Aside from Shuckle and Swablu, the book depicted many other beasts.
[Like bats, they huddle together in dark caves to keep warm.] Christina had used that description for one of them.
Raven glanced at the sketch and immediately recognized its name.
Zubat.
A bat beast that made caves its home, hated sunlight, had poor vision, and relied on ultrasonic waves to navigate.
He read on.
[Timid in nature. Sleeps with its face buried in its fur. Raises its ears at the slightest sound.]
"Buneary," Raven thought. Until it evolved into Lopunny, it was weak—lacking both speed and strength.
Christina's team had brought back far more than Raven had expected.
Each page recorded details of a new beast.
Later came sketches of Glaceon, Braviary, Sandshrew, Combee and Vespiquen, Deerling and Sawsbuck, Cryogonal, Gliscor, Aron, Ninetales, and even herds of Mamoswine.
"The beasts here truly are abundant!" Raven marveled.
His mind raced, considering how each one might aid their settlement.
Shuckle for brewing berry juice.
Swablu's molted down for quilts and pillows.
Sandshrew for digging and loosening soil for farming.
Combee and Vespiquen for gathering nectar and producing honey—though Combee would only follow Vespiquen's orders.
"Perhaps cooperation could work," Raven mused.
Humans could plant flower fields, letting Combee feed freely, and in return receive a share of honey.
Deerling and Sawsbuck bore leaves atop their heads, which could be brewed into tea, with different flavors depending on the season.
But Raven also knew Sawsbuck were aggressive, with males constantly fighting. They would not be easy to tame.
As for Gliscor, Christina had written extremely dangerous beneath its sketch—it was known to attack people outright.
Braviary, if tamed, could carry humans aloft, serving as an air cavalry.
But with their current strength, taming one was far beyond reach.
Then came Mamoswine and Cryogonal.
Both were common in Unova's winters.
Mamoswine lived in herds, incredibly strong and sturdy, ideal for hauling loads.
Cryogonal was stranger still.
Born from snow clouds, it only appeared in winter. Once temperatures rose, it melted into vapor, only to reform again when the cold returned.
Such abilities were of little use to the settlement.
Aron, however, fed on iron ore.
And most surprising of all was the presence of Ninetales.
[A mysterious beast with nine golden tails. Curious but not hostile. It appeared several times to observe us, but later lost interest and vanished.]
Ninetales, a Fire-type beast, lived for centuries—said to survive a thousand years.
If tamed, its flames could fire kilns for bricks and cement, building stronger houses.
But they knew far too little about it.
If they angered it, the entire settlement could be doomed.
After all, Ninetales were stubborn and vengeful. Legends claimed if one drew its hatred, it would haunt them for a thousand years—even cursing their descendants.
It was not a risk to take lightly.
By now, Raven had a rough grasp of the beasts nearby.
He turned next to Christina's hand-drawn map of the area.
At the center lay their settlement. To the east stretched a wide river. Its headwaters flowed from the snowcapped mountain guarded by Articuno, with endless peaks surrounding it. Across the river spread fertile grasslands, while the other side was dense forest.
Christina had marked where some beasts had been sighted.
One mark showed Aron's location on what looked like an ordinary hill.
But Raven knew better—since Aron fed on metals, that hill must hold vast mineral deposits.
He memorized the place. Once they had the means, he would send people to survey it.
Fertile land, clean water, rich ores, sheltered from the world… this was the perfect place to build.
Standing nearby, Aelif asked, "My lord, do you mean to tame these beasts to aid in building our domain?"
Raven nodded. "With only human hands, progress is too slow."
Compared to Machamp, humans were nothing. Where humans needed months to build a sturdy house, Machamp could finish in days. That was the power of beasts.
Aelif hesitated. "But one day… we are meant to leave here."
Raven caught his meaning.
Their plan had been to endure the winter here, then continue south to their assigned fief.
But new problems had arisen.
Food shortages. Even if they departed after winter, they would starve along the way.
So they planted crops, hoping to harvest in May, then bring supplies on the journey.
To endure until then, they built homes, raised beasts, and worked to improve their lives.
After a pause, Raven asked, "Where exactly is our fief?"
"In the south of the kingdom," Aelif answered. "A harbor town called Driftveil. Both trade and fishing flourish there."
"It's said to be wealthy, with mild weather—even in winter."
Driftveil Town? Could it be the future Driftveil City?
"I see." Raven nodded. "We'll decide when the time comes."
There were still five months before harvest. Much could change in that time.
He also knew well the kingdom's state.
His two brothers schemed ceaselessly for the throne. Sooner or later, Eindoak would split in two, consumed by war.
And not just any war—Reshiram and Zekrom's war. The entire Unova region could burn.
Driftveil, as a prosperous port with direct routes to Mistralton, was a strategic prize. Whoever struck first would seize it.
Rather than live in fear, it was better to grow strong here in secret.
Besides, the old king still lived. His brothers had not yet awakened Reshiram or Zekrom.
Which meant—for now—he still had time.
(End of Chapter)