Humans and Pokémon were both part of this world.
As a transmigrator, Lucien knew full well that humans and Pokémon could coexist.
But how was he supposed to resolve this standoff?
Lucien fell into deep thought. Around him, knights tightened their grip on their weapons, unease etched across their faces.
The Minccino in the branches showed no sign of retreat. Their homes had been cut down. Their anger was justified.
"Kiri-kiri!"
The Minccino began pelting the crowd with stones and twigs, desperately trying to drive them away.
"Your Highness, please be careful!" A knight rushed to shield Lucien.
The three Snover, seeing their companions attacked, finally snapped.
"Goooo!"
They charged forward, unleashing their power.
"Ice Beam!"
"Razor Leaf!"
"Icy Wind!"
A freezing beam, razor-sharp leaves, and a bitter cold gale blasted the branches. One Minccino was struck head-on and fell with a cry.
"Cin!"
The remaining four Minccino's eyes blazed with fury.
"Cin-cin-cin!"
They retaliated at once, unleashing Swift and Double Slap.
Golden stars rained down, striking the Snover and scattering the knights.
"Stop!" Lucien shouted, raising his hand. "We can find a solution."
But the Minccino were too enraged to listen. They leapt from the trees, surrounding the Snover and lunging toward the humans.
"Dratini, Thunder Wave!" Lucien commanded.
"Woooo!"
Dratini's body sparked, sending a pulse of yellow electricity through the air. One Minccino, mid-leap, froze as paralysis overtook it.
"Elif, get everyone out of here!" Lucien ordered sharply.
"Yes, Your Highness, please be careful!" Elif called, hurriedly leading the civilians away.
Now, only Lucien, a few knights, and his Pokémon remained at the logging site.
The Snover clashed with the furious Minccino, branches and snow flying.
Lucien's brow furrowed. 'I'll have to end this before anyone else gets hurt…'
He stepped forward. "Dratini, use Twister!"
"Wooooo!"
Dratini's body glowed with dragon energy. With a fierce cry, it expelled a swirling purple cyclone, sending a Minccino tumbling through the air.
Seeing its companion struck, another Minccino darted toward Dratini in anger.
Its tiny paws raised high, Double Slap!
The little chinchilla was incredibly fast. Though Lucien ordered Dratini to dodge, the young dragon's inexperience showed. Dratini winced as the blows landed.
Lucien's eyes sharpened. "Dratini- Wrap!"
"Woooo!"
Dratini's long, slender body whipped around and bound the Minccino tightly.
"Cino!"
The Minccino squeaked and struggled, but Dratini's grip only tightened.
"Now, Thunder Wave!" Lucien commanded.
A flash of yellow electricity surged across Dratini's coils. Sparks leapt into Minccino's body, paralyzing it instantly.
When Lucien looked up again, the battlefield had gone quiet.
All five Minccino lay sprawled on the snowy ground, weakened and unable to continue fighting.
Nearby, the three Snover stood panting, bodies scraped and bruised from the clash. They glared at the defeated Minccino, ready to strike again.
"Enough! Snover, stop!" Lucien called firmly.
The Snover froze, looking back at him in confusion.
Lucien stepped forward slowly, Dratini coiling protectively at his side. He knelt down before the fallen Minccino, meeting their frightened eyes.
Each one wore a different expression, one openly weeping, another blinking back tears, a third biting its lip in stubborn defiance.
'It's over,' they thought miserably. 'We've lost. We couldn't protect our home… These humans will claim the forest, and we'll be driven out into the snow to wander homeless…'
"Cino! Cino!" one cried- 'Bad humans!'
In their minds, they saw themselves trudging through blizzards, carrying little sticks with tied-up bundles on the ends, forced to leave everything behind.
Lucien's chest tightened. For a moment, he felt like a tyrant bullying the weak.
He let out a long, heavy sigh.
"I'm sorry, Minccino," he said quietly.
The Minccino froze.
Even the small green Pokémon hiding in the shadows, watching everything unfold, was startled.
Did they really hear him right?
'This big bad human… was apologizing?'
"Cino…?" one of the Minccino squeaked in disbelief.
Lucien's voice was steady, but heavy with sincerity.
"I admit it, we destroyed your home. But if we hadn't, not only I, but everyone behind me… would have died in this blizzard."
The words made the Minccino falter. Their round eyes shifted past Lucien, toward the group of weary villagers huddled in the distance.
Death.
To Pokémon, that word was terrifying. It meant never again waking to the morning sun, never again nibbling pinecones or berries, never again chasing one another through the trees.
Lucien pressed on.
"We need these logs to build sturdy houses. Without them, people will freeze to death. These homes protect us from the wind and snow, they keep us alive through the winter."
The Minccino's ears drooped.
"I know cutting down your trees destroyed what you called home. And for that, I am sorry. But… to survive, we cannot stop."
His words were firm but not cruel, an honest admission, one that did not trample their pain.
"So," he said at last, meeting each of their tear-stained eyes, "as the lord of this territory, I promise you this: when winter ends, when the snow melts and spring returns, we will plant a grove of fruit trees. A forest just for you, richer and safer than before. It will be your new home, with more food than you can ever eat."
The Minccino twitched their whiskers, listening.
"Until then," Lucien added softly, "if you're willing to trust us, come into our territory. Treat it as your temporary home. Spend this cold winter with us, and no harm will come to you."
...
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