Pryce had been in a terrible mood lately, all because of a recent attempt to capture Ho-Oh.
In truth, this wasn't his first ti attempting such a feat.
He had successfully captured Ho-Oh before. Though it eventually managed to escape, he was already well-versed in the process.
As long as he could locate Ho-Oh, Pryce was confident in his ability to subdue it.
This ti should have been no different. With Lugia already forcibly under his control, Ho-Oh shouldn't have been able to put up much of a fight.
But... an unexpected twist occurred.
Just as the battle reached its climax, a psychic suddenly intervened.
Not only did this person use underhanded ans to send him plumting from the sky, but they also looted all the feathers he had painstakingly plucked from Ho-Oh.
Pryce didn't care much about the feathers themselves. What he couldn't accept was letting Ho-Oh escape when it was already on the verge of collapse—this was crucial to his plan for capturing Celebi.
Unfortunately… at that mont, both of his main Pokémon had been severely injured from the fall and were in no condition to fight.
Even Lugia, after failing in its sneak attack, was unable to prevent the opponent from escaping.
This was an unprecedented humiliation for Pryce.
Fortunately, thanks to the powerful intelligence network of the Masked Army, he eventually identified the culprit.
Using a little trickery, he successfully lured away that person's Shiny Gardevoir.
"See anything you like?"
Watching as Gardevoir wandered back and forth between the ice sculptures, frowning in contemplation, Pryce asked with a genial smile.
To outsiders, he looked just like a warm-hearted elderly man.
Yet deep within his slightly narrowed eyes burned a fire of unbridled rage.
If not for the fact that they were in a bustling marketplace, he would have already made his move. He could not tolerate anything—or anyone—interfering with his chances of capturing Celebi.
Hearing his question, Gardevoir furrowed her brows even deeper.
She could sense it—the thing that was calling to her was sowhere nearby.
But… after circling around all the ice sculptures, she still couldn't find it, making her wonder if it was just her imagination.
"Grandpa, do you have any other ice sculptures?" she finally asked, unable to suppress her curiosity.
A glint of sharpness flickered across Pryce's eyes, though he quickly masked it with an expression of hesitation.
"I do… but that particular set can only be sold as a pair."
"Can I see them?" Gardevoir's eyes lit up at the ntion of another option.
Her instincts told her—this was what she was looking for.
Seeing the bait taken, Pryce's lips curled ever so slightly in satisfaction. Without hesitation, he retrieved a box from behind the counter.
As he opened it, the cold air that escaped was almost tangible.
Inside were two identical ice crystal bracelets, their patterns slightly different, yet both exuding an unmistakable chill.
"These are the treasures of my shop," Pryce explained, his voice carrying a hint of reverence. "They are said to be crafted from parts of Regice's body, which is why they never lt, even in the heat of sumr."
"But… there is one condition—they must be purchased together."
Even as he spoke, a fleeting look of reluctance flashed in his eyes.
He wasn't lying. These bracelets, though altered by his own hands, were indeed made from Regice's body—one of the rare treasures he had obtained in his younger years.
A significant part of his success in ice-type mastery could be attributed to these bracelets.
Now, in order to eliminate that investigator nad Elias, he was willing to make a huge sacrifice.
But Gardevoir barely registered his words.
She was already certain—this was it.
"I'll take them! How much?"
Without hesitation, she slapped the bank card Elias had given her onto the counter, radiating confidence.
Seeing this, Pryce's smile deepened. Even smoother than expected.
Once the paynt was settled, however, Gardevoir did not imdiately take the bracelets and leave. Instead, she pushed them back toward Pryce.
"Grandpa, can you modify the design on them?" she requested.
Pryce was montarily puzzled but nodded nonetheless.
After all, changing a pattern was no trouble for him.
...
A short while later, Gardevoir left the shop, a satisfied smile on her face and an extra spring in her step.
anwhile, Pryce sat alone in his chair, his expression darkening.
As the air around him grew increasingly frigid, reaching its breaking point—
BOOM—
The ice sculptures in the shop shattered all at once.
Just now, with his own hands, he had unknowingly engraved soone else's nas onto his prized bracelets, turning them into a matching set for lovers.
"Even his own Pokémon isn't spared… utterly disgusting." Pryce spat out a curse.
On the other side, Gardevoir had already returned to Elias's side.
"Where did you go?"
Noticing her return, Elias raised an eyebrow in curiosity.
Hearing this, Gardevoir's expression turned even more smug. Like a child eager to show off, she pulled her hands from behind her back.
Resting in her soft palms were two ice-cold bracelets, emitting a faint, crackling chill.
"I went to buy these!"
She was certain that Elias, with his keen eye, would recognize their significance.
Sure enough, Elias, who had initially assud Gardevoir had bought another normal trinket, widened his eyes in surprise upon closer inspection.
"This is… Ho-Oh?"
He imdiately recognized the lingering presence.
Unlike Gardevoir, he had spent the past few days constantly handling Ho-Oh's feathers.
"A gift, just for you~"
Gardevoir bead as she fastened the bracelet engraved with the letter "G" onto Elias's wrist.
She had altered the original designs—now, one bracelet bore the letter "G", and the other "E".
Along the edges, each also featured a tiny heart, making it unmistakably a couple's set.
Elias was taken aback by the unexpected nature of the gift. After all, very few things had any connection to Ho-Oh.
Seeing the eager anticipation in Gardevoir's eyes, he smiled and said warmly, "It's beautiful. I really like it."
As he spoke, he gently ran his fingers over the engraved "G".
---
[That night, you and Gardevoir sat atop a hill, watching the fireworks together before returning to the inn.]
[Perhaps because the day to capture Celebi was drawing near, you no longer felt the usual tension. That night, you slept exceptionally well.]
[The next morning, you and your entire group—including Blue and Silver—set off for Azalea Town.]
[Having visited before, the town didn't seem particularly novel to you, but the others were captivated by its serene, nature-filled charm.]
[You couldn't help but think—if possible, spending a lifeti here with Gardevoir wouldn't be so bad.]
[That is… as long as you could heal her first.]
---
T/N: ITS SO OVERRRRRRR
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