Hearing Zorua's request, Elias looked at her in mild surprise.
The Pearl Clan was located right in the Alabaster Wastes. She really wasn't worried about running into the real Irida?
Still, after seeing the look in Zorua's eyes, Elias nodded.
"Alright, I'll remember to bring you along."
Only then did Zorua's expression soften slightly, though her overall mood still didn't seem high. Clearly, she was still bothered by the fact that Elias planned to catch another Pokémon.
---
[Not long after, Zorua said she was leaving.]
[Once she was gone, you keenly sensed that something was off with her mood.]
[This time, you had a pretty good guess why she was upset.]
"Is it because I said I was going to catch a Pokémon…?" Elias murmured to himself.
Zorua's reaction had been pretty obvious—ever since he brought it up, her mood had taken a clear downturn.
What Elias wasn't sure about was whether it was because she wanted to be his Pokémon, or if she just didn't like the idea of him bonding with someone else.
Or maybe… both?
"What are you thinking about?"
Across from him, Cogita reached out with a light touch, smoothing the furrow in Elias's brow.
Ever since she returned earlier, he'd seemed distracted, and that piqued her curiosity.
"Nothing much," Elias replied, shaking his head. There was no way he could bring this up with Cogita.
He'd already realized that, aside from Irida—who, perhaps due to his influence, held a relatively neutral stance toward Zoroark—most people of this era had extremely negative views of that species.
Cogita wasn't quite afraid or hostile, but she certainly didn't like them either.
On the other side of the table, Cogita narrowed her eyes, noticing Elias was hiding something again.
Over the past few years, she'd found him increasingly disobedient.
From her observations, he'd already met up with that girl named "Irida" several times while she was away.
That much she could tolerate—the two were still kids, after all, and it wasn't like anything outrageous was going to happen.
But now he dared to brush her off to her face?
That crossed a line.
She would have to use firm methods.
"If you won't talk, then you don't get to eat!"
Cogita pinched Elias's cheeks between two fingers and tugged lightly, threatening him.
Elias stared at her, shocked.
"Aren't I the one who cooks all our meals?"
He looked at her in disbelief.
Ever since he was strong enough to lift a pot, he'd taken over the cooking.
People always said Cogita was raising him, but in reality, he was the one keeping her fed.
"Then I won't let you use the ingredients anymore~" she replied sweetly.
Elias: ...
"I was thinking about what kind of Pokémon I should catch."
Cornered, Elias finally gave in with a sigh.
"Pokémon?"
Cogita blinked, then gave him a flat look.
She'd thought it was something serious.
"Well, that depends on what you like."
"With your psychic abilities, combined with your natural affinity and the Poké Ball, it shouldn't be hard to catch something decent."
"Just remember—stay away from the ones I warned you about."
By the end of her sentence, her tone had grown serious, and the smile had disappeared from her face.
As a survivor from an ancient clan, Cogita knew many of the legends tied to the Hisui region.
Among them were tales of legendary Pokémon—some of whom were better left undisturbed.
She'd told Elias all about them—and strictly forbade him from approaching any of them.
She did hope someone would eventually gather all those Pokémon and uncover the region's final secrets.
But that person could not be Elias.
Because it was too dangerous. One mistake, and he could lose his life.
"I got it," Elias said with a smile.
Cogita's concerned expression really did look beautiful.
---
[Over the next few days, you finished all your final preparations.]
[Afraid Zorua might get cold, you even made her a little quilted coat to wear in her true form.]
[Meanwhile, a letter from Irida piqued your interest.]
—"Elias, word has it that the wardens from both the Pearl and Diamond teams will also be joining the Pokémon battle tournament.
If that's true, then the rest of us ordinary folks probably don't stand a chance. 😢"
At the end of the letter, she'd even drawn a little crying face.
After reading it, Elias felt his interest flare to life.
In Hisui, the title "Warden" referred to a very special kind of role.
There were ten in total, each tasked with watching over one of the ten Pokémon known as the "Kings."
Legend had it that the ancestors of these "Kings" once received divine blessings from Sinnoh—the Great One.
Because of that, their descendants were unusually powerful and held sacred significance.
If the wardens themselves were entering the tournament, then the overall level of the competition was about to leap dramatically.
The eventual champion would almost certainly be chosen from among them.
Elias couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement.
He'd seen some of the "Kings" that belonged to the Pearl team—massive and powerful, far larger than their species' norm—but not entirely unbeatable.
If the Pokémon he caught was strong enough… he might just stand a chance.
And this wasn't overconfidence.
It was because Elias had discovered that, as he grew older, he possessed more than just psychic abilities.
He had another power, too—one that allowed him to understand what Pokémon were saying, and even help them recover from injuries more quickly.
Used wisely, that ability could be a deadly asset in battle.
---
[Soon, the day came when Zorua visited again.]
[After feeding her, you brought up your plan to depart for the Alabaster Wastes tomorrow.]
[Zorua agreed without hesitation, her expression visibly brighter than before.]
[But agreeing meant something else—she would have to spend the night. They'd need to set out together in the morning.]
Nightfall.
Next to Elias's bedding, a spot had been prepared for Zorua to sleep.
Under the moonlight, it was clear she was stiff as a board, her fur puffed up, wide awake with nerves.
Unlike Irida, who stayed over frequently, Zorua always left immediately after eating—slipping away the moment she was full.
This was her first time staying the night. So close.
And worst of all… she was still using Irida's appearance.
What if she let her guard down in her sleep and exposed herself?
A similar incident had already happened once, so Zorua didn't exactly have confidence in her sleep posture.
But after a while, wrapped in the toasty human blankets, she couldn't resist closing her eyes.
Human beds… really are a thousand times comfier than a cold patch of wilderness.
---
[patreon.com/WiseTL]
[discord.gg/wisetl]