Eevee Therapy for Little Magi Chapter 41: Into the Mirelands

Shirou stabbed the butt of his naginata into the peaty soil, sighing as it drove in several centimeters. “This spot’s still too soft to set up a campsite. We’ll need to keep looking.” He said, glancing around the area as the shadows continued to lengthen. The siblings had been travelling through the mirelands for a while now, and the unpleasantness of the area was starting to get to the both of them.

Illya nodded with a grimace, hopping over a standing pool of brackish water. “Well, it’s just about as bad as we expected it’d be. Thankfully, Isabelle knows some of the better spots, but this was one of them.”

The Crimson Mirelands were a verdant, lush area, filled with rustling grasses, rich loamy soil, and swaying trees, and the arching roots of mangrove trees. Those same features, however, slowed down walking and made finding stable ground for campsites difficult. It was still infinitely nicer to traverse than Earth’s swamps and bogs, lacking the stinging insects, threat of snakebites, and lack of pleasant company; but it was not easy going.

Isabella slid down a tree, landing next to her friends. “Sorry about the shifting mud, Illya. I think I spotted some stones over that way. Might be solid ground, if there’s not someone nesting there.” She looked at the sky. “We should make it before twilight. Forage anything interesting today?” She asked Shriou.

“Found some pep plants, softfoot roots, and berries. Lots of berries.” Shirou responded.

“A bunch of outcroppings of useful materials. I already collected what I could carry. Should have enough to craft some rather interesting things.” Illya remarked as well, humming to herself in delight. She had definitely come to enjoy the traditional methods of crafting. It gave her something to do, and provided a creative outlet that she had not had prior to her journey.

“Cool, cool.” Isabella grinned as she hitched her pack over her shoulders, easily drawing her boots from the soft soil. This was familiar country to the girl, and it showed in how appropriate her gear was to the terrain. “Going off the beaten path has some benefits, at least.”

As the group advanced through the soggy ground and around the standing pools of water, a familiar serpentine form slithered out of the bog, moving alongside through the puddles. Milotic crooned, Yagi perched on her head. “I know you all are more unsuited for this terrain, but this place is lovely.”

Yagi sighed. “For you, yes.” He held up a small sack. “We have found some items of interest in the bog, as well as having some youthful fights!” he said, perking back up at the memories mentioning such those battles had brought.

“Any word from the locals about nearby paths?” Shirou asked, hiding a smile at his second Pokmeon’s now much more familiar love of battle.

“Not yet. We’re heading in the right direction, but most of the ones we talked to do not go far from their pools or dens.” Milotic replied with a slow head shake, the murky water rippling around her. “We did hear there’s a Gardevoir Grove somewhere around here; they advised us to keep our distance, and watch out for glowing mushrooms.”

“That’d be the territory markers.” Ritsuka called from the skies, the dragon lazily orbiting the group as they traveled. Mostly to keep an eye out for any potential trouble, of course, but also because he quite enjoyed flying. It was, in hindsight, perhaps unsurprising that he had evolved into a form capable of flight, “I don’t see any from up here, but I do see the rocks that Isabelle mentioned. We’re pretty close.”

“Good.” Matilda huffed, grimacing as she looked at her paws, caked in mud as they were, “I am not very fond of this bog.”

“It’s rather unfortunate that you cannot float, Lady Matilda.” Fubuki hummed, clearly amused at her friend’s distaste for the ground as she phased through the trees, “Though, have you considered trying to emanate misty terrain?”

“That could potentially work.” Illya remarked as she came to a pause, bringing her hands up into a thinking pose, “Mind, I could also probably figure something out with Alchemy, but frivolous use of magecraft is generally not the best idea. Mostly since it’s agonizing to use.”

Shirou blinked slowly. “...it is? I mean, it’s extremely unpleasant, but it’s not that bad.”

“Shirou, you’re comparing opening your circuits to literally burning out your nerves, and before that, literal cursed flames.” Illya responded in a complete deadpan, her expression and voice flat as a cutting board. Pausing, her eyes glowed briefly, before she shrugged, “Also, you’re cheating a bit using Aura. I’ll have to steal that trick at some point.”

“Right.” Shriou said as they broke through the treeline, looking at the piled stones. “...this looks a bit regular. Did we stumble onto another ruin?”

“Yeah, looks like it. But it’s not an important one.” Isabella observed, pointing at a metal pole staked into the ground near the stones. “See that pole? The bands around it indicate what the site is. White means safe, blue means no intact relics or spellwork, and that band of green means it’s a viable campsite or pokemon habitat.” As everyone looked back at her, she shrugged. “There’s a lot of old Celestic and other ruins here in what used to be Hisui. Part of the clans’ duties are making sure the ruins are contained, or safe.”

Illya nodded at that tidbit of information, “That definitely makes sense. It also gives you a reason to be around, no offense.” She continued, well aware that people tended to be rather fickle when it came to their money and where their taxes went. Especially after she had gotten out of her castle in the middle of nowhere and started interacting with them on a regular basis, “Now, Shirou, I do believe we set up camp?”

“Sure.” As they advanced  on the ruins, Shirou paused, his eyes flashing blue. “Huh. We may need to negotiate a bit before we set up, though.”

Illya opened her mouth to ask why, only to slam it shut as a pair of brown, fuzzy cubs tumbled out from behind a boulder, the Teddiursa busily roughhousing. Behind them, a similarly fuzzy but much larger form trundled out, keeping an eye on them. The Ursaluna shot them a glance, unruffled but watching closely. Almost immediately, all three trainers held out a hand to stop their Pokemon from reacting poorly to the sudden intrusion.

“Apologies,” Illya began, staying quite still, “We didn’t realize we were intruding on your territory.”

The Ursaluna grunted. “Polite human. Don’t worry, you’ve not done any harm.” She sniffed. “No grown humans around. Cubs off on their own?” 

Shirou coughed, more to center himself than anything else. “We are on your journey, ma’am. Our parents aren’t anywhere near here.”

“You understand me?” The bulky beast rumbled, nodding along with Shirou. “Makes it easier. So, cubs are off on their own. It’s not safe for you to be without shelter at night.” She lumbered closer, then spotted Yagi. “Hmm. And you have a guardian. You may share our den tonight, so long as I don’t see any Pokeballs near a cub. Understood?”

“Of course.” Illya nodded firmly, “That would not only be the height of stupidity, but it would also go against our beliefs.”

“I’d think so.” The group fell in as the bear turned and lumbered back, pushing the Teddiursa before her. Following along, the group was led into a ruined courtyard, much of the stonework covered in mosses and leaf litter, a dozen Ursaring and twice that many Teddiursa bounding around. Scattered among the brown bodies, a few other Pokemon had places in the small community; a Heracross sat across from one Ursaring arm wrestling, while a pair of Hippopotas laid in a small pool of mud in one corner.

Shirou looked around, passing over the gathered Pokemon. “Guests like us?” He asked quietly, mindful of a group of flying types dozing on hanging roots from the ceiling.

“Some, not all. Promises given, and they may stay.” Ursaluna rumbled. “Your promise, you should keep for all those here.”

Isabella spoke up. “Not too unusual in some parts of Sinnoh.” She looked over her shoulder, vaguely in the direction of its tallest peak. “See, Mount Coronet brings in… I guess you could call them pilgrims. Pokemon here to pay respect to or ask forgiveness from the Lord of All. And a lot of those foreign Pokemon settle in Sinnoh, at least for a while. And that leads to mixed Pokemon communities you don’t see in a lot of other places.”

“She is right.” Ursaluna rumbled. “Our den has hosted foreign born before. But it is the eggs they leave behind which have joined the sloth.” Peering to one side, the group looked to see an Absol grooming the head of a Litleo, the little fire type’s eyes closed. “I do not think that cub will stay here in the marsh. But we are family, so long as he wishes it.”

“I see.” Ritsuka spoke softly as they landed within the courtyard, wings folding by their side as they looked curiously around with their nose flaring. “I smell a lot of Pokemon that were here very recently but are not now. Was there a group of pilgrims that came before us?”

Ursaluna chuffed. “Good nose. Yes. They were from the isles of sun, sand, and gaps in reality. Alola, humans say. They were friendly, lots of fairies but jolly ones. Dogs with strong jaws, walking mushrooms, jingling metal.” She paused, glancing to one side. “...and the fox. She came back. In the cold room.”

“An Alolan Vulpix or Ninetales.” Illya muttered, humming in consideration as she tapped a finger against her cheek, “I assume they aren’t common here, given what I’ve heard of their communities?”

“Not down here.” She looked up as a group of Zubat and Golbat descended from the ceiling, whirling around before they left through the doors. “The fliers say there are groups up north. None down here. And they are skittish, like the ghost foxes.”

Shirou nodded, moving over to an open patch of dirt, heaving his gear onto the soil. “We won’t bother them, then. Though, if you’re able to supply some ingredients, I could make a curry for the whole den.” He said as he began pulling out the group’s tables and cooking gear. “Curry is easy to scale.”

Ursaluna hummed, even as the nearby Pokemon began to perk up, looking at Shirou with more than a little interest. “Cooked food… we can help, yes.” She rumbled.

Illya sighed as the wild Pokemon began piling berries, vegetables, roots, and a small selection of Slowpoke tails and other meat products near her brother, pulling off her gloves and rolling up her sleeves. “I’m going to have to help you with ingredient prep, aren’t I?”

“You have two hands and you want to eat, so yes. Isabella–”

The diamond clan girl was already rummaging through her own pack. “I’m on it.” The group had already worked out a system for large meals during the trip, and this one would be no different. However, as the wild Pokemon carried a few Magikarp filets from the cold room, a small white figure padded out behind them, lidded blue eyes watching the ongoings with a spark of interest.

--(0)--

Shirou happily ladled curry into a wooden bowl, smiling as the teddiursa held the rough-carved platter with a happy growl. Toddling away, the little bear joined the rest of its family, happily dipping a paw in and licking up the orange roux. “Well, this seems to be popular.”

“Cooked food is good, and not a lot of Pokemon learn the skill.” Ritsuka explained rapidly, sighing as her trainer once more stated the obvious. Lapping some of the leftover curry from her paws, the Wyrmeon tucked herself up into a rather prim posture, staring up towards Shirou with only a bit of mild annoyance and judgement in her eyes, “You knew that already though.”

“I did, though I am surprised every Pokemon here wanted a bite.” Shriou shrugged. “I’d have thought some of them wouldn’t like the taste of curry. It’s nice to have everyone liking my food.” He paused before he ladled some of the remnants into his own bowl. “Did everyone get a taste? Cooks eat last.”

“Besides the Vulpix that’s been patiently waiting for everyone else to go first, yes.” Ritsuka nodded, paw coming out of resting position to gesture towards a tree stump. Upon which, a white-furred Vulpix sat patiently, alert eyes scanning over the clearing as they observed everyone else eating. “Yagi walked up to her and asked earlier, but she said something about waiting for everyone else to eat first.” Pausing, the Wyrmeon scrunched up her face, frowning as she tried to recall the exact wording her teammate had used. Moments later, a lightbulb went off behind her eyes and she continued, “He told me she said, and I quote: ‘I’ve had this kind of food before. None of the others have. So I’ll wait.’ Probably a former trainer mon, and going by her disposition it wasn’t a traumatic parting.”

“Oh, huh.” Shrou ladled out three bowls from the remainder, scooping them all up. “Alright then. Let me go give this to her. Want to come with me?”

“Sure. Got nothing better to do.” His starter shrugged, a flap of her wings sending her up onto her trainer’s shoulder, where she grandly pointed a paw forwards, “Onwards, my valiant steed.”

Shirou laughed slightly at her antics, the now familiar routine bringing a spark of warmth rather than guilt. Marveling a bit at how far he had come since coming here, the red-haired boy then walked over to the Alolan Vulpix, easing himself down to set the bowl in front of her. “Hey there, mind giving me your real opinion of my work tonight?”

“Not at all.” The fox replied with what he’d come to recognize as their equivalent of a smile, paw pointing towards an empty spot on her stump. Looking expectantly towards Shirou, the Alolan Vulpix spoke once more, “If you could put it down here?”

“Sure. It’s hard to get an objective review of my work– most of my Pokemon have nothing but praise for it, and both Illya and Isabella are much the same.” Shirou said, placing the bowl in the indicated spot, placing a second to his right for his starter, and plunking down cross legged nearby. “I didn’t go hard on the spice, so I toasted the herbs and aromatics before adding them to the dish to get more subtle flavors. I think it worked fairly well, but after cooking, your taste buds get numbed to the dish.”

“... Huh, so you do understand me.” The Vulpix replied, tilting her head to the side as she blinked towards Shirou again, paw slamming against her face as she mimed a facepalm, “I should have just believed the cubs instead of assuming they were playing a prank again. In that case, may I have a spoon, Mr. Emiya? I desire to consume this without having to exert my psychic abilities all that much. Lifting a spoon is significantly easier than lifting grains of rice combined with sauce.”

Shirou nodded, absently projecting a spoon before he put it in the aforementioned bowl. “Valuing neatness? That’s fine.” He looked at Ritsuka, who was a few inches above burying her muzzle into her own bowl. “Most of my Pokemon just ask me to help them clean up later.”

“It’s a personal preference.” The wild Pokemon explained absently, Extrasensory refined to the point where it was nearly as versatile as a psychic Pokemon’s innate abilities lifting the projected spoon, the Vulpix giving no indication that the show of magic had impressed her, “Cheers for the food. It’s been a long time since I’ve had time to head into a restaurant.” With her piece said, the Vulpix began slowly eating the food, appreciative noises ringing out occasionally as she hummed, actually taking the time to taste the food before she nodded and took another bite.

“You’re welcome.” Shirou took a few bites of his curry, humming appreciatively as he savored his own cooking. “You’re also a long way from home. Ursaluna mentioned a pilgrimage?” He asked, continuing to eat.

“I actually requested my trainer release me in Sinnoh.” The fox replied with a shade of her head, pausing in the consumption of her food to explain, “Mostly because of the Lords. I’ve been testing myself against them occasionally as I wander through the region, though I have yet to properly win a duel. It’s been good experience though. I’m glad I did it.”

Shirou raised his eyebrows. “Huh. Illya might want to speak with you. She’s taking the trials herself, and might want your insight. And before you ask, she’ll insist on paying you for the favor, don’t worry.”

“I would not be opposed. Will you be translating, or does your companion also possess your rather rare ability to communicate with us?” The Vulpix answered after a few moments, taking the time to actually consume her food as she chatted with Shirou, “Though I will not share any weaknesses as I have gleaned. Triumphs must be earned on their own. At most I shall offer vague advice.”

“My sister can speak Pokemon, yes. I use aura, she cheated with a magic wish.” Shirou explained. “Which of the lords and ladies have you faced off against? I can’t imagine you’ve gone against Lord Avalugg.”

“I have, actually. Though that wasn’t a battle and more of a test of endurance. Also advice on the utilization of more physical Ice Type moves. He was rather fun to speak with. The only Lord from the era of the Hero who remains. He will likely be here when I am approaching old age, and he will likely be here long after I have died.” The Vulpix continued, finally turning her attention fully to her food as she indicated via her actions and not words that the conversation was done for now.

Shirou nodded absently, eating the rest of his meal in companionable silence, while Ritsuka vainly tried to use a fork with her forepaws, eventually giving up and just putting her muzzle into the bowl. As they finished eating, he looked back at the fox, even as the other pokemon began to wander back into the dusk light or began bedding down for the night. “Well? What’d you think?”

“It’s well made for home cooking, but has nothing on some of the better restaurants I’ve had the pleasure of dining at. Good quality for a hobbyist, but it has absolutely nothing on that of a proper chef.” The Vulpix replied after a few moments of consideration, raising her paw towards Shirou, “Can’t tell you how to improve though. I’m a fan of good food, but it isn’t something I know  how to make particularly well.”

Shirou nodded, pulling out his notepad. “Thank you. I think part of it is the variation in ingredients and the lack of specialized gear and seasonings. Restaurants can adjust…” His words trailed off as Ursaluna shot upright from her dozy slump near the rest of her den, yellow eyes shooting towards the entrance. Shirou could feel the confusion of the mother bear quickly shifting to horror and RAGE as she began to growl, surging to her feet and ripping out through the passage. “...Ritsuka, get in the air.” Shirou said, springing to his feet and dashing in pursuit.

“Wonderful. Someone’s been an idiot again. Or one of the cubs decided to be an idiot. One of the two.” The fox grumbled, leaping from her stump onto Shirou’s shoulders as Ritsuka vacated the spot and sprung into flight, “I’ll help you out. I know these ‘mons well, and the trainers that frequent this area know not to piss this den off.”

Shirou exited the cave, following the roars as Ursaluna crashed into the shadowed light of the twilight mire. He flared his aura sight, following her tracks. “I think I saw some of her cubs leaving for a few minutes. Why would they–”

“What do bears do in the woods, kid?” Vulpix mewled into his ear, sounding rather snarky for the first time tonight.

“Right.” Shirou leapt over a fallen tree trunk, wincing as he found Ursaluna trying to tear her way through a tangle of fallen trees and brambles. “Hey, is there a way around?” He asked his new rider, straining his sight to spot three human auras running deeper into the woods.

“No, but I can provide a path.” The fox replied immediately, breathing deeply as she screwed her eyes shut, “Shield yourself as best you can. This will be cold, and if you are the kind of person I believe you are, you’ll accept this to go faster.” With that said, she exhaled, a thin, concentrated beam of ice carving a path through the brambles as they rapidly froze then shattered. Looking rather smug with herself, the Alolan Vulpix breathed deeply and spoke once more, “Go. The humans are running, and by doing so are simply making things worse.” She advised even as Ursaluna began to pull herself free of the branches and towards the new path.

“Going.” Shirou responded, showing absolutely no indication that the chilling cold right near his face and neck had bothered him as he beat feet down the new path. “Ritsuka will probably intercept them before they make it much further, but we need to get to them before mama bear does.” He agreed, speeding up as his aura flared. Pounding through the woods, he frowned. “This doesn’t seem like a targeted capture, though.” He hazarded between hard breaths, spotting Ritsuka diving down on the three humans.

“Unlikely.” The vulpix agreed, ducking under a bramble as Shirou passed through it, “It is also entirely possible the cub chose to be caught. Clan Lands are sacred, and poachers well know the consequences of poaching here, unprotected by the more ‘civilized’ laws of man.” The Vulpix tensed, ears snapping towards the Ursaluna as her head did so as well, “I would advise hurrying and preparing your other Pokemon. You may be required to assist me as I pacify this mother.”

“What do you think I’m doing?” Shirou hissed as he leapt over one last fallen log as he cleared the patch of brambles. As the iced-over thorny ground gave way to the moss-ridden mud of the mirelands, he continued. “And the rest of my team is back with the food and eating. I’ll handle this myself.” He growled, landing and summoning a naginata as he approached the trio of trainers.

“... Why are you pointing your weapon at them, child.” The Vulpix sighed, exasperated. Though she opted not to intercede.

“Gotta get them to stand down somehow, this tends to shake people. Now, shush.” Shioru muttered as the first man turned.

The trainers, one of which looked back in alarm, balked as he saw the long-bladed spear point at him. “Oh shit! Guys!”

“Stand down, and release your most recent capture.” Shirou barked. “If it was allowed, his mother will want to see him one last time. If not…” He trailed off, Ursaluna’s roars drawing closer.

“... Well, shit.” One of the three groaned, looking accusingly towards his fellow trainer, “Sora, you idiot, did you seriously forget to explain to the den-mother that you and that cub had an agreement?”

“I could have sworn the cub said he had taken care of it.” The brown haired boy in the group scratched his head, immediately palming a ball and releasing a bulky little cub, who spun around and faced their new trainer, tilting their head to the side. “Hey, Pooh, you did tell your mom you were leaving, right?”

“... I distinctly recall telling mother last night that I was planning on leaving, yes.” The bear cub stated, nodding firmly towards his trainer so they could fully understand, only to pale moments later as another enraged roar reached him. “... My mother definitely didn’t process it though. Arceus dammit. RUN.”

“That won’t work.” Shirou groaned, spinning around. “Hold up, let me–”

“Ah. No.” The Vulpix stated, slamming her paw against Shirou’s shoulder and sending him tumbling to the ground as she leapt off, his reflexes barely saving him from planting his face into a bunch of mud, “This fight is beyond you. While it is admirable that you would attempt to reason with an infuriated mother, what she needs is to cool off.”

Ritsuka flapped over, snagging her trainer and with a few heavy wingbeats hoisted him into the air, dropping him over a tree branch as the three trainers edged back. “Let’s let the trusted friend and the family member hash this out, hmm?” She purred, eyes fixated on the small fox. “While I think Illya could put you back together, she’d probably tear strips off you if you needed that sort of treatment.”

“...right.” Shirou groaned as his brain caught up with the situation fully. “Yeah, okay.”

--(0)--

Breathing deeply, Vulpix let the sounds of Shirou’s conversation with his starter fade from her mind, the small Pokemon turning to full face the Ursaluna standing before her. Standing authoritatively in front of the trainers who, quite intelligently, had ceased all attempts to flee, she continued her assessment. Pooh was, intelligently (for once, that damned cub really needed to get that chip off his shoulder) standing idle, making it clear with his body language that everything about him being with the human was a willing exchange. Now, the matter became breaking through the haze of rage that the Pokemon standing before her had given herself into willingly.

Likely trauma, if Vulpix had to guess. Most Pokemon tended to not assume the worst of humans right off the bat, and clan-lands Pokemon tended to assume the best of humans more often than not. Not that, of course, any of that particularly mattered to Vulpix. Especially not when the only thing stopping Ursaluna from charging her was a merited weariness of the obstacle in her path. Not enough to break through the rage, of course, and she’d charge here in moments if Vulpix didn’t do anything, but, well, it gave her a second to think and organize her raging thoughts.

Speaking of doing something though. Vulpix cried in challenge, wordless largely due to a mild sense of embarrassment that her usual manner of speech might… come across as a bit childish to the child she was quickly becoming fond of (damn him for reminding her of Akamu before he’d lost his spark). Hell, she’d even been speaking formally because that was her damned coping mechanism when confronted with situations she wasn’t familiar with.

Curse her den-mother for that. Damned Vixen had infected her with her mannerisms before she’d finally gotten tired of their attitude towards the world and left.

Snapping back to reality and out of the sea of regrets and fond memories that she often sunk herself into, Vulpix took a deep breath and charged, the familiar embrace of Quick Attack surrounding her just as Ursaluna issued her own enraged roar. Colliding shoulder first with the far larger Pokemon only mere moments before the enraged mother attempted her own charge, Vulpix pivoted quickly, paws finding purchase against the muddy ground with an old technique she had learned from her former trainer, flecks of frozen mud clinging to her formerly pristine fur as she leapt backwards into the air.

It was an old trick. Exchange the momentum of a charge to send yourself flying into the sky, giving you a chance for a potentially free attack against an unprepared or unaware opponent. Something that Ursaluna would normally not be, but she was currently experiencing the wonderfully inhibiting emotion known as rage. Specifically hot rage, one that took control of your thought processes and clouded your mind. Not the more useful directed rage, where you used those emotions towards a more singular purpose, sharpening your mind to a knife’s edge. In any case (She really really needed to stop having internal conversations with herself while she was in battles. It was probably not a good sign of her sanity, and even if it was it was hella distracting), Vulpix gathered the cold within herself, a globe of ice-white energy forming before her open maw. Not even a moment later, the energy lanced outwards, the Ice Beam slamming into the undefended back of her foe, drawing a screech of pain from the Pokemon as the impact area froze and mist began to gather around it.

She was rather proud of that trick. It wasn’t easy for an Ice Type to learn how to truly chill their attacks to the point that it burned. Vulpix landed on all fours, crouching but speaking for the first time. “Ready to have a chat yet?” As Ursaluna roared again, she prepared for another round. “Well, that answers my question…”

Ursaluna tensed, some of the rage draining from her eyes– not enough to stop her attack, but enough to make her dangerous again. With a roar, the mother bear smashed one paw into the earth, spires of stone piercing up through the ground as she blasted a Stone Edge at Vulpix. Wheeling rapidly on her paws, the fox sprung off the ground as a jagged stone erupted beneath her, launching into the air again to blast her friend slash acquaintance with more ice. Ursaluna responded with a series of fast swipes, one paw launching shards of rock into the air, the other attempting to bat aside the ice with a metal claw. Dividing her attention between attack and defense failed somewhat in both directions; some of the icy shards peppered her hide, and Vulpix easily maneuvered around the launched stones with a directed blast of icy wind.

However, as she came down, Ursaluna slammed her back paws into the ground, High Horsepower gathering in her lower limbs. As her opponent prepared to headlong charge, Vulpix blasted the ground before her with Freeze-Dry, turning the marshy earth into ice and slush. The bear’s rush turned into a graceless tumble, Vulpix ducking as her opponent barrelled overhead, landing closer to the panicking, awed humans and her missing child. With a growl, she sprung upright, focus entirely on Vulpix–

-only to be jarred out of her anger as a tiny brown paw uppercut her jaw. Teddiursa glared at his mother. “HEY! Mama, SHUT UP!”

“...cub?” Ursaluna rumbled, eyes losing their red sheen. “Are you alright–”

“No! I found my trainer, and we were going to leave, and now you ruined it!” He yelled, stomping. “Oh, don’t give into rage, dear, it’s not good for you– take your own advice!” He screeched, jabbing one blunt claw into his mom’s face.

“...oh. Oh dear.” Ursaluna rocked back. “You never said anything.”

“Because I knew this would happen!” Teddiursa huffed.

“...that’s fair.” Ursaluna said, bowing her head. “You are right. I was unclear about my expectations, I think.” She winced, looking at Vulpix. “...did you know about this?”

“No.” The fox shook her head, blinking slowly at the rather fast resolution to the problem. ‘And things were just getting good,’ She mused mournfully to herself as she turned to face the Teddiursa, “I thought you told her?”

“I told the den-mother. Not mamma. Didn’t lie.” The child huffed, the very image of technically correct.

“... I suppose not.” Vulpix acceded, hiding her amusement. Technically correct was some of the best kind of correct, after all, and the cub did deserve to stretch his wings should he wish.

“Cub–”

“Pooh.”

“...really?” At the smaller bear’s nod, Ursaluna chuffed. “Pooh it is, then. I should have been clearer– you did not need to beat me for me to let you go. Just show willingness to try.”

“Really?! Should’ve been more clear indeed.” Pooh groused, looking more than a little annoyed by the revelation. “That’s so dumb.”

“Your siblings, most of them are strong enough to make it in the world. But without will, you could become dependent or even subservient to your trainer.” Ursaluna huffed. “Not right for one of our lineage. If you have the will to stand up to me, you’ll never become a pet for humans. And that’s all I want. If your trainer sees you as a partner, a friend… I have no right to stand in the way of that.” She sighed. “We should have talked about that, as a family, moons ago. I’m sorry.”

“Yeah, we should have.” Pooh nodded, something akin to anger briefly flickering onto his face as he turned around. “Well, we’re leaving.”

“No.” As Pooh whipped back around and glared, Ursaluna elaborated. “You’re not wandering off through the marsh, at night, after slipping away from the den saying you were going to the bathroom. You are bringing your trainer home for the night, and we will send them off properly tomorrow.” She growled, firmly putting her metaphorical foot down.

Meanwhile, Shirou slid down the tree, walking over to the bear as he sensed the potential resumption of hostilities between the mother and cub. “Ah, should I translate?”

“Yes.” Vulpix rolled her eyes, “You absolute monkey, you should translate.” Pausing, she blinked, blanched, and looked away. It wouldn’t do for a potential future trainer to see her being embarrassed about this, “... You heard nothing.”

Shirou, well used to Illya’s own slightly tsundre tendencies, did not react, knowing that reacting was probably the worst thing he could do. “Ah, Ursaluna has calmed down and has accepted your partnership, Sora. She has also offered her den to you all for the evening, so you don’t have to stumble through the mirelands at night.” He relayed. Glancing to one side, he waved off the Gastly peeking out from behind a tree. “Unless you’d like to play with the ghost-types until dawn?”

“No… I don’t think so.” One of the boys muttered. “And you promise she won’t eat us?”

“I swear upon my sister’s title no harm will come to you.” Ursaluna rumbled.

“Sister?” Shirou asked.

“Lady Ursaluna.” Vulpix explained with an amused bark, “one of the ‘Lords’, though not one of the ones that is traditionally challenged in a battle. Your sister will likely not be ready for her challenge quite yet, so I would recommend returning later.”

“I think Illya wanted to go after her next, but we’ll probably visit the Diamond Clan village first.” Shirou told the fox. To the humans, he relayed “She’s sworn on one of the lords of Sinnoh not to harm you.”

“Alright. Not like I wanted to wander in the dark.” Sora said, looking fondly towards his new Pokemon before he turned his attention back to Shirou. “And it’d be nice to meet Pooh’s family.”

As the group started to walk back to the den, Shioru glanced at the ice fox at his side. “Thank you for stepping in. I think I’d have survived her rage, but I wouldn’t be in a good way.”

“Of course.” The Vulpix replied curtly, a wan smile making it’s way to her face, “It was the right thing to do, and I’ve never been the type to turn down a fight.”

“Don’t all pokemon?” Shioru asked rhetorically.

“She likes it more than I would. You have some serious skills, ma’am. Might want to ask you for tricks before we leave; I’ll need them to keep Shirou safe.” Ritsuka purred from the other side of her trainer.

“Does this happen often?” Vulpix asked, perking up at the very mention of ‘interesting times’.

“Well, there was the time we got challenged by a patsy of the Heroine of Hisui, the duel with a pair of trainer scam artists, the investigation which led to a duel with a group of criminals, and the Spiritomb monstrosity. Am I forgetting anything?” Ritsuka rolled out her sarcasm. “At least this time, we left the literal mamma bear to someone else to handle.”

Vulpix gave a slow blink, processing the information as she trodded back towards the den by the pair’s side. “I knew you were a trouble seeker, but this sounds ridiculous.” She snorted, mist forming in front of her muzzle. “Alright, you’re going to the Diamond Camp, and then to the two trials, right? I’m coming with you.”

“Really?” Shirou looked down at her, a light frown dusting his face. “I don’t need another minder.”

“Not my intent. I need to see this for myself.” Vulpix chuckled, “The more opportunities for fights I have, the happier I will be. Chosen ones tend to be rather good for that, and from what I can tell you are one of the ‘chosen ones’.”

“Dammit, I thought it’d be your cooking that’d attract the next one.” Ritsuka grumbled as Shirou began to protest.