"Your Highness Raven, you mustn't go!"
Old butler Aelif immediately tried to dissuade him when he heard Raven intended to join the knights in searching for the missing Anna.
"You are the last hope of this domain. If anything were to happen to you, the rest of us would never survive the winter!"
The forest at night was perilous. Many beasts that hid away during the day came out to hunt in the dark.
"I understand, Aelif." Raven drew his woolen hood over his head. "Don't worry, I'll be careful. Lyon and the knights have already scouted the area—there's nothing dangerous nearby. And even if there is, Lyon will protect me."
"Exactly!"
With a metallic shing, Lyon unsheathed his weapon.
Right now, the most important thing was Anna.
If she had merely lost her way, that was one thing.
But if she'd run into a dangerous beast and couldn't return… that was a serious problem. Their camp was here to stay, and sooner or later, they'd encounter whatever creature lurked in the woods.
And Raven was still the only one in the camp with even a rudimentary grasp of Pokémon.
If they didn't confirm what had appeared, he wouldn't be able to rest easy.
As for danger—
Running wasn't shameful if you couldn't win.
Besides, human bodies in this world were resilient. With the right herbs, even serious wounds healed quickly.
Seeing Raven's resolve, Aelif could only sigh in resignation.
"…Please, Your Highness… be careful."
Torches lit, Raven and the knights followed Anna's footprints into the forest.
As he expected, nothing attacked them along the way. They didn't even encounter a single Pokémon.
The trail led deeper into the woods. Raven silently thanked the heavens it hadn't snowed tonight—otherwise, all trace would've been buried.
Then, they stumbled into a clearing marred by signs of battle.
Footprints scuffed the snow—human and unfamiliar Pokémon alike.
"Your Highness Raven, over here," Lyon called, grim-faced.
Raven stepped forward, studying the tracks. "There was a fight here not long ago."
Could Anna, a ten-year-old girl, possibly have stood a chance?
Even with the hardier bodies of this world, humans weren't immortal.
The prints trailed onward, jagged and frantic, as if the one leaving them had fled in panic.
Then—suddenly—they ended.
In their place, a long gouge in the snow, as though someone had fallen and rolled.
Raven lifted his gaze.
Ahead yawned a sheer cliff.
"Am I… dead?"
Anna groaned awake, head pounding. She tried to sit up—only for agony to lance through her arm.
"Hhh… it hurts!"
"Where… am I?"
At first she was dazed.
Then memory crashed back.
The terrifying beast. The desperate flight. The cliff.
Wait—the little one!
Anna whipped her head around.
Moonlight poured silver over the snow.
And in that pale glow, a small shadow padded toward her, something clamped in its jaws.
The little beast!
Anna's eyes lit up with relief. Thank goodness—it was alive!
Zorua trotted up, and only then did Anna see what it carried.
A vitality root.
Her lips parted in astonishment.
The fox laid it by her injured arm, then bit down gently. Juice dripped from the root, falling onto her torn flesh.
Before her wide eyes, the wounds knit together, closing at a visible pace.
"Eh—?!"
She stared, stunned.
Was it… healing her?
All her life, she'd been told that beasts were dangerous. That if you met one, you had to run—or you'd be mauled and killed.
But now…
Not all beasts wanted to hurt humans. The thought flickered through her mind.
Zorua yawned, clearly exhausted, and curled up on the icy ground.
"Hey! Aren't you cold?" Anna asked instinctively.
It cracked one eye open, staring back at her.
"Right—I haven't even asked your name…" She smiled faintly. "Hello, I'm Anna."
"Zou…" Zorua gave a soft growl, almost like an answer.
Seeing it curled in the snow, Anna couldn't bear it. Ignoring its token resistance, she scooped it up and hugged it close.
"Heehee, this way you won't be cold. Go to sleep."
Zorua blinked, surprised. But yes—it was warmer here than on the ground. Slowly, it closed its eyes.
Until Anna spoke again.
"Hey… don't you have a home? Won't your mom and dad be worried?"
Zorua shook its head.
Anna's eyes widened. "You mean… you don't have parents?"
It didn't speak, but somehow, she understood.
So that was why it had been alone, waiting to die in the snow.
Her heart clenched with pity.
"You don't have a mom. And I don't have a dad. We both lost someone important…" she whispered.
"Zou…"
Zorua gently placed its paw on her hand, as if to comfort her.
Then Anna's expression brightened with sudden inspiration.
"Hey, little one—do you want to live with me? I live with my mom now. If you join us, then you'll have family too!"
Zorua froze, caught off guard.
Anna beamed, only to frown a moment later, muttering to herself.
"…But, um… looks like we're both trapped down here, huh."
(End of Chapter)