Just as I thought.
Seeing Snover's expression, Qingliu felt even more certain.
A Pokémon that should have lived in the snowy northern mountains had appeared in the warm central region, without showing the slightest sign of being a wild Pokémon.
Even the gentlest Pokémon would unwittingly pick up a hint of wildness from living in the harsh conditions of the wilderness.
Having wandered around the Solaceon Ruins for a week and encountered plenty of Pokémon, he was well qualified to judge that.
This Snover, on the other hand, was well developed and full of energy, without a single scar on its body. Clearly, it hadn't spent much time living in the wild.
That left only two possibilities.
One, it had gotten separated from its Trainer.
Two, its Trainer had abandoned it.
If it was the former, that was fine. But if it was the latter, wouldn't asking more questions be rubbing salt in its wounds?
Still, if it was the former, both it and its Trainer should have been desperate to find each other.
Hmm... Snover doesn't seem all that worried.
"If you don't want to talk about it, that's fine. Here, have some grilled fish."
Qingliu pulled a branch with a grilled fish skewered on it out of the ground and handed it to Snover.
"Sno?"
This time, Qingliu could more or less understand Snover without his Agumon translator.
"You did help Agumon and me, after all. It's not really my place to pry into your private affairs. I only asked because I was worried you'd gotten separated from your Trainer. If that was the case, I could help you."
Snover immediately lowered its head without saying anything.
As Qingliu watched its affinity jump from 20 to 40 and pondered what to do, he faintly heard someone calling out.
The voice seemed too far away and indistinct for him to make out the words.
Agumon, whose hearing and eyesight were sharper, swallowed a large mouthful of grilled fish without chewing, then said slowly, "Qingliu, someone's looking for Snover."
At Agumon's words, Snover abruptly lifted its head. After listening carefully, it stood up, looked around, and finally ran behind the rock beside Qingliu to hide.
Puzzled by this strange behavior, Qingliu asked, "Is the person calling for you your Trainer?"
Snover nodded, then shook its head.
What does that mean?
Yes, but not entirely?
Still, now that he could confirm the approaching person had some connection to Snover, he could ask about the situation.
The person calling in the distance seemed to have spotted Qingliu's campfire as well and hurried toward it.
"Agumon, go hide behind the rock for a bit too."
With food available, Agumon had no objections. Eating was eating, no matter where he did it. He quickly swallowed one grilled fish, picked up another, and went to join Snover.
Meanwhile, as the person drew closer, Qingliu got a clear look at her.
She was a girl with twin braids and a thin lock of hair hanging over her forehead, dressed in a school uniform.
She wore a white shirt with a bow at the chest and a pale yellow short skirt, with her jacket tied around her waist. Blue-and-white socks covered her smooth, slender lower legs, and she radiated youthful energy.
But why did she look a little familiar when he had clearly never met her before?
An anime character?
The girl jogged over to the campfire. Rather than asking anything, she lifted her nose, sniffed the air, and muttered to herself.
"I knew I had the right place. Snover's scent is here."
Then she began looking around on her own. Her gaze passed straight over Qingliu and landed on the rock beside him, and a smile instantly bloomed on her face.
"Snover, I found you."
She stepped forward, about to approach the rock, but Snover jumped out first.
Instead of throwing itself into her arms, however, it ran straight toward Qingliu and hid behind him.
This took the girl quite by surprise.
"Snover, it's me, your Trainer."
Snover gave no response. In fact, it looked as though it wanted nothing to do with her, staying tucked behind Qingliu and refusing to come out.
The girl's slender eyebrows drew together. Then, as though something had occurred to her, she smiled, pressed her palms together, and said softly, "Snover, I promise I won't go bothering other people this time, and I won't accidentally forget about you either. Please forgive me?"
No matter what she said, Snover showed no intention of coming out. It simply stood stiffly behind Qingliu, neither making a sound nor answering her.
The girl was at a loss.
Glancing at the girl and Pokémon locked in their stalemate, Qingliu, who had been ignored all this time, spoke up. "You're Snover's Trainer, right?"
Only then did the girl seem to notice that someone else was there. She realized how rude it had been to ignore him, especially when he appeared to have been looking after Snover.
She bowed slightly in apology, then straightened her back and said in a strong, clear voice, "Yes. My name is Candice, and I'm Snover's Trainer. We're traveling with the goal of becoming the Gym Leader of Snowpoint Gym in Snowpoint City."
Hearing her introduction, Qingliu finally remembered who the girl before him was.
Candice, the future Gym Leader of Snowpoint Gym in Snowpoint City, in the far north of the Sinnoh Region. She was also an older schoolmate of Zoey, Dawn's rival in the Sinnoh Region's Pokémon Contests.
In his memory, however, she was a Gym Leader with a commanding, big-sister air. Right now, she was still a little girl, looking no older than ten or so.
Does that mean this is a few years before Ash arrives in the Sinnoh Region?
That's good. There's still plenty of time.
Then Qingliu glanced back over his shoulder. So... is this Snover her future ace Pokémon, Abomasnow?
He hadn't expected that fearsome-looking Abomasnow, which would later defeat three of Ash's Pokémon single-handedly, to have been on such poor terms with its Trainer when it was young.
Qingliu stood, held out his right hand, and said, "Hello. My name is Qingliu. Unemployed drifter."
"..."
Several question marks seemed to pop up over Candice's head, but she quickly recovered and shook Qingliu's hand warmly.
"Hello. Thank you so much for looking after Snover for a while. We haven't been getting along very well lately, but don't worry, we won't trouble you. If it's eaten any of your food or anything, I'll pay you the full price."
As she spoke, Candice took a Poké Ball out of her pocket.
Qingliu shook his head, stopping her.
"If there's still resentment between you, putting it back in its Poké Ball won't help. The problem won't disappear. It'll only get worse in silence."
"But..."
Candice hesitated, but she lowered her hand anyway.
"If you don't mind, why don't you tell me roughly what happened? I can give you an objective opinion to consider," Qingliu said.
"I don't mind, but Snover..."
Candice pointed at Snover, which was hiding behind Qingliu and refusing all attempts at communication.
Clearly, even if she was willing, there was nothing she could do if Snover refused to cooperate.
"Let me try."
Qingliu turned around, crouched beside Snover, and whispered a couple of sentences to it. Snover lifted its head and looked Candice over.
Then, under Candice's astonished gaze, it slowly emerged from behind Qingliu and sat down on the grass beside him.
Candice: "???"
Before you continue