Walking on the streets of Nimbasa City, looking at the clean and tidy red brick streets under their feet, and the bustling and lively scene around them, the breathing of everyone in the Kalos delegation almost became heavy.
Suddenly, someone noticed several light figures sweeping across the sky above the distant street.
They were not ordinary flying birds, but large avian Pokémon with exquisite and sturdy metal cabins fixed to their backs, inside which sat ordinary Commoners.
As those Pokémon flapped their wings, those strange cabins glided steadily across the sky.
"W-what is that?" a young craftsman exclaimed, pointing to the sky, "Pokémon... can actually be used as mounts like carriages to carry people? And so docile and steady?"
"That is a pokémon flying taxi," Draconis said in a flat tone, as if he were speaking of the most ordinary thing.
"In Nimbasa City, whether you are a Commoner or a noble, as long as you pay a small fee, you can ride them to go anywhere in the city, fast and safe."
AZ looked up at the pokémon flying taxi shuttling across the sky, and the Floette on his shoulder also raised its head, the petals of the eternal flower trembling gently.
He had seen Galar's raptor Pokémon trained into ultimate weapons, and had seen wild avian Pokémon attack people with sharp claws upon sight, but he had never seen them trusted, treated kindly, and walking alongside humans as equals like this.
Unova... has utilized the power of Pokémon to the extreme!
It was already dusk when the group set off from Castelia City, and now that they had arrived in Nimbasa City, the sky had gradually darkened.
Before the group could recover from the shock of the pokémon flying taxi, twilight had arrived, and the whole city gradually darkened.
The next second, the glass lamps on both sides of the streets, on the windowsills of buildings, and on the pillars of the square suddenly lit up.
Warm white light dispelled the shadows; there was no open flame, no oily smoke, just quietly emitting a stable light, illuminating the entire city as if it were daytime.
"Lights? Are these lights?" Seeing this scene, Callen stepped forward abruptly, his gray beard trembling slightly, "No kerosene, no candles... how can they light up on their own?"
"They are electric lights, powered by electricity and the power of Pokémon," Draconis raised his hand and pointed to the power generation facilities faintly visible in the distance of the city.
"electric lights..." Another term he had never heard before; Callen's heart trembled.
Draconis smiled and said, "In Unova, the night is no longer darkness and fear. Even in the homes of ordinary Commoners, there are electric lights for illumination. With light, children can study at night with peace of mind, and craftsmen can continue to work at night."
The craftsmen of Kalos felt a chill run through them.
In their homeland, only the residences of nobles had lights that never went out at night. Commoners could only rely on weak oil lamps to get by, and Slaves were not even worthy of having a single lamp, having to huddle in the darkness to endure the long night.
Yet in the city before them, light was so cheap that everyone could possess it!
Some people could not help but reveal expressions of envy in their eyes.
A thought could not help but emerge in their hearts at this moment—if only they could live here too!
"Alright, it is getting late. Everyone, please go and rest first. Tomorrow, I will send someone to take you to properly tour Nimbasa City," Draconis said softly.
He looked at Alfred, who had received the message, and signaled him to take the Kalos group to their accommodation to rest.
"Everyone, please follow me!" Alfred smiled and stepped forward.
The group nodded. While looking around with curiosity, they walked along the red brick street.
The road under their feet was flat and smooth, with no mud, no trash, and certainly none of the suffocating scenes they were familiar with.
—No chains, no whip marks, no Slaves crawling on their knees, and no violent sounds of masters berating their servants.
It was evening, but the shops in Nimbasa City were not closed for the night; instead, they presented a different, lively scene.
In a barbecue shop by the street, the waiter smiled and greeted customers, while a Magmar beside him obediently used its flames to help grill the meat.
On the field ridges, a Farmer and a Machamp carried farm tools side by side, walking home while chatting and laughing.
Even the porters in the city patted the shoulders of Machoke, sharing the same piece of bread while resting.
A craftsman who had come with the delegation and had grown up in the Kalos mines from a young age felt his heart tremble as he watched everything before him.
In Kalos... craftsmen like them were nothing more than the private property of the royal family, Slaves of the nobles, their lives as cheap as grass.
He looked at the Commoners walking freely in Nimbasa City with smiles on their faces.
Here... even the most ordinary people could eat their fill, dress warmly, and live with dignity... no Slaves, no oppression, everyone could walk with their heads held high.
They chipped stone, cut wood, and forged day and night, only to be rewarded with whipping and hunger.
Yet the people here worked and rested together with the monsters... no, with the Pokémon, respecting each other, relying on each other... was this truly the human world, or heaven?
They had once thought that the world was supposed to be a place with strict class structures, people divided into noble and low, and Pokémon being either Slaves or enemies.
But Nimbasa City had completely crushed the rules they had believed in all their lives.
AZ stood quietly in the crowd, his gaze sweeping over every peaceful smiling face, over the streets without chains, over the lights that shone all night, and over the flying taxis rising and falling freely in the sky.
He was the King of Kalos, holding the power of life and death, possessing countless Slaves, having built magnificent palaces, and having forged the ultimate weapon that destroyed everything.
He thought that was power, that was strength.
But only now did he understand that the true strength of a nation was not how many weapons it had, nor how many Slaves it possessed.
It was that every citizen could live with dignity, every Pokémon could be treated with kindness, and every inch of land could grow peace and hope.
Floette landed gently on his palm, rubbing against his slightly cool fingertips with its tender petals.
AZ lowered his head, looking at this Pokémon that had accompanied him through catastrophe and despair, then looked up at this city of miracles, his hoarse voice filled with unprecedented trembling and regret.
"Were we... wrong?"
Draconis stood beside him and said softly, "There is no right or wrong. Furthermore, the land of Kalos still exists, and the citizens are still there. As long as you are willing to lay down destruction and oppression, learn to coexist with Pokémon, and learn to give the citizens freedom and dignity, Kalos can also become like this."
In a corner where no one noticed, that Zygarde Core lay quietly on the roof of a house, transmitting all these scenes back to the depths of Terminus Cave.
Inside the cave, the massive Zygarde body slowly opened its eyes.
The faint green light emitted from its body was no longer the intimidating power of order, but had added a touch of gentleness.
It had guarded this land for thousands of years, having seen too many wars caused by greed and hatred, too many tragedies of humans and Pokémon slaughtering each other, and countless destructions born from negative energy.
It had always thought that humans were the source of destroying order.
But Draconis had subverted all its perceptions with his actions.
Humans and Pokémon did not have to be opposed to each other.
They could become partners, become family, and work together to build a land full of light and hope.
This was the true order that the land should have most.
This was the "order" it had always yearned for.
The night grew thicker, and the lights of Nimbasa City fell like a galaxy, spreading across the entire city, making it brilliant and warm.
Alfred led the Kalos delegation through the crisscrossing streets, heading towards the embassy district.
The scenes along the way were challenging the perceptions of the Kalos group with every step.
When passing by a neighborhood where Commoners lived, through a half-open wooden door, the group clearly saw the scene inside the house.
In a small house of over eighty square meters, the electric light was bright, and at a wooden table, a family of three was sitting together.
Beside the father lay a dozing Growlithe; the mother held needle and thread in her hands, with a Skitty lying at her feet; even the child sitting on a small stool writing had a sleepy Pichu perched on their shoulder.
There were no strict hierarchies, no barriers between tools and masters, only the companionship and stability full of the atmosphere of daily life.
An old craftsman from a village in Kalos watched with reddened eyes, feeling incomparably envious in his heart.
Noticing the gazes of the group, Alfred stopped and explained gently:
"In our Unova Kingdom, Pokémon are never tools. They will lend a help when working, serve as pillows when tired, and step forward in times of danger. Humans and Pokémon rely on each other for survival, which is why life has something to look forward to."
These words, like a heavy hammer, struck the hearts of AZ and the many ministers.
They had once thought that the power of monsters should be used to forge weapons, to consolidate royal power, and to crush enemies.
But at this moment, these powers were being used in the most ordinary daily life: guarding the house, driving away pests, and accompanying children.
This was a way of living he had never imagined, turning "power" into "warmth."
Continuing forward, they arrived at the embassy district. This was a row of neat wooden courtyards, much simpler than the luxurious side halls of the royal palace, but with bright windows and clean rooms, and flowers and plants planted in the courtyard.
"Everyone, this is the accommodation prepared by Unova for our distinguished guests from afar," Alfred pushed open the courtyard gate and said with a smile.
"There will be dedicated personnel to take care of your daily needs. Tomorrow morning, there will be a special guide to take you to visit Unova's farmland, workshops, and medical clinics. Please get some good rest."
Callen hurriedly stepped forward to express his gratitude: "Thank you, Lord Alfred, and thank you for the hospitality of His Majesty Draconis."
The group walked into the courtyard, and just as they had settled their luggage, a sound of light footsteps suddenly came from outside the house.
Opening the door to look, it was a maid, carrying a food box in her hand, with a Heracross following behind her.
That Heracross was helping the agronomist push the food box, walking slowly over.
"This is the dinner prepared for everyone," the maid smiled and opened the food box, inside of which was steaming hot food, including grilled meat, vegetables, and several bowls of fragrant thick soup.
AZ looked at the bowl of soup, and the Floette beside him sniffed it gently, emitting a soft Growl.
In Kalos, although the royal banquets were sumptuous, they never had this kind of homely warmth, and for the people at the bottom, even filling their stomachs was an extravagant hope.
Seeing everyone staring at the Heracross, the maid smiled and introduced it: "This is a Heracross. It is strong and obedient. It helps me transport ingredients and water the vegetable fields. It is my good helper!"
The Heracross seemed to understand the praise; it narrowed its eyes, and a happy expression appeared on its face.
The eyes of the old minister Callen were filled with emotion.
In this place, the coexistence of humans and Pokémon was not just empty words.
It was taking root and sprouting in every street, every household, and every ordinary moment in Nimbasa City.
The night grew deeper, and the lights of Nimbasa City remained bright.
The members of the Kalos delegation sat around the dining table, eating the steaming dinner.
AZ watched this scene before him, looked up at the brightly lit city outside the window, and said softly to Callen and the craftsmen beside him:
"Tomorrow... we will go and see the farmland of Unova, and see how the people here work and live together with Pokémon."
Callen nodded heavily, his eyes full of determination: "As you command, Your Majesty."
The next day, just as the sky was beginning to brighten, the streets of Nimbasa City had already awakened.
There were no shouts of soldiers in the early morning like in the Kalos royal capital, and no sounds of whipping Slaves forced to work.
Instead, there were the crisp cries of Pokémon, the gentle hawking of vendors, and the laughter of pedestrians greeting each other.
Alfred had long been waiting outside the embassy, followed by several officials responsible for agronomy, architecture, industry, and people's livelihood, respectively, with each official accompanied by a docile and cooperative Pokémon.
"The itinerary for today has been arranged. Please follow me first to the Unova Central Farmland area outside the city to see how grain has a bumper harvest with the help of Pokémon," Alfred gestured in invitation, his tone relaxed and natural.
The Kalos delegation had almost not slept all night, but their eyes were not filled with fatigue; instead, they were filled with eager light.
They hurriedly finished breakfast and followed Alfred onto the road leading to the suburbs.
This time, Draconis had specially arranged several steam vehicles. Without horses pulling them, relying only on boilers and gears to turn, they carried everyone forward steadily, once again amazing the Kalos group, who were used to the bumping of carriages.
In less than an hour, endless golden farmland appeared before their eyes.
As the wind blew, wheat waves rolled, and the fragrance rushed to their faces. Between the field ridges, countless Pokémon were cooperating tacitly with Farmers.
Landorus hovered in mid-air, gently sprinkling its power to keep the soil fertile and loose.
A Simipour stood in the field, spraying water from its mouth, precisely sprinkling water onto every inch of dry, cracked land.
Even the little Oddish were working hard to use Ingrain in the soil, purifying the turbid air and helping the crops to better Growth.
There was no berating, no chains; humans and Pokémon bent down side by side, wiping sweat together, and smiling together as they looked at the wheat field about to have a harvest.
"In Kalos, we have to rely on hundreds of serfs to farm day and night to barely support a small city, and we often encounter natural disasters, resulting in no harvest..." Callen stroked his beard, his voice trembling uncontrollably, "But here, just a few dozen Farmers, plus these Pokémon, can guard such vast fields..."
An old official who used to be responsible for supervising farming in Kalos had his eyes redden instantly.
He had seen too many Slaves beaten to death because they could not plow the fields, seen too many fields left desolate because no one took care of them, and seen too many common people collapse on the side of the road due to famine.
But in Unova, hunger seemed like something so distant that it would never happen. Abundance and stability were written on every inch of land.
"The Unova Kingdom no longer uses Slaves for farming," the official responsible for agronomy explained with a smile.
"Pokémon understand the land better than human labor and are better at cultivating crops. We respect them and treat them kindly, and they will use all their strength to repay this land."
"Moreover, relying on the power of Grass-type Pokémon, the Growth cycle of these crops will also be significantly shortened. Wheat that originally took several months to mature can now be harvested in just one to two months."
"O-one to two months?!" The old minister Callen's face was greatly shocked: "How is this possible?!"
This completely exceeded their understanding and common sense!
However, the official just smiled: "This is the power of Pokémon! With them, we never have to worry about going hungry again."
"Unbelievable... This is truly incredible!" Callen could not help but mutter, and the craftsmen behind him also showed the same expression on their faces.
....
Power Stones PLZZZZZ
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