[As promised, you arrived at the island early the next morning, riding on your Salance.]
[The island was shrouded in mist in the morning light, the air damp yet refreshing, easing so of your initial anxiety.]
[After landing, you made your way straight to Latios's dwelling, following a familiar path.]
[The well-tended trees and neatly trimd grass showed little change from your last visit.]
[However, this ti, Latios did not co out to greet you.]
"Latios?"
Standing in the clearing, Elias raised his voice and called out.
His voice echoed through the empty forest, startling the Pokémon hiding in the underbrush. Yet, Latios's figure did not erge from within.
Seeing this, Elias's heart sank slightly. He had already prepared himself for the worst.
Fortunately, after scanning the surrounding vegetation with his psychic power, he finally sensed a familiar presence within a tree hollow.
The mont he pinpointed the location, Elias activated his teleportation ability, instantly appearing at the hollow's entrance.
"Latios."
Seeing the blue-and-white figure lying weakly inside, Elias softly called out before hurrying forward, carefully lifting him from the ground.
Confirming that Latios still had faint breathing, Elias let out a sigh of relief.
Swiftly yet gently, he took out several energy cubes.
Using his psychic power, he crushed them into a fine powder, then pried open Latios's mouth and carefully fed them to him.
These were specially crafted energy cubes, possessing healing effects comparable to potent dicine.
Even a severely injured Pokémon could stabilize temporarily after ingesting them, buying precious ti for further treatnt.
As expected, after consuming the energy cubes, Latios's breathing gradually steadied.
The once feeble life force, barely hanging by a thread, grew a little stronger. Though the situation remained dire, at least Elias no longer had to worry about Latios dying on the spot.
Looking at Latios resting in his arms, Elias let out a soft sigh.
Given his condition, it was unlikely he would wake anyti soon.
Until then, the responsibility of caring for Latios would fall entirely on Elias.
---
[As expected, by noon, Latios had developed a high fever.]
[Lacking proper dical equipnt, you had to rely on Milotic's Water-type abilities to collect clean water and help cool him down.]
[Fortunately, thanks to your expertise as a Pokémon breeder, Latios's condition quickly stabilized, and by the afternoon, his fever finally broke.]
"Thank you, Milotic."
As Elias stroked Milotic's smooth, cool scales, he expressed his gratitude.
"Miu~"
Pleased by the praise, Milotic lifted her head proudly.
At the sa ti, her large, watery eyes flicked toward Latios, her gaze filled with undisguised disdain.
She had no fondness whatsoever for Latias's overly protective older brother.
If not for Elias's request, she would have gladly used scalding hot water instead of cool water to lower his temperature.
Perhaps Milotic's malicious thoughts had so effect—
Still unconscious, Latios suddenly shivered, then struggled to open his crusted-over eyes.
"Lati…"
Upon recognizing Elias's silhouette, Latios weakly called out.
His condition was too poor to communicate telepathically as he usually would.
Hearing movent behind him, Elias, who had been mixing fresh berries into a dicinal paste, montarily paused.
Realizing that Latios had regained consciousness, he quickly stepped forward, preventing him from trying to sit up.
"With your current condition, you should stay still."
"If I had arrived any later, Latias would have had to say goodbye to her brother much sooner than expected."
There was unmistakable frustration in Elias's voice.
Latios rarely spoke about his physical condition and never allowed Elias to conduct a thorough examination.
As a result, Elias had always assud Latios was managing relatively well.
It wasn't until today—after seizing the opportunity to examine him while he was unconscious—that Elias finally realized…
The so-called "holding up" was nothing more than an illusion.
Even with imdiate and aggressive treatnt, Latios likely had only a few months left to live.
"Lati…"
Aware of his own guilt, Latios lowered his head slightly, looking remorseful.
There was no denying the resemblance—he and Latias were truly siblings.
Watching Latios mirror the exact sa posture Latias would adopt when caught misbehaving, Elias found his anger abruptly stuck in his throat, unable to fully vent.
After a long pause, he exhaled lightly and said,
"Your body has already reached a point beyond dical salvation. If we can't find a way to harness certain special powers, you won't have much ti left."
"I need you to be prepared for that."
By the end of his words, Elias's voice had regained its solemnity.
Latios needed to grasp the severity of his condition, not dismiss it lightly.
The impact of his words was undeniable.
Latios's expression dimd, his already frail spirit growing even weaker.
After regaining a fraction of his strength, he attempted to use telepathy once more.
"Elias… I hope that after I'm gone, you will continue to take care of Latias."
If there was anything Latios worried about most, it was undoubtedly his younger sister, Latias.
So, the very first thing he said after regaining communication was a plea for Elias to look after her.
"Of course."
Elias responded softly.
Latias's safety was not only Latios's top priority—it was also the most important thing to him.
Latios knew this well, and he did not doubt Elias's promise.
Even without him, his sister would grow up safe under Elias's protection.
With this reassurance, Latios felt a surprising sense of relief, as if a heavy weight had been lifted from his chest.
A faint smile ford on his lips as he attempted to lighten the somber mood caused by his condition.
"Elias, you know, when Latias first found you, you were also running a high fever."
"When I saw how she tried to 'help' cool you down, I honestly doubted soone as frail as you could survive a year under her care."
"But now, even I have to admit—when it cos to judgnt, I was no match for my sister in this matter."
"I trust that Latias will live a safe and happy life under your protection."
Latios was speaking more than usual, and Elias simply listened in silence.
He understood Latios's need to talk at this mont.
However, as he listened to these words of farewell, Elias felt…
Perhaps it was ti to tell Latios about his second plan.
After all, he would need Latios's cooperation for it to work.
---
...
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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