By the time Elias realized something was wrong, it was already too late.
The Poké Ball's powerful pull sucked him inside in an instant, barely giving him a chance to react.
Click—
The ball snapped shut with a satisfying sound.
Even as he found himself inside, Elias was left dazed.
Poké Balls can catch humans now?
Since when? How did I not know about this?
Wait—no, something's off.
Regaining his composure, Elias realized the situation didn't make sense.
First, even in Cynthia's era, no one had ever developed a Poké Ball capable of catching humans.
And here, in Hisui, where Poké Ball technology was still in its infancy, that should be impossible.
Second—
Inside the ball, he could sense a very familiar energy.
Concentrating, he recognized it immediately—his own Verdant Aura.
With just a bit of reasoning, Elias could more or less guess the real culprit behind this.
"Zoroark, if you keep this up, you're sleeping in Akari's room tonight," Elias threatened, narrowing his eyes.
"Wait! No!"
Sure enough, as soon as he spoke, Zoroark's panicked voice rang out.
A moment later, the scenery around him melted away, replaced by the familiar setting of Cogita's house.
"It was all their idea, not mine," Zoroark hurried over, resting her head on Elias's shoulder and tattling in a whisper.
Seeing her like that, Lucario, Cogita, and Akari all wore expressions of resignation.
Of course—this silly fox always caved as soon as she was threatened.
Once his eyes adjusted, Elias couldn't help but be a little amused.
There was no doubt—that had been Zoroark's illusion.
It was his first time falling into one of her illusions without realizing it at all.
It was thanks to Zoroark's recent habit of using illusions each night to "extend" his sleep that he'd grown careless, letting his guard down.
"You might be the only Zoroark in the world who can trick me with illusions," he said, pinching her soft cheek.
Then, looking at everyone else gathered around, he asked, "So… this was all just a prank? Nothing more?"
Even Lucario had gone along with it, so he doubted it was just for fun.
Sure enough, Zoroark shook her head.
"Elias, what did you think of the inside of the ball just now?" she asked, eyes hopeful.
Elias thought back.
When he'd been pulled inside, it hadn't been dark at all.
There were mountains and rivers, a lush green lawn—the environment inside the ball was as good as the territory he'd found for the Zoroark tribe.
"It was really nice. I could live in there for ages with no complaints," Elias admitted.
Seeing his approval, both Zoroark and Lucario broke into proud smiles.
Then, meeting his gaze, Zoroark produced two Poké Balls from her fur.
"These are the new balls Lucario and I made for ourselves," she said, sounding quite proud.
"The designs are by Cogita—what do you think? Pretty good, right?"
Thanks to Elias, the entire region had become obsessed with crafting Poké Balls over the past year.
Zoroark had been dying to join in.
Elias had given her and Lucario standard Poké Balls before, but those were just ordinary mass-produced ones.
She wanted to craft one herself—and have him catch her with it, just once.
Hearing her explanation, Elias's eyes widened.
One ball was white with the face of an adorable fox painted on it.
The other was blue, decorated with a wide-eyed Riolu.
Their owners were obvious at a glance.
"The materials and craftsmanship are great," Cogita chimed in, curling her lips in satisfaction.
"And my artwork will last for centuries—these could be museum pieces."
Elias gave a genuine round of applause.
"Impressive," he said with a smile.
"So you two want to replace your current Poké Balls with these?"
Zoroark nodded enthusiastically.
Lucario, a little embarrassed, agreed with a faint blush.
"Laventon said these balls could last a thousand years," Zoroark added softly, pressing the balls into Elias's hands.
"So, Elias—before these break, you have to stay our Trainer. That's our promise."
It was a gift from her to herself—and to Elias as well.
He'd been exhausted lately; she wanted him to have something to smile about.
Of course, before these balls ever wore out, she'd find even better materials. She promised.
After all… a thousand years was still far too short.
"I promise," Elias replied gently.
"I'll use these Poké Balls well—until a thousand years have passed."
He cradled the two new Poké Balls with care, and Zoroark's eyes shone with happiness.
Off to the side, Akari watched, a little envious.
She and her Mamoswine got along great, but not nearly as well as Elias and Zoroark.
Their relationship was more like that of soulmates than Trainer and Pokémon.
It almost didn't seem possible… and yet, here it was.
---
[With Cogita and Akari as witnesses, you caught Zoroark and Lucario again with their new balls.]
[You treasured those balls more than any Plate—]
[For a thousand years: that was the promise you made to Zoroark.]
[Even though you both knew no human could ever live that long.]
[Or, honestly, almost any creature except a legendary Pokémon.]
[In the days that followed, you made time in your busy schedule to visit the Zoroark tribe.]
[With the space-time rift growing ever larger, your anxiety only deepened.]
[To keep any unrest in the tribe from spreading, you decided to pay them a visit yourself.]
"Zoroark, you don't have to cling so close to me," Elias said helplessly as his Zoroark pressed tightly against his side.
She looked wary—but also unbearably cute.
And who could blame her? With Elias there, the rest of the tribe stared at him with undisguised longing.
Chief, your Trainer smells so good.
That was the silent thought behind every single green-eyed glance.
For these wild, fierce Pokémon, the gentle pull of the [Power of Viridian] was more tempting than anything.
Elias cleared his throat.
"Okay, I'm here today to give you all a few reminders."