Latios was in a thoroughly foul mood.
Ever since he'd burst out of the high-speed rail station, the flute's eerie sound had vanished without a trace.
And with the outer plaza teeming with tourists, it was impossible to quickly pinpoint who was behind the forged flute call.
"Tch."
He clicked his tongue, his irritation making it all the more certain in his mind—poachers, and cunning ones at that.
Just as he was preparing to resume his search, a clear, piercing cry rang through the air.
Unlike the earlier dissonance, this sound had remarkable clarity and... a strange sense of familiarity. It seized Latios's attention in an instant.
He turned toward the source and laid eyes on a well-groomed Milotic.
Latios's mind blanked for a moment.
"...Milotic."
He murmured the name softly, a wave of nostalgia washing over him.
In his memory, Elias also had a Milotic—one who constantly clashed with Latias.
But after that night, she too had vanished without a trace. Even scouring large portions of the sea had turned up nothing.
Seeing such a familiar Pokémon again... Latios couldn't help feeling a bit emotional.
But what shocked him more was the sight beside the Milotic—a human entangled with a Gardevoir.
Sure, it wasn't rare for Trainers and their Pokémon to be close...
But this close? That was something else entirely.
Unbidden, his thoughts drifted to Elias and his own sister.
Latios sighed lightly, regret and grief welling up in his chest and settling like a knot in his throat.
But...
That melancholy didn't last long.
Because as Gardevoir's behavior grew increasingly... bold, Latios's wandering eyes finally registered the man's face.
Thick eyebrows. Clear eyes. Conventionally attractive by human standards.
And yet... why did he look so familiar?
Latios's eyes suddenly widened—huge, unblinking, as if they were about to pop out of his head.
If someone had been nearby, they'd have noticed: every feather on his body was standing on end.
Like he'd seen something utterly unbelievable.
He didn't care about blowing his cover anymore.
Without the slightest hesitation, he dropped out of invisibility and dived straight toward where Elias was sitting.
From the angle and trajectory, it was clear—he was aiming to body-check Gardevoir off of him.
However...
Before he could even get close, an overwhelming psychic force surged up from below, barreling toward him.
A trap?!
Latios flinched, startled by the ambush. He hadn't expected an attack at a time like this.
Still, he didn't panic. Even if it was a trap, he had to confirm whether that man was who he thought.
Besides—just psychic energy? He wasn't worried. He was a legendary Pokémon, after all.
With a cold smile, he unleashed his own psychic force in retaliation.
He hadn't pinpointed his attacker, but he refused to believe any run-of-the-mill psychic could overpower him.
BOOM—!
The two waves of psychic energy collided midair with a violent shockwave that drew gasps from the surrounding crowd.
Milotic, too, was among the startled bystanders.
When she saw her gamble had paid off, her heart surged with excitement.
Yes, yes, FIGHT!
Sure, it was that blue jet who'd shown up—but that didn't matter. She was all for watching him and Gardevoir tear each other apart.
Hopefully, both sides would come out bruised and bloodied, and she could swoop in to claim victory.
Unfortunately...
Just as that thought formed, a blinding burst of white light exploded midair.
In the next instant, to Milotic's horror, Latios plummeted like a downed aircraft—only to be caught, gently and effortlessly, by Gardevoir's psychic power.
Fairy-type—[Dazzling Gleam].
Meanwhile, Elias, face-to-face with a dazed Latios, nearly jumped out of his seat.
Seeing his moment, he quickly turned his head away, praying Latios hadn't recognized him.
He'd made up his mind—there would be plenty of chances to reveal the truth. No need to rush it.
Especially not while Gardevoir is literally sitting on me!
Unfortunately, his strange behavior only made Gardevoir suspicious.
Her eyes narrowed, flicking between Elias and Latios with sharp precision, as if trying to piece something together.
After a long pause, she finally looked away—but not without casually asking the recovering Latios:
"Gar~de? (You know my Trainer?)"
Her voice was cool and aloof—but it hit Elias like a knife to the back.
Behind her, he shot a series of frantic looks at Mew, who was still lounging at the table playing with her claws.
Whether he could get through this unscathed now depended entirely on Mew's sense of subtlety.
At that moment, Latios was still trapped in a whirlpool of self-doubt.
Because it wasn't until he'd landed that he realized his opponent... had been a Gardevoir.
How the hell is a Gardevoir this powerful? Doesn't Arceus regulate this sort of thing?!
Still, as Gardevoir's voice rang out, he knew this wasn't the time to spiral.
Lifting his gaze, he looked straight at the man Gardevoir was embracing—his eyes burning with hope.
It had been years since he'd felt this anxious.
Not even in battle with vicious poachers had he felt this tense.
But the moment his eyes settled on Elias's profile... disappointment surged from the depths of his heart.
He looked similar, yes—but up close, too many features were different.
And if Elias were still alive, there's no way he'd still look this young.
That emotional rollercoaster left Latios visibly trembling.
Still—Pokémon didn't rely solely on appearance. He quietly tested the man's psychic signature.
And as expected... it didn't match.
"...Your Trainer resembles someone I once knew. I got a bit carried away. I apologize."
Latios bowed his head in apology.
Gardevoir didn't respond much—just nodded faintly.
But after that, she shot a meaningful glance at Mew, who was still perched on the table.
That dumb cat thinks I don't see what she's up to?
With the tension diffused and the looming crisis averted, Elias exhaled discreetly.
Still, he mentally marked Latios's location. The moment Latios left, he'd follow and confess the truth.
That way, he wouldn't leave him hanging too long.
But just as he was making that decision...
He felt something at his waist being tugged away.
He turned—and there was Milotic, right beside him.
In her mouth was... the Infinity Flute.
"Miu~"
Milotic narrowed her eyes and dropped the flute right at Latios's feet—whose pupils immediately dilated in shock.
And at that very moment, Lance finally emerged from the train station and spotted them.
Having escaped his duties, he grinned and waved cheerfully:
"Elias! Sabrina!"
"Gha-ha! Gha-ha!"
Elias: ...
Watching the serene smile spreading across Gardevoir's lips, he knew.
He was so dead tonight.
---
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