Seeing how wary Latias looked, Gardevoir almost burst out laughing in disbelief.
So this red jet really thinks she can trick me like I'm some kind of fool?
In truth, from the moment Latias stepped into the room, she had been within Gardevoir's line of sight.
After all, while Gardevoir had agreed to let Elias meet with her alone at first, that didn't mean she couldn't watch from the shadows.
And on that point, Gardevoir was sure Elias wouldn't mind.
Like him, she'd thought this would just be another simple reunion — just like the one with Latios. Confirm the voice, the psychic energy, the memories, and everything would wrap up in smiles and hugs.
Then she'd make her entrance right on cue, sweep Elias into her arms, and assert her dominance with flair.
If the red jet objected? Well, she'd "convince with virtue" — meaning a very physical reminder of who stood where.
But—
What Gardevoir hadn't expected was for Latias to shake off Elias's hand even after he offered his psychic aura.
That twist caught her completely off guard.
In Gardevoir's mind, even if Latias didn't break into joyful tears, she should've at least confirmed Elias's identity by now.
Could she have misread it? Or has Elias's psychic signature changed from what it once was...?
Before she could figure it out, Latias made that absurd request — "a hug."
Gardevoir hadn't thought too much of it at first.
Though it annoyed her, she looked at Latias's serious expression in the dark and figured it was probably just some "bad habit" Elias had inadvertently encouraged.
She'd made a promise, after all. So Gardevoir took a deep breath, stayed hidden in the shadows, and didn't make a move.
Then came the next request — a kiss.
Now that crossed a line.
Even if she were the densest fool alive, she'd know that kind of request didn't add up. And she was ready to step in and put a stop to it.
But what really made her freeze—
Was when Latias called herself: "Mama."
If Gardevoir remembered correctly, Elias had mentioned that term a few days ago.
At the time, she'd assumed he'd finally found his long-lost family and had genuinely felt happy for him — even considered dropping by to make a good impression.
But now?
The "family" story was fake. What was real... was this thieving cat trying to worm her way into a mother's place!
The shock hit her hard, leaving her uncharacteristically slow to react.
By the time she got her thoughts in order and snapped back to reality, the interaction between Elias and Latias had already played out — right in front of her.
And that red jet even had the nerve to act like she was savoring the moment, clearly reluctant to part, and... was she seriously reaching for his shirt buttons right in front of her!?
"Gaaarde!" (You're going too far!)
Recalling everything that had just happened, Gardevoir gritted her teeth, her face dark with fury as she glared at Latias — still clinging to Elias not far away.
This was a first. Never before had another Pokémon dared to pull a home invasion right in front of her face.
Even that dumb cat Mew had tried every trick in the book and still failed to pull off something this bold.
But Latias? One meeting was all it took to run circles around her. That was a humiliation Gardevoir could not forgive.
Before Latias could say a word, Gardevoir's emotions surged past the breaking point.
With a sharp flick of her hand, she directed her psychic power to rip Latias away from Elias's side.
In an instant, a tidal wave of psychic energy surged toward Latias.
On the other side, Latias, seeing that Gardevoir didn't seem about to rat her out, let out a sigh of relief.
If it's just a proper battle, she thought, I already held the upper hand earlier. I can win again now.
Perfect — she could show Elias how much stronger she'd become over the years!
With that, Latias raised her hand and released a powerful [Psychic] in response.
The two immense forces clashed in the gym, erupting in an explosive roar as they collided and pushed against each other.
But the moment they touched, Latias's expression shifted.
She suddenly realized — this Gardevoir was way stronger than before.
The same psychic energy that had gone toe-to-toe with her earlier now clearly overpowered hers by a wide margin.
Was she holding back before?
Before Latias could make sense of it, Gardevoir had already torn through her [Psychic] shield.
The force of Gardevoir's power came barreling straight at her like a tidal wave.
If nothing stopped it, that blow would land squarely on her.
Watching closely from the sidelines, Elias couldn't help but suck in a sharp breath.
As expected — Gardevoir's position as the ace is still rock solid. But of course, he couldn't let Latias get hurt.
Right at that critical moment, Elias caught Gardevoir's eyes turning toward him.
As he looked back, she continued channeling her psychic energy... while lightly tapping her finger to her lips.
Elias immediately understood what she wanted.
He cleared his throat, met her gaze, and gave a small nod.
At the same time, he reached out to pull Latias into his arms, holding her close.
If Gardevoir didn't pull back in time, he'd be ready to shield Latias himself.
But... of course, that wasn't necessary.
Now that the deal was sealed, Gardevoir cheerfully withdrew the force that had been aimed at Latias.
In truth, she'd only meant to give the red jet a scare.
She didn't want to accidentally hurt Elias — no way she'd unleash a large-area psychic attack for real.
"Mmm…"
In Elias's arms, Latias looked pale, still shaken.
She hadn't expected Gardevoir to suddenly become this powerful — she hadn't even had time to summon Metagross or Salamence.
Thankfully, Elias was here...
As that thought settled, she wrapped her arms around him in return and nuzzled against him, her head rubbing affectionately against his chest.
That familiar feeling was back.
Back when she was still weak and small, she used to hide behind Elias like this, quietly basking in his protection.
Even now, though she'd grown stronger, in moments of danger... Elias would still protect her.
"You big meanie, Gardevoir!"
Pouting, Latias peeked out from his embrace and shot an indignant glare at Gardevoir, who was now walking toward them.
So what if you're strong? Can you feel Elias's warmth like this?
Latias thought triumphantly.
Meanwhile, Gardevoir caught that look and chuckled coldly to herself.
Who's the fool now? She'd just struck a little deal with Elias, after all.
Jet or not, a plane's still a plane — even turned Pokémon, still just as dumb!
---
...
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