Humans are the worst.
Zorua lay low in the snow, teeth clenched as she stared at the clan elder in the distance.
Ever since her last visit to Elias—after waking to discover a portion of her tail had slipped out from under the blanket—Zorua had been restraining her restlessness, choosing to observe him from afar to make sure it was safe before trying her luck again.
But after several days of trailing him, today Zorua found herself simmering with anger.
She finally understood why, even though the Zorua species had long withdrawn from the world and lived in seclusion, human clans still harbored such deep hostility toward them.
Turns out it was humans themselves—passing down those prejudices and stereotypes generation after generation.
When she saw Elias nod in agreement, an inexplicable pang struck her chest.
No surprise. In his eyes now, she was probably just another fearsome, malevolent calamity Pokémon.
And they hadn't even met properly. Hadn't even had an honest conversation.
Lying in the snow, Zorua's ears drooped unconsciously as a dull ache spread through her chest.
---
[Thanks to the elder's description, you're now fairly certain that the "Irida" who keeps coming to see you is actually a Zoroark in disguise.]
[Or more precisely—not Zoroark, but its juvenile form, Zorua.]
[Of course, your suspicion isn't based on intuition alone.]
[The reason is: when you used psychic power to scan that moving patch of snow, you caught sight of a small, snow-white fox with crimson-tipped fur.]
It was the first time Elias had gotten a good look at Zorua in her true form, and he couldn't help but feel intrigued.
Compared to other Pokémon, her fur was soft and weightless—like mist.
And her coloration was strikingly simple, like blood spilt and swirled into fresh snow.
She was even more beautiful than he'd imagined.
"Uncle, not all Pokémon of the same species are identical."
"Maybe there are even some Zoroark out there who are… actually kind of cute."
Elias smiled as he spoke, his voice light.
The elder, alarmed by his dangerous suggestion, shook his head and said sternly:
"Even if there are exceptions, they're extremely rare in the wild."
"Most Pokémon have fixed temperaments. Just like how a Gyarados doesn't suddenly become gentle."
"You mustn't let your guard down. Or you'll pay dearly one day."
Elias nodded, not bothering to argue.
The old man wasn't wrong.
Still… he wondered what kind of expression the elder would make if he knew a Zorua had been sneaking into his home for over a year, wearing his daughter's face.
---
[Soon after, Zorua returned once again in the form of Irida.]
[She'd likely confirmed it was safe. You welcomed her without hesitation.]
[The only downside was—her frequent visits began stirring up trouble with Cogita.]
[Especially when she saw how indifferent you were about the whole thing. Her gaze grew more dangerous by the day.]
[You often wondered if she might actually lock you away somewhere one day, far from anyone's reach, and raise you herself.]
[Life continued like that for another year—until the year you turned seven.]
It was evening now.
Elias sat in his room, quietly watching the "Irida" across from him eat slowly and with measured grace.
Of course, this "Irida" was Zorua in disguise.
Compared to the first time, when she'd devoured a whole fish like a starving beast, her eating habits now were far more refined.
As he watched her eat, Elias's thoughts drifted to something else—
The upcoming Pokémon battle tournament.
That's right. In recent years, the two major human settlements—Pearl Clan and Diamond Clan—had started placing greater importance on forming bonds with Pokémon partners.
And now, they were even organizing a tournament for competitive battling.
Since Elias was publicly part of the Pearl team, the clan elder had told him he'd be expected to participate.
After all, if he won, it would bring honor to the Pearl Clan.
But…
There was one small problem—he didn't even have a Pokémon.
He'd been too focused on training—ahem, raising—and hadn't caught a single one over the past two years.
Meaning he wasn't even qualified to compete yet.
So his top priority now wasn't training—it was finding a way to catch a Pokémon.
Still, Elias wasn't all that worried about it.
As he got older, his natural affinity with Pokémon had only grown stronger.
If he really wanted to catch one, all he had to do was wave, and they'd come flocking to him.
Plus, he had an added advantage: a Poké Ball.
That's right. After two years of fiddling with the half-finished ball Cogita had tossed him, he'd finally managed to make it work—barely.
In this era, most people had to start with feeding wild Pokémon, slowly building a bond over time.
Only when enough trust had formed could the Pokémon be brought home and accepted as a partner.
But Elias didn't have to do any of that. If he liked a Pokémon, he could just throw the ball. If it went in, that was it—done.
They could build their bond afterward. Much more efficient.
The only question now was… which Pokémon should he catch?
Meanwhile, Zorua, having finished her meal, licked her lips.
Noticing Elias zoning out again, she frowned.
He'd been spacing out more and more lately, especially when she was around. That never used to happen.
Was this "Irida" form losing its effect on him?
Zorua seriously considered whether she should try switching to another identity.
But before that, her eyes lit up slightly as she activated her illusion powers.
This time, though, it was an auditory illusion.
Over the past two years, her strength had grown significantly. She could now use illusions to communicate with Elias—at least in simple terms.
It was risky, sure, but since he seemed distracted right now, he probably wouldn't notice.
"What are you thinking about?"
The voice of "Irida" suddenly rang in his ears, and Elias blinked in surprise.
Then he realized—Zorua had used her power again.
Seeing the concern behind her displeased expression, he chuckled and replied, "I was thinking about the upcoming Pokémon tournament."
"I don't have a partner yet, so I'm planning to head to the Alabaster Wastes tomorrow to catch one."
Elias had to admit—he was a bit ambitious.
Compared to other regions, the Pokémon living in the Alabaster Wastes were generally much stronger.
For his first partner, he wanted to catch something with real potential.
Hearing that Elias planned to catch another Pokémon, Zorua instinctively clenched her claws.
She'd also heard about the tournament.
But she hadn't expected Elias to participate.
Watching him drift off into thought over it, she felt a strange tightness in her chest.
If she could… she genuinely wanted to help him win.
But…
She couldn't reveal herself to Elias, much less have him bring her into the tournament.
If the humans ever found out he'd been harboring a "calamity beast" like her, he'd be in danger too.
After a long silence, once she'd fully settled her emotions, Zorua activated her illusion again and said:
"If you're going… take me with you."
The Alabaster Wastes were dangerous. She didn't want anything to happen to him.