Hearing Elias's plain and straightforward explanation, Steven curiously leaned over to take a look.
Hmm. It was well-written.
After examining the letter for a moment, Steven finally remembered the main reason he had come to find his friend today.
"Elias, are you planning to travel like most trainers, or are you considering joining an organization?"
There was a glint of anticipation in Steven's gaze as he asked the question.
Elias didn't need to think too hard to figure out what Steven was getting at.
"You want me to join Devon Corporation?" he asked in return.
As the heir to Devon Corp, Steven showing up at this time—asking that kind of question—made his intentions obvious.
Sure enough, after being called out, Steven let out an awkward laugh.
He saw no point in denying it anymore and instead admitted outright,
"That's right. I'm here today not just on my father's request but also because I personally want you to join Devon."
Having studied together for years, no one understood Elias's abilities better than Steven.
Even setting aside his unparalleled psychic powers—which could help find stones… or rather, assist in company research—his talent as both a breeder and a trainer was extraordinary.
In fact, his own Beldum had evolved into Metagross so quickly thanks to the homemade Pokéblocks Elias regularly provided.
If someone with Elias's skill set slipped through their fingers, it would be a huge loss for Devon Corp.
With that thought in mind, and seeing that Elias hadn't responded yet, Steven added,
"Don't worry. If you join, we'll create a special department just for you, where you'll have complete freedom."
"The company won't interfere with your research projects—you'd just need to participate in scheduled experiments every now and then."
Even Elias, who had already made up his mind to decline, was a little surprised by the offer.
Calling these conditions lenient would be an understatement. They were essentially offering to let him do nothing while still getting paid.
Normally, no matter how much potential he had, no company would be this generous—especially not a giant like Devon.
Clearly, Steven had gone out of his way to make this happen.
Realizing this, Elias felt a flicker of gratitude.
But unfortunately, his plans couldn't be derailed here.
"Sorry, Steven. I decided a long time ago to join the International Police."
"I really appreciate your offer… but I have to decline."
His voice carried a trace of regret.
Steven had anticipated this response, but that didn't stop him from feeling a little disappointed.
That said, knowing Elias was joining the League rather than some rival company was a relief.
The League… well, that he could accept. As long as it wasn't a competitor poaching Elias, it was fine.
His refined upbringing helped him recover quickly.
Looking at Elias, Steven offered a sincere blessing,
"Then I wish you success in your career. If you ever get tired of being an International Police officer, Devon's doors will always be open for you."
As he spoke, he handed Elias a deep green, slightly translucent stone.
"This is one of my treasured stones. Consider it a farewell gift."
---
[Item Obtained: Steven's Keepsake ×1]
[You carefully stored away Steven's parting gift.]
[What you didn't tell him was that, although you'd be joining the International Police, you wouldn't be leaving Alto Mare outside of assignments.]
[At least… not for now.]
[The day after graduation, you headed straight to the Hoenn League Headquarters for your interview.]
[Your assigned examiner was easily defeated, and you secured your position in the International Police with perfect scores in both the written and practical exams.]
"Looks like we've got quite the prodigy among this year's recruits."
The officer in charge of issuing credentials looked at Elias and sighed in admiration.
"Alright, where do you want to be stationed? With your record, you could easily land a post in a safe, bustling city."
His tone, however, carried a hint of regret.
Because of the peculiar way International Police assignments worked, the strongest trainers often ended up in stable regions—
While those less capable got thrown into high-risk investigations against criminal organizations.
In his opinion, this was a completely backward system.
Unfortunately, the League had shown no signs of changing it.
He was fully expecting this promising young officer to pick a comfortable posting—maybe Goldenrod City, Saffron City, or even Alola.
Instead, what Elias said next left him completely stunned.
"I want to apply for an undercover assignment in a poaching syndicate."
His tone was calm, almost too casual—so much so that the department head thought he might have misheard.
---
[After multiple rounds of confirmation, your request for undercover work was easily approved.]
[As you left, the commander's look of deep respect made your impression of the International Police drop several levels.]
[If even the International Police had fallen to this level, no wonder the League had struggled with mere poaching rings for so long.]
[That familiar irritation bubbled up within you once again.]
[Extremity · Up]
"Welcome home!"
The moment Elias stepped through the door, Latias flew at him, clinging onto him tightly.
"Tias, stop messing around."
At the last second, Elias activated his psychic powers to stabilize himself.
"Mm…"
But for some reason, Latias suddenly fell silent.
Her amber eyes stared at him, as if studying him closely.
"…What's wrong?" Elias asked, confused, gently ruffling her hair.
"…Nothing."
After a brief moment of contemplation, Latias ultimately chose not to voice her thoughts.
She had realized something.
Compared to Elias casually calling her Mom all the time, she actually preferred it when he only used the word while she was holding him like this.
---
[During dinner, you showed Latias your International Police ID.]
[Tias was fascinated, fiddling with it for a long time, her expression filled with pride and joy—so much so that even you started valuing the ID more.]
"Oh, right—Brother called earlier. He said he wants you to come to the island tomorrow."
Latias mentioned this offhandedly after nibbling on one of Elias's Pokéblocks.
Her tone, however, made it clear she wasn't happy about it.
Because for some reason, her brother refused to let her come along.
Only Elias was allowed to return to the island.
This blatant attempt to separate her from Elias really annoyed her.
"Back to the island, huh?"
"I got it." Elias responded with calm indifference.
But beneath his composed exterior, his brows furrowed slightly.
He had a vague idea of why Latios wanted him to return alone.
---
...
If you're reading this, then you've wandered all the way to the end. I'm impressed. Stories are like wine—meant to be savored, not rushed. So if you took your time? Thank you.
Of course, the real thanks goes to WiseTL—the one who turned tangled words into something beautiful. I just got asked to wrap things up with a ribbon. Hopefully this counts!
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Go on. Be generous. They've earned it.
Until next time—read well, rest often, and maybe come visit me at the Hostess of Fertility sometime.
– Syr ✨