"Trouble?"
Gardevoir was confused upon hearing Zoroark's words.
Ever since their arrival, Zoroark had behaved oddly. At first, she'd seemed surprised and happy, only for her mood to rapidly turn dark and solemn, a tense aura settling around her.
Now, Gardevoir couldn't tell what Zoroark was truly feeling.
More importantly…
She couldn't see any of this supposed "trouble" anywhere.
Other than Elias, the room was completely empty—there wasn't even furniture to mistake as an enemy.
Could Zoroark…have mistaken Elias for an enemy?
A dreadful premonition rose in Gardevoir's heart.
Quickly turning her head toward Zoroark, she began urgently, "Wait, he isn't—"
But before she could finish, Zoroark had already transformed into a blur, rushing forward with blinding speed.
Her pure white claws were raised high, signaling the start of a [Brick Break].
At the same time, Zoroark shut her eyes tightly.
Even knowing it was an illusion, she found it nearly impossible to attack Elias.
If it weren't for the harmful mental effects, she might've preferred to let this illusion remain forever.
WHOOSH—
The sound of air being sliced apart rang harshly through the room.
Elias felt numb with shock, seeing Zoroark appear before him in an instant.
The moment Zoroark had entered, he'd already been dumbfounded.
The Pokémon he'd just been missing so deeply had suddenly been brought home by his other Pokémon.
And in the Distortion World, of all places, where almost nothing could survive—this couldn't possibly be just coincidence.
Yet what surprised Elias most was Zoroark's reaction. Though she seemed to recognize him initially, that excitement had vanished in mere seconds, replaced by a fierce, hostile expression.
A Pokémon separated from her trainer for centuries, greeting him by baring her teeth—this was the last thing Elias had expected.
Now, not only had she done that, she was about to attack him with [Brick Break].
"Zoroark!" Elias urgently called out, worried she hadn't recognized him.
But even hearing his voice, Zoroark didn't hesitate or slow her attack.
Her gleaming claws continued downward without pause.
Just before impact, Gardevoir finally acted.
Bzzz—
With a wave of Gardevoir's hand, the air instantly churned violently, immense psychic power surging forward to intercept Zoroark.
BOOM!
A violent clash echoed through the air.
But Gardevoir was shocked to see her full-strength attack vanish harmlessly before even reaching Zoroark, as if absorbed by an invisible barrier.
This is bad.
Her heart constricted sharply at the failure.
Meanwhile, Zoroark's claws still swung downward relentlessly.
Zoroark moved too quickly—Elias didn't even have time to teleport away.
Instead, he hurriedly conjured a psychic buffer and raised his arm to block the strike.
Rip!
The sharp sound of tearing cloth filled the air.
A cool sensation rushed across Elias's arm. When he glanced down, he saw three bright red gashes already dripping blood.
The psychic barrier he'd hastily raised had easily been torn apart.
Drip… drip…
Drops of crimson blood trickled down his arm, carrying a strong iron scent.
Elias observed the wounds calmly. Surprisingly, he felt little pain.
With the [Power of Viridian], this sort of injury would heal quickly.
His greater worry was—why had Zoroark suddenly attacked?
He gazed anxiously toward Zoroark, meeting her beautiful yet fearsome red eyes.
After her attack, Zoroark slowly reopened her eyes.
Seeing Elias clutching his bleeding arm and staring at her, she felt her heart tremble uncontrollably.
It feels…so real…
That was Zoroark's first reaction.
Especially his puzzled gaze—it made her lose all courage to meet his eyes.
It's just an illusion…
She took a deep breath, trying to reassure herself.
Just as she prepared to deliver another attack to dispel the illusion completely—
Bam!
A dizzying sensation exploded in her head, forcing Zoroark to stagger aside.
Immediately afterward, another unseen force knocked her further from this illusory "Elias."
Is this illusion actually fighting back now?
Grimacing, Zoroark forced her eyes open, looking back toward the spot she'd attacked.
Typically, illusions shattered with a single blow and never retaliated.
Yet this one was bleeding—and fighting back fiercely.
It was becoming increasingly difficult for her to strike again.
But as soon as her vision cleared, Zoroark froze completely, her ferocious expression replaced by stunned confusion.
Standing beside Elias was the Gardevoir she'd accompanied.
At some point, Gardevoir had moved beside Elias, carefully examining his wounded arm.
At the same time, the little Pokémon glared furiously at her, eyes burning with anger.
This strange scene caused Zoroark's mind to blank entirely.
Why could Gardevoir also see that "fake" Elias?
Shouldn't illusions only appear within her own perception?
Could it be…Gardevoir was just another illusion?
Zoroark's heart sped up rapidly, her breathing turning shallow and uneven.
She…
She had begun to suspect something unimaginable, yet she hardly dared to consider it.
Meanwhile…
Gardevoir repeatedly applied [Life Dew] to Elias's injured arm.
Only once his skin was slick with moisture and completely healed did she finally relax slightly.
But behind her fiercely angry expression lay heavy guilt.
Why did I bring back such a dangerous Pokémon?
She'd originally believed Zoroark to be kindhearted, even worthy of friendship.
Instead, not only had Zoroark shown hostility immediately, she'd even attacked Elias the moment they'd met.
Her movements had been so swift that Gardevoir had barely reacted in time.
Without the [Mind Plate] Elias had gifted her, she probably wouldn't have breached Zoroark's defenses at all.
Once again, her carelessness had put Elias in danger.
"Elias, I'm sorry…"
Lowering her head sorrowfully, Gardevoir apologized softly.
Right now, she felt equal parts furious and fearful.
I should have known better—any Pokémon capable of surviving in this forsaken world couldn't possibly be friendly.
"Elias, wait here. I'll remove this threat immediately."
Rising slowly to her feet, Gardevoir's voice turned icy cold.
---
T/N: does the author also hate Zoroark :> heheh
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