"W-Who is it?"
Zorua's voice was bitter as she asked, stunned by what Elias had just said.
I should've known... There were plenty of popular Pokémon out there besides Gardevoir. Of course Elias would have others he liked.
But the more she realized this, the more disheartened she became.
So many Pokémon to choose from—yet not a single one could ever be her.
No one would enjoy that feeling.
Seeing "Irida's" expression dim and her energy sink, Elias gave a silent smile.
In his mind's eye, he could almost see a small white fox flopped behind him, ears drooping miserably.
Maybe he'd spent too much time around Cogita, but lately Elias found himself developing a bit of a mischievous streak.
He leaned in, brought his lips close to Zorua's ear, and whispered:
"Zoroark."
Pop!
The sound was soft, but Zorua—still lost in her spiraling thoughts—suddenly jolted upright.
Her head snapped toward Elias, pupils narrowed into sharp vertical slits. The shock in her gaze was unmistakable.
"What did you just call me?!"
Her voice was sharp with alarm, every muscle tensed and ready to spring.
If Elias so much as twitched—
She'd jump off the mount and flee. Run as far away from the human world as she could.
Seeing her intense reaction, Elias narrowed his eyes slightly.
So Zorua really is that afraid of revealing herself to me.
Still, there was no turning back now. Since he'd decided to say it out loud, he had no plans to walk it back.
The outcome wouldn't change—he might as well deliver it gently.
Meeting Zorua's fierce stare, Elias tilted his head slightly and said with mild confusion:
"I meant the other interesting Pokémon I was talking about—Zoroark."
"I wasn't calling you, you know."
His tone was calm, with not a single crack in it. Zorua blinked, caught off guard.
Did I… misunderstand him?
She wasn't sure anymore.
But thinking back on Elias's earlier strange behavior, doubt still tugged at her.
"Zoroark… what's so interesting about them?" she asked cautiously.
"What do you think?" Elias replied, tightening his grip on Zorua's paw ever so slightly—just in case the clever little fox tried to bolt.
Zorua glanced subtly at their joined hands.
At this point, she could vaguely confirm it: her identity was exposed.
The realization landed heavy on her chest.
The fear of the unknown made it hard to breathe.
Elias seemed friendly enough now… but she couldn't risk it.
She couldn't bet her future on whether a Zoroark would be accepted by a human.
"Let go," she whispered, voice low.
She tugged at her paw, but it didn't budge—he was still holding her tightly.
"Answer my question first," Elias said softly, completely unshaken.
When Zorua tried again to pull free, he brought up his other hand, gently enclosing her paw between both of his.
"Zoroark—calamity beasts, savage by nature, and their powers are tricky. They eat soft, tender humans for breakfast."
Taking a deep breath, Zorua forced the words out in response to his prompt.
She didn't want to leave Elias.
So she still wanted to try. Maybe… maybe this was all a misunderstanding. Maybe it was just coincidence.
But the moment she finished, Elias shook his head.
"I've never met a Zoroark before. But I have met one of its juvenile forms—a Zorua."
"And she was nothing like the stories."
"Quite the opposite, actually. She was snow-white all over. So clumsy, she even left her tail sticking out while she slept."
"I imagine Zoroark are the same kind of creature."
As he spoke, Elias watched Zorua closely.
What made him frown was that, instead of calming her, his words only seemed to deepen her despair.
Why is she still so upset?
He was being as kind as he could. He hadn't shown even a trace of hostility.
Before he could ponder it further, a sharp sound cut through the air.
Reacting instantly, Elias pulled his hands back.
A claw, gleaming with cold steel, slashed through the space his palm had just occupied.
"When did you find out?" Zorua asked, her voice icy.
But if one looked closely, they'd see the redness around her eyes—and the glimmer of unshed tears.
She looked as though she might break down at any second.
And truly, Zorua's heart felt like it was being crushed.
Elias knew.
That meant she had to leave him.
To her, who had already grown used to Elias's presence, it was a thunderclap out of nowhere.
But Elias, even after dodging her swipe, showed no trace of anger.
He tilted his head in thought and replied calmly:
"Probably… the second time you came to see me. Two years ago."
Now that she had brought it out into the open, he no longer saw a reason to pretend.
Hearing this, Zorua froze.
She had wondered if he'd figured her out at some point. After all, she'd let her guard down plenty.
But she hadn't expected it to be that early.
"You liar!"
Zorua bared her teeth, snarling in disbelief.
She refused to believe it. There was no way a human, after knowing what she was, would still choose to spend two years with her.
No such human existed!
That's what she wanted to believe.
But… what if?
What if Elias hadn't been lying?
What if he really had chosen to play along all this time?
Looking into his sincere gaze, Zorua felt her breath catch.
Before she could muster a response, something round and glossy appeared in front of her eyes.
A Poké Ball.
"I wasn't lying," Elias said gently.
"What can I say? One of my favorite Pokémon has always been this snow-white little fox."
"Zorua, I want you to be my first Pokémon. Will you let me?"
Seeing the uncertainty in her eyes, Elias had chosen his moment well.
Her greatest fear had always been not knowing where she stood with him.
He believed that with an open invitation, her fear would begin to melt away.
And in truth, Zorua's heart skipped a beat the moment he spoke.
She couldn't believe it.
This scene—this exact moment—had played out in her dreams countless times.
Say yes.
Say yes!
All her usual wariness had vanished. She didn't even stop to wonder if this was some kind of human trick.
In her heart, she simply knew—Elias wasn't like the others.
But just before her paw touched the Poké Ball, she froze.
She no longer lived among her clan.
But Elias… still lived among the humans.
She…
She couldn't be his Pokémon.