"W-What?! Your Highness, you're raising a monster?"
When Lucien explained his plan, the old butler, Elif, nearly dropped the tray he was carrying.
"Don't be so nervous, Elif. It's only an experiment." Lucien calmly continued eating his breakfast.
Magikarp were hardy Pokémon. With just a caretaker to watch over them, tossing a few berries into a pond each day was enough to keep them alive. They required little time or resources.
But if even one evolved into Gyarados, the return would be tremendous.
Magikarp themselves weren't very useful, but Gyarados were a different story altogether, ferocious, powerful, and versatile. A single Gyarados could summon rain to irrigate farmland or unleash Hydro Pump to defend the territory from enemies.
It was the kind of Pokémon that could benefit both daily life and military defense.
"O-okay…" Elif wiped the sweat from his brow, still unsettled.
At Lucien's request, he soon brought over a girl who seemed suited for the task.
"Megan, fourteen years old. She once cared for magical beasts in the royal city," Elif introduced.
Lucien was pleasantly surprised. He looked at the freckled girl standing timidly before him. "You've cared for magical beasts before?"
Megan nodded quickly. "Yes, Your Highness Lucien. I was a slave in the royal city, assigned to tend to the magical beasts brought in by the knights. They were shackled and chained, and if they didn't work, the overseers would whip them. My job was to feed them and patch their wounds. I… I always felt sorry for them."
Lucien's expression softened. "Then I'll entrust this task to you."
He rose, lifting Dratini into his arms, and gestured for Megan to follow. "Let's go. The knights should have finished digging the pond."
"Yes!" Megan stammered, her voice unconsciously turning respectful in the presence of royalty.
Lucien noticed her nervousness and smiled. "Don't be afraid, Megan. There are no slaves in this territory. This is honest work, and when winter passes and we settle down, you'll be rewarded."
"I-I understand!" Megan looked at him with wide eyes full of admiration. "Everyone says Your Highness is the most kindhearted and noble ruler they've ever met!"
Lucien: "…"
That was… a bit much.
Still, faced with her earnest gaze, he could only smile gracefully.
Soon, they arrived at the newly dug pond. The knights had redirected part of the river so water flowed steadily into it.
At Lucien's signal, Dratini dove into the river. In a flash of golden sparks, she released a wave of Thunder Wave. Dozens of fish floated to the surface almost instantly.
Every time Lucien watched this scene, he marveled again at how abundant the Pokémon world truly was.
As usual, the ordinary fish were handed to the residents to take home for meals. Any leftovers were frozen by the Snovers and stored in the warehouse.
Finally, six Magikarp were scooped from the catch and released into the pond.
In normal circumstances, stocking a raw pond might cause the fish to die off. But Magikarp were Pokémon, resilient beyond ordinary creatures.
Furthermore, Magikarp consumed the silt and microorganisms in the pond, helping to keep the water clean.
Shortly after being placed in the pond, the five Magikarp regained consciousness. Their dull, lifeless eyes stared blankly as they drifted in lazy circles.
Lucien had also instructed the knights to transplant water plants and algae from the river, ensuring a steady food source.
He glanced toward the cultivated fields nearby. Perhaps in the future, this pond could house other Water-type Pokémon, ones that could even help with irrigation.
"Your Highness, are these red fish the monsters I'm supposed to care for?" Megan asked as she crouched beside the pond.
"Yes," Lucien nodded. "They're called Magikarp. They're incredibly resilient magical beasts, able to survive even in the filthiest of ponds."
"In the filthiest of ponds…" Megan froze. The words stirred memories of her own life as a lowly slave, scraping by in harsh conditions. She whispered softly, "Just like me."
Looking at the vacant-eyed Magikarp, Megan felt a sudden surge of empathy.
'Fish… if you can endure, maybe I can too.'
But then she caught herself. His Highness Lucien had freed her from slavery. Now she was a citizen, just like everyone else. Soon, she would even have a warm cabin to keep out the cold. Her life was already changing for the better.
"Your Highness Lucien, I'll definitely take good care of them!" Megan promised.
Lucien gave a small smile and nodded. "Don't be nervous. Magikarp are easy to raise. They'll survive on mud and plants, but since we've decided to raise them, we can't just leave them at that. Your job will be to cut fruit into small pieces and feed them every day. From now on, you are their breeder."
He knew well that raising Magikarp wasn't only about survival. If a bond of affection and trust formed, their chances of evolving into Gyarados would increase dramatically.
"As you command, Your Highness!" Megan said with renewed determination.
"Keep it up," Lucien encouraged.
If he hadn't been so tied down with managing the territory, he might have raised a Magikarp himself. After all, a fully evolved Gyarados was one of the most formidable Pokémon in existence.
Unfortunately, in this era without Poké Balls, he couldn't simply keep one at his side.
At first, Megan only felt sympathy for the "lowly" creatures. But after several days of visiting the pond with baskets of berries, she noticed something new.
The Magikarp would surface before she even arrived, bobbing at the water's edge as though waiting for her.
The sight filled her with surprise, and a quiet sense of responsibility.
Gradually, the awkward pity she once felt was replaced by something warmer. She began to find the Magikarp endearing.
Though they couldn't speak, they were perfect listeners. Megan often sat by the pond, recounting her past in the palace.
"Fish, fish… what are you thinking about?" she would ask with a small laugh.
The Magikarp never answered, their vacant eyes fixed on the sky.
And, somehow, Megan found herself imitating them, staring blankly into the water, emptying her mind.
Strangely enough, she began to enjoy it.
...
I'll post 5 bonus chapters if we can reach top 50 this week
Read chapters ahead @patreon.com/Keepsmiling818