When the chief saw Cogita and Elias, he froze for a moment. Then, as if something had occurred to him, his expression darkened noticeably.
He turned swiftly back toward the direction of the Sneasler and asked in a low voice:
"You want them to exchange places?"
As he spoke, he pointed at Elias and the crying girl held in the Sneasler's arms.
The moment he finished speaking, and saw the Sneasler nod, the chief's face turned utterly grim.
Standing off to the side, Cogita also frowned deeply.
She shifted her body slightly to shield Elias, eyeing the tribal chief warily, visibly on guard.
If she remembered correctly, the girl that had been abducted was the chief's daughter.
In a tense moment like this, Cogita couldn't help but worry the man might actually consider trading Elias for her.
But unexpectedly, the chief reacted even more strongly than she did upon learning of the Sneasler's demand.
"Not a chance."
The chief stared down the Sneasler, teeth clenched.
No matter what, he could never agree to its demand.
It wasn't that he didn't want to save Irida quickly—
But if he carried out such a trade in front of all the clan's members...
Then his authority and credibility would be utterly shattered. Before long, someone was bound to rise up in outrage.
And if that happened, the entire clan could descend into chaos.
So, under no circumstances could he give in.
Moreover... he simply couldn't bring himself to commit something so disgraceful—using another child to exchange for his own daughter.
Meanwhile, the Sneasler's eyes narrowed slightly upon hearing the chief's rejection, a clear look of displeasure on its face.
It cast a glance at the whimpering Irida in its arms, a flicker of disdain flashing in its eyes.
If she hadn't been the weakest, it wouldn't have bothered with such a troublesome human.
Compared to her...
The little boy in the distance was far more intriguing.
Unfortunately, the clan's chief had the willpower to resist temptation.
So much for a clever scheme.
"Sneasle～"
Licking its lips, the Sneasler gave Irida one last look before lightly hooking its claw into her clothes.
Then, with a flick of its wrist, it flung her out into the distance.
Irida, light and delicate as she was, went flying through the air.
Rather than flee immediately, the Sneasler watched the Pearl Clan's reaction with smug satisfaction.
Its goal this time wasn't capture or ransom—it was revenge on these humans.
Since it couldn't claim the boy, Irida was no more than a tool to aid its escape.
Sure enough, just as it predicted—
The entire Pearl Clan erupted into chaos, rushing in a frenzy toward the spot where Irida was falling.
Among them, the chief's face had gone completely ashen.
His lips trembled from sheer rage.
This Sneasler wasn't just cunning—it was vengeful to the bone. If they let it go now, the Pearl Clan would surely suffer even more in the future.
But at this moment...
He had no choice but to give up the chance to capture it and focus on saving Irida.
"Damn it."
He cursed under his breath and sprinted with all his strength toward his daughter's rapidly descending form.
But despair welled up inside him—no matter how fast he ran, the distance between them remained cruelly wide.
Watching helplessly as the tiny figure plummeted straight down from high in the air, his eyes became bloodshot with panic.
Please, Sinnoh's Great Deity, have mercy...
He prayed frantically to the god his people revered.
Irida was his only daughter. If something happened to her, he couldn't even imagine the consequences.
Up in the sky, Irida clutched her flute tightly and had already squeezed her eyes shut, trembling.
Just moments ago, she'd been quietly practicing her flute as usual.
Then, that Sneasler had torn through the crowd like a streak of grey-black lightning and snatched her away before she could even react.
It had taken her to a terrifying cliffside.
That alone had nearly made her soul flee in fear—and now...
It had flung her into the air.
Seeing her father and clansmen still racing toward her from far away, tears welled up in Irida's clear blue eyes.
From this height, unless Sinnoh's deity truly intervened, her chances of survival were near zero.
"Uu..."
With a soft sob, she braced herself for the pain to come—
Only to feel a sudden warmth envelop her. The biting wind that had just been tearing at her face abruptly vanished.
She opened her eyes with a shiver, and though she still saw the same snow-covered landscape...
Something was different—she was no longer falling.
Instead, she was floating steadily in midair.
Irida's mind went completely blank.
Not until she noticed the arm wrapped firmly around her shoulders did she snap out of it with a jolt.
She turned her head and came face-to-face with a boy's face—young, and just as delicate-looking as her own.
There was no doubt.
He had saved her.
Irida realized this instantly, and relief flooded her heart like a tidal wave.
But with it came a new question.
After organizing her thoughts, she spoke up tentatively, like a kitten tiptoeing forward:
"Are... are you a Pokémon?"
Common sense told her no normal human could float in midair like this.
Let alone while carrying someone else who couldn't fly.
Hearing her clear, childlike voice, Elias—still dazed himself—began to regain awareness.
His rescue of Irida had been entirely instinctive.
At the moment she was about to hit the ground, a strange energy had surged from within him.
In the next instant, he'd teleported into the air—just like the Ralts he often played with—and caught her safely.
Can humans... awaken psychic powers too? Elias wondered.
Back on the frozen tundra, the Pearl Clan had come to a stunned halt.
Even the chief, along with every clansman, stared up at the boy in the sky, dumbfounded.
Human. Floating. Teleporting.
They recognized each word—but strung together like this, it became something entirely beyond comprehension.
"Sinnoh's Great Deity!"
A devout believer suddenly dropped to his knees and cried out.
The rest of the clan quickly followed suit, echoing his call in a panicked chorus.
In seconds, their voices thundered across the icy plain.
Nearby, Cogita finally snapped out of her daze.
Even she—who considered herself well-traveled and knowledgeable—had frozen in place earlier.
When Elias suddenly vanished from beside her and reappeared in midair...
She couldn't help but wonder if she'd picked up not a human child, but some mutated Abra or Ralts?
Otherwise, how could a human possibly use psychic powers?
Narrowing her eyes, Cogita's gaze glimmered with growing interest.
No matter what happened next—she had to keep Elias close. Tied to her side, if necessary.
While the Pearl Clanspeople were still awestruck and reverent, the Sneasler in the distance looked far less pleased.
Staring at the floating human, its eyes widened sharply.
It even rubbed them with its claw, just to be sure it wasn't seeing things.
But the truth was undeniable—and its fur bristled in alarm.
It had never seen such a bizarre human before.
A terrible premonition rose in its chest, and the Sneasler no longer had the mood to linger.
Claws digging into the cliff face, it began a rapid, agile ascent.
All it needed was to reach the top—once there, it would be safe.
These humans would never catch it.
And yet...
Just half a meter from the top, it suddenly felt a crushing weight drag it down.
For a Pokémon like it, with hypersensitive senses, even the slightest disturbance could be fatal.
This pressure shattered its balance completely.
"Sneasle!"
With a wail, the Sneasler lost its grip. Its sleek body plunged straight down the cliff.
Thud—
A dull thump rang out as it slammed into the snow-covered ground.
Though the snow cushioned the fall somewhat, the impact left it dizzy and battered.
Pain wracked its body, making it impossible to get up right away.
Before it could recover, a group of Pearl warriors came charging in with battle cries.
"Charge! The Great Deity of Sinnoh has already subdued the villain!"
"Revenge!"
"Get him!"
With a horrified expression, the Sneasler watched them descend in a wave, pummeling its already weakened body.
"Sneasle!"
Seeing the enemy finally defeated, the chief couldn't help but feel an overwhelming sense of vindication.
At the same time, Elias and Irida gently landed on the ground.
He rubbed his forehead, slightly dizzy from using psychic power for the first time.
The pressure from that telekinetic push had come from him.
Even though the force was weak—practically negligible—it had still drained him significantly.
Elias figured this kind of fatigue might lessen as he grew older.
"Irida!"
The chief rushed over the moment Elias touched down.
Once he confirmed his daughter was unharmed, he let out a deep breath.
Then he turned to Elias, eyes full of gratitude.
"Thank you. As Irida's father, I offer you my heartfelt thanks."
"If you ever need anything, don't hesitate to ask."
He emphasized the words as her father, not as the Pearl Clan's chief.
Elias nodded and accepted the thanks without protest.
Then he turned to Irida, still clutching his arm tightly.
"It's safe now. You can let go."
But to his surprise—
Irida didn't loosen her grip. If anything, she clung even tighter.
"B-but... the Sneasler is still there..."
At her age, she had no sense that her behavior might be inappropriate.
Elias: ...
Just then, Cogita walked over.
Once she confirmed Elias was unharmed, she turned toward the chief.
When she saw the intense look in his eyes, her heart gave a little lurch.
"Chief, can we resume our discussion about supply transport now?" she reminded him.
The chief blinked, then smacked his forehead.
"Ah! My memory..."
"What were we talking about again?"
"Oh right, you wanted something. Hah! For a second I thought you were here for the boy."
"Sorry, but this clan rejects any human migration."
After laughing twice, his face turned deadly serious.
Even if it cost him his pride—he was determined to keep Elias here.
Cogita: ?