A Contrary Snivy?
The moment Raven saw its ability, his first reaction was—Wait… doesn't this mean I could infinitely loop Leaf Storm?
Contrary: Stat changes are reversed. A stat that would normally rise falls instead, and one that would normally fall rises.
Leaf Storm: Summons a storm of razor-sharp leaves to attack. Normally lowers the user's Special Attack sharply afterward.
Combine the two… and the drawback turns into a buff.
Especially in this medieval age, where humans know nothing about Pokémon—
No one would ever expect to face an endlessly repeating Leaf Storm.
But more than that, what caught Raven's attention was that this Snivy was clearly stronger than his Dratini.
It not only knew Vine Whip, but also Grass Knot.
More importantly, its record showed the last major event of its life:
It had survived an ambush by five Sneasel.
"…This Snivy's strength is no ordinary thing." Raven was impressed, though he kept calm.
Because for now, Snivy had only temporarily joined the settlement. It hadn't yet pledged itself as his Pokémon the way Dratini had.
Once he confirmed Snivy's injuries were no longer serious, Raven decided to bring it home—show it the settlement, and let it get used to the place.
When he reached out to carry Snivy, however, it coldly refused.
So it became a scene of Raven walking in front, with Snivy silently following behind.
"Snivy, this is where we live."
Raven gestured to the cluster of log cabins standing on the cleared ground.
"That river over there is where we fish and draw drinking water. Some of the villagers also wash clothes there. Oh—have you ever eaten fish? You should try it sometime. Whether steamed, cooked into soup, or grilled—it's delicious."
"…Sni." Snivy glanced at the broad river. Indeed, it had never eaten fish, nor ventured near this side of the forest.
Then something caught its attention: a patch of earth that looked different from the rest—and three Snover gathered around it.
Its gaze lingered curiously.
Following its eyes, Raven explained:
"That's farmland we cleared for crops. Seeds are planted there now. By spring, they'll sprout and bear fruit. Those beasts are Snover—they're helping tend the crops."
Snover had a unique method. They would first use Ingrain, extending roots into the soil, then channel Grass-type energy to nurture the seeds.
"Next spring, we'll use the same method to plant new trees for you—to rebuild a berry grove."
As he spoke, a larger wooden cabin came into view.
Raven pushed open its door, then looked back."All right, here we are. This will be your home with us until the blizzard passes."
Warmth washed over Snivy the moment the door opened.
It peered inside calmly—where several Minccino were sweeping with their tails, and Dratini was curled on a cushion, fast asleep.
Raven stepped in, tossed more logs onto the stone hearth. Flames flared, driving away the chill that had blown in with the door.
So warm…
Snivy was startled by the comfort.
Meanwhile, the Minccino and Dratini noticed it.
"Cin?"
Raven introduced them: "This is Snivy. Like you, it once lived in the forest. From now on, it will be staying with us."
The Minccino had no objections—they cheered happily.
"Cin-cin!"
Seeing this, Raven chuckled.
By now the snow had stopped, and with Snivy settled in, he prepared to resume training with Dratini.
"Snivy, I'm heading out with Dratini for training. Your wounds just healed, so rest here for now."
"Snivy." It nodded slightly.
Satisfied, Raven left with Dratini.
Snivy lingered, watching for a long while. Then, to the surprise of the Minccino, it leapt to the window and slipped out.
Raven's "system" couldn't help much with beast training.
So he relied on the most straightforward method.
He had a space in the settlement cleared for training—a bare ground with a single thick log planted upright.
At the moment, under his command, Dratini repeatedly lashed its tail against the log.
But with its small strength, Dratini couldn't leave a mark. Instead, welts were forming across its soft tail.
Raven's heart ached, but he didn't call a stop.
This was the only path forward.
To grow into a mighty Dragonite, Dratini had to temper its body endlessly—turning every part into a weapon.
Only then could it master Dragon Tail.
Fortunately, Dratini's resolve was firm. It refused to quit despite the pain.
Time ticked by. Raven counted the strikes silently, then finally called:"Rest a bit, Dratini!"
"Draa!"
It stopped, curling into his arms as usual.
Raven sat on the log, carefully applied medicine to its bruises, massaged the tail to ease the muscles and bruising.
"All right. Let's continue."
After the break, they moved to energy training.
Though Dragonite leaned more toward physical strength, Special Attack training couldn't be neglected.
By practicing Twister, Dratini would learn to control Dragon energy—laying the foundation for stronger moves like Dragon Pulse and Draco Meteor.
And by mastering Thunder Wave, it might even branch into powerful Electric techniques—such as the famed Thunderbolt.
From behind a nearby tree, Snivy watched silently, its thoughts unreadable.
(End of Chapter)