What's the holdup?
The wild Zoroark stared in confusion as their clean-furred kin hesitated to come closer.
But still, none of them felt alarmed.
After all, Zoroark were few in number—and their reputation among humans was already notorious.
No matter how you looked at it, there was no way a Zoroark would actually be on good terms with a human, much less attack their own kind for them, right?
With that assumption firmly in mind, the wild Zoroark began to rise, slowly making their way toward Elias.
Noticing this, Elias shifted slightly, signaling for the Zoroark behind him to let go.
But despite his subtle struggle, she didn't move—not even a twitch.
Wait... did I take the teasing too far?
Elias turned his head slightly, glancing back at Zoroark from the corner of his eye.
Sure, he had psychic power, aura abilities, even the power of Verdure.
But Zoroark's illusions were no joke either.
If these wild ones surrounded him, things might get dicey.
CRACK—
CRACK—
Just as the wild Zoroark drew within two meters of Elias, Zoroark finally let out a sharp, dissatisfied growl.
She slipped nimbly around to stand in front of him.
Elias had barely exhaled in relief before something fluffy swept over his eyes—
Her tail.
"Wait here."
Zoroark's voice followed the darkness that suddenly clouded his vision.
And knowing her as well as he did, Elias could tell... she wasn't happy.
"Agh!"
Sure enough, a sharp cry rang out, followed by the shriek of claws tearing through air.
THUD—
One wild Zoroark went flying under a single blow.
The others froze, dumbfounded.
Why is she attacking us?
But before they could make sense of it, the wind of her claws was already on them.
BOOM!
Overwhelmed by sheer force, the second Zoroark collapsed just as swiftly.
Staring at their kin—now radiating a terrifying aura—the last remaining Zoroark swallowed hard.
They had... severely miscalculated.
This one wasn't here to share the captured human.
Unfortunately, realization had come too late.
WHOOSH—
With a final strike, the third fell as well.
Nearby, Elias—though blinded by her tail—could still hear everything.
And besides... he had aura and telepathy.
The tail had done absolutely nothing to obscure the scene for him.
Watching Zoroark tear through her own kind like slicing fruit, even he was a bit stunned.
He'd known she would win—but this easily?
The fight had ended in complete and utter domination.
"Zoroark... are you done?"
He asked quietly, playing along—since clearly, she hadn't wanted him to see.
Zoroark flicked her tail in response.
"Not yet," she said with a small exhale.
Her eyes narrowed as she seemed to ponder something.
They were alone in the woods—just the two of them.
He still couldn't see.
Unconsciously, her expression grew... playful.
She was just starting to think about doing something special to deepen the bond between Trainer and Pokémon when—
A flash of blue-black landed nearby.
"You two okay?"
Lucario's voice was laced with concern as he glanced at Elias and Zoroark.
Then his eyes flicked toward the three crumpled figures on the ground.
Yep. Ugly foxes—just like this one.
"…Why are you here?"
Zoroark retracted her tail with an audible snarl.
Elias had sent Lucario to help guard the camp.
So why—of all moments—did he have to show up now?
She shot him a glare so intense she nearly lunged at him on reflex.
Lucario, sensing her hostility, scratched his head in confusion.
But he still replied,
"Cynthia and Garchomp came by. With them there, I figured I could come help."
He gave his bone club a proud little twirl.
With aura, it hadn't taken him long to locate Elias.
Zoroark's expression darkened further.
That perfect opportunity... gone.
And worst of all, she realized—
Now that her tail was down, Elias was giving her a very strange look.
It was obvious he was starting to get suspicious.
She didn't even get to enjoy the soup, and now she was the one taking the blame for spilling it.
All thanks to Lucario!
With a huff, she slinked back to Elias's side.
Thankfully... he didn't push her away.
---
[And to the end, you never exposed Zoroark's little stunt.]
[But her behavior did leave you wondering...]
[Because when you realized she'd been lying, you didn't feel fear or irritation—just an inexplicable... thrill?]
[You figured maybe it was just your imagination and chose not to dwell on it.]
[Afterward, you and your two Pokémon carried the unconscious wild Zoroark back to camp.]
[Cyllene, seeing your success, let out a visible sigh of relief.]
"Congratulations."
She offered a polite bow with genuine warmth.
And felt something heavy lift from her shoulders.
Elias's success meant her own credibility would rise.
With Kamado seriously injured, her chances of becoming the next commander were now much stronger.
"What do you plan to do with these Zoroark?" Elias asked.
Cyllene gave it some thought.
Then, unexpectedly, she turned to look at Zoroark.
"They're your kin. Why don't you decide?"
Smart. Very smart.
She had long since realized just how important Zoroark was.
And Elias couldn't help but think—compared to the others in the Galaxy Team, Cyllene really was in another league.
Zoroark glanced down at the defeated trio.
"Hmm…"
She genuinely hadn't decided yet.
Elias leaned in and whispered,
"How about I catch them all?"
"You know—for variety. Like keeping different kinds of Zoroark."
Zoroark blinked—then nodded slowly.
Very well. Now she could make her decision.
---
PS: Being clung to by a soft, long-furred, sweet-tempered big fox—who wouldn't be a little excited...
T/N: RIP Zoroark, Elias just ended them with a single sentence... also HUH??? ELIAS UR THRILLED? WHAAA okay i get it