In the blink of an eye, Snivy's entire body was engulfed in a brilliant white light.
Inside that glow, its shape began to shift and stretch—its aura flaring wildly.
"Snivy…" It gritted its teeth, trembling as if enduring some invisible strain.
Then, at that crucial moment, the light abruptly flickered—and vanished.
Raven blinked in surprise."Did it… fail to evolve?"
"Snivy… hoo…" The little Grass-type panted heavily, as though resisting the evolution had drained its strength.
In that instant, Raven understood.
It wasn't that Snivy had failed to evolve—it had refused to evolve.
"Why?" he murmured softly.
He crouched down beside Snivy and asked gently, "Do you… not want to evolve?"
Evolution meant greater power. In theory, most Pokémon instinctively desired strength—they rarely rejected it.
But then Raven remembered a few examples from the anime he'd watched in his previous life.
Evolution wasn't always a blessing.
Sometimes, when a Pokémon couldn't control the surge of power that came with it, the result could be catastrophic—even fatal.
For example, the Bug/Grass-type Paras—once it evolved into Parasect, the mushroom on its back completely consumed the host, taking over the body and mind.To a Trainer, such an evolution was no different from losing their partner.
"Snivy…" A conflicted expression crossed Snivy's face. After a pause, it firmly shook its head.
So it truly didn't want to evolve.
A distant memory surfaced in Snivy's mind—the night of a full moon, deep in the forest, where it once encountered a Serperior.
The majestic serpent exuded immense power. But… it had no legs to run, no arms to grasp.
That image had carved fear into Snivy's heart.
If it evolved, it too would lose its limbs.
For such a proud Pokémon, the thought of becoming unable to move freely—or even eat Berries without help—was unbearable.
Though Raven couldn't understand its words, he could feel Snivy's emotions clearly.
He sighed softly, then smiled. "It's okay. You don't have to evolve."
Snivy's eyes widened slightly. "...Snivy?"
Raven grinned. "We can still grow stronger together, right?"
Wasn't Ash's Snivy the same? Even without evolving, it had defeated evolved opponents like Servine.
There were plenty of examples like that.
Besides—evolution wasn't the only path to power.
Even without becoming Serperior, Snivy could still learn Leaf Storm, and much earlier too—level forty-three instead of fifty-six.
Raven's voice was calm and reassuring.
"Whether you evolve or not, I'll always respect your choice."
"Snivy…" Snivy turned its head away, trying to hide its trembling expression—but its affection for Raven grew stronger.
It had worried—deep down—that if it refused to evolve, Raven would abandon it.
After all, he clearly valued progress and power.
But he hadn't abandoned it at all. He had accepted it, supported it.
"Alright," Raven said gently, patting its small head. "We'll just keep training as before."
Snivy nodded firmly. "Snivy!"
Just then, hurried footsteps echoed outside the cabin.
"Your Highness Raven! You're here!"
Raven turned. Butler Aelif approached quickly, slightly out of breath.
"What's wrong?"
"Sir Lyon, Cleveland, and Christina have returned!" Aelif reported.
"Oh?" Raven's eyes lit up. He'd sent the three out a few days ago to investigate the Pokémon ecology around the Driftveil territory.
He immediately returned to the Lord's Hall with Snivy and Dratini.
Sure enough, Lyon and the others were already waiting.
Christina stepped forward and respectfully presented a notebook. "Your Highness Raven, we've completed your assignment."
Lyon grinned proudly. "Mission accomplished. After the snow melted, we spotted quite a few unfamiliar beasts nearby."
"Oh?" Raven's interest piqued. He sat down and opened the field notes.
On the first page, a sketch showed a small, sheep-like Pokémon with oval eyes, green curly ears, and a body blanketed in fluffy cotton.
Whimsicott?
Christina had written beneath it:
"Very lively, without a fixed habitat. Their bodies are so light that strong winds can carry them into the sky."
Raven tapped the note thoughtfully. Whimsicott's cotton could be valuable for making cloth or bedding.
But… if they kept drifting away on the wind, raising them would be impractical.
He turned the page.
Spring brought a remarkable variety of species: Basculin, Roselia, Emolga, Heracross, Petilil, Spring Form Deerling, Zangoose, Seviper, Tangela, Gligar, Bouffalant, Corphish, Lickitung, Jigglypuff, and even a Slaking.
"The diversity really is incredible," Raven murmured.
As he flipped to the last page, his eyes suddenly brightened.
There—drawn in neat detail—was a familiar figure.
A fluffy, wool-covered Pokémon with an orange orb glowing faintly at the end of its tail.
Mareep.
Beneath it, Christina had added a note:
"Docile and social. Even when approached by strangers, they rarely resist. However, they seem to carry a strange energy—touching them directly can cause numbness or a mild shock."
Raven smiled faintly. "Mareep, huh?"
His mind was already spinning with possibilities.
A Pokémon that provided both electric energy and wool—that sounded like the start of something new.
Maybe… a Mareep Ranch could work after all.