Pokémon: Breeding Simulator [163]

Alabaster Icelands

Cave.

At that moment, Cogita stood just at the threshold between the cave's inner warmth and the bitter wind outside.

From where she was, she could clearly see the scene inside—but the wind whipping across her back reminded her she hadn't stepped in yet.

It wasn't that she didn't want to go in…

It was just that—what she saw inside had caught her completely off guard.

In her field of view, Elias—who she'd half expected to find curled up in tears—was instead sitting by the fire, completely unharmed.

Which should've been a good thing.

But next to him were not only a Lucario, but two humans.

One of whom was, unmistakably, Irida—whom she had just seen earlier.

Cogita's brows furrowed as her thoughts settled.

Recalling the brief exchange she'd had with Irida earlier, she could now say with near certainty:

The "Irida" sitting next to Elias was not the real Irida.

That was a fake—an impostor!

Meanwhile, Zoroark also keenly sensed that Cogita's gaze had grown sharp.

Realizing she had been found out, the blood drained slightly from her face.

Anxiety and fear gripped her chest like two cold, invisible hands.

"Elias..."

She cast a pleading glance at him, clearly unsure what to do.

If she were alone right now, she would've already turned and bolted without a second thought.

"It's fine."

Elias gently squeezed Zoroark's trembling hand in reassurance, silently comforting her.

He had expected this to happen eventually.

Or rather—it was a miracle it hadn't happened sooner, considering Cogita spent almost every waking moment with him.

"Cogita, it's freezing at the entrance. Come in and sit."

After a long silence, Elias finally broke the heavy atmosphere.

Cogita had probably been too worried about his safety earlier to expose Zoroark outright.

And Zoroark herself, clearly terrified of being found out, had only added to the tension in the air.

Now that Elias had spoken, it felt like someone had opened a window and let the air circulate again.

Beside them, Cynthia exhaled softly in relief, having held her breath without realizing it.

But Elias's relaxed tone only made Cogita's expression tighten further.

She was sure he knew the "Irida" at his side was suspicious.

And yet—his first instinct was to cover for her?

What exactly was going on between this impostor Irida and Elias?

Her gaze lingered on the two of them, moving back and forth as if searching for some clue.

But after a moment of silent observation, she was disappointed to find—

Elias showed no signs of being coerced, and the "Irida" merely curled behind him like a guilty child, making no further moves.

Her initial fear slowly faded, replaced by scattered traces of discontent.

Cogita pressed her lips together, then hesitated a moment before finally sitting down beside Elias.

As long as he was safe… that was what mattered most.

As for the rest—she could wait and let him explain in his own time.

And with the snowstorm still raging outside, it was unlikely to clear anytime soon.

She might as well take this opportunity to figure out exactly what had happened while he was gone.

With that thought, she ignored the way "Irida's" eyes widened in shock, and reached over to pinch Elias's cheek.

Her voice softened as she asked:

"You're not hurt, right?"

"From now on, if you ever plan to come deep into the Alabaster Icelands—you have to bring me with you. Got it?"

"And the same goes for any other dangerous regions."

By the end, her tone had grown noticeably sterner.

This time, she'd been truly scared.

She used to think she could predict or prepare for any situation.

But only now—when Elias had been in real danger, and she had been forced to scramble after him helplessly through the snow—

Only now did she fully grasp what true powerlessness felt like.

Seeing Cogita drop her usual calm and lazy demeanor to speak so seriously, Elias nodded solemnly.

The fact that she had braved a snowstorm to come after him… that alone had taken him by surprise.

Compared to the aloofness she'd shown when she first picked him up—this was a world apart.

"Oh, right."

As if something had just occurred to her, Cogita clapped her hands lightly.

"The Pokémon that attacked you—do you know where it went?"

"Just give me a general direction."

Her voice had dropped slightly.

Originally, she had no intention of personally capturing any of the legendary Pokémon.

But now that Tornadus had directly threatened Elias, there was no way she could let it roam free.

What if something like this happened again?

And yet—to her confusion—

After she finished speaking, Elias's expression turned… odd.

Even the small blonde girl sitting a short distance away—who hadn't spoken this whole time—gently covered her mouth, stifling a laugh.

Did I say something strange?

Cogita blinked, baffled.

Then she watched as Elias pulled out a Poké Ball.

"Are you talking about this one?"

He chuckled lightly, tossing the ball forward.

Thwip—

The Poké Ball popped open with a burst of light.

And out came a Pokémon, still looking a little worn down—green all over, standing atop a pristine white cloud.

For a moment, Cogita's mouth opened slightly in astonishment.

This… was Tornadus?

Elias caught him?

How?

Her thoughts reeled.

Too many things today had shattered her expectations.

She had thought Elias simply escaping from Tornadus alive was already incredible.

But he'd actually… captured it?

This wasn't just some wild Pokémon. This was a legendary Pokémon said to govern and summon storms across the Hisui region!

"Didn't you always say you wanted someone to help you catch these legendary Pokémon?"

"Here. Consider it a gift."

Elias casually tossed the Poké Ball to Cogita as he spoke.

She caught it on reflex. The cold metal settled against her palm, sending a chill through her fingertips.

Her heart warmed for a moment at his words.

But then her expression sharpened.

She leaned in close to Elias, looking him dead in the eyes.

"This time was a special case, so I'll let it go."

"But from now on… you are not allowed to go after these legendary Pokémon. Understand?"

"Anyone else can try to catch them—but not you."

She stared into his eyes with calm but unwavering determination.

As she got older, she'd grown more and more confident in Elias's strength.

But that didn't mean she trusted his luck.

Fighting a legendary Pokémon was like walking a tightrope strung over a chasm.

The tiniest mistake could have irreversible consequences.

No matter what, she couldn't let Elias take that risk.

"…Alright."

Elias let out a soft sigh and nodded under her piercing gaze.

"I'll start by promising… I won't go looking for them on purpose."

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T/N: he ez loophole