[Bagon choosing to follow you was a simple decision—it saw you defeat a Salance and figured sticking with you was the best path forward.]
[Since your original goal for this trip was to capture a Pokémon that could beco a future powerhouse, you naturally accepted Bagon, whose final evolution is Salance, without hesitation.]
"Pop—"
With a light tap of its small claws on the Poké Ball, a flash of red light engulfed Bagon, drawing it inside.
The ball wobbled slightly before coming to a complete stop, signifying that Bagon had officially been captured.
"Let's go, Milotic."
After picking up the Poké Ball and securing it, Elias waved at Milotic, who seed lost in thought beside him.
"Miu~"
Milotic responded obediently and slithered after him.
As they left, she couldn't resist glancing at the Poké Ball fastened to Elias's waist.
With Bagon's rough and scruffy appearance... it hardly qualifies as competition for the 'mom' position.
Thinking this, Milotic felt much more at ease.
---
[Back ho, you didn't ntion capturing Bagon to Tias.]
[After reading Latios' letter and speaking with him a few tis over the phone, the frawork of a plan had begun forming in your mind.]
[Since the plan was still in its early stages, Latios remained silent for a long while after hearing your thoughts before finally requesting that you keep it from Latias for the ti being.]
[Fortunately, Tias didn't press for details.]
[Instead, when you gifted her the newly acquired Shell Bell, she was absolutely delighted.]
"Jingle jingle~"
A crisp, soothing chi rang from the shell, carrying a natural healing quality that unconsciously eased the listener's mood.
"So pretty!"
Tias' eyes lit up as she let out a lodious exclamation of admiration.
Elias watched his mother's adorable reaction with a quiet smile.
Just then, as if suddenly struck by an idea, Tias brought the shell close to Elias.
"Elias, do you have another one of these bells? Can you buy another for ?"
Latias' voice was soft and coaxing.
"Another one?"
Elias had a vague idea of what she was planning but wasn't entirely sure yet.
His suspicions were confird when Tias nodded, her vibrant red hair swaying slightly, eyes shining with excitent.
"Yes! That way, we'll both have one."
"The TV said that close people should use matching things—so in the future, whenever I hear the bell, I'll know it's you!"
One had to admit, Latias' little head was always filled with strange yet oddly romantic ideas.
With no reason to refuse, Elias could only agree helplessly, deciding to keep an eye out for another Shell Bell in the coming days.
---
[Last year was eventful, to say the least, but after overcoming everything, you finally reached your tenth birthday.]
[Unlike previous years, this ti, Latios had also made the journey from his secluded island to celebrate with you.]
[There was no doubt—ever since your last conversation, his attitude toward you had taken a sharp turn for the better. You had a vague sense that he now saw you as so kind of ally.]
[What hadn't changed was that, once again, Latias personally made a birthday cake for you this year.]
[However… this ti, you weren't the one to taste it first.]
Staring at the beautifully presented cake in front of him, Elias hesitated with his fork in hand.
Over the past year, he had seen firsthand the effort Latias had put into improving her cooking.
Her progress was obvious—at least now, her porridge was edible, and so of her baked goods had reached a passable standard.
But cakes…
Elias considered them her ultimate weakness.
"Elias, aren't you going to eat?"
"If you won't, then I will."
Latios, who had been floating nearby, spoke eagerly.
He had never once tasted a cake made by his little sister.
Now, seeing the well-decorated, fragrant dessert before him, he could barely contain his excitent and was just about ready to dig in.
"Of course, I'm eating."
Hearing Latios' impatience, Elias—knowing he had no escape—tremblingly reached out, bracing himself as if walking to his doom.
But just as his fork touched the frosting, Tias called out from the kitchen.
"Wait a second!"
Elias and Latios both turned toward her in confusion.
Clearing her throat, Tias carefully sliced a small piece of the cake and handed it to Latios.
"Brother, why don't you have the first bite and tell us how it tastes?" Latias said softly.
She was well aware of her own… unpredictable cooking skills.
Especially with cakes—she didn't even have the courage to taste them herself.
In truth, the cake she made today was more for decoration than actual consumption.
That said, Latias was still curious about whether her skills had improved.
Normally, Elias was the one stuck evaluating her progress, but with her older brother visiting, she naturally had a better option now…
After all, she didn't want to accidentally poison Elias.
However, Latios saw things differently.
At first, he was stunned by her words, but then, his heart clenched with emotion, and his eyes grew misty.
He had actually been worried that his little sister had forgotten about him now that she had a 'child' of her own—that she was starting to favor Elias over him.
But now, he took that back.
Despite it being Elias's birthday, Latias had saved the first bite of the cake she made for him. If this wasn't the bond of true siblings, then what was?
"If my little sister says so, then of course, I have no objections."
"Elias, you don't mind, do you?"
As he spoke, Latios' gaze sharpened ever so slightly—an unmistakable warning for his dear 'nephew' to be smart about this.
A stroke of luck?
The mont Tias spoke, Elias imdiately understood what his clueless mother was trying to do.
The sheer relief of his narrow escape made it difficult to hide the smile in his eyes.
Still, to avoid hurting Tias' feelings, he maintained a composed deanor, setting his fork down slowly with only the slightest hint of reluctance.
"Well, since Mom insists, I suppose Uncle should have the first bite."
Elias spoke with a tone of 'gracious generosity.'
Satisfied with his 'nephew's' obedience, Latios nodded approvingly.
Then, under the wide-eyed stares of Elias and Latias, he stuffed the entire piece of cake into his mouth in one go.
The soft, fluffy texture filled his mouth, and for a brief mont, he was ready to shower his sister with praise—
Until…
A tidal wave of saltiness, spiciness, bitterness, and an unidentifiable mix of conflicting flavors crashed over his taste buds, as if every possible seasoning had been tossed into a blender and churned into chaos.
His expression twisted.
No matter how much he wanted to spare his little sister's feelings, his body physically rejected the idea of forcing out a complint.
---
T/N: ...beterayed
\\THANK KKUNII FOR THE UPDATE
...
If you're reading this, then you've wandered all the way to the end. I'm impressed. Stories are like wine—ant to be savored, not rushed. So if you took your ti? Thank you.
Of course, the real thanks goes to WiseTL—the one who turned tangled words into sothing beautiful. I just got asked to wrap things up with a ribbon. Hopefully this counts!
If you enjoyed the journey and want to support the person who made it possible, you can find them here:
👉 [patreon/WiseTL]
Go on. Be generous. They've earned it.
Until next ti—read well, rest often, and maybe co visit at the Hostess of Fertility soti.
– Syr ✨
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