In the valley camp, inside a worn and weathered tent;
A girl no older than ten sat trembling, her cheeks streaked with tears.
On the haystack before her lay a pale woman, unconscious and feverish.
"Mother…"
The child's voice cracked as she called to the sick woman, her hands gripping her limp arm.
A month ago, she had left the royal city with her parents, following His Highness Lucien toward their new fief.
But fate had been cruel. Their caravan was lost in the blizzard. Her father had vanished. And now her mother had fallen gravely ill.
Anna, ten years old, knew this sickness. She had seen it in beggars by the roadside in Eindook's capital. A fever that burned until it took their lives, when no coin could buy medicine.
Once, she had pitied such a beggar, slipping him a piece of black bread. He had smiled faintly at her kindness… and days later, she had seen his body lying cold and still.
And now, the same fever gripped her mother.
"Mom… please wake up! Don't leave Anna all alone…"
She shook her mother's arm again and again, sobbing, but the woman did not stir. There was no gentle hand on her hair, no soft voice to comfort her as before.
Then, suddenly, footsteps approached outside the tent.
The curtain lifted. Doctor Lila stepped in, followed closely by the old butler, Elif.
Lila's sharp eyes fell on the crying child, but she didn't pause. "Let me see her." She knelt by the woman and quickly examined her condition.
"Doctor, please! Save my mother!"
Anna's voice trembled, desperate. Seeing the healer was like catching the last light in a storm. She stumbled back, eyes wide, watching every move.
Lila pressed her hand to the woman's forehead. Her brow furrowed.
"High fever. She's fallen into a coma."
"Will...will Mommy wake up?" Anna asked in a small, terrified voice.
"I will do my best," Lila said firmly. Then she turned to the butler. "Mr. Elif, I need fullmoon grass and bitter root. They'll help ease the symptoms."
At once, Elif opened the medicine box, retrieving two herbs.
"What should I do with them?"
"Boil them together in a pot for thirty minutes. Once brewed, have her drink the decoction."
Glossary Updates
Lucien: MC, prince of Eindook (formerly Raven).
Anna: 10-year-old civilian girl, mother gravely ill.
Doctor Lila: Camp physician, first named here.
Fullmoon Grass / Bitter Root: Herbal medicine ingredients.
Elif: Old butler, assisting with treatment.
Hearing this, Anna quickly piped up. "I'll help!"
Lila blinked, surprised. "You? Can you boil herbs?"
"I used to help my mother at home!" Anna wiped her tears with the back of her hand. She understood. The camp was full of sick and injured; the doctor could not remain here long. Some things she had to do herself.
"Good child. Then I'll leave it to you." Lila nodded.
Anna took the herbs from Elif and dashed outside. Following the doctor's instructions, she boiled the mixture, carefully feeding the bitter broth to her unconscious mother, mouthful by mouthful.
Time trickled by. Anna did not know how long she worked, only that exhaustion weighed heavier and heavier. After days of travel and sleepless nights by her mother's side, her small body finally gave out. She slumped over and drifted into deep sleep.
She awoke to a familiar sound.
"Excuse me, Lord Elif."
Her eyes shot open. "Mom!"
The pale woman, now roused, set down the emptied bowl of medicine. Though still frail, she managed to stand and greet Elif respectfully.
"Mom…" Tears welled in Anna's eyes again. She threw herself into her mother's arms, sobbing in relief. "You're okay!"
The woman stroked her daughter's hair gently. "Don't worry, Anna." Then she lifted her gaze to Elif. "Thank you, Lord Elif."
Anna scrambled upright, echoing, "Yes, thank you!"
A smile creased Elif's weathered face. He shook his head. "Do not thank me. If you wish to offer thanks, thank His Highness Lucien. It was he who ordered the herbs distributed."
'His Highness Lucien…'
Anna's chest swelled with gratitude. To her, the prince was no longer a distant noble, but the one who had saved her mother's life.
At that moment, Lucien's vision flickered.
[Public Sentiment +3]
[Public Sentiment +1]
[Public Sentiment +2]
[…]
Lines of text streamed across his system panel. The Public Sentiment, which had barely scraped single digits, now surged past fifteen in a single day.
The Satisfaction value, once stuck at zero, climbed to fifty.
Lucien's lips curved in a faint smile. "So I was right."
Sharing his herbs had not only stemmed illness and death, but also won the people's hearts.
Yet what truly pleased him was not the surge in public sentiment, but the sudden leap of Satisfaction, all the way to fifty.
Lucien's eyes lit up. He willed the panel open, and the Technology Tree unfolded before him.
At once, several options from the Agricultural Age shimmered into view:
[Animal Husbandry] – Unlocks the practice of raising land-based Pokémon.
Redemption Cost: 200 Satisfaction
[Fishing] – Unlocks the practice of raising aquatic Pokémon.
Redemption Cost: 200 Satisfaction
Lucien: "…"
"Still far too little."
Fifty points of Satisfaction wasn't even enough for animal husbandry or fishing. And compared to the later ages, Electric Power, modern Poké Ball technology, this was a drop in the bucket.
Still, he scrolled further down, browsing through the higher tiers. Though locked for now, they could at least be previewed.
[Pokémon Food Science] – Unlocks recipes for Pokémon feed such as Poffins and Poke blocks.
Redemption Cost: 1,000 Satisfaction
"Pokémon food, huh…" Lucien mused. With only three Pokémon under his command, such knowledge wouldn't matter, yet.
Then his gaze snagged on a branch of the Industrial Age.
[Balloon Crafting] – Unlocks the crafting process of apricorn Poké Balls, allowing balloons and specific materials to be combined into the ancient capturing tools.
Redemption Cost: 500 Satisfaction
Lucien blinked. 'Apricorn Poké Balls?'
Scrolling further, he found its modern counterpart:
[Modern Poké Ball Technology] – Unlocks the industrial process for producing Poké Balls.
Unlock Prerequisite: Electricity Technology
Redemption Cost: 10,000 Satisfaction
His breath caught.
"Why such an enormous gap between the two?"
In theory, the crafting of Poké Balls wasn't so complicated. Centuries before the Pokémon League was founded, people in Hisui had already mastered the method of shaping apricorn shells, binding them with metals and precious stones.
Though primitive, those Poké Balls functioned much the same as the ones used in the modern era.
So why was the requirement for Modern Poké Ball Technology so high, and tied to electricity, of all things?
A bold thought struck him.
"Could it be that the so-called "Modern Poké Ball Technology" doesn't just include the standard Poké Ball… but the secrets of the Master Ball as well?"