Lucien City - Machoke's House
Led by the two resident Machoke, the newly freed Machoke and Gurdurr and Timburr soon arrived at their destination.
They stopped before a two-story house with a wide yard and a tree heavy with fruit. For a long moment, none of them could speak.
The two resident Machoke turned, smiling proudly.
"Kuri-kuri!" (This is our home!)
The newcomers blinked in disbelief.
A Pokémon's… home?
They turned from the mansion to the Machoke, certain they must have misheard.
The two residents laughed softly, understanding their confusion.
"Kuri-kuri!" (That's right. We were forced to work for cruel people once, just like you. But when we came here, Lord Lucien released us. He said we could rest when we're tired, eat when we're hungry, and live under a roof that keeps out the rain. We just have to work honestly, side by side with the humans!)
They gestured toward the house again, eyes bright with pride.
"Kuri!" (Lord Lucien himself assigned this home to us!)
The builders stared in stunned silence. Everything they were hearing sounded impossible.
Pokémon… with homes, warmth, and dignity?
The two Machoke beckoned them inside.
"Kuri-kuri!" (Come on, take a look!)
They pushed open the door, revealing a simple but cozy interior.
The living room held two sturdy sofas, a small dining table, and a stone fireplace for heating. On the table stood a wooden vase, inside it a single wildflower, picked that very morning.
It wasn't luxurious, but every corner radiated care and life.
The builders stood at the doorway, eyes wide.
"Woo…"
Never in their lives had they seen Pokémon living in such a bright, comfortable place. In their memories, "shelter" meant dark cages and cold straw.
"Choke." "Come in!"
The two Machoke mimicked the mannerisms of humans, ushering the visitors to sit on the sofas. Then one of them brought out a large bowl filled with ripe berries, gifts from their human neighbors.
The newcomers froze. Food… freely given?
At Machoke's gentle nod, the smaller Timburr and Gurdurr couldn't resist; they dove in eagerly, eating with tears in their eyes.
The two Machoke watched them quietly, smiling. They understood better than anyone what that hunger meant.
Because they had once felt it too.
"Kuri-kuri…" (If you don't have a home yet, stay here with us! There's plenty of room!)
The offer hung in the air like sunlight through a window.
But the old Gurdurr hesitated. His hands trembled slightly as he asked, voice low and uncertain,
"Gur" "What… what do the humans here want us to do?"
The two Machoke blinked, then laughed and shook their heads.
"Ku-ri! Kuri-kuri!" (Nothing special! Just do what you like, help build, move wood, mine ore, anything you enjoy! No one will force you anymore!)
At those words, the Gurdurr's eyes widened.
"Gur" "What?"
The old Gurdurr blinked, eyes wide.
Did that mean… they could leave? They could actually return to the wild if they wanted?
But the two Machoke just looked at each other, confused by the question.
"Choke?" (Go back to the wild? Why?) one of them asked, tilting its head.
"Choke-ri!" (It's so nice here! There's no danger, and there's always food! The work we do isn't hard, and afterward, the humans give us delicious berries as a reward!)
The other nodded eagerly.
"Choke, Choke!" (That's right! And it's not just us, lots of other Pokémon live here too! If you don't believe us, come with us tomorrow. You'll see for yourself!)
The old builders fell silent.
They rested in the house that night. For the first time in years, they slept in warmth and safety, without chains or shouting.
When dawn broke, they followed the two Machoke to their usual workplace, another part of the city still under construction.
As they approached, the newcomers froze.
All around them, humans and Pokémon were working together.
Within a short while, a new wall of clean red brick rose proudly before them.
When the work paused, the humans sat down on the rocks, passing around water and berries. They laughed, shared food, and even patted the Machoke on the shoulders in thanks.
The sight left the newcomers speechless.
In all their lives, they had never seen anything like it.
In the Gurdurr's memory, humans had always been cruel beings, fat, sneering faces twisted in impatience, hands clutching long, thin whips that lashed out whenever they pleased.
But these humans…
They smiled. They shared their food.
They treated the Pokémon beside them as equals.
The Gurdurr stared blankly, his rough hands tightening around the lump of concrete he held. A strange, unfamiliar feeling welled up in his chest.
Could this really be real?
His companions, the Timburr and the other Machoke, exchanged uncertain glances. And then, as if carried by the same thought, they stepped forward together.
The human workers and the two resident Machoke turned toward them in surprise.
The Gurdurr swallowed, his heart pounding.
He wanted to speak, but all that came out was a soft, trembling sound.
"Gu…r-durr…"
Seeing this, the two Machokes immediately understood what was going on.
It seemed these Pokémon had come to their senses!
A smile appeared on their faces, and they all stood up to welcome their new companions