"Brother, are you okay…?"
Tias asked cautiously, watching Latios, whose face had turned deathly pale, his pupils slightly unfocused.
She really didn't seem to have any talent for cooking.
She had followed the recipe step by step, carefully asuring each ingredient to the exact proportions. And yet, the final product was worlds apart from what she had envisioned.
"I-I'm fine…"
Latios finally ca back to his senses, his voice weak as he grabbed the glass of water on the table and gulped down several mouthfuls.
The lingering horror on his face made it clear—Latias' cake had left him with a significant psychological scar.
At last, he understood just how much weight was behind his sister's past admission of being "not very good at cooking."
Seeing Latios in this state, Tias couldn't help feeling discouraged.
She had practiced diligently for a whole year, yet this was still the outco.
Maybe next ti, I should just buy Elias a cake for his birthday instead…
Just as this thought crossed her mind, she suddenly felt soone take her hand.
Turning around in surprise, she saw Elias cutting a piece of cake from the tray and putting it into his mouth.
The strange dley of flavors made Elias instinctively stick out his tongue.
But when he noticed Latias watching him, he quickly forced a smile and reassured her,
"It's a big improvent from two years ago."
"Between a store-bought cake and one made by Mom, I'd always rather eat the one you make."
Elias wasn't just trying to comfort her.
Even though Latias' cake was still terrible, at least it was now barely edible. Compared to two years ago—when she had mistaken salt for sugar and created an outright disaster—this was a massive leap forward.
His words had an imdiate effect.
Latias felt a warmth spread through her chest, as if sothing had gently nudged the softest part of her heart.
Her eyes glistened with tiny tears.
"…Mm. I'll make a delicious cake soday."
She promised him.
As she spoke, she reached out with her slender fingers, gently wiping away a bit of cream lingering on the corner of Elias's lips.
Then, she placed it into her own mouth, tasting the result of her efforts firsthand.
Off to the side, Latios—having just recovered from his ordeal—witnessed this scene.
A strange feeling swept over him.
Suddenly, he had the nagging sense that Elias, his supposed ally, was… not quite what he had imagined.
But what exactly was off? He couldn't put his finger on it.
That sa old question popped back into his mind—
Is this really my sister's "son"?!
---
[The simple birthday celebration soon ca to an end, filled with laughter and warmth.]
[By the ti dinner was over, night had fallen. The soft moonlight stread through the windows, casting a cool glow inside the house.]
[Latios hadn't planned to stay overnight in the human world, but just as he was about to leave, you called out to him first.]
[You had co up with a new angle on the plan the two of you had discussed over the phone before.]
Outside, away from Tias' earshot, Latios and Elias stood in an open clearing.
In the darkness, Latios' expression was complicated.
If Elias hadn't stopped him just now, he hadn't intended to bring up that plan again.
Because… it was simply too reckless. Too dangerous.
"Elias, if your only goal is to protect Latias, becoming a national officer or a League investigator would be a much safer route."
"With your talent, you could take down poachers and rise through the League ranks easily. There's no need to go through with that insane plan of yours."
Latios had already co to see Elias as family, and his words carried the weight of genuine concern.
"But what about after that?" Elias countered, unimpressed.
"The League's intelligence network can, at best, track down a few small-ti poaching ringleaders. But the real threats—the ones like Hunter J—remain completely out of reach."
"And the ones who pose the real danger to Tias… are precisely those top predators."
"If they aren't eradicated, there will always be soone targeting Latias."
Elias's voice grew agitated, and Latios fell silent.
He knew Elias was right.
As Latias' power grew, she would inevitably attract more and more poachers—many of whom were among the best in their trade.
After all, the allure of a Legendary Pokémon was impossible to resist.
And with the League's limited resources, they had no hope of tracking these criminals down, let alone wiping them out.
That would an Elias would have to stay by Latias' side at all tis to ensure her safety.
But… a thief can lay in wait for a thousand days, yet their target only needs to slip once.
If things continued this way, sooner or later, one of those poachers would succeed. That was exactly why Latios had sent that letter to Elias in the first place.
And Elias had found a solution.
It was just… far too extre.
"Becoming a poacher yourself… That's too dangerous."
Latios still couldn't bring himself to agree.
Indeed, Elias's plan was simple—
If the League couldn't locate these outlaws, then he would infiltrate the poaching world and destroy them from within.
It was a logical approach.
After all, criminals operated in the sa circles; they understood each other far better than outsiders did.
If soone like Hunter J were to organize an underground gathering, countless cri syndicate leaders would surface from the shadows to attend.
It was undeniably an efficient strategy.
But… it was unfair to Elias.
Latios couldn't bring himself to approve it.
Elias wasn't surprised by his refusal.
He knew exactly why Latios hesitated.
Which was why—
"Don't worry. I'll join the International Police first and go undercover from there."
"As long as I'm not treated as an actual criminal by the League, my safety won't be in serious jeopardy."
Elias laid out the explanation he had long prepared, his confidence lending a sense of conviction to his words.
Latios hesitated, staring at Elias in deep thought.
After a long silence, he let out a slow sigh.
For the first ti, he found himself uncertain about how to protect his little sister.
If this was the person staying by Latias' side…
Even if it ant losing his own place in her life, Latios thought, perhaps he could accept it.
---
[In the face of your persistence, Latios ultimately agreed to your proposal—but only under one condition: as your uncle, he demanded that you wait until after graduation to put the plan into action.]
[You had no objections. The extra ti would allow you to focus on training Bagon's strength.]
[However, what you didn't tell him was that eliminating the poaching networks wasn't your only plan.]
[There was another idea taking shape in your mind—one you weren't entirely sure about yet.]
[And until you could make a firm decision, you chose to keep it to yourself, avoiding unnecessary trouble for the ti being.]
---
...
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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