"Cino…"
The Minccino blinked up at Lucien, their eyes still shimmering with tears.
"My name is Lucien," he said gently, squatting low to meet their gaze. He tried his best to let them feel his warmth, not his authority.
The little Pokémon didn't answer right away. Instead, they turned to one another, whiskers twitching, voices chirping in soft tones.
"Cino?"
"Cino…"
"Cino-cino!"
They squeaked and chattered, their high-pitched cries weaving into a flurry of debate. Lucien waited patiently, his expression calm. He knew trust could never be forced, it had to be chosen.
Minccino, the adorable chinchilla Pokémon of Unova, were known for their love of cleanliness. In the anime, they'd often sweep dust and dirt away with their tails, determined to leave every surface spotless. Creatures so pure, Lucien thought, and yet we pushed them into this conflict by destroying their home.
At last, the five turned back to him.
"Cino!" they cried together, eyes sparkling with newfound resolve.
Lucien raised an eyebrow. "You agree?"
"Cino!" The Minccino all nodded vigorously.
They truly had no better choice, but more importantly, Lucien didn't feel like a liar. If what he promised was real, then come spring, they would have a forest filled with fruit trees. A place overflowing with sweet food, where they could build new nests and play together among the branches. Just imagining it filled their hearts with warmth.
Lucien exhaled deeply, relief softening his face. He called for Lila, the healer of the settlement, to tend to the injured Minccino, then motioned for the others to resume their work.
The villagers approached cautiously at first, uncertain. But seeing the tiny Pokémon no longer bristling with hostility, they relaxed.
"They won't attack us again," Lucien reassured them. "Until spring, they'll live alongside us."
Everyone had overheard his words and nodded in quiet agreement. None protested, for after all, it was their axes that had felled the Minccino's trees.
Soon, the steady rhythm of labor resumed. One by one, the trees toppled, leaving the forest thinning, then bare.
The Minccino sat at the edge, watching their old home vanish. Sadness weighed on them at first, but to Lucien's surprise, it did not last.
Less than half an hour later, their bright eyes wandered curiously toward the cabins, the fields, and the humans bustling about. Already, their natural cheerfulness was pulling them forward, away from grief and toward a strange new life.
...
Charcoal glowed in the brazier, filling the tent with warmth. On the table, five Minccino sat together, nibbling happily on dried almonds. Beside them, a cup of steaming sweet black tea gave off a fragrant aroma.
"Cino~!" So warm!
"Cino!" So tasty!
"Cino…" So comfortable…
Being able to eat such delicious food and enjoy such a warm, clean shelter during the harsh, food-scarce winter, this was something they could never have imagined in their old forest home.
Their little faces radiated happiness, as if they had just received a fortune in demolition compensation.
Lucien: "…"
Dratini: "…"
Lucien could only stare. Right now, he wanted to shout, 'Hey! Where are your principles?'
But as he watched the Minccino, he was reminded of something important.
The forest outside was vast and brimming with natural resources. There was no way it belonged only to the Minccino.
Deforestation wouldn't stop any time soon. Building cabins required timber, and in winter, firewood was essential to survive.
And wherever resources were abundant, Pokémon thrived as well.
If this was the case, conflicts like the one today were bound to happen again.
After a brief silence, Lucien rose and told Dratini to stay behind and help watch over the Minccino. Then he made his way to the lumberyard.
There, the residents and the Snover were swinging axes in rhythm, massive trees creaking and collapsing with thunderous crashes that echoed deep into the forest.
"Your Highness!" A knight noticed Lucien approaching and hurried forward, giving a standard knight's salute.
Lucien nodded but let his gaze wander to the treeline. "Have you encountered any wild beasts while felling trees these past few days?"
"Wild beasts?" The knight thought for a moment, then nodded. "Yes, Your Highness."
"Oh?" Lucien's brows rose. "What kind?"
The knight frowned in thought. "We saw a bird, like a pigeon. And a small, wary mouse-like creature, both bolted the moment they noticed us. Also, a deer-like one with brown fur."
Lucien's eyes narrowed in recognition.
The bird must have been Pidove, Unova's common wild pigeon.
The mouse-like creature was likely Patrat, ever vigilant and quick to flee.
And the deer… that would be Deerling, probably in its Winter Form.
"Did they show any aggression?" Lucien pressed.
The knight shook his head. "No, Your Highness. Probably our numbers scared them. As soon as they spotted us, they ran."
Lucien exhaled softly.
So it seemed the Minccino were the boldest of the bunch.
Of course, it was also possible that the trees the Minccino had called home were being cut down, and out of desperation, they had chosen to confront the humans directly.
"I understand. Carry on," Lucien said firmly.
"Yes, Your Highness!" The knight saluted once more before returning to his work.
Lucien stood quietly in the snow, his gaze sweeping across the vast forest. The chill in the air bit at his skin, but a heavier feeling pressed at him, the thought that every tree they felled was someone's home.
Then suddenly, a prickling sensation crawled up his spine.
He was being watched.
Lucien's instincts flared. He turned sharply, scanning the treeline.
There, perched atop a nearby branch was a petite, green figure.
Their eyes met.
It was a small, serpentine Pokémon with a sleek, green body, a cream-colored underside, and a yellow stripe running down from the back of its head to its tail. Though snake-like in form, it stood upright on two stubby legs, with tiny arms folded neatly against its chest.
Its expression was calm, proud, and unreadable.
Lucien's pupils narrowed in shock.
That was Snivy, one of Unova's Grass-type starter Pokémon!
Across the snow, man and Pokémon regarded each other in silence, locked in a wordless standoff beneath the winter sun.
...
STONES PLzzz