Winter finally yielded to spring.
As the snow melted and the rivers began to flow again, life returned to the land, and with it, the people of the territory returned to work.
Lucien gathered everyone in the Lord's Hall to discuss the matters of rebuilding.
The first and most urgent issue was food.
"Your Highness Lucien," said Elif, the old butler, his brow furrowed, "our stores are nearly empty."
The endless blizzard that had lasted nearly two months had drained nearly all their reserves. The silos now held only scraps.
It was March, and the fields still had two long months before any new crops would ripen.
If they couldn't bridge that gap… starvation was inevitable.
Lucien's expression darkened in thought. He crossed his arms, then spoke evenly:
"Tell everyone to conserve food as much as possible. I'll have Dratini continue fishing in the river whenever it's free."
But even as he said it, he frowned. Relying on Dratini's electricity to fish every day would harm the ecosystem. Over time, it could ruin the river's balance.
The land was abundant now, but overuse could quickly turn abundance into scarcity.
They needed sustainability, not desperation.
Perhaps, Lucien mused, they could dig shallow ponds and begin cultivating fish themselves. A proper fish-farming system could keep them fed for generations.
At least spring offered them a chance to start anew.
This soil, black, rich, and full of potential, held the promise of life.
"Also," Lucien added after a pause, "send the foraging teams out again. Have them gather mountain goods, berries, wood ears, and hazel mushrooms. If they find wild pheasants or rabbits, set traps. If we can catch a few alive, we'll start breeding them."
Fish, berries, forest harvests, eggs, poultry, even the fruit produced by Snover's snow caps, it wasn't much, but it would keep them alive.
"Yes, Your Highness," Elif replied, bowing.
Lucien then turned to the carpenters, blacksmiths, and several residents working as part-time miners.
"The excavation of clay for bricks will continue," he ordered. "And the lumberyard must remain active. We need to finish building the mill as soon as possible."
A mill would change everything—it could grind wheat into flour, refine food production, and even channel the power of the river for irrigation.
"Yes, Your Highness Lucien!" said Carpenter Tucker, Blacksmith Morik, and several others in unison.
At that moment, several farmers stepped forward.
"Your Highness," one said, "spring's here. It's time to sow the remaining seeds, wheat, potatoes, cabbage, carrots, oats…"
Lucien blinked, then smiled faintly. "Right, you're correct. Let's begin today."
There was much to be done before the first seeds could touch the soil.
The earth had to be thawed, plowed, and turned, the water channels dug, the fields marked and fenced.
But this was good work, the kind of work that gave people hope.
As the meeting adjourned, the farmers, craftsmen, and foragers hurried out to their stations, the Lord's Hall emptying into the bright, thawing morning.
Lucien turned his gaze toward the assembled knights.
Spring had finally come, and with the warming air came a surge of wild Pokémon across the land.
Some had begun to appear around the outskirts of the territory, tiny Cottonee swaying in the grass, Ducklett gliding across the river beside elegant Swanna, and clusters of Ferroseed dangling quietly from the trees like living ornaments.
Fortunately, the people had changed.
After enduring the long, bitter winter together, the residents no longer looked upon Pokémon with the same fear. Many had learned to coexist, to see not monsters, but living companions sharing the same hardships.
Some even dared to approach them, offering fruit or bread with tentative smiles.
Still, caution was essential. Not every Pokémon was friendly, and danger could still lurk in the forests.
Lucien folded his arms, his expression firm.
"Patrols around the territory must remain vigilant," he said. "If you encounter any aggressive beast, remember, protect yourselves first, and keep the others safe."
"Yes, Your Highness!" the knights chorused, voices echoing through the hall.
Lucien then turned toward Ryan, Cleveland, and Christina, his tone softening.
"Many unfamiliar species have appeared in the forests again," he said. "I'll need you three to head out and document them."
Christina's eyes lit up. "Alright! I'll do my best!" she said eagerly, clutching her sketchbook as if afraid it might fly away.
Lucien smiled faintly. "No need to travel too far this time—just record the beast living in the plains and woods around our borders."
"Understood!" Christina nodded with bright determination.
Lucien dismissed the group. "Good. Everyone, return to your duties."
The hall gradually emptied, boots, cloaks, and armor fading into the hum of activity outside, until only one young knight remained standing.
Lucien looked up from his papers and raised an eyebrow. "Is there something else?"
The young man hesitated, then stepped forward.
"Your Highness… aren't we heading to the royal fiefdom soon?"
Lucien paused, considering. "With our food stores as they are, we can't afford that journey just yet," he said calmly. "Why? Do you have family there?"
The knight quickly shook his head. "No, Your Highness. It's just that… if we all leave, the homes we worked so hard to build will be left behind."
He glanced toward the window, where the sunlight spilled across the budding rooftops. "And, well… many of the townsfolk don't want to leave either. Life here is good. There are no slaves, no wars. Everyone works together… it feels like home."
Lucien's gaze softened.
"I understand," he said with a small smile. "But first, we must survive this food crisis. Once that's resolved, we'll decide the rest."
"Yes, Your Highness!"
The young knight gave a crisp salute before leaving the tent to resume his patrol of the surrounding fields.
Once he was gone, only Lucien, Dratini, and Snivy remained inside.
Before them lay a small pile of gathered berry seeds, carefully sorted, cleaned, and waiting to be planted.
Lucien exhaled slowly, his gaze softening.
"It's time," he said.
"Snivy?" The little Grass-type blinked, caught off guard.
Lucien smiled faintly. "I promised you before, didn't I? That I'd plant these berries and build a place where you and the others could live safely."
He unrolled the parchment map that Christina had drawn of the surrounding area.
After studying it for a moment, his finger rested on a broad clearing to the south of the settlement.
"That's where we'll do it," he said quietly. "The berry grove begins there."
Berries were among the most precious resources in the Pokémon world.
They grew fast, sometimes ripening in just two or three days, and their effects were varied and powerful.
With a steady supply of them, they could nourish Pokémon, make medicine, and even start raising more species within the territory.
Lucien's mind was already turning, calculating: If they could cultivate these berries, they could begin breeding Pokémon like Patrat, Combee, or even Deerling, forming the basis of a thriving Pokémon ecosystem.
But just as he began outlining the plan in his mind;
A commotion erupted outside.
Shouts. Footsteps. The sound of something crashing.
A moment later, a panicked farmer burst through the tent flap, breathless and pale.
"Your Highness! A monster's rampaging in the fields! It's moving too fast, the knights can't catch it!"
Lucien's expression hardened instantly.
The crops were their lifeline. A single disaster in the fields could doom the entire settlement.
"Show me," he said, already standing.
"Y-yes, Your Highness!"
...
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