"Master Ball…"
The ultimate capture device. A Poké Ball with a one-hundred-percent success rate.
No matter the target, ordinary Pokémon, pseudo-legendaries, even gods themselves, if the Master Ball made contact, the capture was guaranteed.
If that technology was hidden within the "Modern Poké Ball" entry, Lucien finally understood why its requirements were so steep.
For now, though, fifty Satisfaction points meant nothing. He couldn't unlock a single thing.
He sighed and set the thought aside. 'Another time, then.'
Elif had gone out on errands, leaving only Lucien and the small dragon in the tent.
The Dratini, who had been dozing ever since the trek through the snow, stirred at last. Its large, watery eyes blinked open, fixing curiously on him.
Lucien propped his chin on his hand, studying it in return.
The familiar panel appeared with a thought:
Pokémon: Dratini
Type: Dragon
Gender: Female
Ability: Marvel Scale
Moves: Wrap, Glare, Twister
Friendship: 25/100 (may exceed in special circumstances)
Life Record:
Year 147 (Kingdom Calendar) – Born.
Year 148 – Captured by fishermen and presented to a noble.
Year 148 – Gifted by that noble to the King of Eindook to curry favor.
Year 148 – Bestowed by the old king upon the third prince, Lucien, as a companion for his journey.
Two days together, and her Friendship had already risen from twenty to twenty-five.
"Wrap, Glare, Twister… only three moves?" Lucien muttered.
No wonder fishermen had managed to catch her. At less than a year old, she was still a baby, fragile and untrained.
He extended a finger and gently tapped her round white snout.
Dratini blinked, then leaned forward, sniffing his fingertip with her little nose.
Lucien fell into deep thought.
Lucien had no intention of treating Dratini as a mere pet.
Weak though she was before evolving into Dragonite, she still possessed more combat potential than the likes of Magikarp or Spearow.
The problem was resources.
Raising a pseudo-legendary demanded far more than his struggling camp could provide.
In this age, humans and Pokémon were still divided. People neither understood Pokémon well nor knew how to prepare special food or berries for them. Without proper nourishment, Dratini's growth would stall.
Lucien rubbed his temples. 'Another headache.'
At least the old king had gifted him a Dratini. Had it been a Snorlax, infamous glutton of legends, the entire food supply would have vanished in a single day, leaving them all to starve in this frozen land.
He shook the thought away and smiled faintly. "Let's get to know each other, shall we, Dratini?"
"Woo?" The little dragon tilted her head, gemlike eyes wide with curiosity.
"My name is Lucien. As you can see, I'm human. If nothing unexpected happens, we'll be living together for a long time, friends, family, partners. I'm glad to have you with me."
"Woo…" Dratini blinked. 'Lucien…?'
Her round face grew serious as if mimicking his solemn tone. She straightened and squeaked back proudly: "Woo!"
'I'm Dratini! A real dragon!'
Lucien, of course, couldn't understand a word. He chuckled softly and leaned forward. "Then let me know you better. Show me your strength."
He wanted to gauge her capabilities.
"Woo~!" Dratini chirped, delighted at the chance.
But when Lucien gestured toward the tent's entrance, she froze. With a sudden flick, she darted back under the blanket, burying her head as though the outside world were terrifying.
Lucien: "…"
He sighed, amused and exasperated. "The snow's stopped. Look, the sun is shining. It isn't cold today. Don't you want to feel its warmth?"
The valley plain was sheltered from the winds. Here, sunlight pooled on the snow and gave the air a gentler warmth than the blizzard roads they had crossed.
Dratini hesitated, her nose poking out from the folds.
The sun… warm on the scales…
She remembered, lying on a golden beach, basking with her kin while the waves lapped the shore. The warmth of sunlight soaking into her tiny body.
Slowly, cautiously, Dratini peeked out, eyes shimmering with recognition. "Woo?"
"Of course it's true." Lucien understood the meaning in Dratini's eyes. He opened his cashmere coat with a faint smile. "If you don't believe me, you can hide in here first."
This outing had two purposes: to test the strength of Dratini's moves, and to survey both the seventy-eight survivors and the land around their fledgling territory.
The little dragon hesitated, then gave in. She slipped inside the coat, leaving only half her face peeking out, wide eyes darting nervously as she observed the outside world.
Lucien chuckled softly. He pulled the coat closed around her and stepped out of the tent.
In just one night, the barren clearing had begun to take shape.
Snow was cleared into rough paths. Tents rose in orderly clusters. It resembled a frontier campsite more than a territory, but it was a start.
As he walked, a woman carrying a woven basket approached. Seeing him, she quickly bowed. "Your Highness Lucien!"
Lucien inclined his head, then noticed the basket's contents. "What's this?"
The woman lifted it proudly. "Your Highness, these are wild berries from the forest thickets. Would you care to try some? I gathered plenty."
He waved lightly. "No, keep them for yourselves. I still have other matters to attend to."
But the woman insisted, eyes warm with gratitude. "Please, Your Highness! Your herbs saved my child. This is the least I can offer. And don't worry, there are whole bushes of them deeper in the forest!"
He recalled the knights' report yesterday about berry patches nearby. At last, he relented, taking a small handful. He popped one into his mouth.
Sweet juice spread across his tongue. Pleasant, though not something he favored.
Inside his coat, Dratini stirred. Her nose twitched, eyes fixed on the berries.
Lucien smirked and slipped the rest toward her snout. "They're all yours."
"Woo~!" Dratini squeaked in delight, nibbling happily.
They continued on. As the woman had said, groups of commoners busied themselves in the forest, plucking berries into baskets. The injured remained in their tents, tended by others, while the healthier folk worked with energy born of desperation.
Lucien found the sight reassuring. The berries were small, hardly enough to fill a belly, but they were fresh food. In times like these, even such scraps meant survival.
Then a sharp noise carried from ahead, cheers and calls.
Lucien raised his eyes. Near the frozen river, Ryan and a band of men were hard at work, breaking through the ice and fishing beneath.