Manor Lord of the Elf World

Chapter 233 Returning Home in Glory
Seeing Raven's brow furrow slightly, Elif stepped forward quietly:
"Your Majesty, the problem of poaching persists despite repeated bans, and the root cause lies not in the law, but in supply and demand."

Raven took a small bite of the dessert, and Volcano gently rubbed against his fingertips.

“Go on.”

Elif continued, "Nobles and wealthy merchants are willing to pay exorbitant prices for rare Pokémon, which provides fertile ground for the black market. Even if we kill or imprison a batch, there will always be people willing to take the risk."

Raven looked thoughtful, and after a moment he said, "Then let's turn the black market business into our business."

Elif was taken aback.

"From this day forward, the Pokémon League will establish an official Pokémon conservation and breeding organization. Wild and rare Pokémon will be protected but not captured. However, artificially bred Pokémon can be publicly registered and legally traded, with pricing controlled by the kingdom."

Raven paused, and then the Pokémon breeding house system of later generations came to mind.

"Another decree is issued—all Pokémon not registered with the League are strictly prohibited from entering the city, trading, or using. Anyone who dares to buy or sell them privately will have all their Pokémon confiscated at best, and at worst, be stripped of their trainer status and never be allowed to touch them again."

Upon hearing this, Elif's eyes lit up: "Your Majesty is brilliant! In this way, the black market will have no profit to make and will naturally collapse on its own."

“Not only that.” Raven looked out the window. “A portion of the commission from legal transactions will go to the gyms, a portion will subsidize the League, and the rest—all of it will be invested in the protection of wild Pokémon habitats.”

Use commerce to stop theft, use the law to protect life, and use profits to maintain order.

In just a few words, a chain of rules that runs through the entire Unova Kingdom has taken shape.

Elif was completely convinced and bowed, saying, "I will make the arrangements immediately."

Raven waved his hand, leaned back in his recliner, gazed at the drifting clouds on the horizon, and said again:
"In addition, we will establish a forest ranger system and partner with Interpol to recruit forest rangers and entrust them with the protection of forest areas and the rescue of Pokémon in the forest. Interpol will be linked with Officer Jenny, and all major cases related to the harm of Pokémon will be handled by them."

“Yes, Your Majesty.” Elif bowed. “I will make the arrangements immediately.”

Raven nodded slightly. It was already the end of November, the year 151 of the Kingdom Calendar, and it was almost over.

"The New Year is almost here!" Raven sighed softly.

The foamy squirrel, clutching a tree fruit, hopped onto his shoulder and gently nuzzled his cheek with its little head.

Raven stroked its head, thinking how fast time really flies.

*
As the year draws to a close, a biting wind carries fine snowflakes, which fall upon every town in the Unova Kingdom.

The mountain of documents in the Union building was finally reduced by more than half. Anna looked at the New Year's date marked on the calendar and finally breathed a sigh of relief, announcing the holiday to everyone.

The five people, who had been holding back for so long, cheered instantly.

"Finally, I can go home!" Xiaochun was the first to jump up, her eyes shining like stars. "I want to go back to the village right away and show my parents how I look now!"

Lucas rubbed his sore shoulders and let out a long sigh: "Go home and sleep for three days and three nights, and don't call me."

Raphael finished tidying up the last document, a gentle smile playing on his lips. Perfect timing; he needed to go back and restore the family's reputation, to show those who looked down on the Raphael family what they were made of.

Derek could no longer contain his excitement. The first thing he wanted to do was to bring his mother from Flying Cloud City to Raven City so that she could live a stable and dignified life.

Anna looked at her comrades-in-arms and said softly, "Come back on time after the holiday. The Alliance work in the new year will only be busier than it is now."

"Don't worry, champion!"

The five men packed their belongings, each wearing medals and badges symbolizing their status, and walked out of the Alliance headquarters with high spirits.

On the streets, countless trainers and citizens stopped to pay their respects, their eyes filled with awe and admiration.

"It's the Heavenly King!"

"He was personally appointed Heavenly King by His Majesty Raven!"

The four men stood tall and proud, their faces beaming with arrogance.

This is their glory.

On the castle terrace, Raven, holding a foam squirrel, looked down at the five spirited people below and chuckled.

"Elif, prepare a New Year's gift for each of them as a reward from me."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Elif understood immediately.

The king's reward, though not particularly valuable, was enough to allow these five newly powerful individuals to firmly establish themselves in their hometown.

On the streets of Raven City, the four said goodbye to each other and embarked on their journeys home.

Raphael and Lucas both came from the nearby Twin Dragons City, and there happened to be a steam train that went directly there from Raven City, so the two ultimately chose to take the train back home for the New Year.

Derek and Xiaochun's hometowns are respectively in Feiyun City and Tangcao Town in the southernmost part of the kingdom.

Since there was no direct steam train route to the area, the two had no choice but to take a flying Pokémon taxi back.

Xiaochun was the first to return to her hometown.

Her hometown is located in a quiet town in southern Unova, where most of the villagers make a living by planting fruit trees and breeding Grass-type Pokémon, leading a simple and peaceful life.

When Xiaochun returned to the village wearing a well-fitting League uniform and the Elite Four badge on her chest, the entire village was in an uproar.

"That's Xiaochun! It really is Xiaochun!"

"My God, she's become one of the Four Heavenly Kings of the League! She was personally appointed one by His Majesty Raven!"

"My God, our village has produced a Heavenly King!"

"Should our village be renamed Tianwang Village?"

Former neighbors and elders gathered around, their eyes filled with amazement and pride.

Some teenagers who had given up on their trips because they were afraid of wild Pokémon were now filled with envy.

If they hadn't chosen to stay in their hometown, would they be able to meet His Majesty Raven now and become a powerful king?
In a mansion in the town, a woman wearing an apron heard the commotion outside. Curious, she came out to see what was going on, and the next second, she saw her daughter in the crowd.

"Mother!" Xiaochun shouted excitedly, raising her hands high.

The woman's eyes welled up with tears as she walked through the crowd, holding her daughter's hand and stroking it repeatedly.

"It's good that you're back...it's good that you're back."

"Mother, I saw His Majesty Raven!" Xiaochun's eyes shone brightly: "My Pokémon and I won the battle, and now we are one of the Elite Four of the Unova Kingdom. It's a title bestowed upon us by His Majesty Raven himself, and now we are all working for His Majesty!"

Upon hearing this, the townspeople around couldn't help but gasp in surprise.

"What kind of person is His Majesty Raven?"

"Xiao Chun, have you properly thanked His Majesty?"

"Yes!" Xiaochun nodded vigorously and said to everyone, "His Majesty Raven is a very, very powerful king!"

At the same time, in Feiyun City.

The flying Pokémon taxi slowly landed.

A year later, Derek finally returned to his hometown.

Filled with emotion, Derek tightened his backpack and didn't linger on the street for long, heading straight home.

His home is located on the outskirts of Feiyun City. It is a dilapidated mansion that has been neglected for years, and rainwater leaks from the roof whenever it rains.

A hunched-over, aged woman was diligently working in the vegetable garden in the yard. Upon seeing this, Derek's eyes instantly reddened.

That was his mother.

His father passed away when he was young, and his mother raised him by weaving cloth, stitch by stitch.

“Mother!” Derek’s voice choked with emotion.

Hearing the shout, the woman in the courtyard quickly looked up, and when she saw who it was, her face lit up with excitement.

"Derek...that's great, you're finally back!"

Derek quickly walked to his mother's side and reached out to hold her rough, chilblain-covered hands.

"Mom, I've become a Champion! I work at the Pokémon League now, and I earn a lot of money every month!"

The woman didn't seem to care much. She carefully examined her child and uttered two words after a while.

"Thin."

As she spoke, tears streamed down the woman's face.

Derek gently hugged his mother, his voice tender yet firm:
“Mother, we don’t have to work so hard anymore. I’ve settled down in Raven City, and we’ll live a peaceful life there from now on. You won’t have to worry like this anymore.”

Derek took out his generous salary from the league and the New Year's gift from His Majesty Raven, and placed them steadily in his mother's hands.

At that moment, the smile on his mother's face was the most beautiful sight Derek had ever seen.

The boy, who once struggled at the bottom of society, finally supported his entire family through his own efforts.

In Twin Dragons City, Lucas, who had departed from Raven City, returned home.

He came from an ordinary family; his parents were honest and hardworking workers whose greatest wish was for their son to live a peaceful and successful life.

When Lucas stood at his doorstep as one of the Four Heavenly Kings, his parents were stunned for a long time before they realized what was happening, and their eyes welled up with tears.

The neighbors rushed over upon hearing the news, and were all amazed to see that the once mischievous boy was now dignified and powerful.

"Son, you've really made something of yourself." The father patted his shoulder, his voice choked with emotion.

Lucas straightened his back, his heart filled with strength.

Raphael, from the south, returned to his somewhat dilapidated old nobleman's house in Twin Dragons City.

Other nobles who had previously looked down on Raphael's family or even kicked them when they were down all changed their attitudes after learning that Raphael had become one of the Four Heavenly Kings, and came to visit him with generous gifts.

The once deserted mansion suddenly became bustling with visitors.

Raphael responded calmly and humbly.

From this day forward, no one will be able to look down on their family.

The once-impoverished Raphael family has experienced a true rebirth this New Year.

Raphael knew in his heart that all this glory came from the king who sat in the castle, lazy yet in control of everything—His Majesty Raven.

*
After handing over most of his Pokémon-related salary to the Elite Four and the Champion, Raven was able to enjoy a leisurely and carefree life ahead of schedule.

On New Year's Day, he took some time to return to Eindook and had a meal with the old king and Bictini.

Having not seen him for a long time, Victini missed Raven terribly, and upon seeing him, she couldn't help but cling to him.

The old king gazed at the increasingly upright young man before him, his heart filled with emotion.

He had witnessed all of Raven's actions, and under Raven's leadership, the Unova Kingdom had been revitalized.

A strong nation and prosperous people...

And he no longer needs to be exhausted by the fighting among his children, and can now enjoy his old age in peace and comfort in this castle.

For him, this was probably the best possible ending, wasn't it? The old king sighed softly.

Raven did not stay in Eindooc. After playing with Bictini for a while, he returned to Raven City.

Time flows like water, passing by silently.

Winter passed and spring arrived, and in the blink of an eye, it was April of the 152nd year of the Alliance calendar.

With the help of the Champion and the Elite Four, the conflicts between wild Pokémon that occurred throughout the Unova Kingdom were resolved swiftly, and under their guidance, humans and Pokémon began a new round of integration.

In April of the 152nd year of the League calendar, on an ordinary day.

Raven was leisurely sitting on the castle's terrace, enjoying the peaceful afternoon sun with his Pokémon.

But then Elif walked in from outside, his face full of excitement.

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty Raven, the fleet you sent out to explore last year has returned to the kingdom!"

Upon hearing this, Raven, who had been feeling drowsy, immediately perked up.

Where are they?

"The fleet is currently docked at Ripple Town Port!" Elif said. "Captain Columbus has already arrived in Raven City and is waiting to report to you in the Throne Hall outside!"

“I’m coming right now!” Raven suddenly stood up.

When he and Elif arrived at the throne room, they saw a tall, muscular man with bronze skin standing there.

That was Columbus, the captain of the exploration fleet.

Upon seeing Raven, he appeared extremely excited and immediately knelt on one knee, bowing in greeting:

"Your Majesty Raven, I have not failed you!"

"Oh? Tell me quickly what you've gained from this trip!" Raven was already quite impatient.

Columbus then slowly said:

"After leaving the land of United States, we sailed on the vast ocean for nearly a year. We found three lands and established contact with them."

"One of them is an archipelago in the ocean, where people are very primitive and backward. No country was born there, and the people on those islands still live in tribal form to this day."

"The local natives call their land 'Alola.' We traded with them using honey, cheese, coffee, carpets, and other items we brought on board, obtaining many local specialties in return. Moreover, our people also captured quite a few local Pokémon as you instructed!"

Alora! It's the Alora Islands!

Raven's eyes lit up, but what interested him even more was which Alola Pokémon Columbus brought back.

"Where are those Pokémon now? Quick, bring them over so I can see them!"

Columbus grinned, then clapped his hands, and several men dressed as sailors walked in from outside carrying a large bag of Poké Balls.

"Come on, brothers, let His Majesty see our spoils!" Columbus shouted.

The sailors grinned and opened their Poké Balls one by one, releasing the Pokémon inside.

With flashes of white light, one after another, unknown Pokémon never before seen in the Unova region appeared in the Throne Hall.

Rowlet, Litten, Popplio, Totodile, Zangoose, Meowth (Alolan Form), Dugtrio (Alolan Form), Rockruff, Shroomish, Ursaring, Thrasher, Mimikyu, Vulpix (Alolan Form), Exeggutor (Alolan Form), Jangmo-o.

(End of this chapter)