Cameran Palace immediately, informing Queen Rin that Unova reinforcements will arrive within days. Give her time to make her arrangements."
"Second: reply to AZ regarding the Kalos nobility. There is no point in prolonged negotiation with people who have chosen to resist. Unova will send senior Trainers to Kalos under the designation of League advisors.
Their actual purpose is to help AZ manage the old noble power structures. If persuasion fails, they have authorization to use force."
"Third: all coastal naval installations move to first-level alert. Armored ships and the aerial patrol fleet are to begin continuous rotations immediately. Galar must not be given the opportunity to launch a surprise strike on our coasts."
He paused.
"And finally."
"I will go to Galar personally. Columbus and our people come home."