[Host, someone's coming!]
The system's voice was slightly excited.
"I know."
Elias answered calmly, then fell into brief thought.
Cogita—the mysterious No.1 figure in the game's lore. Her shadow lurked behind countless events.
He hadn't expected that she would be the one to find him here.
This wasn't just good luck anymore—it was practically miraculous.
Whew...
Having barely clung to life, Elias finally let the tension drain from his body.
Then he turned his attention to his fated Pokémon for this simulation:
A Hisuian Zoroark.
Definitely a strong Pokémon, but—as with Latias previously—there would be challenges.
Zoroark had the ability to shapeshift into the appearance of other Pokémon or even humans.
And in ancient Sinnoh, communications technology wasn't anything like the modern world.
Most of the land remained undeveloped wilderness. Once you left a tribe's protection, you were pretty much at the mercy of nature.
In such a world, trying to track down a single Zoroark... would be extremely difficult.
[Host, you actually don't have to worry about that.]
[In the simulation, even if you don't actively search, your fated Pokémon will almost always be drawn to you on their own.]
[So as long as you survive, you won't need to worry about your fated Pokémon not appearing.]
For once, the system sounded reassuring.
Hearing this, Elias understood.
No wonder they were called "fated" Pokémon.
In that case... his only real goal for now was simply to stay alive on this savage continent.
Meanwhile, after carefully examining the baby in her arms, Cogita finally came back to her senses.
She still didn't understand how such a fragile infant had managed to survive the deadly blizzard.
But one thing was clear—
if she didn't act now, the little one truly wouldn't last much longer.
With that thought, her movements became unusually urgent as she turned back the way she had come.
---
[Perhaps by the blessing of fate, just as your last breath was fading, you were picked up by an elegant woman named Cogita.]
[Under her care, you were dragged back from the brink of death.]
Whew...
Seeing that the baby's condition had finally stabilized, Cogita exhaled deeply.
If she hadn't had some skills of her own, there was no way this child could have been saved.
She reached out and lightly poked Elias's cheek, her face thoughtful.
The fact that he had been found on the pure white tundra suggested he was likely from the Pearl Clan.
After all, they were the only tribe that would camp in such a frozen wasteland.
However...
After the blizzard, even the Pearl Clan must have been left in ruins.
Returning a baby to them now might only mean letting him suffer.
And besides, the little one's health wasn't entirely out of danger yet.
So—
"Looks like I'll have to raise you myself for a while."
She gently pinched the baby's soft cheek, speaking with a sigh of helplessness.
But truthfully, Cogita didn't feel much resistance in her heart.
For some reason, ever since she had laid eyes on the tiny child, her mood had inexplicably brightened.
In her otherwise calm, uneventful life, his appearance seemed to stir gentle ripples.
It was no longer just about duty or fate—
It was something more.
---
[Thanksto Cogita's impulsive decision, you temporarily gained a new home.]
"Let's take you to my place first."
Cogita murmured, carefully lifting the baby into her arms.
Earlier, she had abandoned her original destination after retreating from the pure white tundra to save him.
---
[After a long journey, Cogita brought you to her secluded home.]
[It was a patch of open land nestled between Mount Coronet and the Crimson Mirelands—beautiful scenery, but the house and other facilities were still under construction.]
"Sorry... it's not finished yet. You'll have to make do for now."
Remembering how half-built her home still was, Cogita showed a rare trace of embarrassment.
Then she sighed in relief—
luckily, the one she had brought back was just a baby.
Otherwise, this would have been even more humiliating.
"Mmm..."
Hearing her voice, Elias let out a weak little whimper.
Watching the frail infant, Cogita suddenly realized—
babies needed food.
He would probably need milk...
but where was she supposed to get that?
Pressing a finger to her chin, she fell into rare, serious contemplation.
Looks like I'll have to go "borrow" some from a Pokémon...
"So troublesome..."
---
[In the end, Cogitareluctantly managed to find some food for you, saving you from starving to death.]
[Under her relatively attentive care, your condition gradually stabilized, and the aftereffects of being buried in the snow slowly faded away.]
[On this barren, savage continent, you were among the lucky few who lived comfortably.]
[At age one, certain traits in you began to emerge.]
[For example... your ability to attract Pokémon.]
[Wherever you were, there were always Pokémon clustering around you. Different species, yet all of them seemed to adore you, curling up contentedly nearby.]
[Cogita found this phenomenon deeply fascinating.]
[It even became her new favorite hobby—to sip flower tea while observing your interactions with Pokémon.]
[It's worth noting that although you were too young to have much consciousness yet, your body was already emitting a unique energy that attracted Pokémon.]
"So strange..."
Cogita took out a quill and carefully wrote down her observations, finishing with a thoughtful note.
After some time, she couldn't shake the illusion—
that the baby she had rescued could somehow communicate with Pokémon.
Every time Elias babbled, the surrounding Pokémon would chirp back, as if responding.
Some would even jump up and fetch water or food for him as though carrying out orders.
But...
"That's impossible."
Cogita pressed her hand to her forehead.
Even she felt like her imagination was running wild.
How could a baby—not even able to speak human language yet—communicate across species with Pokémon?
Thinking this, she slowly stood and gently lifted Elias from a pile of Shinx cubs.
Gazing at the innocent eyes staring up at her, she cleared her throat and said:
"Call me sister."
Elias: ?
Seeing no reaction, Cogita completely abandoned her earlier guess.
As expected, she was overthinking things.
After placing Elias back into the "cat nest," she suddenly recalled something else.
She had heard that the Pearl Clan was almost done rebuilding.
In a little while, should she send Elias back?
Staring at the small figure not far away, Cogita found herself quietly pondering the question.
---
T/N: idk who wusi is (its Cogita)