Eight hours a day. Two days off a week. A monthly salary of ten silver coins?!
For a moment, Famas thought he was dreaming.
He had to understand, back when they were slaves under the great lords, they had been forced to rise at four every morning. They worked until their masters went to sleep, never idle from dawn until nightfall, never resting throughout the year.
Compared to that…
Eight hours a day. Two days off a week.
It sounded like heaven.
"When… when are they hiring?" Famas squeezed forward and asked urgently.
"You can register right now!" the man replied.
In an instant, a group of men surged forward, excitement written all over their faces, and hurried out of the city toward the factory district on the outskirts.
It had been a long time since anyone had come here.
And now, the area had changed beyond recognition.
Massive buildings rose from the ground. Inside them, enormous machines roared as they operated, while thick black smoke poured from towering chimneys.
The sight left everyone stunned.
They entered the factory and began asking questions.
"Register? Of course," the factory manager said. "But first, what kind of work can you do?"
"We have several factories here," he explained patiently.
"Textile mills that produce clothing and carpets. Ironworks that smelt steel.
And even a pharmaceutical factory that mass-produces medicine."
Famas and the others were dumbstruck.
They didn't know how to spin yarn or weave cloth. At best, they could do heavy labor in steel smelting.
Sensing their unease, the manager smiled.
"Don't worry. Before you officially start work, we'll provide training."
Everyone let out a collective sigh of relief.
After registering their information, they were informed that starting the next day, they would undergo one week of paid training before formally beginning work.
When Famas saw his name written in the registry, a massive weight finally lifted from his chest.
He rushed home, barely able to contain his excitement.
"Dear! I found a job!"
Linda was just placing a roasted chicken on the table. Hearing her husband's words, a bright smile spread across her face.
"Come eat!"
Famas froze.
The table was filled with food, far more than they could normally afford.
His expression immediately turned serious.
"Linda… we don't have much money left. Whatever you did, please tell me it wasn't anything illegal…"
"What nonsense are you thinking?" Linda shot him an annoyed look before laughing.
"I found a job too."
"Starting tomorrow, Martha from next door and I will be working at the textile factory in the suburbs. We'll earn twelve silver coins a month!"
"What?!" Famas exclaimed.
"I'll be working at the steel mill right next to it!"
Linda's eyes lit up.
"That's perfect! We can go to work together and come home together. And once we save enough money, we'll send Gray to Pokémon School."
"Maybe he'll even become a great trainer someday."
Her voice was filled with hope.
"With more money, we can go to the breeding center and buy Gray a Pokémon egg. He'll grow up alongside Pokémon and avoid so many hardships in the future."
"Yes," Famas nodded firmly, his eyes shining.
"With His Majesty Lucien here, life will only get better and better."
They would never forget the king's kindness.
"Come on," Linda said gently. "Let's eat together."
Scenes like this played out again and again across Lucien City.
The establishment of factories drastically eased the city's employment crisis, providing work for countless civilians.
And in return, Lucien's satisfaction value surged dramatically.
Inside the castle, Lucien looked at the panel before him and murmured,
"Now… I can finally unlock the remaining two critical technologies."
With a single thought, the restraints binding the technology tree shattered.
A flood of information poured into his mind.
[Steam Train–related technologies unlocked!]
[Steam Train: Rail manufacturing methods, track-laying technology, operational theory, and steam locomotive manufacturing unlocked.]
/
[Pellet Crafting Technology Unlocked!]
[Pellet Crafting Technology: Unlocks pelt-based crafting techniques, allowing the production of old-fashioned Poké Balls using pelts and specific materials.]
The old method of transporting goods between towns, relying solely on manpower and Pokémon caravans, was outdated, inefficient, and dangerously vulnerable to bandits and wild Pokémon.
Steam trains would dramatically increase transportation efficiency and vastly improve cargo safety.
But the pellet crafting technology was just as crucial.
Although Poké Balls crafted from pelts differed in appearance from modern Poké Balls, their performance and capture capability were virtually identical to those used by Ash in the anime, with the sole exception that they could not shrink Pokémon.
Even so, their significance was immense.
With Poké Balls now manufacturable, Trainer culture could finally be promoted nationwide.
Trainers would travel between cities, purchase supplies from Friendship Shops, challenge Gyms, and participate in League tournaments in pursuit of becoming the strongest.
While those who lost would continue their journeys, honing their skills and growing stronger.
Thus, a complete and self-sustaining industry chain would take shape.
Compared to this, distributing Poké Balls was relatively simple.
All that was required was mass production and nationwide supply to Friendship Shops.
Steam trains, however…
That was another matter entirely.
Steel mills had to smelt iron, manufacture rails, and lay tracks across vast distances, a colossal project that would take at least two to three years to complete.
"Oh well," Lucien muttered softly.
"I have time."
For now, the most important thing was to hand this knowledge over to the Royal Workshop so research and experimentation could begin.
Lucien picked up his pen and carefully transcribed everything in his mind before handing the documents to Elif, instructing him to deliver them to the craftsmen.
By now, Elif was already accustomed to His Majesty casually producing world-changing innovations.
He accepted the papers and prepared to leave, but paused mid-step, suddenly remembering something.
"By the way, Your Majesty Lucien," Elif said, "we've located over a hundred of the Flying-type Pokémon you asked us to gather. They're currently housed in a courtyard within Lucien City. Would you like to see them?"
"Over a hundred?" Lucien raised an eyebrow in surprise.
"That should be enough for now."
He nodded.
"Take me to them."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
It had to be said, being king was remarkably convenient at times.
Often, a single sentence was all it took for his subordinates to accomplish tasks that would otherwise require immense time and effort.
Steam trains were still far from operational.
And until then, something else would need to fill the gap.
Almost immediately, Lucien thought of a well-known mode of transportation from the modern Pokémon world, the Pokémon Flying Taxi.
This system made use of Flying-type Pokémon to transport passengers, effectively replacing traditional buses and carriages with aerial travel.
In the Galar region, for example, Flying Taxis primarily used Corviknight, which gripped passenger platforms with its massive talons and carried them through the sky.
In the Paldea region, however, because Tinkaton, the natural predator of Corviknight, roamed the land and was infamous for hurling its hammer to knock Corviknight out of the sky, people instead relied on another Pokémon to fulfill this role.
Come to think of it…
The Unova region had no shortage of Pokémon suitable for serving as flying taxi operators.
/
For example, the final evolution of Unova's native regional bird, Unfezant, as well as the brave and imposing Braviary, were both excellent candidates.
The two left the castle, and before long, guided by Elif, Lucien arrived at a lush, green manor.
The moment he passed through the gates, sharp cries unique to Flying-type Pokémon echoed from within.
"Your Majesty Lucien!"
The manor's caretaker hurried forward and bowed deeply.
"Take me to see the Pokémon housed here," Lucien said calmly.
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
The caretaker quickly led the way, and soon a dense forest came into view.
It was clearly an artificially transplanted woodland. Between the branches, Lucien could vaguely make out the silhouettes of numerous bird Pokémon.
The caretaker let out a sharp whistle.
Instantly, the forest erupted with movement. Leaves rustled, branches swayed, and a large number of Pokémon flew out from among the trees, landing neatly before Lucien.
Lucien's gaze swept across them.
Pidove, Unfezant, Crobat, Noivern, Braviary, Vullaby, Swanna, Skarmory, Wingull, Pelipper, Gliscor, Drifblim, Altaria,
"So many species?" Lucien raised an eyebrow in mild surprise.
"These Pokémon are mostly veterans of the previous war," Elif explained.
"After the war ended, some returned to the wild, some chose to live alongside humans, and others followed soldiers to different cities as you ordered, where they now serve as sheriffs or peacekeepers."
No wonder.
Lucien nodded slowly, his eyes continuing to assess the assembled Pokémon.
The Pokémon, in turn, looked back at him with curiosity.
Was this the human king who had stopped the war and allowed them to live here in peace?
Their gazes were filled with goodwill.
Lucien, however, didn't notice.
He was already deep in thought, carefully evaluating which Pokémon would be suitable for operating flying taxis.
Pidove was far too small to carry passengers. It could wait until it matured.
Unfezant was agile and powerful, but its talons weren't well-suited for gripping transport platforms like Corviknight.
Vullaby… had a temper. If it became stubborn mid-flight, there was a very real chance it might simply dump its passengers.
Skarmory, on the other hand, was an excellent candidate.
It was said to fly at speeds exceeding 300 kilometers per hour, comparable to high-speed trains. With Skarmory flying taxis, the journey from Lucien City to Castelia City could be shortened to just three hours.
Pelipper wasn't ideal for passenger transport, but it was perfect for mail and cargo delivery.
The same applied to Gliscor, Drifblim, and Altaria.
As for Tropius…
Lucien's gaze lingered on the bunches of banana-like fruit hanging from its neck.
Tropius clearly had far better uses than transportation, such as agricultural support and ranching.
/
Among the hundred-plus Pokémon present, there were more than a dozen Tropius.
At that scale, a Tropius ranch could easily be established, much like those in the Alola region.
After all, the bananas that grew around Tropius's neck were incredibly popular with children.
"Ahem."
Lucien coughed lightly twice.
At once, all the Pokémon turned their gazes toward him.
Lucien spoke slowly and gently,
"How are you all doing here?"
"Chirp!"
"Beee!"
"Wooo~!"
The Pokémon answered enthusiastically.
It was obvious they were quite satisfied with their lives here.
Lucien smiled.
"That's good to hear," he said.
"Now, I need your help with something."
"I'm planning to establish a flying taxi company. For that, I need Pokémon who can fly, and who are confident in their flying abilities, to work with us."
"The job will involve transporting passengers between cities on a daily basis."
"If you're interested, you can apply through Elif's office."
"As compensation," Lucien continued calmly, "we'll provide you with all the food you want to eat."
"And even when you grow older and no longer have the strength to hunt, we will continue to care for you."
"You'll be able to stay here and live peacefully for as long as you wish."
In essence, working as a flying taxi Pokémon meant a lifetime guarantee of food and shelter, free from predators, danger, or the hardships of the wild.
At first, many of the Pokémon didn't quite grasp the full meaning of his words.
Seeing this, Lucien patiently explained, using simple terms, what a flying taxi was, what the daily work would involve, and what kind of treatment they would receive.
Gradually, understanding dawned.
The moment they realized that they would no longer need to risk their lives hunting, that they could eat freely for the rest of their lives, eat whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted,and even spend their old age in safety, many Pokémon's eyes widened.
"Wha…?" an Altaria tilted its head in disbelief.
Was something like this really possible?
"Of course," Lucien nodded solemnly.
"I swear it in the name of the King."
The moment those words fell, the Flying-type Pokémon surged forward all at once, crowding around Lucien and chirping excitedly, eagerly announcing themselves.
Work? Flying every day?
That didn't matter at all!
Human food tasted far better than anything they could scavenge in the wild.
This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
...
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