But… how was that even possible?
To take ordinary clay, the same material used for bricks, and mold it into the form of a Golurk, then make it move…
That was beyond comprehension.
Lucien frowned, recalling Golurk's typing, Ground and Ghost.Could it be that the ancients had used souls as their power source when crafting them?
Was that how these clay guardians had come to life?
It was pure black technology, a forgotten art from an age of miracles.
Unfortunately, since the technology was still locked, Lucien couldn't view any further details.
He sighed with a trace of regret, then turned his attention back to his current needs.
Based on the territory's immediate situation, he chose to unlock Advanced Berry Cultivation, Fertilizer Science, and Toilet.
In an instant, the satisfaction points he had painstakingly saved were completely drained.
At the same time, a flood of information poured into his mind, knowledge and blueprints appearing one after another.
[Unlocked: Techniques for cultivating rare Berries such as Lansat Berry, Apicot Berry, and Starf Berry!]
[Unlocked: Formulas for crafting fertilizers that enhance crop growth!]
[Unlocked: Construction methods for sanitary toilets!]
"With this," Lucien thought with relief, "both the residents and Pokémon of the territory will finally have proper sanitation facilities."
He skimmed through the fertilizer blueprints, and quickly noticed several distinct types.
One variety was created by mixing crop stalks with Bouffalant manure, then stomping and fermenting the mixture into nutrient-rich compost.
Another used human waste that had been properly decomposed, thankfully, a process the Toilet technology now handled automatically.
Lucien glanced at the Toilet blueprint. It wasn't just a crude pit latrine, it was a complete structure integrating decomposition, filtration, oxidation, and conversion systems, ensuring both hygiene and sustainability.
Each fertilizer type served a unique purpose, some accelerated crop growth, while others improved soil fertility.
There were no modern chemical fertilizers yet, but what he had now was more than enough.
Leaving his Pokémon to rest at home, Lucien made his way to the Lord's Hall, where he summoned Elif and gave his next set of orders: construct the new toilets and begin fertilizer production.
Elif immediately departed to carry out the tasks.
Lucien exhaled slowly. For the first time in a while, he allowed himself a moment of calm.
His eyes returned to the System panel, resting on that intriguing technology, [Clay Golem].
"I need to find a way to gather more satisfaction points," he thought.
"I have to see how those Clay Dolls and Golurk are actually made."
If he could bring those ancient Pokémon to life, his territory's productivity would skyrocket.
Construction of the future city would progress faster than ever.
The thought alone filled him with anticipation.
Meanwhile, at the Megan Ranch
At that very moment, over at Megan Ranch, Megan was overseeing her brother Chris as he dug out a pond and diverted a stream from the nearby river.
Once the water cleared and rippled softly under the sunlight, Megan gently released six Magikarp into the pond.
Watching them swim freely in their new home, she let out a long breath of satisfaction.
"All right, this will be your new home. Live well here."
Beside her, Chris also relaxed a little. He turned toward the nearby Combee hives, their golden chambers glinting like miniature palaces, and reminded his sister:
"Don't forget His Highness Lucien's instructions."
"I won't, brother," Megan replied quickly.
Chris looked around the pasture, then nodded. "You take care of the monsters. I'll start planting the flowers."
According to Lucien's orders, the Combee produced honey by collecting nectar. If the ranch had its own flower field, the bees wouldn't have to fly so far anymore.
Without delay, Chris began his work.
The flower seeds were of a rare species known as the Gracidea Flower, a sacred bloom said to have been brought by emissaries from distant lands.
In the Unova Region, such flowers were incredibly rare.
Lucien, fond of flowers himself, had been gifted these precious seeds by the king to decorate his gardens.Yet, he had entrusted them instead to Megan and Chris, for the sake of the ranch and the Pokémon.
They couldn't let him down.
Chris made a silent vow to nurture the flowers with utmost care.
Meanwhile, Megan carefully approached the beehives.Inside, the golden honeycombs gleamed like a palace made of sunlight, and the sweet aroma of fresh honey filled the air.
She watched in wonder, utterly entranced by the sight, until a Combee buzzed in from outside, startling her from her daydream.
Megan gently knocked on the hive's wooden frame and called softly,
"Um… excuse me!"
Inside, the Combee and their Vespiquen all turned toward her in unison.
It was Megan's first time facing these unfamiliar Pokémon alone, and she couldn't help but tense up, her hands clutching her apron nervously.
"I—I-uh, I was wondering… is there anything I can do to help you?" she asked carefully.
Sensing her unease, the Vespiquen regarded her quietly. The queen could feel it, this human girl wasn't hostile; she was simply afraid.
"Beeee~"
The Vespiquen let out a soft, melodic hum.
A moment later, one of the Combee buzzed over, carrying a small piece of golden honey. It fluttered before Megan and offered it to her.
"Huh? Is this… for me?" Megan blinked, startled.
The Combee nodded happily before zipping back to its queen's side.
Megan hesitated only a moment before tasting the honey. The moment it touched her tongue, her eyes lit up.
"It's so sweet!"
"Bee~" Vespiquen replied with a warm, approving tone.
"Thank you so much!" Megan said, bowing slightly. The tension in her shoulders finally eased.
Pointing to herself, she added sincerely,
"If you ever need anything, please tell me. My brother and I will do our best to help you!"
Vespiquen gave a gentle nod of acknowledgment.
"Beeee~"
Relieved, Megan smiled brightly for the first time that day.
That night, Megan and her brother Chris stayed at the ranch to rest.
They had already moved their belongings from the old house to this new home. Though the building wasn't large, it was well-built and surprisingly comfortable, with several separate rooms.
After a long day of hard work, the siblings soon fell fast asleep.
Late at Night
The world outside lay silent under the pale moonlight.
High above the ranch, a dark figure glided silently through the air, a Mothim, its body cloaked in black with an orange stripe running across its abdomen.
It had followed the sweet scent of honey through the night sky, drawn irresistibly toward its source.
Hovering in the darkness, the Mothim circled once, its crimson eyes glinting with greed as they locked onto one particular building below.
A hive.
Mothim, nomadic by nature, wandered endlessly over mountains and fields, forever in search of nectar.
But despite their diet, scholars had long noted something peculiar about this species: though they lived on nectar, they were rarely seen in flower fields.
Instead, they only became active under cover of night, sneaking into the hives of sleeping Combee colonies to steal their honey.
And tonight… was no different.
The Mothim's gaze burned with hunger as it fixed upon the hive below.
It circled patiently, waiting.
Only when the entire hive had fallen silent, every Combee and even the Vespiquen slumbering soundly, did it finally descend.
It slipped quietly inside.
The scent of honey was overwhelming, filling the air with a sweetness that made the thief's mouth water.
For a moment, Mothim froze in blissful disbelief.
'Was this… heaven?'
It darted forward eagerly, avoiding the sleeping Combee with practiced ease, and began to drink the sticky golden honey coating its tongue.
But in its greed, Mothim lost itself.
A faint rustle escaped its wings, a whisper of sound that echoed too loudly in the stillness.
The noise jolted the Combee awake.
"Bee! Bee-bee!"
Dozens of tiny eyes blinked open, and the Vespiquen's royal hum cut through the hive like a blade.
They saw the intruder.
And their honey thief.
In an instant, the once-peaceful hive erupted into chaos.
"Beeee!!"