Pokémon: Zorua
Type: Dark
Gender: Male
Ability: Illusion
Moves: Scratch, Leer, Hone Claws, Fury Swipes, Confusion
Friendship: 0
Birth Record: Zorua was born in the 146th year of the Royal Calendar.
147th year of the Royal Calendar: Zorua's parents were killed in battle against other Pokémon, leaving him to survive alone.
148th year of the Royal Calendar: He was attacked by a Beartic and nearly killed, but was saved by the human girl Anna.
The moment Lucien agreed to let Anna bring Zorua back to camp, the population of his territory rose from seventy-eight to seventy-nine.
From that point onward, Zorua was officially part of his domain.
Lucien studied Anna and the Zorua perched on her shoulder, a bold idea flashing through his mind.
Dratini was still far too weak, lacking the power to contribute much in battle. Its true potential would only emerge after a long period of growth.
But one thing was already clear, his own strength alone wasn't enough.
If the territory were to survive, it needed more Trainers… more people who could command Pokémon and defend their home.
So why not… take Anna as his apprentice? Teach her what it meant to be a Trainer?
Zorua, the Tricky Fox Pokémon. Its evolved form, Zoroark, was infamous for deceiving its opponents with illusions before striking at the perfect moment.
If this one matured, it could become a powerful force.
Lucien felt his heart stir with temptation.
But suddenly, he noticed Zorua's entire body tense, its gaze locking sharply in one direction.
"Huh? What's wrong?" Anna asked, puzzled by its reaction.
The next instant, a massive figure lunged from the darkness, slamming a knight to the ground.
Moonlight glinted off cruel, ice-sharpened claws as they slashed downward.
"Ahhh!" The knight screamed as his arm was torn open.
"A monster!"
Ryan's shout snapped everyone to attention, blades leaving their scabbards in a flash.
In the flickering torchlight, Anna finally saw the attacker clearly.
Her face drained of color as she cried out, horrified, "That's the monster!"
A Beartic, a brutal, carnivorous Pokémon.
Its mere presence radiated crushing power, leaving no doubt of its overwhelming strength.
Lucien's brows knitted into a deep frown.
"Protect His Highness Lucien!" Ryan roared. He gripped his sword and swung with all his might at the towering beast.
Steel rang against fur, but the blade only scored a shallow mark, unable to pierce its thick hide.
The next moment, disaster struck.
Beartic opened its jaws, unleashing a freezing gust. Frost raced across Ryan's sword, ice creeping upward until the entire blade was sealed in a block of shimmering blue.
Ryan's pupils contracted sharply.
"Dratini, Twister!"
Lucien's voice cut through the chaos. Dratini opened its mouth, gathering Dragon-type energy into a spiraling gale. The tornado erupted forward, slamming into Beartic with a booming crash.
"Everyone, carry the wounded! Fight as you retreat, I'll hold it back!" Lucien barked his orders without hesitation, his sharp gaze fixed on the beast.
The attack hadn't done much. Beartic still stood tall, hardly slowed at all.
"Your Highness Lucien!" Ryan's voice wavered. He was a knight, how could he possibly abandon his liege?
Despite the crushing pressure radiating from the beast, Ryan clenched his jaw and swung his half-frozen iron sword at the Beartic from the opposite side.
But this time, the Beartic gave him no chance.
"Roooaaar!"
With a furious bellow, it slammed its massive ice claws down on Ryan's blade. The sheer force snapped the iron sword clean in two.
Ryan's eyes went wide in shock.
Beartic roared again, swiping with its massive paw and sending him flying across the snow.
The other knights swallowed hard, their faces pale.
The strength of this monster was overwhelming, beyond anything they could hope to match.
Beartic pressed the attack, weaving through the scattered knights like a white demon. Its fangs and claws, colder and harder than steel, smashed them down one by one.
In only a few breaths, the knights had fallen. Only Lucien and Anna remained standing.
Now, with just two opponents left, Beartic crouched low and charged straight at Lucien.
Lucien's face changed instantly.
He tried to command Dratini to unleash Twister, but it was too late.
With a brutal impact, both Lucien and the little dragon were hurled backwards, tumbling into the thick snow.
"Hhhk...ahh! It hurts!"
Dratini crumpled on the ground, knocked out of the fight instantly. Lucien lay sprawled in the snow, his body seared with pain, momentarily unable to move.
Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of Beartic charging again, this time at Anna and Zorua.
Anna's leg was still injured. Even if she wanted to run, she couldn't.
She could only stare, frozen in terror, as the enormous beast bore down on her.
"Ah…" Her voice trembled.
But then;
A small figure darted in front of her, planting itself between her and the monster.
Anna blinked in shock. 'That… that little monster?'
Quickly shaking her head, she cried out, "No… no, run!"
But Zorua didn't move. It stood its ground, fixing the charging Beartic with a fierce, unyielding gaze.
Despite the fear still trembling in its body… despite having nearly been beaten to death by this same Beartic before… now, Zorua wanted to protect Anna.
At that moment, Zorua erupted with astonishing power.
Purple-black energy began pouring from its body, rippling outward like a storm.
And then, darkness fell.
The entire forest was swallowed in shadow, as if night had suddenly descended.
From within that gloom, eerie purple-red lights began to flare.
One… two… three…
Phantom figures emerged one after another, surrounding the Beartic in a tightening circle.
Until finally, dozens of ghostly illusions pressed in, crowding the beast from every direction.
This bizarre sight startled the Beartic. It froze, turning its head in every direction, eyes darting warily at the ghostly figures radiating an eerie power. A heavy solemnity flickered across its expression.
Then, without a shred of hesitation, Beartic spun on its heel and fled into the snowy night.
That was…
Lucien, who had witnessed the entire scene, stood there stunned for a moment.
But soon, he understood.
To protect Anna, Zorua had unleashed its hidden potential, activating its Ability, Illusion. It conjured the terrifying vision of an entire Zoroark tribe, and the bluff was enough to send Beartic running!
In that instant, as Lucien's gaze fell upon the girl and the small fox Pokémon beside her, a strange yet familiar feeling welled up inside him.
Yes, this was the way humans and Pokémon would one day live together in that distant future.
'You saved me… so I'll give everything to protect you, even if it means my life.'