"Dragonite, come on out!"
Draconis picked up the Poké Ball from the ground and pressed the button on it.
The next second, a milky white light was released from within.
Within the light, Dragonite's figure emerged.
Looking at this familiar scene, Draconis was suddenly filled with emotion; he had finally managed to create this thing!
By now, Alfred had also noticed the difference between this new type of Poké Ball and the ones His Majesty had used before.
The old Poké Balls were merely containers that allowed Pokémon to shrink and stay inside.
This new type of Poké Ball, however, could be controlled by the Trainer themselves; not only could it pull a Pokémon into the ball, but it also allowed the Trainer to choose when to release them.
"It's truly miraculous!" Alfred couldn't help but exclaim.
"More importantly, once a Pokémon is caught with this kind of Poké Ball, no one else can catch it," Draconis said.
For Trainers, this was equivalent to an extra layer of protection; they would no longer have to worry about their Pokémon being stolen by others who might mistake them for masterless wild Pokémon while they were outside.
"Your Majesty, are we ready to begin the next phase of the plan?" Alfred asked.
Draconis fell into deep thought.
Currently, the Pokémon Centers and Poké Marts in various locations were basically finished, but the Joys for each location were not yet in place.
Furthermore, this new type of Poké Ball had only just been successfully developed and hadn't had time for mass production—
"How many Poké Balls has the Factory produced so far?" Draconis asked.
"Estimated to be two thousand," Alfred replied. "The Oran Berries on the trees near Nimbasa City have basically been picked clean. We lack raw materials, but Your Majesty need not worry; people in the territory have already begun specialized cultivation of oran berry trees."
Hearing this, Draconis shook his head. "That takes too long."
Even with Grass-type Pokémon helping with cultivation, it takes a lot of time for an oran berry tree to go from planting to fruiting. By the time the berries grow, it'll be too late.
After a brief moment of thought, Draconis said, "Have people purchase Oran Berries in bulk from other cities and send them all to the Poké Ball Factory for production."
"Yes, Your Majesty!" Alfred nodded in response.
"Have the Joys from various places arrived in Nimbasa City?" Draconis turned the conversation back to the Pokémon Centers.
"Reporting to Your Majesty, a short while ago we dispatched Flying Pokémon Taxis on trial runs to those cities to pick up the Joys. Thinking about it now, they should be arriving soon," Alfred answered.
Draconis gave a hum of acknowledgment, silently pondering the next steps of the plan.
Once the Joys arrived in Nimbasa City, they would still need specialized training—learning medical skills and how to identify herbs—before they could be sent to their posts.
—
At the same time, high up in the sky.
Several Joys from across the kingdom were rushing toward Nimbasa City aboard a Flying Pokémon Taxi operated by a Braviary.
Outside the window was a clear, wash-blue sky with white clouds floating in the distance, and the land of Unova looked tiny below.
The Joys were huddled together in fear, not daring to look out the window, let alone look down.
This was the first time in their lives riding this kind of "vehicle," and the first time they had ever been so high in the sky.
If they fell from here, they would probably die instantly, one Joy couldn't help but imagine.
There were four Joys in this flying taxi, namely:
The gentle and intellectual eldest sister, Joy Elle; the calm and steady second sister, Joy Sa; the lively and cheerful third sister, Joy Lis; and the precocious youngest sister, Joy Mexy.
These four Joys had originally lived in seclusion with their parents in a forest on the outskirts of Castelia City.
Since the end of the previous war, many trendy things had appeared in the Unova region, and the newspaper was one of them.
Not long ago, their father, who worked in Castelia City, brought home several newspapers from the city.
The four sisters read the story of the two Joys named Alia and Lin.
They saw that those two Joys worked at the Pokémon Center in Nimbasa City. Initially, people were somewhat fearful of the two identical-looking girls.
But as the two Joys continued to use their excellent medical skills to help injured humans and Pokémon, they gradually gained recognition and lived a very happy life there, just like ordinary people.
Thus, Joy Mexy, who had been living in the forest, immediately decided that they should also go to Nimbasa City to see for themselves!
The third sister, Joy Lis, supported this with both hands and feet. Their father had moved them to the forest outside the city specifically so that others wouldn't discriminate against them.
Over the years, they had long grown tired of such a life.
Now, suddenly learning that the people in Nimbasa City would not treat them as omens of misfortune but as normal people, a sense of longing for Nimbasa City rose in Joy Lis's heart.
So, the two of them found the second sister, Joy Sa, and after some discussion, the three quickly reached a decision.
They were going to Nimbasa City!
The eldest sister, Elle, strongly disagreed with her three sisters' plan, but out of worry, she ultimately followed along.
As the big sister, it was her responsibility to take care of her younger siblings.
Thus, the four sisters left a letter for their parents and then headed to the Pokémon Association in Castelia City.
After stating their intentions, the staff at the Pokémon Association quickly arranged transportation for them to Nimbasa City.
Which was the thing they were currently riding, called a Flying Pokémon Taxi.
When they first took to the sky, both the youngest, Joy Mexy, and the eldest, Joy Elle, were startled.
But soon, they discovered the benefits of this mode of transport.
It was so fast!
The speed of this flying taxi far exceeded any ox carts or horse carriages they had seen before!
In almost the blink of an eye, Castelia City was left far behind.
Joy Sa cautiously leaned her head toward the window, carefully observing the situation outside.
Looking out, the vast land of the Unova region came into view.
The endless green fields were dotted with patches of forest, and rivers meandered through like the blood vessels of the land. There were also the towering mountains in the distance; from this height, everything was almost entirely visible at a glance!
Watching this spectacular scene, Joy Sa's pupils gradually dilated, and an unprecedented excitement rose from the bottom of her heart.
"Wow! It's so beautiful!"
"Sarr, be careful, don't fall out!" Elle warned worriedly.
"Sister, Linke, come and look, it's so magnificent!"
Hearing this, the other three sisters finally couldn't resist the temptation and poked their heads toward the window. With just one look, they were stunned where they stood.
"So... so amazing!"
The eldest sister Elle, at a loss for words, opened her mouth but had no idea how to describe the scene before her, eventually only managing to say "so amazing."
"It's not just amazing, it's super amazing!" Xiao Ling's eyes sparkled. "If Mother knew we were flying in the sky, she would definitely be shocked!"
Just then, the four Joy sisters suddenly noticed the shadow of a city appearing on the land ahead.
They all turned their gazes in that direction.
The driver sitting in front, who was the partner of the Braviary, smiled and looked back, saying, "We'll be at Nimbasa City very soon!"
Hearing this, the four Joys immediately shifted their attention from outside the window to Nimbasa City.
"Wow, is that Nimbasa City?" Linke was quite excited; she hadn't forgotten their purpose for coming to Nimbasa City.
"That's right, this is the territory under His Majesty Draconis's rule. It's different from any city you've seen before. When you get there, you'll definitely be shocked!" the driver said with a smile.
"Why do you say that?" Elle was somewhat confused.
"Because Nimbasa City isn't just a city where humans live; there are also countless Pokémon living here," the driver said.
"Pokémon—"
The Joy Sisters had read in the newspaper about magical beasts being renamed Pokémon.
They weren't as afraid of these creatures as others were, because there were some gentle Pokémon near the forest where they lived.
More than that, they were interested in something else.
"His Majesty Draconis... what kind of person is he?" Joy Lis asked curiously.
"His Majesty? He is the best king in the world!" The driver's voice was full of admiration and respect. "His Majesty not only stopped the war but also did so many things for us ordinary people. It is our honor to work for His Majesty!"
Hearing this, the four sisters looked at each other.
The second sister, Joy Sarr, asked, "Excuse me, are there Joys here in Nimbasa City as well?"
"Of course!" The driver scratched his head. "Those two Joy sisters have been working in the Pokémon Center in the city!"
"By the way, Mister, I have a question to ask you," Joy Lis said.
"What is it?"
"That... don't you think it's strange that the four of us look exactly the same?"
"It is a bit strange, but in the end, you're just like us—humans with eyes, a nose, and a mouth. Although some say being near a Joy brings misfortune, we often go to the Pokémon Center to have The Joy Sisters treat our illnesses, and we haven't become unfortunate—"
The driver scratched his head and said sheepishly, "Oh, I'm not good with words and don't know how to say it. Anyway, The Joy Sisters are very kind people. Thanks to them, the illness I and Braviary had last time was cured so quickly. There, we've arrived!"
The city below drew closer as the Braviary lowered its altitude and slowly landed on the landing platform of the Flying Taxi Company.
The four Joys got out of the taxi.
The driver and the Braviary waved goodbye to them. "See you later! Oh, if you're going to the Pokémon Center, go through this intersection and turn right. There's a red-roofed house on the right side of the road; that's the Pokémon Center. Someone will receive you there!"
"Thank you, Mister!" Joy Lis waved vigorously.
The driver smiled and turned back to continue his work.
The four sisters turned around, standing on this unfamiliar street, looking at the surrounding scenery with faces full of curiosity.
Pokémon playing with children on the street, Pokémon resting on rooftops, Pokémon working alongside people, and Pokémon walking and tasting delicious food with people—
Beneath their feet was a clean and tidy red-brick path, and on both sides of the road were shops displaying a dazzling array of goods. People wore luxurious clothing—robes made of very precious cashmere, which looked extremely expensive at a glance.
It was so prosperous and bustling here that the four sisters, who were from the countryside and entering a city for the first time, couldn't help but feel very constrained.
"It really is just like the driver said; you can see Pokémon everywhere!" Joy Lis couldn't help but say.
Although Joy Mexy was precocious at home, she was still very nervous in this unfamiliar environment.
"Sister—" Joy Mexy leaned closer to the eldest sister, Joy Elle.
"It's okay, let's go to the Pokémon Center," Joy Elle said to her three sisters.
They followed the driver's directions and soon found the red-roofed building by the roadside.
Clearly, this was the Pokémon Center.
The doors to the Pokémon Center were not closed, and as soon as the four sisters entered, they saw many Joys inside.
Some Joys were wearing hoods and veils, seemingly specifically to hide their faces.
Looking at these Joys, they were likely like them—having heard the news from other cities and specifically rushing to Nimbasa City.
"Sister, there are so many Joys here—" Joy Mexy couldn't help but whisper.
Joy Elle held her sister's hand; although she was the oldest, at this moment, she couldn't help but feel a bit nervous as well.
Just then, a Joy wearing a nurse's uniform and cap stepped out from the crowd.
Her gaze swept over everyone, a gentle expression appearing on her face.
"Everyone, please don't be nervous or worried. I am Joy Alia, a doctor at this Pokémon Center."
"I welcome you all here. I believe you, like us, want to live a normal life in the city, without worrying about being driven away by others or being treated as omens of misfortune."
"Perhaps everyone has had such experiences to some degree in the past, but I guarantee that in Nimbasa City, such things will never happen again!"
Joy Alia's words echoed in the ears of the Joys.
After a long silence, one Joy spoke up and asked, "Then what do we need to do?"
"His Majesty Draconis has found work suitable for us. As you can see, that is being a doctor at a Pokémon Center. Now, Pokémon Centers are being established all over the kingdom, and they are very short-staffed," Joy Alia said softly.
"If you are interested, you can sign up with me. Afterward, our teacher, Miss Lila, will teach everyone how to become a Pokémon doctor."
"Once you have mastered this knowledge, you can then go to Pokémon Centers in other cities to serve as doctors."
"Don't worry about being driven away, because we are working for His Majesty Draconis."
"And... as long as we put our hearts into helping those people and Pokémon, they will surely change their views of us!"
The group of Joys listened silently.
After a long time, one Joy asked, "Can we really live like normal people?"
....
Power Stones PlZZZZ
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