Having a flying Pokémon truly made all the difference.
Lucien rode on Dragonite's back high above the ground, the forests, towns, and mountains spreading out like a map beneath them.
"It's a pity Kyurem can't fly… at least not in this form," Lucien muttered.
If it could, he absolutely would've tried riding a legendary Pokémon through the sky.
But unlike Groudon, who simply couldn't fly, Kyurem could, if it fused with Reshiram or Zekrom, becoming White Kyurem or Black Kyurem.
But now wasn't the time for daydreaming.
Lucien refocused on the fleeing figure below.
Froslass drifted swiftly through the trees, gliding across the snow-laden forest before disappearing into a cave halfway up the mountain.
Found it.
"Dragonite, that cave."
"Wooo!"
Dragonite swooped down, landing directly at the cavern entrance.
The moment it saw them, the Froslass leaped out defensively, shrieking sharply.
"Frooo~~lass!"
"Froslass, stop! You mustn't harm the people of Lacunosa Village!" Lucien called out.
At that moment, the three Swords of Justice arrived, forming a line behind him.
Seeing herself surrounded, Froslass panicked and lashed out.
With a sweep of her kimono sleeve, she unleashed a freezing gust of wind straight at Lucien.
"Dragonite, Fire Punch!"
Dragonite's fist ignited with blazing flames and punched directly through the frost, smashing into Froslass's face.
The fragile Ice/Ghost-type was thrown backward instantly.
"Frooo~~!"
Realizing she couldn't win, she attempted to flee deeper into the cave.
But Lucien wouldn't allow it.
Before he even moved, Terrakion, Cobalion, and Virizion stepped forward, blocking the entrance.
"Froslass!" she cried in frustration, trapped.
The three Swords subdued her easily and followed Lucien into the cave.
Inside;
The lair was horrifyingly beautiful.
Crystalline ice coated the floor and walls like a palace of frozen glass.
Further ahead stood human figures, men, women, even children, frozen solid.
Their final expressions of terror were perfectly preserved in ice.
These sculptures were arranged like ornaments…
"Those are..."
Cobalion's eyes hardened.
"The villagers Froslass has abducted over the years," Lucien said quietly.
A complex feeling twisted in his chest. This was the first time since transmigrating that he had witnessed Pokémon harming humans up close.
Of course, just because the anime never showed it didn't mean it never happened.
Everything had two sides.
And honestly…Froslass could have chosen to live peacefully with a human she liked. Instead, she froze them and kept them as decorations.
No wonder people of this era feared magical beasts.
"This era is to blame," Lucien murmured.
"Humans and Pokémon barely understand each other. Fear breeds violence, on both sides."
He had created a small utopia within his territory, but changing the entire world alone was nearly impossible.
One person's power is limited.
Lucien knew it well.
Suddenly, Kyurem's voice echoed in his mind.
"These humans are not entirely dead."
Lucien's eyes widened.
He looked at the frozen villagers again, realization dawning.
Humans in this world were not like the ones in his previous life.
Here, a human could survive: a 100,000-volt Thunderbolt, a massive explosion, the heat of a Flamethrower
Their bodies were absurdly durable.
"Larvesta, use Flamethrower on the sculptures!"
Lucien released Larvesta.
"Larvi~!"
A stream of scorching flames hit the ice statues, melting them rapidly into puddles of water.
The villagers revived, coughing and shivering violently.
"M–Master Beastmaster! You came to save us?" a trembling man cried.
"Yes. The village chief sent me," Lucien nodded.
Tears filled their eyes.
Lucien exhaled in relief, they survived.
But those who had been taken decades ago…
Sadly, not all could be saved.
Seeing her "decorations" melt, Froslass screamed with fury, her face contorted in rage.
"Cobalion, Terrakion, Virizion, escort these villagers back to the village."
"Understood."
Lucien turned to the shaken survivors.
"These three noble magical beasts are my allies. They will protect you. Go with them, and be safe."
"Thank you, Beastmaster!"
The villagers bowed repeatedly and followed the Swords of Justice out of the cave.
Soon, only Lucien and the Froslass remained.
"Froslass."
She looked at him helplessly as her captured humans left, her expression furious yet powerless.
"Froslass… do you understand the gravity of what you've done?" Lucien asked quietly.
"Fro… froslass!"
She snarled, baring her icy fangs in defiance.
"You really like humans, don't you?" Lucien suddenly asked.
The question stunned Froslass. She froze, her eerie blue eyes wavering.
Like humans? Of course she did, those handsome men were simply too beautiful in her eyes.
She couldn't resist their charm. She only wanted to keep them close… forever.
Lucien shook his head.
"Your affection is built on hurting others. That's not love. That's selfish desire."
Froslass fell silent.
"If you truly loved a human," Lucien continued softly, "there were better ways."
"You could have approached them slowly, become friends, become family. You could have lived with them, worked with them, shared meals with them, day after day, night after night."
"That way, you'd have a companion who talks to you, laughs with you, keeps you company.
Not a silent, lifeless ice sculpture sitting in a corner."
"You wouldn't be lonely anymore."
Froslass's expression trembled.
"Froo…?"
"So now," Lucien asked gently, "do you understand that what you did was wrong?"
"Froslass!!" She clenched her spectral hands, refusing to admit it.
She liked decorating her nest with beautiful men! What was wrong with that?!
Lucien sighed.
Kyurem's deep, ancient voice rumbled inside Lucien's heart:
"Hmph… even I am at a loss with this one."
Lucien exhaled.
He couldn't bring himself to kill her.
But releasing her meant she might harm the villagers again, and he had no right to speak on behalf of those who had died.
He needed another solution.
He thought for a long moment, and then remembered one of Kyurem's signature abilities:
[Seal].
"Kyurem," Lucien asked telepathically, "can your seal work on her?"
"Of course," Kyurem answered. "What do you plan to do?"
"I can't kill her. But I also can't forgive her for the dead. So… I want to seal her until she understands her mistakes."
Kyurem gave a low rumble of approval.
"A wise choice, very well. I will seal her with my power, until the day she repents."
The air suddenly chilled.
Kyurem materialized beside them, its towering form radiating ancient frost.
Froslass took one look at the legendary dragon, and sheer terror twisted across her face.
Kyurem didn't speak. It only snorted coldly.
A flash of icy light filled the cave.
And Froslass vanished.
In her place lay a single Ice Stone, radiating a frigid aura.
Lucien knelt and picked it up.
"Froslass," he said gently, "I'll take you to a human village. There, you'll watch humans and Pokémon live together. You'll listen. You'll observe."
"When you truly understand what you've done, the seal will break, and you'll regain your freedom."
The Ice Stone, of course, remained silent.
Lucien mounted Dragonite and flew back toward Lacunosa Village.
By the time he arrived, the villagers had already reunited with their found loved ones, crying, hugging, laughing in relief.
When Lucien landed, the village chief and several elders immediately knelt before him.
"Master Beastmaster! Thank you for saving everyone! We have nothing valuable, but please, take anything you want!"
Lucien resisted the urge to sigh.
They treated him like an RPG protagonist rummaging through treasure chests in every house…
He shook his head.
Instead, he pulled out the Ice Stone and handed it to the village chief.
"Place this stone somewhere in the village. From now on, no one will disappear again."
The chief blinked.
"Master… what is this?"
Lucien clarified:
"The monster that came at night wasn't Kyurem."
The chief inhaled sharply, surprised, relieved, and ashamed of the misunderstanding.
He quickly accepted the stone with reverence.
"Master Beastmaster, please stay longer, we haven't thanked you properly!"
"No need. I have other matters to handle," Lucien replied.
"Then… please travel safely!"
Lucien recalled Bouffalant, and the three Swords of Justice voluntarily returned to their Poké Balls for convenience.
In this era, Poké Balls were just containers, they couldn't capture or subdue Pokémon, but they made transportation far easier.
Lucien leaped onto Dragonite's back.
With a powerful flap of its wings...
FOOM!
They shot into the sky, heading straight toward Lucien City.