Lucien had faint memories of Victini.
When he was a child, he often played hide-and-seek with Victini in the castle of the Word of Vale. When his family departed for their fiefdom, Victini had even come to see them off.
Now, as Lucien quietly reflected on the events unfolding in Unova, a chill ran through him. Honestly, he was terrified.
From the current perspective, war in Unova was inevitable. He didn't want to entrust his life to others, nor could he bear the thought of watching the territory he had painstakingly built fall to ruin. But with their present strength, there was no way they could intervene in such a conflict.
Lucien shut his eyes and slowly exhaled.
"Still… there just aren't enough people."
If his domain had a larger population, he could gradually raise an army of Trainers to defend it.
Then there was Unova's third dragon, Kyurem, the Empty Being.
If Lucien remembered correctly, Kyurem slumbered in the Giant Chasm near Lacunosa Town. If he could subdue Kyurem, or at least earn its recognition, then they would wield a power able to stand against both Zekrom and Reshiram.
But for now, they were snowbound in this remote place. And given his current weakness, winning Kyurem's acknowledgment would be an almost impossible task.
"I suppose… we'll just have to take things one step at a time," Lucien murmured, staring at the snowflakes drifting past the window.
Outside the territory's walls, the knights under Ryan's command had split into two patrol groups, circling the perimeter as usual.
After their recent encounters with magical beasts, Ryan's view of them had changed dramatically. Both His Highness Lucien and little Anna had shown that magical beasts could live peacefully alongside humans—and more importantly, that humans could command magical beasts in battle.
Everyone knew of the immense power magical beasts possessed. If such creatures could be trained to fight at humanity's side, obeying their orders…
Ryan's eyes gleamed with excitement.
He had already seen little Anna command her partner, the mischievous Zorua, countless times, drawing out surprising strength.
How wonderful it would be if he, too, had such a loyal magical beasts at his side!
Of course, not a harmless little magical beasts like Zorua.
What Ryan dreamed of was a humanoid magical beasts, its muscles bulging, four arms rippling with power. He had seen one once in the royal capital, easily hoisting a boulder taller than three men as though it were weightless.
Ryan couldn't help but imagine himself fighting beside such a magical beasts, carving out glory on the battlefield, and receiving the personal praise of His Highness Lucien: gold, silver, titles, perhaps even the rank of Honorary Knight.
That daydream of himself half-buried in riches was enough to make Ryan grin like a fool in the cold.
But then, a voice suddenly cut through Ryan's thoughts.
"Lord Ryan! I've discovered something strange in the forest beyond our territory!" A young knight rushed up, breathless, his voice trembling with excitement.
"What is it?" Ryan asked sharply.
"A… a hot spring!" the young knight blurted out.
"A hot spring?!"
Ryan froze. How could there be a hot spring here? There were no volcanoes anywhere nearby. Still, the knight's excitement didn't look like a lie.
"Show me," Ryan ordered without hesitation.
"Yes, Lord Ryan!"
The two of them quickly left the territory and headed south, taking a route opposite their earlier patrols. After pushing through a dense stretch of forest, they came to a clearing.
Before them, several steaming pools bubbled and hissed. Snowflakes drifted endlessly from the gray sky, cloaking the woods in white. Yet around the springs themselves, not a single flake remained, the heat driving the frost back.
Ryan stepped closer, and at once a wave of warmth brushed against his skin. He crouched and let his fingers touch the surface of the water. Warm.
It really was a hot spring.
Ryan's eyes widened. This discovery would have to be reported immediately to His Highness Lucien!
But before he could turn back, the young knight's face suddenly went pale with horror.
"Sir! There are… there are creatures in the spring!"
Ryan whipped his head around to look.
Sure enough, several beasts lounged lazily in the steaming pools. There was a silly-looking yellow monster, resembling a cross between a duck and a kappa. There were also petite monsters with spherical blue bodies and large, round ears, splashed in trios and quartets, their round blue bodies bobbing as they chirped happily.
The monsters had clearly noticed the intruders, but they didn't flee. Instead, they simply watched curiously, content to remain in the warmth of the springs.
"Report this to His Highness Lucien at once!" Ryan barked.
Half an hour later…
Lucien listened to Ryan's report, his brows lifting slightly in surprise.
"You're telling me… there's a hot spring hidden in that forest?"
Impossible? From what he knew, there wasn't any volcanic terrain nearby. So how could a hot spring exist here?
But Ryan insisted firmly, "Yes! We saw it with our own eyes. There were even several monsters bathing in the water!"
Lucien thought for a moment, then gave the order: "Take me there."
"Yes!"
The group departed from the territory and, after pushing through a stretch of forest, Lucien spotted several steaming pools nestled in a clearing.
Wild Pokémon were scattered in small groups of three or four, soaking in the hot springs.
Lucien's gaze swept over them, silently reciting their names.
Psyduck. Marill. Buizel. Ducklett. Simisear…
A natural hot spring, here of all places?
Lucien was astonished.
"Huh?"
The Dratini at his side perked up, seemingly drawn to the sight. With a sudden leap, it splashed neatly into one of the springs, wriggling happily through the warm water.
"Woo!"
The wild Pokémon barely reacted. They seemed accustomed to such visitors. One particularly bold Buizel paddled closer, circling Dratini with open curiosity.
"Quack?"
Meanwhile, two Psyduck waddled out of the water and stopped in front of Lucien, Ryan, and the others, staring at them with their trademark vacant eyes.
"Your Highness Lucien… these monsters don't seem hostile at all," Ryan observed in surprise.
The young knight beside him also looked on in amazement.
Lucien gave a small nod. "Yes. These are the kind of monsters more inclined to get close to humans."
"More inclined to get close to humans?"
Ryan's ears perked up at those words, his thoughts racing.