Chapter Thirty: A Minimum of Three Years

Zoroark lifted its head and glanced at Heath. Its eyes were like a tranquil pool, then Zoroark twisted its own paw.
“Hmph, human, although I’m not particularly eager to journey with you, considering you saved me today, I’ll reluctantly agree to it.” Zoroark raised its head and extended its right forepaw.
Heath was taken aback. What did Zoroark mean by this? Was it inviting him to touch its paw?
Thinking so, Heath reached out and grasped Zoroark’s paw, but before he could say anything, Zoroark indignantly flipped its paw over and rested it on Heath’s hand.
“Hmph, this is the proof of our pact, a bond never to be broken. From now on, you are my companion.” Suddenly, Zoroark’s demeanor grew serious. Heath stared at it in confusion, only grasping the meaning a moment later.
“That line… Have you read ‘Arceus: The Genesis Chronicles’?” Heath looked at Zoroark curiously, remembering that phrase from a rather dramatic novel.
The world of Pokémon was not without its writers and novels, though naturally, most were centered around Pokémon. The most popular of all was Arceus, often making appearances across various works.
Heath recalled that ‘Arceus: The Genesis Chronicles’ was somewhat unconventional. In the end, the protagonist ended up fencing with a male human form conjured by Arceus. It was only then that Heath realized the author specialized in BL fiction.
“What? How do you know that? You’ve read it too?” Zoroark looked at Heath in astonishment, disbelief written all over its small fox face.
Heath scratched his head. He honestly hadn’t expected this Zoroark to be into such things, but then a thought struck him: was this Zoroark male or female?
As Heath voiced the question, Zoroark swiped at his face. Luckily, it didn’t extend its claws, so Heath didn’t have to worry about getting scarred.
“Of course I’m female!” Zoroark snapped, embarrassed and angry. Heath gave an awkward smile—so she was a girl after all.
“By the way, Zoroark, about your illusion ability—can you transform into any creature at will?” Heath asked, knowing Zoroark, as the master of illusions, was quite powerful.

“No, I can’t. If I haven’t seen the creature, I can’t mimic it. The form would turn out very strange and likely fail,” Zoroark replied, lounging comfortably on Heath’s bed.
In that moment, Heath’s mind raced with possibilities—Hatsune Miku, the ever-changing waifus every three months, and so on. But gazing at Zoroark’s blue ears, a bold idea took root in his heart.
“Zoroark, could you become the little girl from before, but keep your ears and tail?” Heath rubbed his hands together in anticipation. He admitted it was a little perverse, but who could refuse a catgirl?
No, wait—foxgirl.
“Like this?” Zoroark’s form blurred for an instant, and suddenly a little girl with Zoroark’s ears and tail appeared on Heath’s bed. She curiously examined her hands, touched her ears, then looked at Heath.
Heath covered his face with both hands, rubbing up and down, and took a deep breath. At this moment, he felt Zoroark was truly a divine being; owning a Zoroark was like having everyone’s ideal type.
Staring at the impossibly cute Zoroark, Heath felt he had achieved his life’s dream. It was as if that childhood wish—pointing at his cat and demanding, “Transform for me!”—had come true at last.
“You humans are really strange. Isn’t it just a pair of ears and a tail?” Zoroark pouted, then adjusted her clothes, making Heath stare in fascination.
In that instant, Heath thought of another question: could Zoroark, in her human form, also simulate…
“Heath, I just heard Nurse Joy—” Just as Heath was about to say something, the door was pushed open and Officer Junsha Maple barged in.
Junsha Maple stared blankly at Heath and Zoroark, then silently closed the door. Heath’s brain short-circuited; after Junsha Maple closed the door, he immediately rushed out, calling after her as she was about to leave.
“Maple, you misunderstood!” Heath cried, knowing that scene must have looked like a pervert luring a little girl.
“So? What exactly did I misunderstand?” Junsha Maple eyed him strangely, and Heath could only explain Zoroark’s situation.

“There really is such a Pokémon… This is quite an extraordinary Pokémon,” Junsha Maple said after Heath finally finished his explanation and even had Zoroark demonstrate her transformation in front of her. Only then did Junsha Maple believe him.
Heath breathed a sigh of relief. At least Junsha Maple had put down her silver bracelet. Heath thought that if he ended up cuffed and jailed because of Zoroark, he’d be the first trainer to be sabotaged by his own Pokémon.
“Now that it’s your partner, you’d better treat her well,” Junsha Maple said, patting Heath’s shoulder approvingly. When she first saw the little girl in Heath’s room, she nearly pinned him to the ground.
Fortunately, Heath had clarified everything. Otherwise, Junsha Maple would have had to seriously consider how to deal with her little brother.
Watching Maple leave with a cheerful smile, Heath sighed in relief, then returned to his room with Zoroark.
“You humans are so strange. Was that female human your sister?” Zoroark asked, yawning as she sprawled on Heath’s bed.
Heath eyed Zoroark with curiosity. This little one seemed to have claimed his bed as her resting spot. Not that Heath minded.
It was just like keeping a cat—sometimes they’d jump onto their owner’s bed to sleep beside them. And though Zoroark was a fox, she had no musky scent; instead, there was a faint floral fragrance.
Thinking of this, Heath lay down on his bed as well, only to regret it immediately, for Zoroark’s form twisted beside him.
And then, a fox-eared little girl lay down next to Heath.