"Graduation, huh?"
Elias was momentarily stunned by Latias' question.
Seeing the tension in her expression, he almost thought that she had somehow figured out his and Latios' plan.
But after a brief moment of thought, he realized what she was actually worried about.
A chuckle nearly escaped him, but then, a mischievous idea took root in his mind, prompting him to stifle his laughter and play along.
Under Latias' nervous gaze—
Elias's eyes flickered with a trace of regret. Then, he furrowed his brows slightly, as if hesitating to speak.
To Tias, this expression was no different from a death sentence.
Her bright mood, uplifted earlier by the success of her cake, instantly faded.
Elias is growing up. It's only natural for him to go out on his own…
Besides, it's not like he won't come back.
Latias tried to reassure herself, forcing her emotions under control.
But just as she was bracing herself, she suddenly felt a weight on her shoulder.
Turning her head, she found that at some point, Elias had moved behind her—resting his chin gently on her shoulder.
"Tias, I want to travel the world."
His familiar, gentle voice murmured beside her ear, sending a warm breath across her cheek, making it flush red.
"Th-then go."
"It's not like I can stop you. Y-you don't actually think I'd miss you, do you?"
Flustered by the warmth seeping into her skin, Latias muttered in a small voice.
She was feeling a little… displeased.
She thought Elias had changed.
If he wanted her approval, couldn't he just ask directly? Why did he have to use… this kind of unfair tactic?
If he did this to her today, then who would he use it on in the future?
The more she thought about it, the more she disliked the idea of Elias leaving.
Annoyed, she pushed his head off her shoulder and asked in an unusually serious tone,
"Do you have a suitable travel companion?"
She had decided to step into her mother role and get to the bottom of this.
Of course—this was purely for his safety.
"Hmm… Probably just one person." Elias's eyes twinkled with amusement.
Hearing this, Latias froze for a second before cautiously guessing,
"Steven?" She knew Elias had a close friend.
"No, it's a girl."
Elias denied her assumption outright and delivered a response that made Tias' breath hitch.
A girl?
"Absolutely not!"
Almost instinctively, Latias slammed the table and protested loudly.
The moment the words left her mouth, she was startled by her own outburst.
She didn't understand why she had reacted so strongly to the idea of Elias traveling with a girl.
But at the same time, the anger bubbling inside her and the strange emptiness gnawing at her heart weren't things she could ignore.
Somewhere deep down, she felt that the emotions she had always believed to be motherly love… might have been something else entirely.
Or perhaps—
Had it been something else all along?
Before she could dwell on the thought, Elias's voice, tinged with disappointment, reached her ears.
"Really? I can't?"
His tone was soft, almost like the Elias from his childhood, making him sound utterly dejected.
"N-no, you can't…"
Latias turned her head away, avoiding his gaze.
"Not even a little?"
"No!"
"But I've never traveled with Tias before. I want to explore the world with her and leave our footprints everywhere."
"I already said no!"
"And who is Tias—"
Frustrated, Latias began scolding him, but midway through her sentence, she suddenly froze.
"…What did you just say?"
Her brain seemed to short-circuit.
"I said traveling alone sounds boring. I want Tias to be my first travel companion."
Seeing her dumbfounded reaction, Elias smirked.
He playfully poked her soft cheek with a finger and repeated himself with a grin.
---
[Perhaps out of embarrassment, or maybe due to another reason she couldn't quite name—Tias ran back to her room, her face burning, and refused to speak to you for quite some time.]
[That night, when you finally went to bed, you noticed something unusual.]
[At some point, she had transformed back into her true form.]
[A small, soft "airplane" lay quietly under the covers.]
[With the bond you shared, you knew exactly what she was trying to say.]
[She was reminding you of her identity as a Pokémon.]
[In other words—she had declined your invitation to travel together.]
[Though you had expected this outcome, you still couldn't help but feel a little disappointed.]
[You had seen the longing in her eyes earlier.]
[She wanted to travel, to see different regions, to experience the world beyond these walls.]
[This setback only strengthened your resolve to carry out the plan you had discussed with Latios.]
[At the same time, the other plan you had been hesitant about resurfaced in your mind once again.]
[Its level of extremity… increased.]
[The next morning, neither you nor Tias brought up what had happened the night before.]
[It was as if it had all been nothing more than a fleeting dream.]
"I plan to join the League's International Police after graduation."
Elias sipped his warm porridge as he spoke.
"The International Police?"
Latias murmured, then smiled with satisfaction.
"With your abilities, you'll make a name for yourself there in no time."
Even though she wouldn't be traveling with him, she was content as long as Elias stayed by her side.
And since the International Police was a highly competitive division, she felt proud just knowing he was good enough to be recruited.
---
[At fourteen, you attended your graduation ceremony.]
[Perhaps due to your exceptional abilities, on graduation day, you received offers from multiple organizations, including the Pokémon League, Silph Co., Devon Corp., and the Aether Foundation.]
[Among them was an offer from Steven's family's company, Devon Corporation.]
[But the biggest surprise?]
[Even Team Rocket from Kanto and Team Flare from Kalos had sent you recruitment letters.]
[Compared to bottom-feeder poaching groups, these large criminal organizations actually seemed to operate under a stricter set of rules.]
[It gave you a new perspective on the hierarchy of the criminal underworld.]
"Elias… You're not actually considering joining Team Rocket, are you?"
Steven's mouth twitched slightly as he asked, watching Elias stare at their offer longer than any of the others.
He wasn't being paranoid—Elias had spent more time reading the Rocket letter than all the legitimate job offers combined.
It made Steven wonder if his friend had… certain questionable thoughts.
"Huh?"
Snapping out of his thoughts, Elias blinked at Steven, then sighed and set the letter down.
"As if. I was just admiring their writing style. I'm curious which executive penned it."
---
T/N: if he meets sabrina again does that mean she'll have 2 no THREE sets of memories when he integrates this simulation???
...
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 ✨