Hearing the name of someone so familiar in this strange, distant era filled Lucien with an unshakable desire to meet him.
But once he calmed down, reality set in, such a meeting would be nearly impossible.
Forget about finding Aaron; just crossing the sea alone was obstacle enough.
"Don't worry, Your Highness! Perhaps the Aura Guardian will visit the royal city again," Elif said reassuringly.
Lucien, however, doubted it. He knew that the Kanto region, home to the Kingdom of Rota, was still wracked by conflicts of varying scales. Aaron would surely remain there, aiding Queen Rin and searching for a way to end the wars.
Still, that didn't matter. Once Dratini evolved into Dragonite, Lucien could secretly fly across the sea on its back, reaching Rota swiftly.
There, he could meet Aaron, visit the Tree of Beginning, and perhaps even encounter Mew.
"Your Highness Lucien! Your Highness Lucien!"
At that moment, Ryan's urgent voice rang out across the courtyard.
Lucien turned and saw him running over, holding an unconscious, wounded Pokémon in his arms.
When Lucien recognized the creature, he froze in his tracks.
It was… a Snivy.
But compared to the last time he had seen it, the Snivy's condition was heartbreaking.
Its eyes were shut, its body marred by deep, savage claw marks. It looked utterly broken.
Lucien's expression darkened.
Ryan spoke quickly: "We were patrolling the territory when we found this monster collapsed in the bushes, unconscious in the snow. Bane said you'd met it before, so I brought it here!"
Bane, one of the knights, had indeed been present when Lucien first attempted to reach out to Snivy.
Lucien nodded. "Leave it to me."
"Yes, Your Highness!"
Ryan carefully handed the small Grass-type over.
Lucien examined Snivy's injuries, then carried it straight to the healer, Lila.
"Your Highness, what is this?" Lila asked, startled as she looked at the battered Pokémon.
"Ryan found it outside, nearly frozen. Lila, I'll need healing potion and frostbite medicine." Lucien laid Snivy gently on the bed.
"Yes!"
Lila hurried to the shelf and retrieved two bottles, passing them to him.
Lucien uncorked the vial of healing potion, made from the vital-energy roots Anna had collected days earlier. Carefully, he applied the potion to Snivy's wounds, then helped it swallow the frostbite medicine.
Almost instantly, the potion took effect. The claw marks began to close before his eyes, knitting together as the frostbitten bruises slowly faded.
Soon, Lucien saw Snivy's eyelids tremble as it stirred.
"Snivy…"
The little Pokémon let out a weak murmur, its consciousness returning. At first, it seemed confused, still trapped in memories of the previous night.
It had only been searching for a lair to escape the approaching snowstorm. But along the way, it encountered a pack of predators.
After a desperate struggle, Snivy was gravely wounded. Only its agility, and the use of Vine Whip and Grass Knot had allowed it to break free and escape.
Yet that escape came at a terrible price. Its body was torn and weakened, leaving it unable to forage for herbs to heal itself.
In its fading consciousness, Snivy remembered the fate of the Minccino that day.
Humans had entered their forest, felling the trees they relied upon for survival. Yet instead of bringing harm, those humans had shown kindness.
Clinging to life, Snivy refused to give in. It struggled through the forest, stumbling over snowdrifts, driven only by the hope of survival. Somehow, it had reached human territory, only to collapse in exhaustion.
Now, as its eyes flickered open, a thought crossed its mind.
Had it… been rescued by humans?
Slowly, Snivy forced its eyes wide and saw a familiar face.
Startled, it recoiled.
"Awake?" Lucien asked gently, smiling. "We meet again, Snivy."
"Snivy…"
"I don't know what you went through," Lucien said softly, "but judging from these wounds, it must have been something terrible."
"Snivy…" Its expression darkened as the memories of last night returned.
If those Sneasel hadn't ambushed it so treacherously, they never could have defeated it in a fair fight.
Lucien studied its face carefully. From its reaction, he guessed it must have fought a brutal battle with wild Pokémon. Judging from its injuries, the fight had nearly cost it its life.
Perhaps their arrival had driven Snivy from its old home, forcing it into another Pokémon's territory where it had been attacked. The thought weighed heavily on him, filling him with guilt.
Looking the Grass-type straight in the eyes, Lucien's expression grew solemn.
"I'm sorry, Snivy," he said quietly.
"Snivy?" The Pokémon blinked, momentarily stunned, then lifted its gaze toward him.
"Because of us, you lost your home," Lucien continued. "I am truly sorry. And with the blizzard coming, the cold will only worsen. When it hits, finding food outside will be nearly impossible."
"So, what do you think of my proposal? Spend the winter here with us and the Minccino. I'll provide you with food and shelter."
"Next spring, I'll help you rebuild an orchard that can serve as your new home."
Lucien's expression was earnest, his tone carrying genuine sincerity.
Pokémon were always perceptive of human intentions, especially a Pokémon like Snivy, known for its intelligence and composed nature.
It stared into Lucien's eyes for a long moment.
The human before it truly carried guilt in his heart… and wanted to make amends in this way.
At last, Snivy turned its head aside, as though reluctant to meet his gaze.
"Snivy."
"Then welcome aboard, Snivy," Lucien said warmly, smiling.
At that moment, a notification appeared before him. The number of Pokémon in his territory had risen from 17 to 18.
Snivy's profile materialized in the interface:
[Pokémon: Snivy]
[Type: Grass]
[Gender: Female]
[Ability: Contrary]
[Moves: Slam, Leer, Vine Whip, Growth, Bind, Grass Knot]
[Friendship Level: 30]
[Pokémon History: In the 147th year of the Royal Calendar, Snivy was born.]
[In the 148th year of the Royal Calendar, Snivy was attacked by five Sneasel. On the brink of death, she was rescued by Lucien and temporarily joined his territory.]
...
Stones Plzz
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