Sitis had originally been nothing more than a low-ranking soldier in the 7th Legion of the Landon Army.
He was born in a small town in the northern reaches of Castelia Territory. Before the war broke out, he and several fellow villagers had been forcibly conscripted and sent to join the Landon Army.
Sitis deeply despised war. He had never wanted to fight, especially because Eindoak had once been a united nation, only to be torn in two by the clashing ideologies of its two princes.
A single thin line now divided the land into north and south.
Not long ago, those in the south could still travel freely to the northern towns to visit relatives, meet friends, and conduct trade.
But after the war erupted, the borders were sealed. Passage to the north was completely cut off.
Worse still, Sitis had heard that Prince Lance was also conscripting soldiers on a massive scale.
If his friends living in the northern towns were drafted as well… wouldn't that mean they might one day meet on the battlefield as enemies?
That possibility had always haunted him.
Yet all too often, what people fear most is exactly what comes to pass.
On one battlefield, Sitis truly did see familiar faces among the opposing troops, several of his old friends, standing across from him.
Just as the two sides were about to clash, Prince Lucien arrived.
Riding the divine dragon Kyurem, he halted the impending battle and stopped the war from erupting into full slaughter.
Prince Lucien's address to the world struck Sitis deeply.
He found himself agreeing wholeheartedly with every word.
They shared the same blood. For thousands of years, they had lived together on this land. Why, then, should they kill one another?
If he were forced to choose a ruler to serve, Sitis knew without hesitation that he would choose Prince Lucien over Prince Landon, and over Prince Lance.
Thanks to Prince Lucien, the war came to an end.
And so, these soldiers were brought to Prince Lucien's territory.
There, Sitis witnessed a sight he had never seen before.
The streets were clean and orderly. Humans and magical beasts lived together in harmony, peaceful and prosperous.
Water-type monsters sprayed water to nourish flowers for the townsfolk. Flying monsters carried parcels in their beaks, helping deliver goods across the city. Fire-breathing monsters gathered before bakery ovens, using their flames to help bakers produce warm, soft, fragrant bread…
The scene was reflected in everyone's eyes.
Recalling Prince Lucien's earlier words, realization dawned on them all.
Humans and monsters could truly live together like this.
Even the monsters that had once served in the Lance Army were left stunned by the sight.
Emboar, Golduck, Aggron, Magmar, Onix, and many others stood frozen in disbelief.
Afterward, the town hall staff began arranging accommodations for the newly arrived soldiers.
Sitis was fortunate enough to be assigned a two-story house with a yard.
Those soldiers who were not immediately given housing were instead assigned to help construct new homes and expand the town, working side by side with the monsters.
At first, Sitis thought little of it. But after asking around, he was shocked to learn that anyone who helped with construction would be paid in gold coins.
Upon hearing this, even soldiers who had already been given houses voluntarily joined the construction teams, throwing themselves into the city's expansion.
During this time, town hall officials came to collect detailed information from them, their former hometowns, family members, and current family circumstances.
Sitis initially assumed this was nothing more than routine registration.
Then one day, after returning home exhausted from a long day's labor, he pushed open his door and froze.
Inside the house stood his white-haired parents, and his younger sister.
His body stiffened. His eyes trembled. His face was filled with disbelief.
"Big brother!"
The little girl spotted him at once and ran forward, throwing herself into his arms.
Feeling the warmth of her embrace, a single thought flashed through Sitis's mind, this wasn't a dream.
All of it… was real.
"Father, Mother… how did you get here?" Sitis asked, staring at his parents' excited expressions in disbelief.
"It was Prince Lucien who sent someone to bring us," the elderly woman recalled with emotion. "That day, I was washing dishes at home when someone knocked on the door. He said, 'Your son has begun a new life in Lucien City. If you wish to see him, His Highness has ordered us to bring you there.'"
After that, they packed their belongings and followed the man without hesitation.
"Prince Lucien…"
Sitis felt deeply shaken.
In times of war, their hometown could not escape the tide of destruction, it was only a matter of time.
Ever since leaving home, Sitis had lived in constant fear that his parents might die in the war, or worse, be forced to wander as refugees.
But now…
They had all been safely brought here by Prince Lucien's people.
The family of four, survivors of hardship and separation, embraced tightly, tears streaming down their faces.
In that moment, Sitis silently made a decision.
From this day forward, he would join Prince Lucien's army and fight to protect Lucien City!
...
In an inn located in a town east of Castelia, an area untouched by the war.
Lucien was resting there temporarily.
With a single thought, the Territory Interface appeared before his eyes.
[Lord's Name: Lucien]
[Territory: Lucien City (Town under expansion)]
[Subordinate Territories: Twin Dragons City, Kagome Village, Ripple Town, Wave City, Black Territory, Hinoki Castle… (Click to view details)]
[Citizens (Humans): 52,358]
[Citizens (Pokémon): 1,428]
[Popularity: 78 (United)]
[Satisfaction: 75,680]
[Technologies: Animal Husbandry, Fishing, Pottery, Clay Figurines, Papermaking…]
"It seems those fifty thousand soldiers have temporarily integrated into Lucien City," Lucien thought.
A population exceeding fifty-three thousand already fulfilled one of the three requirements for advancing into the Industrial Age.
The remaining two were:
Satisfaction ≥ 100,000
Public Morale ≥ 90
Satisfaction could be accumulated steadily over time.
The real issue was morale.
The sudden influx of fifty thousand people had diluted the city's original public morale of 95.
However, Lucien wasn't worried.
Once the war fully ended, morale would naturally recover.
At that point, he would officially step into the Industrial Age, unlocking technologies such as:
Steam Engine, Factory, Energy Development, Steam Train
When that time came, he would connect the entire Unova region through an old-fashioned steam railway.
Yet compared to these plans, something else caught Lucien's attention.
As more territories submitted to his rule, a new section, "Subordinate Territories" had appeared on the interface.
Lucien focused his mind, and information about Twin Dragons City surfaced instantly.
[Territory Name: Twin Dragons City] [Lord: Sharon] [Loyalty: 80] [Territory Size: Medium] [Territory Population: 66,589]
"Hmm? Even the loyalty of other lords is displayed?"
Lucien was mildly surprised.
He continued checking the remaining subordinate territories.
Kagome Village had the highest loyalty, at 96
Black Territory was the lowest, at only 30
As for Ripple Town, Wave City, and Hinoki Castle, their locations, far from the kingdom's center and close to the sea, meant their loyalty levels were moderate. Not high, but not dangerously low either.
"Hm…"
Lucien took a slow, deep breath, silently considering his next steps.
The unification he had begun was only the start.
Many more challenges still awaited him.
In the aftermath of the war, everything would need to be rebuilt.
Cities had to be reconstructed. Systems reformed. The Pokémon League was established. Trainer knowledge spread across the land.
All of these were essential tasks.
But thinking about them now was still too far ahead.
At present, the most urgent matter was dealing with Reshiram and Zekrom.
Throughout Lucien's campaign, backed by Kyurem's absolute power, nearly the entire eastern region of Unova had already submitted to him.
And now, Lucien's gaze settled on the central region of the map before him.
That was where Castelia Territory lay.
And to the north of Castelia Territory stretched the Castelia Plains, where the main forces of his two elder brothers were stationed.
If Kyurem could devour even one of them…
Then no one in the Unova region would be capable of stopping him.
This was the terrifying might of Legendary Pokémon.
Reshiram, Zekrom, and Kyurem were equivalent to nuclear weapons in this world.
If Kyurem alone could already exert such overwhelming influence, then what kind of power would Pokémon like Groudon, the so-called God of the Earth, possess?
The world was far too vast.
Lucien wanted to see it with his own eyes.
After completing the unification and construction of the entire Unova region, he intended to travel beyond its borders, to witness what the rest of the world looked like in this era.
...
In Castelia City, a towering castle loomed over the town.
Upon the throne sat Prince Landon, listening intently to reports from his subordinates.
Suddenly, a scout burst into the hall.
"Report! Your Highness, Prince Landon! Disaster has struck!"
Landon raised his gaze sharply.
"What is it? Why are you in such a panic?"
"Black Territory, Ripple Town… all of them have fallen! The entire eastern part of the kingdom has completely slipped from our control!"
"The kingdom's First General, Worth, has been killed in battle! The campaign against Twin Dragons City has failed!"
At these words, Landon's pupils shrank violently.
"What happened?!"
"It was Prince Lucien! Your brother, Prince Lucien!" the scout cried.
"According to eyewitnesses, he descended upon the battlefields riding a divine dragon, ending the wars with absolute force! He compelled the local lords and armies to surrender and submit to him!"
Lucien?!
Shock and disbelief surged through Landon's mind.
His third brother, Lucien, who had grown up playing within the royal city, who had never involved himself in politics or military affairs?
How could this be possible?
A dragon…
But as far as Landon knew, weren't the only opposing dragons Zekrom and Reshiram?
They had chosen him and his second brother, Lance, respectively.
So where had this third dragon come from?
Countless thoughts collided in Landon's mind, leaving him momentarily frozen.
"Your Highness…" the scout asked cautiously.
"What should we do?"
Prince Landon remained silent for a long time.
He slowly closed his eyes, his brows knitting together as if weighing countless thoughts.
"Zekrom," he asked silently, "do you know the identity of the dragon beside Lucien?"
The next instant, a deep, thunderous voice echoed within his mind.
"That is Kyurem."
"Kyurem?" Landon was momentarily startled.
"That dragon was born alongside Reshiram and myself," Zekrom replied. "Reshiram and I embody will, truth, and ideals. Kyurem is the physical vessel left behind."
There was a trace of surprise in Zekrom's voice.
"However… I never expected it to choose a human as its partner, just as we did."
At the same time, Lance had learned the truth from Reshiram.
His expression was heavy with sorrow. He made no dramatic gesture, only walked slowly to the castle terrace, lifting his gaze toward the slightly overcast sky.
"Zekrom, Reshiram, Kyurem."
"Are we three brothers truly destined to go to war?"
"Lucien, why did you insist on stepping onto this battlefield?"
Confusion filled Lance's eyes.
Was this truly the fate awaiting the three of them?
"Your Highness," a subordinate asked cautiously, "what should we do? Should we abandon Twin Dragons City?"
Lance gently shook his head.
"There's no need to send troops to retake those cities for now," he said calmly. "Instead, recall all forces from the other fronts and gather them here."
The subordinate hesitated. "Your Highness, this is..."
"My battle with my elder brother isn't over yet," Lance said softly. "And Lucien will certainly arrive before it ends."
As the one bonded with Reshiram, no one understood the terror of these dragons better than Lance.
Even the combined might of the entire kingdom would be meaningless before them.
This would be the final confrontation.
And Zekrom, Reshiram, and Kyurem would all take part, not as beasts, but as the manifestations of their respective wills.
Though still confused, the subordinate bowed deeply."Yes, Your Highness."
In an instant, undercurrents surged throughout the Kingdom of Eindoak.
The armies of Landon and Lance, previously engaged in battles across various regions, abruptly halted their operations. Then, as if summoned by a single, irresistible call, they began marching toward the same destination.
Countless nobles and territorial lords watched in silence, fully aware that history was about to be written.
In mid-November of the 149th year of the Kingdom Calendar, Castelia Territory welcomed its first snowfall of the year.
Amid the swirling snow, the final curtain rose on the struggle for the throne.
Nearly four hundred thousand troops from both sides assembled on the Castelia Plains, soldiers clad in steel armor, magical beasts encased in equally formidable plating.
Black banners symbolizing Landon's army fluttered violently in the snow.
Opposite them, the white banners of Lance's army waved in the frozen wind.
The two vast formations faced each other, exuding a suffocating pressure.
High above the battlefield, the eldest prince, Landon, rode upon the dragon of ideals, Zekrom.
Facing him in the sky stood the second prince, Lance, mounted upon the dragon of truth, Reshiram.
The two princes locked gazes across the heavens.
Neither spoke.
As though waiting.
Suddenly, the snowfall stopped.
Every snowflake in the air seemed frozen in place.
Zekrom and Reshiram sensed something at the same time and turned their heads.
In the distance, an enormous ice-blue dragon emerged from the sky.
That was, Kyurem.
Riding upon its back, Lucien looked calmly at his two brothers.
"You've come," Lance said quietly.
"I've come," Lucien replied.
"You shouldn't have," Lance said, gently shaking his head, sadness flickering across his face.
When they were young, the three of them had played together in the royal palace.
Back then, none of them could have imagined this ending.
"Haha, truly unexpected," Lucien laughed softly. "But at this point, there's no turning back."
"We each carry too much upon our shoulders."
"Come," he said, his gaze firm.
"Let us fight for our respective beliefs."
...
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