The moment Gardevoir heard what Elias said, her adorably sweet face clouded over.
Elias would never lie to her—so Team Galactic really had been keeping critical information from her about capturing the temporal and spatial dragons.
And to think she had actually considered sparing the organization, just in case they'd be of use later.
But now, even wiping them off the face of the earth wouldn't be enough to quell the fury she felt after being deceived.
If Elias hadn't warned her, and she had summoned Dialga and Palkia according to Team Galactic's so-called plan, the best-case scenario would've been gift-wrapping them for someone else.
"Garde!"
Just thinking about it made her ball her little fists, a faint glow of psychic energy rippling across her body.
"Don't worry. Once we get word from Lance, I'll help you get your revenge," Elias said softly, noticing her reaction and gently ruffling her hair.
"Garde~"
Gardevoir nodded with a soft hum, eyes closing as she leaned into Elias's palm.
As expected… Elias is still the best.
With that thought, her gaze subtly drifted toward the soft, spacious bed nearby.
It was still a bit early, sure—but since they were already here, maybe...
A flicker of something passed through her eyes. Gardevoir gently licked her lips.
Just as she was about to make her move, the door to the room suddenly swung open.
"Elias, did you miss Mommy?"
Latias bounced into the room with a playful hop.
Even though she'd only been gone ten minutes, it somehow felt like ages.
She flung herself into Elias's arms with practiced ease, totally ignoring the darkening look on Gardevoir's face.
"You really don't act like a mom," Elias said helplessly.
But even as he caught Latias mid-pounce, his eyes were already drawn to the blue-and-white figure trailing behind her.
The moment he realized who it was, Elias clapped a hand over his mouth, barely holding back a laugh.
Gardevoir, who'd been fuming just moments ago, cracked a smile as soon as she saw Latios.
"Ahem… Tias, weren't you a little too rough?" Elias asked, struggling to keep a straight face as he looked at the sorry state of Latios' face.
If someone saw him like this, no way they'd believe he was a legendary Pokémon.
His face was so swollen and bruised, even the Pokédex might fail to recognize him.
"I didn't even touch him," Latias huffed, shooting a disdainful glance at her brother.
She was way too embarrassed to admit he'd been beaten up… by a cat.
"Not you?"
Elias raised an eyebrow, surprised. But when he caught the evasive glint in Latios' eyes, a theory began to form in his mind.
"You didn't… suggest something to Mew, did you?"
He turned to Latios.
"Don't ask. Just—just don't ask…"
Latios muttered, covering his puffy cheeks with both hands, the shame practically oozing from his voice.
Yeah, that confirmed it.
He gave Mew a bad idea, and now she'd come to settle the score. Made perfect sense.
Still, out of respect for Latios' pride, Elias let the matter drop.
That evening, to make it up to both Gardevoir and Latias, Elias cooked dinner himself.
With Sabrina also back from the Gym, everyone—Pokémon and humans alike—ate to their heart's content.
Even Mew couldn't resist the smell, eventually lured out by the enticing aroma.
Then she got caught by Gardevoir... and received a very thorough "lesson."
Watching from the side, Latios—for the first time ever—thought Gardevoir's back looked mighty impressive. She was way more reliable than his little sister!
As night fell and the sky darkened...
Gardevoir and Latias went off on their own to negotiate sleeping arrangements.
Elias, taking advantage of the rare peace and quiet, climbed to the roof of the Saffron Gym and sat down.
Looking out over the familiar cityscape, a wave of nostalgia washed over him.
During his first simulation, this had always been his favorite spot to sit at night.
Back then, Gardevoir would sit on his left, and Sabrina on his right.
"Heading out tomorrow?"
A clear, cool voice interrupted his thoughts.
Turning toward the sound, Elias saw that Sabrina had joined him on the roof, her arrival so quiet he hadn't even noticed.
Compared to when they first reunited, her expression had returned to its usual icy aloofness, radiating a subtle sense of distance.
Only her eyes—those beautiful, piercing eyes—betrayed a hint of reluctance.
"Yeah, I think so…" Elias replied. "But not back to Johto just yet—I need to make a stop in Sinnoh first. There are still a few things I have to deal with."
Eliminating Team Galactic was a top priority.
He couldn't be sure they hadn't left any more traps waiting for Gardevoir.
Sabrina's brows knit together slightly, a barely noticeable frown appearing.
After a glance at Elias's left side—confirming someone wasn't there—she silently walked over and sat down.
Once seated, she waved her hand, using psychic power to set up a few barriers around them.
The buzzing of summer cicadas fell away behind the psychic shield, leaving the air heavy with silence.
Elias felt a bit awkward in the stillness, but before he could say anything, Sabrina spoke up:
"How long until you're back from Sinnoh?"
Her voice was steady, serious.
Ever since her psychic abilities had advanced to such an extraordinary level, she'd developed the same detached demeanor as most Psychic-type Pokémon.
It had been a long time since she'd asked anything so earnestly.
Elias blinked, then realized what she was getting at.
He did a quick estimate in his head before answering, "Not long. A month at most."
Compared to Johto, he still felt more at home in Kanto.
Plus, he was officially a rookie Trainer now.
Well… maybe not entirely a rookie, but he still needed to continue his journey—at least to give Professor Oak a proper report.
Once he'd collected all the badges, he'd probably have to challenge the League as well.
Gardevoir understood this, too. She had already agreed to leave the Masked Corps to Blue so she could travel with him again.
All things considered, it wouldn't be long before he came back.
Sabrina's eyes lit up ever so slightly at his promise.
She gave the faintest of smiles, visibly more at ease.
Then, meeting Elias's gaze, she dropped a bit of a bombshell:
"Giovanni… you've heard of him, right? The leader of Team Rocket. He wants to meet you tomorrow."
"Would you be willing?"
The name alone made Elias's eyes go wide.
Who?
---
PS — Sabrina:Surprise! Bet you didn't see this coming. I've joined Team Rocket, too—just to keep up with you!