"Your Highness…" Ryan's voice carried a strange excitement. "Is it… like Anna and that little one she always has with her?"
Lucien turned to him, raising an eyebrow. "Hmm? Do you also want to have a partner beast like Anna?"
Ryan scratched his head sheepishly. "Yeah. So we can fight side by side!"
"That isn't impossible." Lucien thought for a moment, then continued, "But you need to understand something. Magical beasts are highly intelligent. If you want to bond with one, you must treat it with sincerity and honesty. You can't see it as just a tool. Otherwise, even if you capture it, it will eventually leave you."
Lucien's gaze shifted to the Dratini happily swimming in the hot spring.
"Take my Dratini, for example. Some might think it's just a pet I keep for amusement, but in reality, it has always been by my side. To me, it's family."
Family?
Ryan froze, startled by the weight of those words.
Sensing his thoughts, Lucien smiled gently.
"A Magical beasts will live with you, eat with you, and sleep beside you. When you leave, it'll wait patiently for your return. When you're in danger, it will risk its life to protect you. It may not understand everything, but to it, you are the most trusted and closest person in the world."
"It's like…" Ryan's voice softened as the realization hit him. "It's like raising a child."
Lucien nodded. "Exactly. So, do you understand what I mean now?"
Ryan's mind raced with the image: himself out on patrol, his Magical beasts waiting at home, pacing anxiously if he stayed too long, then bursting with joy the moment he returned. They'd eat together, sit by the fire together…
His eyes burned, and before he knew it, they were wet.
Ryan had lost his parents when he was just nine years old. Ever since, he had lived alone. Even after joining the Knights, even after rising to become their leader, that loneliness had never left him. He had always been isolated.
If… if there really was such Magical beasts willing to stay by his side, he would cherish it more than anything.
"Your Highness, I want to raise a Magical beasts too!" Ryan's voice trembled with determination. "Please help me!"
Lucien let out a quiet sigh. "It's not easy to tame one."
"What should I do, then?" Ryan pressed.
"As far as I know," Lucien replied, "Magical beasts trainers often use certain methods to win their trust…"
"First," Lucien explained, "you can show them your strength through battle. If you prove yourself stronger, the Magical beasts may acknowledge you and choose to follow."
"Second, there are special methods, appealing to their preferences. Some Magical beasts with simple temperaments only need a gift of delicious food to win them over."
"Third, you might share experiences together. Like Anna and her Zorua, after going through hardships side by side, it formed a bond with her and chose to stay."
"And fourth, you can raise them from birth. If you care for a Magical beast before it hatches from an egg, it will regard you as its closest companion after it emerges."
Ryan listened intently. Of the four, the last seemed impossible; he hadn't seen any Magical beast eggs nearby. The third was rare, a once-in-a-lifetime chance; he didn't expect to be as lucky as Anna.
The second method? He had no idea what these Magical beasts enjoyed.
That left only one option.
With a clang, Ryan drew the iron sword from his waist, eyes blazing as he looked at the Pokémon in the spring.
"Then let's fight!"
"Quack!"
The two Psyduck, sensing danger, squawked and scrambled away in panic. A Marill in the hot spring immediately ducked beneath the water and disappeared.
Lucien: "..."
Ryan blinked at the now-empty hot spring, utterly confused. "Isn't… isn't that how it's supposed to work?"
Lucien sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Every Magical beast has a different personality. Even within the same species, some enjoy fighting, while others don't. If you happen to meet one of the latter, battle will accomplish nothing."
'And besides, in this era without Poké Balls, you can't simply knock them out and catch them.'
"Then… what should I do?" Ryan asked, still lost.
Lucien's gaze shifted to the Magical beasts soaking in the other spring.
Psyduck often suffer from severe headaches. If he could ease their pain, perhaps he'd earn their trust."
His eyes lingered on another figure, a Buizel paddling lazily in the water.
Buizel are invaluable partners. They're agile swimmers, quick fighters, and dependable companions in the water. With their twin tails, they can slice through rivers like arrows, and even tow people or cargo across strong currents. A Pokémon like that could become a knight's most reliable scout on water.
Simisear, a Fire-type Pokémon, was known to have a sweet tooth.
Lucien explained some of the general preferences of the surrounding Pokémon to Ryan.
Hearing this, Ryan's eyes lit up as he glanced at the little Simisear.
"Sweet things? What a coincidence! I still have some candy I brought from the Royal City!" Ryan said, almost bursting with excitement.
And looking at Simisear's warm, ember-colored body, he couldn't help but imagine: in the middle of this snowy winter, if he could bond with it, he'd never have to fear the cold again.
"I'll go get some candy right now!" Ryan exclaimed eagerly.
"Sir!" The young knight beside him was taken aback and quickly called out.
Lucien chuckled. "If you've found a magical beast you like, then yes, you can go back and prepare something for it."
But the knight, Manon, hesitated, then shook his head firmly. "No, I'll stay here to protect you, Your Highness."
Lucien smiled faintly. He didn't press the issue, instead shifting his gaze toward a Simisear basking near the springs.
To be honest, Simisear was considered an unpopular Pokémon. But if Ryan could win it over, it would be a boon for their territory.
After all, a Simisear's flames could reach over 300 degrees Celsius. By springtime, they could enlist its help in firing clay bricks and tiles, materials desperately needed for building sturdier, more habitable homes.
As he mulled this over, the water in the hot spring rippled.
Dratini suddenly broke the surface, a shining object clutched in its jaws.
With a delighted "Woo!" it swam over and dropped the object gently into Lucien's palm.
Lucien blinked down at it. An orange-yellow stone gleamed in his hand.
This… a Fire Stone?
Wait.
His eyes widened in realization.
If a Fire Stone had been lying underwater, then perhaps… beneath this very hot spring… there was an entire Fire Stone vein waiting to be discovered.
...
Stones PLzzz