Phantoms Within The Snow [ON HOLD]

Prologue

~Flashback Memory~

"Okay, I've quelled the final noble, now all I gotta do is complete a large amount of the professor's research tasks and proceed on to the next rank..." I say to myself as I looked at the pokédex in my hands, that I was given since my first day of being in the Survey Corps.

Sighing a little before closing and putting the pokédex away with my things, I got up and proceeded on my way, looking for a Chimecho to catch.

As I walked, I eventually spotted one and immediately crouched down into hiding, blending myself in, not wanting to scare it off or getting attacked by it.

Staring at it intently, I pulled out a pokéball and had it at the ready before throwing it, aiming for a back strike.

When the pokéball hitted it, the Chimecho escaped unfortunately and suddenly turned around before spotting me, both of its eyes glowing red.

"Shit! It's an alpha!" I could only say before dodging as it attempted to attack me.

Seeing that I already used up my last pokéball and had completely forgotten to heal my pokémon up from earlier before, I immediately made a run for it, not wanting to end up blacking out.

As I kept running for my life, I suddenly tripped over a thick tree branch and screamed in fear as I fell from the cliff and into an unfamiliar part of Alabaster Icelands, unaware that I sprained my ankle as I passed out from the collusion of the ground.

- - -

By the time I gained consciousness a few minutes later, I couldn't remember what happened until I felt a shot of pain shoot through me from my ankle when I tried to get up.

"OW! That hurt!" I screeched in pain.

After waiting it out for a bit, I carefully moved myself in a position where I can sit up properly and rest my back against the snowy cliff that I fell from earlier.

Sighing, I looked around, wondering how am I gonna get my ankle treated for the time being so I can get back to the others and have it fully taken care of from there with the Medical Corps.

For a bit, I just stared at my ankle until I suddenly noticed an unrecognizable pokémon coming out of the woods in front of me, when I looked up.

It definitely didn't look like it could be another regional Growlithe or a Vulpix, but, I felt like I've seen this pokémon species before.

Just a bit...Different.

Judging by how it's acting when it spotted me next, it didn't seem hostile and definitely isn't an alpha.

"Hey there, little one...What are you doing here? And where's your parents?" I went as I smiled, finding how adorable it is, once it approached me.

In response, the pokémon made its cry, making me smile even more over the cuteness.

"It feels so soft and fluffy..." I thought after petting it gently when it was close enough within my reach.

Then the pokémon suddenly perked its head up and ran off somewhere, after it watched me try to stand up and wince in pain from my sprained ankle.

"Huh? Where are you going?" I went, confused, as I watched the pokémon leave.

Once it left, I could only sit myself back down carefully and watch for it, wondering if it'll come back or not.

By the time it did, I felt fear increase in me again, seeing that it brought back a pokémon I didn't recognize either.

From the looks of the other pokémon, it looked like it might be the evolved version of the little one, despite it having the same fluffy red and white fur, only it had a messy-like hairstyle.

Kinda puts me on the mindset of a man or a woman with really long red and white hair, who fixed it up in a messy bun, while the remaining hair in front of their face was swept over, hiding one of their eyes.

As the small pokémon said something to the larger one, it came over to me and nudged my back a little, wanting me to try to stand up again and show the larger one what happened to my ankle.

Without hesitation and still feeling nervous about the other one, I tried to get up before wincing over the pain.

"I'm sorry, little one...I can't get up again after doing it 3 times already." I say as I looked at it, while giving it a pained smile and gently sitting myself back down.

"If I do it anymore than that, it could cause problems with my injury."

Surprisingly, I managed to say that without showing fear in the tone of my voice.

When I sat back down, the larger pokémon made a sound at the little one before nodding its head at it and walking over to me.

I could only stare as I looked at it by the eyes, seeing they were red and yellow, which made me feel intimidated by them and the pokémon itself.

"Wait...I recognize those facial features." I began as I got the chance to get a really good look at the larger and smaller pokémon's faces.

"Are you both....a Zorua and a Zoroark?"

In response, the larger one grunted and nodded its head, while the little one did the same as well, but without the grunting.

"I see...But, you both look really different. You must be a Hisuian variant, huh?" I continued, as I looked at Zorua and Zoroark.

Getting a nod in response, I gave them a understanding gesture before not saying anything afterwards, since I've talked enough for now.

Looking at me, the Zoroark suddenly left and came back with the exact same herbs that treats sprained ankles in a jiffy.

Then it started treating my ankle.

"Oh! Um...Thank you..." I said, not expecting the hisuian Zoroark's behavior and actions to be more humanly like than pokémon.

After my ankle was treated, I stood up carefully, surprised that the pain was completely gone.

"How in the - ?" I could only utter out.

"You are not the only one who fell here before..." The zoroark wrote down in the snow with its claw-like finger, the writing obviously in Unown.

Good thing I can read Unown writing too, huh?

"Humans like you taught me this, without even knowing that I was there. But, I will ask you to leave, however..."

"Why?" I asked, confused.

"You fell in our territory. Other Zoruas and Zoroarks do not accept humans or pokémon outsiders, except our own kind. If they get wind of what's happened here, it could cause problems.

They could come here, find you, and kill you. Same thing for me and Zorua as well since they do not accept us helping humans. We would be considered traitors too.

Leave while you can, since your injury's treated for now."

"Okay. Thank you, again." I replied after I was given some of the herbs, in case I sprain my ankle again in the near future, while Zoroark covered up and gotten rid of the message it wrote down for me to read.

Nodding in response, I putted the herbs away with my things and climbed back up the cliff as both Zorua and Zoroark took their leave while I reached to the top of the cliff and left.

When I got back to the base camp, I explained what happened to my ankle, without mentioning the hisuian Zorua and Zoroark were the ones who helped me.

The only thing I said with the explanation on what happened was that I discovered a new pokémon during the accident.

At the same time, I was also unaware that I'd be reunited with Zorua and Zoroark again later on and this is where it'll all began...