Chapter 35: A Fugitive?!

After receiving the task, Andrew quickly woke up the small Munchlax and started preparing the materials needed for today's stall. Since he missed out yesterday, he decided to prepare extra today.

Once everything was ready, Andrew got ready to leave. He walked to the door, where Swablu's Dad was already waiting for him.

This was something Andrew and Altaria arranged the day before.

"Altaria~" Good morning, Andrew.

Seeing Andrew, Altaria gave him a nod of greeting.

"Good morning, Altaria." Andrew gently patted Altaria neck and said, "I'll need your help again today."

"Al~~"

Altaria gave a soft chirp, then carried Andrew and Komala as they set off.

Arriving at the entrance of Azoth Royal City, Andrew suggested, "How about you come into the city with me today? It's too lonely for you to stay here alone. You can join us, and we can have lunch together."

Although the idea of having lunch together was tempting, the thought of so many people in the city made Altaria quickly shake his head.

Andrew smiled and reassured him, "Don't worry, I'll be with you, so nothing will happen. Once you get used to it, you'll see that people aren't as scary as you think."

Hearing this, Altaria hesitated.

Andrew continued, "Come on, let's go. The city is a lot of fun."

Eventually, Altaria nodded, flapped his wings, and flew with Andrew into the city.

Early in the morning, Azoth Royal City was already bustling with activity—shopkeepers opening their stores, office workers heading to their morning shifts, construction workers were moving bricks along with their Pokémon…

In Azoth Royal City, apart from special vehicles for work or the motorcycle Princess Kimia used earlier to save time, private vehicles were almost nonexistent. All the streets were made up of cableways; if you knew the route and your destination, the cables would take you anywhere in the city.

For short trips, like going to a store, people preferred to walk. The streets had dedicated pedestrian paths and emergency vehicle lanes, though the latter were used the least.

Standing on the cableway heading to Nikola Park, Andrew held Komala in his arms, with Altaria lying beside him.

Altaria looked nervous as he had never used a cableway before.

Surrounded by people, he felt as though everyone was staring at him.

Noticing Altaria's anxiety, Andrew crouched down and comforted him, "Don't be afraid. You'll get used to it. Look, everyone has Pokémon with them; no one will pay extra attention to you. Just hold your head high."

With this reassurance, Altaria saw that nearly everyone had Pokémon with them. They interacted and laughed with their Pokémon, who seemed very close to them.

Realizing this, Altaria understood that nobody was paying much attention to him. Gradually, he began to calm down.

Soon, they reached Nikola Park. Andrew found a quiet spot, set up the food truck, and started heading to the usual stall location.

Altaria rested on top of the truck, enjoying the morning sun and getting used to the early hours of Nikola Park.

Once they arrived and Andrew set up the truck, he began preparing dumplings.

Suddenly, someone shouted in surprise.

"Hey, you're brave to set up a stall here!"

The shout came from a nearby crepe vendor.

Andrew was taken aback, "What do you mean? Why wouldn't I set up a stall?"

"Don't you know you're being hunted by the royal family?" The vendor looked Andrew up and down, "You're not an international fugitive, are you?"

Andrew: ???

What are you talking about? I don't understand.

Andrew suddenly thought: Could it be that my unlicensed business or illegal status has been discovered? Maybe... I should not set up the stall today?

As Andrew hesitated, the vendor, seemingly guessing something, warned, "Don't even think about leaving. You're the person Princess Kimia is looking for, and I won't let you go."

It turned out that after Princess Kimia and Flamel didn't find Andrew the day before, they had announced in Nikola Park that anyone who saw a dumpling and steamed bun vendor should immediately inform the palace.

This announcement led to a misunderstanding. People thought Andrew was a criminal being pursued by the royal family.

They were even disappointed, thinking that such delicious dumplings and steamed buns were made by a criminal.

Despite being a small kingdom, Azoth's people were very united, and the royal family was highly respected and responsive to the public.

So, the people were determined not to let anyone the princess was looking for escape.

"Everyone, come quickly! The vendor is here!"

The crepe vendor's shout gathered people who were exercising in the park, surrounding Andrew's food truck.

Andrew's fame had significantly increased due to Princess Kimia's announcement, making him quite well-known.

"Altaria~ Al~"

Seeing Andrew surrounded, Altaria flew up from the trucks roof, emitting sharp cries to scare everyone away.

The crowd was startled and moved a little further from Andrew and the cart.

Komala was also not idle. It jumped to the ground, and the log pillow in its arms made loud thuds on the ground. Anyone who dared come close would face a hard blow.

"Everyone, please calm down. Although I don't know why I've suddenly become a fugitive in your eyes, I am truly a good person and have never done anything wrong."

Someone shouted, "It doesn't matter. We've already sent someone to inform Princess Kimia. Once she arrives, everything will be clear."

Andrew: ...

Soon, someone called out, "The princess is here!"

The crowd parted, and a girl with golden twin tails and dressed in a blue royal uniform arrived with a team of guards.

"Princess, we've caught the fugitive for you."

"Princess, hurry, don't let the bad guy escape."

...

The crowd chattered.

When Princess Kimia saw Andrew, she felt a shock; he looked so much like the prince in the paintings, just a larger version.

Stunned for a moment, Princess Kimia snapped back to reality with the crowd's reminders. Realizing everyone had mistaken Andrew for a fugitive, she could only smile wryly.

"Everyone misunderstood. I was just trying to find this gentleman for some inquiries. He is not a fugitive and has not committed any crimes."

Princess Kimia's explanation quieted the crowd momentarily.

"What... what? So we misunderstood! Little boss, I'm really sorry, sorry!"

"I knew it. Just by looking, it's clear he's not a bad person. How could someone who makes such delicious food be a bad person?"

The crowd, realizing their error, began apologizing to Andrew.

Andrew then asked Kimia, "May I ask why you're looking for me?"

Kimia replied politely, "Could we speak privately?"

Andrew hesitated but then agreed. "Sure, let's go to my food truck." He was curious about the current state of the Azoth royal family and wondered what had happened to his parents and sister since he had 'died'.

"Alright," Kimia agreed.

Andrew closed the cart's door and windows and invited only Princess Kimia and her secretary, Flamel, inside. The guards formed a protective circle around the truck.

The crowd, curious about the princess's visit, gathered around but did not leave.

Inside the truck, Andrew set up a small table and three chairs. Once seated, he removed his chef's hat, revealing his golden hair. Both Kimia and Flamel were visibly shocked and exchanged astonished glances.

Seeing their reactions, Andrew realized that Kimia's visit was not about his unlicensed business but something far more significant.

"May I ask your name, sir?" Kimia began.

"Andrew Azoth," he replied calmly.

"Azoth? Are you really from the Azoth family?" Kimia asked, though she had her suspicions. She was still stunned by the fact that Azoth was a name unique to the Azoth royal family.

Andrew pointed to his golden hair. "Isn't this hair a giveaway?"

Indeed, it was. The hair was so strikingly beautiful that it heightened her shock.

"You're truly Andrew Azoth? Do you know that name belongs to Queen Anna's brother?" Kimia asked, her excitement barely contained.

Queen Anna was a well-known figure in the Azoth Kingdom.

Realizing his sister had indeed become queen, Andrew nodded. "Yes, Anna is my twin sister."

Kimia was almost overwhelmed. "But Prince Andrew died five hundred years ago!"

Flamel gently reminded Kimia, "Princess, please calm down."

Kimia took a deep breath to steady herself.

Andrew decided to fabricate a story about his revival. "I didn't die. I fell into a deep sleep for five hundred years and only recently woke up," he said calmly.

"That's… that's impossible," Kimia said, struggling to believe. "How could anyone live for five hundred years?"

"It's all thanks to an experiment by Nikola," Andrew explained, shifting the blame to Nikola.

Nikola was a key figure in Azoth's history, even more renowned than any royal member. His Arcane Science had made Azoth a place of great interest worldwide.

"Nikola?" Kimia was astonished.

Andrew nodded. "When I entered the royal tomb, I didn't die. Nikola did something to me and my Carbink, creating an unknown connection between us. We fell into a deep sleep together. Now, five hundred years later, my Carbink have evolved into the legendary Pokémon Diancie, which allowed me to awaken and recover my health. I believe it's all connected to Nikola."

"Your Carbink evolved into Diancie?" Kimia was stunned.

Andrew nodded and summoned Diancie in the food truck.

Diancie, confused but curious, looked at Kimia's golden hair with mild surprise.

Andrew introduced Diancie. "Diancie, this is Princess Kimia of the royal family."

Diancie, unfazed, performed a royal courtesy.

"Good morning, Princess. I am Diancie."

Kimia was too stunned to speak after witnessing Andrew's demonstration.

Andrew wasn't trying to hide his extraordinary situation. Having lived for five hundred years and with the legendary Diancie by his side, he felt his uniqueness was expected.

In the Pokémon world, many had special abilities, like Aura or Psychic powers. One more didn't make a difference.

Kimia, now convinced of Andrew's story, understood that he had not been stolen from the royal tomb but had walked out of it himself!

"So… this is the legendary Diancie?" Kimia murmured, still trying to process her thoughts.

The Azoth royal family was known for their expertise in Fairy-type Pokémon, and Diancie was part of their legends, though no one had ever seen it in person.

Kimia was thrilled to have met Diancie.

She couldn't help but exclaim, "Truly, Nikola is remarkable!"

In her view, only Nikola could have transformed a Carbink into Diancie.

Kimia then refocused on Andrew. "Prince Andrew, could I have a lock of your hair?"

Even though she now believed Andrew's story, she needed concrete evidence for verification and to report to her father.

Despite the long separation, the advanced technology in the Pokémon world allowed for genetic testing to confirm their lineage.

"Of course," Andrew agreed, understanding the reason for Kimia's request. He plucked a few strands of hair and handed them to her.

Kimia handed the hair to Flamel, who bowed and quickly left the cart with it.

(The End of This Chapter)