Latias was in a terrible mood. Or rather… she was anxious.
She had assud that Elias had gone to visit her brother today.
After all, he had made countless trips to the island in the past, always for Latios.
She didn't know exactly what they were doing, but at least it had been enough to put her mind at ease.
But today, when she called her brother, the response she received was that Elias was not on the island.
That alone was enough to make Latias uneasy.
Still, she reassured herself that he might have gone to see Steven or another friend.
Even if Elias didn't have many friends, he did have a social life.
Latias told herself that she shouldn't interfere too much.
Until…
Not long ago, while she was out buying ingredients for dinner, she caught sight of Elias in the distance.
The street was crowded, so he didn't notice her.
Overjoyed, Latias had been just about to rush over and greet him when—
She saw her.
A young woman with short silver hair was walking beside him.
She was beautiful, sharp-featured, dressed in a way that exuded confidence.
And she was laughing with Elias, talking about sothing with an ease that Latias had never seen him have with strangers.
In that mont, it felt as though soone had torn a hole in her chest, scooping out a piece of her heart.
A suffocating fear surged through her.
She had no idea who this woman was—she had never seen her around Elias before.
But she did know why she was reacting this way.
Unlike before, Latias could now say with absolute certainty—
Her feelings for Elias had long since gone beyond familial love.
That was the conclusion she had co to after reading a great number of novels.
But because of who she was—because she feared that Elias would distance himself if he ever found out—she had kept her feelings tightly locked away.
Yet now, seeing a strange woman getting so close to him, every alarm in her heart went off at once.
Instinctively, she wanted to follow them, to call out to Elias and stake her claim—
But before she could take a step, her world shattered once more.
She watched as Elias and that woman entered a café together.
Not only that—
Despite there being plenty of open seats, they went all the way to the back, to the most secluded corner.
As if they were deliberately hiding from soone.
Latias knew Elias preferred sitting by the window.
That knowledge only made the suffocating pressure in her chest grow stronger, making it hard to breathe.
---
[As you talked, a sudden chill ran down your spine, as if you had just sensed so kind of warning.]
[Scanning your surroundings cautiously, you found nothing unusual and dismissed the feeling as a re illusion.]
[At the sa ti, you felt a sense of satisfaction—your instincts had been correct.]
[This 'J' woman truly had a unique and profound understanding of Pokémon breeding. Many of her suggestions had opened up new possibilities for you.]
[You still didn't believe you could extend Latios's life much further.]
[But with J's help, at the very least, you were confident that you could ensure he spent his remaining ti in peace, free from suffering.]
"Thanks for your help, J."
Glancing outside, Elias noticed that the sky had begun to darken—it was already evening.
It was ti for him to leave.
J imdiately picked up on his intent.
But she made no move to reveal her true objective.
Through their conversation, she had realized sothing—Elias was not like the aimless subordinates she had worked with in the past.
Like her, he had convictions. He had ambition.
If she exposed her true intentions too soon, all she would gain was rejection and distance.
Understanding this, the smile on J's lips widened slightly.
She wasn't discouraged.
On the contrary—
Elias gave her a thrill she hadn't felt in a long ti.
It was the first ti she had ever felt this way about another human.
It was just like hunting a rare, powerful Pokémon—
The very thought of it made her pulse quicken.
And she couldn't even imagine how much more exhilarating it would be when she finally captured him.
"I'll be staying in Alto Mare for quite so ti," J said casually. "If you ever feel like chatting, Elias, you're always welco to find ."
"Here's my contact information and my current residence."
"I look forward to our next eting~"
As she spoke, she slid a small piece of paper across the table.
It was sothing she had prepared in advance—her communication ID and temporary address.
She had already made up her mind—
For the foreseeable future, she would be staying in Alto Mare to hunt Elias.
As for her original plan to investigate Hoenn—
…Well, her missing subordinates could stay missing. If they weren't strong enough to survive, that was their problem.
Right now, she had no interest in anything else.
On the other side, Elias hesitated briefly before accepting the paper.
J's presence remained suspicious.
And he certainly hadn't missed the way she occasionally stared at him—her gaze almost burning.
But…
He couldn't deny that he needed her expertise.
---
[You and J soon established a cooperative relationship and exchanged contact information.]
[After arranging your next eting, you finally began your journey ho.]
[Along the way, you noticed no signs of being followed, which eased so of your tension.]
[But the closer you got to your house, the stronger the unsettling feeling in your gut beca—your instincts scread at you.]
[If this were a battlefield, you would have turned around imdiately.]
[Heart pounding with unease, you finally reached your front door… and slowly pushed it open.]
"I'm ho."
---
T/N: CLIFFHANGER HUAHUAHU
...
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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