On their first day in the territory, the Shuckle hid in Ryan's house, not daring to move.
After much persuasion from Ryan and Pidove, the Shuckle finally dared to cautiously move around the house on the second day.
They carefully observed the outside world through the wooden windows and doors, watching the lives of the other Pokémon there.
They witnessed firsthand how the human named Ryan cared for the Pokémon around him, and saw that every time he returned from outside, he would bring delicious Berries for everyone.
Whenever this happened, Pidove and Simisear would happily run forward to celebrate together.
At mealtime, the Shuckle saw Ryan and these Pokémon gather again to cook and enjoy dinner together.
After dinner, it was time for bed.
At this time, Ryan and those Pokémon would squeeze onto the narrow bed, embracing each other as they slept.
This was a scene the Shuckle had never witnessed before.
So, on the second day, the Shuckle couldn't help but become curious about the world outside the house.
Led by Ryan, they finally mustered the courage to step out of the house and explore the territory.
Along the way, the Shuckle saw many things.
They saw Snover playing with the children, Magikarp swimming freely in the pond, Dugtrio working hard with the farmers, and Petilil basking in the sun in the herb garden.
Everything here was so free, so safe, and these Pokémon looked so happy.
It was as if there was no need to worry about not having enough to eat or encountering danger here.
"Shuckle—.."
At this moment, the Shuckle were moved.
They also wanted to stay and live here!
Seeing the Shuckle make their decision, Ryan immediately reported the matter to Draconis.
That morning, Draconis had people build hive-like structures out of wood in the Berry fields for the Shuckle to live in.
The design of the boxes was based on Draconis's understanding of the Shuckle's personality and habitat, with a total of four layers, each layer accommodating one Shuckle.
Although the space was not large, it could give the Shuckle a greater sense of security.
Watching the eight Shuckle climb into their nests one after another, Draconis asked with a smile, "How is it, Shuckle, do you like it here?"
"Shuckle!"
The Shuckle poked out eight small heads from the boxes and answered in unison.
Draconis smiled slightly, then pointed to the land and said,
"By August, these fruit trees will have grown, and each tree will bear many Berries. You can eat as many as you want."
Hearing this, the eyes of the Shuckle immediately filled with anticipation for that scene.
"However—" Draconis changed the subject, "Actually, we also have a small favor to ask of you."
"Shuckle?" Hearing this, the Shuckle turned their heads to look.
"It's like this, I heard that the Berry Juice you produce is very delicious and can also help other Pokémon recover their stamina."
"So, I would like to ask you all, if you could help us brew some Berry Juice, we will provide you with Berries—"
The Shuckle understood.
Brewing Berry Juice was a very easy task for them.
As long as they stuffed Berries into their shells, even when they were sleeping, the Berries in their shells would automatically begin to brew Berry Juice.
Therefore, the Shuckle happily agreed.
"Shuckle!"
"Good, it's a deal!" Draconis said with a smile, "In exchange, we will ensure your safety and provide you with plenty of food."
The Shuckle immediately felt they had made a profit.
"Shuckle~!"
Because in this way, they would no longer have to worry about encountering danger or going hungry!
No matter how they thought about it, they were making a huge profit, right?
But in that case, wouldn't Draconis and his people be at a disadvantage?
The Shuckle were a bit conflicted.
"Shuckle."
But very quickly, one of the Shuckle came up with an idea.
"Shuckle!"
Since Draconis needed Berry Juice, wouldn't it be enough for them to work harder to help brew it?
Hearing this, the other Shuckle also thought it was a good idea.
They immediately looked up at Draconis and said to him, "Shuckle~!"
Draconis didn't understand, but that didn't affect his deal with the Shuckle.
"In that case, it's settled." Draconis said.
"Shuckle~!"
So, thanks to the Shuckle's efforts, that evening, Draconis, Dratini, and Snivy drank the Berry Juice they had brewed.
Hmm, it tasted sweet and sour, sticky, with a texture somewhat similar to yogurt—
It was a good drink, and perhaps in the future, it could even be sold as a specialty to other towns, Draconis thought.
"Alright, Alfred, it's getting late, you should go back and rest early too!"
"Yes, Your Highness Draconis, please rest well." Alfred bowed and prepared to withdraw.
And just then, a sudden commotion came from outside.
Gasps, cries, excited shouts…
Hearing these sounds, Draconis was slightly startled: "What's going on?"
The Old Butler shook his head, indicating that he also didn't know.
Seeing this, Draconis stood up and walked out of the Lord's Hall with Alfred.
As soon as they stepped out, they saw a large crowd gathered in an open space not far away.
So many people? Draconis couldn't help but be a little dazed.
However, Alfred seemed to recognize those people; his eyes widened, and he said excitedly,
"Your Highness Draconis! Gerolt, it's Lord Gerolt!"
Draconis looked up and saw a tall, handsome, muscular man with long silver hair approaching with a Haxorus.
Draconis was slightly startled.
The man walked up to him, knelt on one knee, and performed a standard knight's salute: "Your Highness!"
Gerolt's name immediately surfaced in Draconis's mind.
Gerolt!
His strongest Chief Knight, the former leader of the Eindoak Kingdom's Dual Dragon Knights Order!
"Gerolt?" Draconis was surprised, but what followed was immense joy: "What happened? How did you survive?"
"After we separated, I fought a desperate battle with those magical beasts. Finally, they let me go. I originally wanted to find you, but I encountered others who had been separated from you."
"I took them to a small village where we stayed until Evan found us not long ago."
Gerolt briefly recounted his experiences.
"It's good that you're safe—"
Draconis looked up at the crowd over there. He glanced at his Lord's Panel and was startled to find that the number of human Commoners had soared from 78 to 299.
Some Commoners found their lost relatives and friends among them. At this moment, they were embracing and weeping, recounting their experiences to each other.
"Get up quickly!" Draconis helped Gerolt up and couldn't help but look at the muscular Haxorus beside him: "What's with this magical beast?"
"I defeated it, and since then, it has followed me." Gerolt explained briefly.
Draconis: "—" A human defeated a Haxorus?
Draconis was somewhat shocked. Even though he knew that humans in the Pokémon world had special physiques, looking at the fierce-looking Haxorus in front of him, Draconis still found it a bit hard to believe.
But now was clearly not the time to talk about this.
Draconis glanced at everyone, then smiled and said to Alfred, "Alfred, go prepare food for everyone. This reunion, we must celebrate it properly!"
"Yes, Your Highness!"