Megan Stuart had once been just an ordinary girl, living in a small town where sunflowers bloomed.
But when she was four, war swept through her home. She saw her parents die before her very eyes, and she and her brother were taken as slaves by the enemy. From then on, their lives were like flowers trampled into the mud.
Megan was forced to care for caged beasts, while her brother worked as a stable hand.
At first, she feared the beasts.
But when she saw those who resisted labor beaten until their bodies were covered in wounds, she could only feel pity for them.
Later, when Lord Raven said that Magikarp were incredibly resilient Pokémon—that even in the dirtiest ponds they could survive—something inside her resonated.
Yes. Wasn't that what her and her brother's lives had been? Trapped in that filthy prison, yet clinging on, refusing to die.
But now, those days were behind them.
They had met Lord Raven. They had their own cabin, their slave status was gone, and he had promised that next year they would be given farmland. Then, like their parents once did, they could plant sunflowers in front of their home.
No matter how hard life became, they had to live on—that was the spirit Megan learned from Magikarp.
"Fish, oh fish… stay here with me and my brother. Let's get through this winter together."
In her cabin, Megan crouched by the water trough, whispering to the Magikarp that poked their heads out of the water.
Her brother had carved the trough from a great log, hollowing it out and filling it with water.
The six Magikarp lined up, gazing at her.
She stroked their heads gently, just as she once comforted wounded beasts in the prison.
"Don't worry, Magikarp. Our lives will get better."
The water rippled, and one by one the Magikarp leapt up, splashing as if to answer her.
Just then, the door opened and her brother Chris came in.
Though only sixteen, hardship had made him seem much older.
Seeing his sister with the Pokémon, he reminded her:"The blizzard's almost here. Don't go outside if you can help it. Stay warm. Medicines are scarce—if you get sick, it'll be trouble."
"I will!" Megan nodded quickly. When she noticed he was about to leave, she asked, "Brother, where are you going?"
"The stables are finished. I need to move the Bouffalant there."
Bouffalant could pull loads and plow fields—they were vital to the territory and couldn't be lost.
Raven had searched for the Minccino in vain. Snivy had vanished again, leaving him helpless.
Just then, he heard calls outside.
"Chir! Chir!"
The Minccino ran in, each carrying chestnuts, pine nuts, and berries.
Raven blinked. "What's this?"
"Chir!"
Their stored food—meant for winter!
From watching him, they'd noticed Raven didn't seem to stockpile supplies.
One Minccino looked at him.
If Raven went hungry in winter, they wouldn't mind sharing.
But…
Raven and Dratini both seemed to eat a lot.
Looking at the pile, the Minccino grew uneasy again.
Would this food be enough?
If not, wouldn't they starve?
Panic set in once more.
No, they needed to find more!
After hurriedly hiding the food, the Minccino dashed out again.
Raven stood there baffled.
As far as he knew, Minccino's ability wasn't Pickup, was it?
Maybe hoarding food was just a natural trait of these "chinchilla" Pokémon? he thought.
Still, it didn't matter now. With the blizzard coming, the most important thing was training—getting stronger.
"Wrap, Leer, Twister, Thunder Wave…"
He thought through Dratini's moves, considering how best to build its strength.
Without legs, the only way to improve Dratini's speed was to push its flying endurance.
As for power…
Raven eyed the long, flexible body. It looked harmless, but one part could be trained into a weapon—its tail.
"Yes… Dragon Tail training would work."
It was time to raise the intensity.
When he first transmigrated, Dratini had been weak and scrawny, worn out from the long journey and the harsh cold.
But now, thanks to careful care, it had grown stronger.
In this age, there was no advanced equipment—only natural tools.
"Besides tail work… you can start weighted flight now."
He fetched stones, tying them with rope around Dratini.
Such training was ordinary in his world, but in this medieval era, it was centuries ahead.
At first, Dratini struggled. But determined not to be weak, it forced itself to keep flying.
Raven sighed in relief.
Thankfully, his Dratini wasn't the kind to quit just because training hurt.
Later, he prepared a log, planning to have Dratini whip it with its tail for strength.
He also asked for fresh fish. While Dratini trained, he deboned and minced them, shaping the meat into small dumplings to steam.
Though he had attendants, a true Trainer prepared food himself—that was how bonds deepened.
Beyond planning its training, this was the one thing Raven could do: feed Dratini fish balls with his own hands, and massage its muscles afterward.
For Dratini, that was more than enough.
By day's end, the little dragon sprawled lazily across his lap, nibbling the fish balls while enjoying Raven's massage.
Outside, the wind howled and snow swirled.
Inside, the brazier's warmth made it feel like spring.
Good food, and his favorite person nearby.
This was Dratini's happiest time.
(End of Chapter)