"Your Highness Lucien! Your Highness Lucien!"
Anna's voice rang out as she sprinted toward the farmland.
From a distance, she could see him working alongside several farmers, clearing weeds and brush, plowing and loosening the soil with hoes. Not far away, by the riverbank, Dratini was repeatedly spewing Twister against a massive rock.
"Your Highness, you don't need to help us. Please rest, we'll take care of it!" the farmers urged.
How could someone of noble blood labor with his own hands?
But Lucien shook his head. "We must sow the seeds within two days. If a blizzard strikes before then, we'll be finished."
The territory was desperately short on manpower. Most residents were still cutting timber and building cabins, leaving only these few veteran farmers for planting. Every extra hand mattered.
Lucien was no delicate prince.
"But…" The farmers exchanged uneasy glances, their faces conflicted.
Lucien smiled gently. "I only want to survive together with everyone. If we're to live through this winter, both I and each of you must endure. So right now, there's no need for ceremony."
At those words, many of the farmers' eyes misted over.
His Highness Lucien… Truly a kind and compassionate lord who cared for his people!
"Yes, Your Highness!" They bent to their work with renewed vigor.
It was then that Lucien heard Anna's voice again.
"What is it, Anna?" He looked up to see her rushing toward him with Zorua in her arms, his brow lifting curiously.
"Your Highness Lucien!" Anna exclaimed, excitement shining in her eyes. "I finally understand the parchment you gave me!"
"Oh?" Lucien paused his work. "Tell me."
Anna took a deep breath. "Those names, Psychic and Scratch, they're the moves Zorua can actually use!"
She turned toward the little fox. "Zorua, show His Highness Lucien!"
"Zorua!" the Pokémon yipped proudly.
Its eyes gleamed with blue light. A surge of psychic force rippled outward, striking a boulder with a thunderous crack and splitting it in two. Then, with a flash of white light at its claws, Zorua slashed the air with Scratch.
Anna spun back to Lucien, eyes shining. "Your Highness Lucien, is this how it works?"
Lucien blinked, genuinely impressed. He hadn't expected Anna to grasp the meaning of the parchment, or to command Zorua to demonstrate, so quickly.
This girl was talented.
"Well done," Lucien praised. "I didn't expect you to understand me so fast."
Being praised by His Highness, Anna's heart soared with joy.
Just then, the farmland preparations were finished. Lucien left the sowing to the farmers and led Anna toward the broad river.
"Anna," he said, resting a hand on the panting Dratini's head, "what do you think of the power of magical beasts?"
"The power of magical beasts…" Anna looked at Zorua at her side, uncertainty clouding her expression.
To ordinary people, magical beasts were terrifying magical beasts. Their powers were immense, some breathed fire, others summoned lightning. A single attack could threaten a human life.
Yes… power was terrifying.
Gathering her thoughts, Anna answered softly, "The power of magical beasts is terrifying."
"No, Anna." Lucien shook his head gently. "Power itself isn't terrifying. It's the misuse of power that's frightening. If you train.."
He gestured toward her partner. "Say you and Zorua were gathering herbs in the forest and a wild magical beasts attacked. Wouldn't Zorua use his power to protect you?"
Anna blinked in surprise.
"The power of magical beasts… can be used for protection?" she murmured.
"Exactly," Lucien said with conviction. "When humans meet magical beasts, we can use our wisdom to guide them, to train them, to help them grow stronger. Then, together, we can use that power to protect the people and the things we hold dear."
Hearing this new, unprecedented idea, Anna's eyes widened in wonder.
"Humans train magical beasts… to increase their power?"
Lucien smiled. "I believe you must have heard of similar names."
Anna froze in thought.
Lucien continued, "Beast Master, but I prefer the term Trainer."
A Beast Master… someone who could command Pokémon and fight alongside them.
Anna remembered that, a few years ago, a great Beast Master had visited Aindook.
At that time, the king himself had received him with full honors. His name was known throughout the land.
The Beast Master, Aaron, had come from a faraway country and was famed as the Messenger of Aura.
"I hope more people will come to understand, as you do, that not all magical beasts are frightening," Lucien said warmly. "That they can use their power together with us, just as you and Zorua did."
Anna's eyes widened in disbelief.
Then Lucien asked, "Anna, are you willing to become my disciple? I will teach you how to be a Trainer, how to train Zorua, and how to grow stronger with it."
Anna's mouth fell open, her face a mixture of shock and wonder.
"Your Highness Lucien…" she whispered.
A thought suddenly struck her, and she asked in a trembling voice, "If I become a Trainer… can I protect the people I want to protect?"
"Of course," Lucien nodded. "One day, a powerful magical beasts may attack this territory. When that happens, we will need you and Zorua's strength to protect everyone."
"Your Highness Lucien…" Tears welled in Anna's eyes. She sniffed and nodded hard. "I will!"
Lucien smiled. "Still calling me Your Highness?"
Anna quickly corrected herself, her voice ringing with determination. "Teacher!"
Lucien nodded in satisfaction.
As he glanced at Anna, his system interface flickered, revealing new information:
[Civilian Name: Anna]
[Age: 10]
[Occupation: Trainer]
[Special Ability: None]
[Loyalty: 100 (Maximum 100)]
[Biography: Anna was born in the 138th year of the Royal Calendar.
In the 148th year of the Royal Calendar, Anna and her mother followed His Highness Lucien to his fiefdom.
In the 148th year of the Royal Calendar, Anna became a Trainer.]
Her role had changed, from an ordinary civilian to a Trainer.
"Starting tomorrow, I'll formally begin teaching you what it means to be a Trainer," Lucien said. Then he turned his gaze to Zorua. "Anna, I hope you get along well with Zorua."
"Yes, Teacher, I will!" Anna nodded vigorously.
...
"That's right," Lucien later murmured to himself. "Once Anna and Zorua grow strong enough, I can send them to explore the unknown lands, places with berries to gather, and wild Pokémon to discover."
For now, his own strength alone was not enough. Dratini still needed time to grow. But with Anna and Zorua, that gap could be filled.
That evening, after dinner, Dratini, exhausted from a full day of training, curled up under the quilt and fell asleep early.
Lucien remained at the table, listening as Elif reported the day's progress.
"Your Highness Lucien, the fourth cabin is complete! Progress is steady. If no accidents occur, everyone in the territory will have proper housing by the end of the month!"
"Well done." Lucien nodded approvingly, then looked around. Noticing a certain absence, he asked, "Where are the Snover?"
Elif bowed slightly. "It seems one of the children invited them into their tent."
Lucien: "…"
It seemed the children had accepted the Snover far faster than Lucien had imagined.
"By the way, Your Highness, the foraging team just returned, and two people want to see you," Elif reported.
"Oh? Who are they? Let them in!" Lucien said in surprise.
Elif nodded, and soon brought in two women dressed as peasants.
They exchanged a somewhat stiff greeting, then handed Elif a basket.
Elif carried the basket forward and presented it to Lucien.
One of the women explained, "Your Highness Lucien, we found this amazing fruit outside today!"
Lucien looked down and saw a yellow, pear-like fruit in the basket.
'Is this… a Sitrus Berry?'
"We picked from the tree the day we first arrived. We thought it would take ages for the fruit to grow back, but today, the branches are already heavy with fruit again!" the woman said excitedly.
This meant they would be able to gather even more food.
Lucien wasn't overly surprised.
After all, Sitrus Berries were miraculous in their own right, and in the Pokémon world they grew abundantly in the wild, sustaining countless Pokémon.
This plentiful resource was truly a gift from nature.
"Thank you for your hard work," Lucien said. "Also, don't throw away the seeds after eating. Save them for spring so we can plant an orchard."
"Yes!" the women replied eagerly.
The Sitrus Berry was indeed a treasure. It could be eaten as food and was also capable of restoring a Pokémon's vitality.
Lucien felt relieved. With these berries, their chances of surviving the winter had greatly improved.
This truly was the wondrous world of Pokémon.
Perhaps even the anime's utopian landscapes could only exist because of these miraculous fruits, capable of sustaining both humans and Pokémon alike.
The two women bowed and left.
Lucien glanced at the sky outside and said, "Elif, it's getting late. You should rest as well."
"Yes, Your Highness."
After Elif withdrew, Lucien took a Sitrus Berry to the bedside and held it under Dratini's nose.
Dratini, sound asleep, twitched its little nostrils.
Soon, its eyes opened, gazing at Lucien with a watery, drowsy look.
"Want to try it?" Lucien asked softly, shaking the berry.
"Mmm…"
Dratini yawned, then instantly drifted back into slumber, looking utterly exhausted.
It had truly given its all in training today.
The dragon energy in its body was completely spent; it had no strength left. All it wanted now was a long, deep sleep.
Lucien felt a pang of tenderness at Dratini's adorable state.
But remembering how hard it had worked that afternoon, he couldn't help but sigh.
'If only this were the modern era.'
Then he wouldn't have to worry about so many things. Dratini wouldn't have to endure harsh training in the snow and wind. He could prepare delicious Poké Puffs and Poffins for it instead.
But this was a thousand years in the past.
Lucien sighed silently.
He undressed, lay down, and gathered the cold-shy Dratini into his arms, letting his own body heat warm it as much as possible.
"Sleep," Lucien whispered.
"Wooo~"
Dratini nuzzled into Lucien's chest, instantly soothed by the warmth. A soft, content cry escaped its lips.
Lucien chuckled softly, realizing Dratini really was just like a child.
But then he remembered, Dratini was still barely a year old. Of course, it was a child.
And here he was, making a child train out in the freezing wind and snow…
The thought deepened his guilt.
...
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