As she chewed her food, Zorua's eyes instinctively narrowed in pleasure.
It had been over a year since she'd last eaten something this delicious.
For a juvenile Pokémon like her, who hadn't even evolved yet, just surviving in the frozen white wastelands was already a challenge. If she could dig up some bitter roots to gnaw on, it was considered a good day—anything more was out of the question.
As I thought... it's better staying here with Elias.
Not only was there food, but even the already-tasty meal had been seasoned with flavorful spices. Compared to raw eating in the wild, it was a world of difference.
At that thought, Zorua suddenly recalled those Pokémon she'd seen living among humans in their settlements.
Back then, she had looked down on them with disdain.
She believed they had no pride, actually degrading themselves to be humans' pet gatekeepers.
But now… she was beginning to understand.
Compared to constantly fighting stronger Pokémon in the wild for food, the risks of cooperating with humans were far less.
Even if you were injured, at least someone would take care of you.
If given the choice, Zorua suspected that most Pokémon would prefer that kind of life.
Yet the moment this realization struck, the food in her mouth seemed to lose its flavor.
Wyrdeer, Stantler, and the like could be mounts for humans.
Chansey and Blissey could heal human injuries.
Even fierce Pokémon like Mightyena could help with hunting or guarding homes.
But her kind—Zorua—seemed inherently unwelcome, no matter the species.
In human eyes, they were nearly synonymous with calamity beasts, and the illusions they conjured were viewed as ominous, deceptive curses.
Under those circumstances, let alone coexistence—if a human clan even caught wind of a Zorua nearby, they'd form a team to drive them away.
So, from the very beginning, the path of peaceful coexistence with humans had been shut off to her.
Mechanically swallowing the last bite of fish, Zorua's gaze dimmed.
Then she pushed the empty plate back toward Elias and gave a small shake of her head to show she was full, before diving into the soft bedding and pulling the cover over her head.
Elias watched her series of actions with a puzzled look.
He could tell her mood had suddenly shifted and become a bit gloomy.
But… wasn't she really excited when she first tasted the fish?
Was it something wrong with my cooking?
He glanced at the fish bones on the plate, which had been licked completely clean—not even a scrap of meat was left. That didn't seem likely.
With no real answer, he could only chalk it up to the emotional volatility of wild Pokémon.
Standing up and picking up the plate, Elias spoke gently to the creature curled on the bedding—"Irida," as he called her.
"If you're tired, just sleep for a while. I'll step out."
As he spoke, Elias thoughtfully pulled the blanket up to cover her better.
Then, without worrying whether the Pokémon understood him or not, he took the plate and quietly left the room.
Since the creature inside wasn't showing any aggression and was clearly just here for food and rest, Elias didn't plan to expose her.
In fact, to be honest, he was quite curious about this kind of Pokémon that could transform into another being.
If they got along well... maybe he could study her a bit.
What Zorua didn't know was that she'd already been found out.
Once Elias left the room, she gripped the blanket over her tightly, then peeked her head out cautiously.
He didn't notice...
She let out a silent breath of relief.
She had gotten a little too emotional earlier and hadn't managed her behavior properly in the end.
The moment she lay down, she began to regret it.
If Elias had noticed something strange because of it, she could've been in real danger.
But from the look of things now... he didn't seem suspicious.
Thinking this, Zorua's eyes gleamed as she turned her gaze.
Does this mean... I could come back for another meal when I'm hungry?
Logic warned her that this idea was dangerous.
But after thinking it through, it actually seemed quite feasible.
After all, Elias didn't live inside the main human clan. Usually, it was just him and the woman called Cogita.
And Cogita sometimes went out on her own.
As long as she came by during those times, she should be fine.
Even if Elias one day noticed something off—what could that child's body do against her?
If he dared to resist, she'd just let him taste the power of a Ghost-type fox Pokémon!
---
[By evening, the well-rested "Irida" left feeling fully satisfied.]
[For some reason, you even packed a few fish into a basket and gave them to her as a parting gift.]
[Seeing her eyes sparkle as she tried hard to hide her excitement, you felt an odd sense of satisfaction—like raising a wild creature.]
[Maybe it was your relaxed and friendly attitude that worked—because in the days that followed, she often came by, assuming the form of "Irida," whenever Cogita wasn't around, to eat and rest.]
[One time, while she was deep asleep, you finally caught a glimpse of part of her true form.]
At the edge of the bedding, Elias stared at a small, snowy-white tail peeking out from under the blanket, his expression torn.
Perhaps it was because her guard was gradually lowering—this was the first time she'd slipped up.
That fluffy, pristine tail was enough to suggest that her true form probably wasn't ugly at all.
But...
Elias wanted to tuck the tail back under the blanket, yet he hesitated, afraid he might wake her.
---
[After a long inner debate, you decided not to touch it.]
[But as expected, when she woke and saw you again, her face had gone pale, her body trembling as if in panic.]
[Clearly, she feared you'd seen something you shouldn't have.]
[After that, the "Irida" didn't return for a long time.]
[Taking advantage of the gap, you tried to subtly ask the clan elder about unusual Pokémon.]
Some distance from the Pearl Clan's lands, in the snowy wilderness...
"Uncle, there are so many kinds of Pokémon—have you ever heard of one with strange abilities?"
After finishing his training, Elias leaned against a massive boulder and asked the old clan elder nearby.
"Hm?"
The elder was briefly stunned, then fell into deep thought.
"Pokémon with unusual powers... yeah, there are a few."
"Like Chatot, who can speak human language. Or Eevee, who has multiple evolution forms."
"And… Zoroark, who can create illusions."
As a seasoned elder of the clan, the man listed them one by one.
"Zoroark?"
Elias's ears perked up at the final name.
Something about it stirred an instinctive sense—it might just be the one he was looking for.
Seeing Elias intrigued, the elder nodded.
"Yeah, Zoroark's pretty rare. Not surprising if you've never seen one."
"But every time it shows up, misfortune follows. Best to avoid it."
"They're aggressive by nature, sly, and hard to deal with. Even just one or two could bring disaster to a whole clan."
"They're known far and wide as calamity beasts."
The elder spoke solemnly, clearly harboring deep wariness toward Zoroark.
Elias nodded slowly as he listened.
Then, narrowing his eyes slightly, he noticed something out of place—
A patch of snow nearby... had moved ever so slightly when the elder mentioned Zoroark.