Mew had never been good at hiding things on her face—something Gardevoir had figured out long ago.
So when she saw those big watery eyes crinkle slightly and the pink paws try to stifle a giggle, Gardevoir knew instantly—this dumb cat was up to something.
"Gar-de? (What are you thinking?)" Gardevoir asked coolly.
Hearing that, Mew, realizing she'd gotten a little too smug, immediately straightened up.
She wiped the grin from her face and used her little paws to theatrically scrub her cheeks.
"Mew～ (Kitty's just washing up!)"
Gardevoir chuckled coldly. Right now, she was seriously considering whether locking this dumb cat back up might be the safest move.
She reached out, aiming to grab that long, slender tail—
But just then...
Thud—
A heavy thump echoed from upstairs, like something had fallen.
Gardevoir froze mid-reach.
She and Mew locked eyes for a second.
Then—like they'd both realized something at the exact same time—their figures vanished from the living room in a near-simultaneous teleport, rushing toward the second floor.
...
...
"Milotic!"
After being squeezed and smothered in her embrace for what felt like an eternity, Elias finally managed to catch his breath.
He understood her excitement at seeing him again—but this was a bit too much.
If he hadn't resisted with all his strength, they probably wouldn't still be on the floor right now... they'd be on the bed.
"Miu～"
Milotic pouted a little at his voice but still stopped moving.
She was worried her long, winding body might accidentally hurt Elias.
But just as she paused, she suddenly felt her body move against her will.
It was like some external force had latched onto her, trying to pry her tail away from Elias.
At first, she could resist with sheer willpower—but when a second force joined in, her tail was yanked open almost effortlessly.
"Miu!"
Milotic gave a frustrated cry.
Before she could react, her vision spun—and she was flung aside entirely.
At the same time, a pink cat landed on top of her.
"Mew～"
Mew gently patted her, as if telling her to behave.
Seeing Milotic's defeated pose, Elias's mouth twitched involuntarily.
Gardevoir + Mew... what kind of double legendary boss fight lineup is this?
The same Milotic who used to handle Metagross upstairs and wrestle Salamence downstairs without breaking a sweat—completely subdued in an instant.
That got Elias genuinely worried. Could Latias even stand up to Gardevoir?
Would she get roped into Gardevoir's faction and help gang up on me next...?
Just as Elias's thoughts spiraled into paranoia, Gardevoir walked up to him with a light step.
He had no choice now—playing dead wasn't an option.
He forced a smile, trying for a noble sacrifice expression, and greeted them with a soft voice:
"Gardevoir... Mew. Good morning."
Considering how he'd left behind nothing but a note and straight-up ghosted them, he figured he wasn't exactly in for a warm welcome.
Gardevoir stopped in front of him, and Mew made no move to interfere.
Not because she'd given up.
But because, from the way things were going, Gardevoir was clearly on the path to self-destruction!
Soon, she'd definitely try to lock Elias up without explanation—and that would be Mew's time to shine!
It was a beautiful plan.
But it would remain a fantasy.
Because Gardevoir didn't do what either Elias or Mew had expected.
No chains made of psychic energy. No glowing shackles wrapped around his neck.
Instead, she took a small step back.
Then gently rubbed away a few clinging tears from her lower eyelid with her palm, voice trembling with hurt as she asked:
"Elias... why did you leave Gardevoir without saying anything?"
"Do you not want Gardevoir anymore?"
Telepathy always conveyed emotion more directly than spoken words.
And Gardevoir's voice—on the verge of tears—was heartbreaking. Enough to move anyone to tears just listening.
Mew, who had been waiting to enjoy the drama, froze.
Her pupils widened slightly, her tail stopped wagging.
She stood there in a daze, completely blindsided.
This... this wasn't how the script was supposed to go!
Elias, too, was caught off guard.
He hadn't expected Gardevoir to open with this.
But as her emotions washed over him through the telepathic link, he understood—maybe she was playing things up a little.
But she genuinely, truly didn't want him to leave.
At her core, she hadn't changed much from when she was still a Ralts.
Still that same little girl who just wanted someone to stay by her side.
Just a little too reliant on him, that's all.
"Gardevoir's so cute—how could I ever not want her?"
Elias reached out like he used to when she was still a Ralts, gently stroking her sleek hair in reassurance.
"Gar-de? (Really?)"
She nuzzled into his palm, voice soft and sweet.
"Really."
"Gar-de, gar-de! (Then where did you run off to for two whole days!)"
Gardevoir pounced on the question that had been eating at her.
She'd even gone to Lance's place just to check.
And aside from chasing off a certain purple fatty halfway, she hadn't found a single clue about Elias's whereabouts.
She'd even gone to see Sabrina—and still nothing.
She spent the entire night thinking about where he might have gone.
Hearing her question, Elias's expression twitched ever so slightly.
Then he slowly replied, "I went to the Hoenn region."
"Hoenn? What for?" No wonder I couldn't find him.
"I have a... mom there."
Knowing Gardevoir was strong enough now that lying might not work against her psychic sense, Elias decided on a half-truth, half-lie approach.
"A... mom?"
That phrasing made Gardevoir squint suspiciously.
But sensing he wasn't lying, she accepted the explanation.
Still—it left her puzzled. Wasn't Elias supposed to be an orphan?
When did he end up with a mom?
Maybe he found her just recently...?
"Gar-de～ (Then you'll have to take me to meet her sometime!)"
Unable to figure it out, Gardevoir decided she'd just make Elias introduce them in person eventually.
If this woman really was Elias's mom, then she'd better make a good impression.
After all—TV dramas always said in-law relationships were notoriously hard to manage...
While Gardevoir and Elias were deep in conversation, Milotic—still pinned and helpless—felt like Aron was crawling all over her.
When did this boss spawn?
And why did it spawn two at once??
Suddenly, she started missing Latias.
At least if she were here, there's no way she'd just sit and watch Elias pet another Pokémon on the head!
---
...
Huh. You really stuck it out all the way to the end.
Didn't think you had the patience. Guess I was wrong.
WiseTL's the one who actually made all this come together. I'm just here putting a bow on it… or, well, shoving it in a backpack and calling it a day. Same thing.
If you had fun, you know what to do:
👉 [patreon.com/WiseTL]
Heads up—Patreon's 50% off for all tiers during May. So if you were on the fence? Now's the time.
And if you're the social type, there's a Discord too. Pretty decent spot to hang out—no battles required.
👉 [discord.gg/wisetl]
Alright. That's enough standing around. Go on—before you make it weird.
—Leaf