"Your Highness Raven, are there many dangerous beasts down there?" a miner asked nervously.
Raven nodded. Around him, mineral veins glimmered faintly under the light. Though they couldn't yet be smelted on a large scale, he judged it would be enough for early Poké Ball research.
The miners exchanged worried looks.
"Will those beasts come up to the surface?" another asked, face pale.
"Unlikely," Raven replied. "Most of them live underground. Unless something drives them out, they may never surface in their lives."
Even so, the thought weighed heavily on him. Knights were stationed here to guard the miners, but should they encounter stronger Pokémon, their swords alone might not suffice.
He only had two trainers within his territory. That meant the task of protecting the miners could only fall to Anna and Zorua.
With Zorua's ability to cloak groups in illusions, even a sudden attack would give everyone a chance to escape.
"I'll send someone to protect you," Raven said after a pause.
"Hah…" The miners all exhaled in relief.
As Raven turned to leave with Dratini and Snivy, the miners called out, "Your Highness, please take care!"
They stayed behind, swinging pickaxes again, but their thoughts lingered.
"Who do you think His Highness will send?" one asked.
"Probably a knight," another replied. "They're the only ones strong enough to fight beasts head-on."
"I hope it's Sir Lyon," someone said wistfully. "With his swordsmanship, we'd have nothing to fear while mining."
"Or even Sir Geralt," another added.
But at that name, silence fell.
Last winter, Geralt had lured away an entire pack of attacking beasts to save Raven and the convoy. He had never returned. No word of his survival had reached them.
Even for someone as powerful as Geralt, against such a horde…
The miners sighed heavily.
Just as they wondered who Raven would send, they saw a small figure running up the path toward them.
It was—
"Anna? Why are you here? Go back, it's dangerous!" a miner called out.
But the girl puffed out her chest. "His Highness Raven asked me to protect you!"
The miners froze.
Raven sent… her? She was barely ten years old!
Anna, however, was practically glowing with pride. For her and Zorua to be entrusted with such an important task—her heart swelled. His Highness had saved her mother, saved her, given them everything. If Raven needed them, she and Zorua would be his sharpest blades!
Seeing the disbelief in the miners' eyes, Anna frowned.
"Zorua, show them our strength!"
"Zorua~!"
The fox Pokémon cried, landing lightly as a faint aura shimmered around it. Its eyes glowed blue—and in the next instant, an invisible force surged outward.
Crack—BOOM!
A nearby boulder shattered into fragments, dust raining down.
"!!!"
The miners staggered back, wide-eyed.
"This… this is beast power…" one whispered.
But what shocked them even more was the sight of Anna standing calmly at Zorua's side, giving commands like a seasoned beast master.
Anna grinned. "So? Do you believe me now?"
Meanwhile, in the herb garden, Lila crouched among the flowers, quill scratching across her notes.
"Petilil—timid temperament. Shows strong fondness for plants. Feeding habits uncertain, but may draw nutrients directly from sunlight, much like normal flora."
"Petii~"
The three Petilil danced happily between flowerbeds, absorbing sunlight and soil nutrients.
The fenced garden gave them safety they had never known in the wild. No predators, no swarms of Bug-types—just sunshine, herbs, and peace.
For the first time, they could truly relax.
Lila leaned closer. "Hello, Petilil. Could I see one of your leaves?"
"Petii!"
One Petilil shook its body. A leaf detached gently, fluttering into Lila's hand.
Her eyes widened. Almost instantly, a fresh leaf sprouted in its place.
"Incredible…" she murmured.
The Pokémon beamed, unconcerned. To them, the leaves were nothing precious; they would regrow again and again.
Seeing her delight, the other two Petilil each shed a leaf as well.
"Thank you," Lila said warmly, gathering them up. "I'll make good use of these."
She hurried back inside with the leaves, heart racing.
This was the chance to brew truly rare medicine.
Tearing a small piece, she placed it on her tongue.
"Ugh—so bitter!" she grimaced. But within seconds, her fatigue lifted and her mind cleared like morning mist.
Her eyes shone. "It really restores vitality!"
She had also heard that when boiled into soup, these leaves repelled insects.
That meant: in summer, no mosquitoes, no bug bites.
And with enough practice, she could brew potions to heal and strengthen the people of the territory.
For a healer, this was everything.