Discovered. She was discovered!
Zoroark shrank back behind Elias, panic all over her face.
Just moments ago, she'd been basking in triumph—never expecting that in the blink of an eye, she'd be completely exposed.
And worst of all, it had been Irida—the very person she'd been impersonating—who saw through her.
Across from them, Irida stood with her arms crossed. After waiting a few beats and seeing that Zoroark still hadn't come out, her brow furrowed slightly.
So she was just going to play dead, even after being called out?
Irida shot Elias a knowing look, then took a swift, fluid step forward.
With practiced ease, she reached out and gently tugged at the back of Elias's neck.
As expected, her hand closed around a soft, furry ear.
Zoroark's body gave a sharp jolt—clearly startled.
"Come out."
Irida's voice was icy.
Realizing there was no salvaging the situation, Zoroark took a deep breath. She knew there was no way to bluff her way out now.
But unlike the panic from a moment ago, she now seemed oddly composed.
Casting Irida a sidelong glance, she slowly lifted a claw that shimmered with cold light.
With a sudden push from her feet, she dissolved her illusion mid-movement—then, like a phantom, appeared behind Irida.
"Rrrow—"
A low, menacing growl slipped from her throat as she brought her claws up to Irida's pale neck. One clean swipe was all it would take to open her throat.
The abrupt turn stunned Irida.
In her peripheral vision, she thought she saw a flash of red gleam in Zoroark's eyes.
Is she... trying to silence me?
The thought flashed through her mind.
But even as she realized it, Irida didn't panic—nor did she feel fear.
Had this happened in the wild, against a feral beast, she might have.
But this was Elias's home.
And judging by how attached this Zoroark seemed to Elias, Irida didn't believe for a second that he'd just stand by and let her get hurt.
And she was right.
Elias, after a moment of stunned silence, opened his mouth to try and calm Zoroark down.
But just as he was about to speak, something struck him.
Zoroark's emotions... didn't feel out of control.
Unlike that time in the Alabaster Icelands when she'd completely lost it, this time—even with the glow of menace in her eyes—her face was stiff, unnatural.
It looked almost... forced.
His gut told him the big fox was scheming again.
"Elias."
Irida's voice broke through, barely above a whisper, as the cold claw still hovered by her neck.
At the sound, Elias blinked back into focus, then continued toward Zoroark just as planned.
Zoroark's expression, fierce just a moment ago, suddenly softened into delight.
Yes—come comfort her!
Give in to a few of her more demanding requests while you're at it!
Everything was going perfectly, just as she'd planned.
Except...
Before Elias reached her, he suddenly stopped.
A conflicted expression crossed his face.
"...Sorry, Irida. Zoroark's existence... it's something I can't let anyone know about."
"So... I'm afraid today, you'll have to take that secret with you to the grave."
His voice was low, apologetic.
As he spoke, he even waved at Zoroark, signaling her to finish the job.
Irida froze.
But so did Zoroark.
He—he wants me to actually go through with it?
Sure, she didn't want her existence exposed either. But this was Irida. Elias's friend.
Someone she'd grudgingly accepted.
Was Elias really telling her to do it?
The unexpected shift knocked her completely off-balance—and in that instant of hesitation, Elias vanished from where he stood.
[Teleport].
Before Zoroark could even react, he was behind her—one hand already seizing the scruff of her neck: her most vulnerable spot.
Zoroark: !?
"What's the matter?" Elias grinned, looking down at the fox dangling from his hand.
"Not gonna play along anymore, huh?"
He knew it. She'd been faking the whole time.
...
A while later, inside the house.
Zoroark lay curled beside Elias, looking thoroughly dejected.
Not only had her plan backfired, she'd blown her cover and revealed one of her most valuable tactics.
Tricking Elias with the same move next time was going to be a lot harder.
Across from her sat Irida, face icy.
She glared daggers at Zoroark.
Impersonating her had been one thing—but using her as a bargaining chip for favors?
That was a line.
Maybe the stories from the tribe were right. Zoroark really were born tricksters.
"How long has she been pretending to be me?"
Irida's voice was calm now, but sharp. She turned to Elias.
She needed to know—how long had this fox been by his side?
Elias blinked, caught off guard.
After thinking for a moment, he gave his best estimate.
"About... four years? Maybe five?"
Zoroark had disappeared for a while in the middle, so he wasn't certain.
But to Irida, that number hit like a stone to the chest.
That was almost exactly how long she'd known Elias.
In other words... Zoroark had been impersonating her from the very beginning—right after she and Elias had started getting close.
The thought made Irida want to throw down with her Eevee on the spot.
Zoroark watched her warily as Irida sipped her tea in silence.
Then Irida looked back at Elias and said:
"Send her out. I need to talk to you. Alone."
Thinking of the stories from the tribe, she felt it was time to give her friend a warning.
Elias nodded and gently tapped Zoroark on the back.
With clear reluctance, she stood up and slowly padded out of the room.
She didn't need to hear it to know what Irida was going to say.
And it was exactly what she least wanted to hear.
Even though she had full confidence in Elias's trust...
Still, she couldn't help but worry.
Once or twice, Elias could stay firm.
But...
What about when the whole world found out what she was?
When the whispers started—of fear, suspicion, and hatred...
Would Elias still want to keep her by his side?
That question haunted her.
Uneasy, she sought out Lucario, who was meditating downstairs.
"Can you use [Aura] to eavesdrop on them?"
She pointed toward the second floor, blunt and to the point.
Lucario stared at her, unimpressed.
He knew exactly what would happen if he said no—another chaotic episode.
With a resigned sigh, he extended his [Aura].
One end connected to Zoroark, the other to the room upstairs—forming a conduit of sorts.
An aura-made listening tube.
Just as she wanted.