Chapter 79: Machop’s Gratitude
Lei Wen didn’t know how to comfort Machop in this situation.
Recalling the lives these two Machop had lived before, the prolonged exploitation might have affected their mental state, leading them to become numb.
It was as if the real Machop had died, leaving only their scarred physical bodies, surviving mechanically in the world.
At a time like this, if someone were to suddenly tell them that no one would ever treat them that way again, no one would believe it.
The two Machop stood there blankly.
Lila watched this scene, her expression showing some pity.
“Your Highness Lei Wen… did we do something wrong?” she asked.
“It has nothing to do with you or me,” Lei Wen shook his head, his voice hoarse.
What should he say?
No one was wrong.
It was a fact that some humans enslaved Pokémon, and it was also a fact that some wild Pokémon harmed humans.
Humans and Pokémon were, after all, two different species, and it was impossible for them to peacefully evolve into the situation seen in anime.
Prejudice, conflict, strife, bloodshed… these were almost predictable.
“So, this is my goal,” Lei Wen took a deep breath.
“What?” Lila was slightly startled and turned to look at the young man beside her.
“I want to create a place where humans and monsters can coexist peacefully,” Lei Wen said softly.
“Your Highness…”
Lei Wen took a deep breath and carefully considered the situation of the two Machop.
Suddenly, Lei Wen realized that the Machop seemed to be listening to him very well.
He immediately had an idea.
“Machop.”
The two Machop immediately tensed up.
“I command you, from now on, if you feel tired while working, stop and rest immediately. If anyone bullies you, you must also bravely fight back. Do you understand?”
“Kuri!” The two Machop dared not disobey their master’s command.
“Alright, until your stamina recovers, you can stay here and rest well!” Lei Wen turned to Lila and said, “I’ll leave them to your care.”
“As you command, Your Highness!” Lila also smiled, “You two can rest here with peace of mind!”
The Machop instinctively looked at Lei Wen beside them.
However, Lei Wen turned and left.
“Your Highness has his own matters to attend to; I will take care of you next!” Lila knew that Prince Lei Wen was going to special train the two little monsters beside him. “Come on, lie down on the bed and sleep for a while!”
“Kuri…”
The two Machop stood there awkwardly, unsure how to react.
The environment here was completely different from where they had lived before.
A soft wooden bed, a wooden table with a flower in a vase, shelves by the wall filled with many medicinal herbs, and the air filled with a faint scent of herbs that made one feel comfortable and natural.
The place they used to live was a dark, damp small room where sunlight couldn’t reach. The room was surrounded by hard, ice-cold large stones, with one side blocked by an iron fence.
When their master needed them to work, they would be put in heavy shackles and taken out.
When they were not needed, they would be sent back to the small room, and only then could they get a short rest.
Seeing the two Machop motionless, Lila sighed helplessly.
Then, she opened the back door of the house, and the two Machop instinctively turned their heads towards it.
The next second, they saw a vibrant, lush garden.
Warm sunlight poured down from the clear blue sky. In the garden, several small green monsters were leisurely basking in the sun among the flowers.
They looked so free, so comfortable.
The Machop were stunned for a moment.
Until Lila’s voice broke their reverie.
“See?” Lila leaned against the back door, crossed her arms, and said with a smile, “They are called Cherubi, and like you two, they are monsters living in this territory.”
“Kuri…” The Machop were slightly taken aback.
Lila: “I mean, in the future, you can also live a leisurely and carefree life like them here.”
Hearing these words, a ray of hope flickered in the eyes of the two Machop.
Could they… really live freely under the blue sky like those Cherubi?
The answer to this question soon came.
After drinking the potion prepared by Lila, the Machop’s stamina quickly recovered.
In the afternoon, they went out as usual to the logging camp to help the workers carry wood.
At first, everything was normal, but after working for a while, a few humans came over and shared their food and water with them.
“Hey, big guys, come and rest for a while!”
“Kuri…” The Machop were stunned.
“You can’t finish this work in one day. Only by resting well can you have more energy to work!” the person added, and put two berries into their hands.
The two Machop stared blankly at the berries in their hands, their faces showing confusion.
The worker grinned, “Prince Lei Wen told us to take good care of you. Honestly, why are you working so hard? It’s not good for your body to work so hard.”
“Kuri…”
Hearing the familiar name, the two Machop were stunned again.
Prince Lei Wen… it was Prince Lei Wen again.
While they were lost in thought, they were pulled back by several workers to rest.
The two Machop felt a sense of panic and unease, as if a whip would fall on them at any second.
However, the imagined pain did not come.
“Kuri…”
The two Machop looked around. Could they really rest?
The surrounding workers chatted and laughed, discussing how to build houses and how to live their lives.
The Machop listened silently, then looked down at the berries in their hands and brought them to their mouths, taking a gentle bite.
Sweet juice and pulp immediately burst in their mouths, and the Machop felt an inexplicable urge to cry.
They themselves didn’t know where the tears came from or why.
“Huh? Why are you big guys crying?” someone suddenly noticed the scene.
“Could it be that you’re tired?” someone speculated, recalling how hard these two monsters had been working these past two days.
“You can’t work so hard in the future. It would be terrible if you hurt yourselves!”
Although monsters are powerful, they can get hurt!
The Machop listened silently, their tears flowing even more.
Although the Machop’s crying looked a bit comical, the workers didn’t laugh at them.
Because everyone could see the performance of these two monsters in the past few days.
“Okay, okay, don’t cry. If you’re tired, go and rest for a few days!”
Someone patted the Machop on the back and whispered to them, “Let me tell you, Prince Lei Wen is actually a very benevolent prince. He won’t blame you even if you secretly rest!”
Despite this, in reality, not many people would slack off, as they all wanted to finish building their new homes as soon as possible.
“…”
After their rest, the two Machop did not choose to stay there to rest further; instead, they worked even harder.
This time, it was not out of oppression, but because they willingly wanted to contribute.
They loved this place, loved their new master, Prince Lei Wen, and loved everyone here!
