"Thank you for saving me!"
In the clearing, the black-haired girl beamed with gratitude, bowing deeply to Elias.
Beside him, Elias glanced at the enormous Pokémon egg in her arms, then at the Salamence beside him—trembling under Milotic's watchful glare.
A realization hit him like a ton of bricks.
Somehow, without even realizing it… he had just become an accomplice to poaching.
In his rush to intervene, he hadn't even noticed that the girl had stolen an egg.
"Return it."
Face darkening, Elias spoke to the girl, who was already preparing to slip away.
"...Huh?"
Hearing his words, Zinnia's expression froze in disbelief.
She pointed at the egg in her arms, then back at Elias, as if trying to confirm something.
"You… you want me to give it back?"
"Yes."
As Elias nodded, Zinnia's eyes widened even further.
No way, no way—was this guy seriously asking her to return it?!
She was a proud member of the Draconid people, the noble tribe devoted to the great Dragon God.
So what if she borrowed a Salamence egg?
Besides, it was just a loan. Once she earned the Dragon God's recognition, she fully intended to return it.
Meanwhile, the dejected Salamence, who had already given up hope of reclaiming its egg, suddenly realized that things weren't going as expected.
Its eyes lit up with renewed hope.
Putting on the most pitiful expression it could manage—though its naturally fierce face made that a challenge—it lowered its head and whimpered at Elias.
"Uuuuhhh~"
The sound sent shivers down Milotic's scales.
Though Salamence's attempt at looking pathetic was downright horrifying, it was… strangely effective.
The moment Zinnia heard that pitiful cry, she turned on her heel and bolted.
Her movements were sharp and fluid—clearly the result of years spent dashing through forests and rough terrain.
Elias, however, merely chuckled coldly.
A faint blue glow flickered to life around his hand.
Then, with a casual squeeze of his fingers, Zinnia—who had made it halfway through her escape—suddenly felt a wave of weightlessness engulf her.
She was yanked into the air, completely immobilized.
"A psychic?"
Suspended midair, Zinnia's face twisted in shock.
She hadn't expected to run into one of the rare human psychics—let alone be caught so effortlessly by one.
Elias approached at an unhurried pace, extending his hand.
"The egg. Hand it over."
Having been raised by a Pokémon, the thing he despised most were poachers—people who harmed Pokémon for their own gain.
If this girl hadn't seemed more like a reckless troublemaker than a true poacher, he wouldn't have been nearly this lenient.
But Zinnia, having finally gotten her hands on a Salamence egg, wasn't about to give up so easily.
"No way!"
She clutched the egg tightly, her eyes filled with pure stubbornness.
She had been counting on raising this Salamence to earn the Dragon God's approval—how could she just give up here?
Elias sighed, rubbing his temples.
This was going to be annoying.
She wasn't a real poacher, so he couldn't actually hurt her. If they kept arguing like this, they'd be here until nightfall.
His gaze flickered over her outfit, a thought suddenly occurring to him.
"You live in the forest full-time?"
Judging from her agility and familiarity with the terrain, he figured it was highly likely.
As expected, Zinnia proudly lifted her chin and declared,
"Of course! I'm destined to serve the Dragon God!"
Elias had no idea who or what this so-called Dragon God was, but at least he had found a way to make use of her.
A thin strand of psychic energy extended from him, latching onto her.
"How about this—keep an eye on the forest for me. If you spot any suspicious people, especially poachers, let me know. In return, I'll get you a Salamence egg."
For Elias, obtaining a Salamence egg was easy.
Not to mention Steven, who was sitting on a mountain of resources—Latios also had a stash of [Star Pieces] and other valuable items.
Selling just a fraction of them in human society would fetch an absurd amount of money.
No wonder Latias had never worried about finances—her very first purchase after arriving in human civilization was a three-story villa.
She had even enrolled him in an elite Pokémon Trainer academy without hesitation.
"Keep watch over the forest?"
Zinnia, who had been prepared to fight to the bitter end, suddenly froze.
"Are you serious? You're not messing with me?"
It wasn't that she was naturally suspicious—it was just that this task was way too easy.
Even if Elias hadn't asked, she would have done it anyway.
"Of course."
"And… do you really think you have a choice?"
Elias smiled as he reached down, stroking Milotic's smooth, gleaming scales.
His meaning couldn't have been clearer.
Zinnia: …
---
[Under your 'persuasion,' Zinnia eventually willingly returned the egg to Salamence.]
[Salamence expressed its deep gratitude.]
[As thanks, it gifted you two items—one was a pure white, bell-shaped charm that produced a crisp, melodious sound. The other was a teardrop-shaped gemstone.]
[Obtained: Shell Bell, Mystic Water.]
[The delicate design of the Shell Bell appealed to you, so you decided to give it to Latias when you got back.]
[As for the Mystic Water, which enhanced Water-type moves, you immediately placed it around Milotic's neck.]
"Miu~"
Feeling the surge of Water-type energy coursing through her, Milotic let out a pleased hum.
As if afraid of damaging her new treasure, she carefully wrapped a thin veil of [Protect] over the [Mystic Water].
Then, she pressed her head affectionately against Elias's palm before flicking her tongue out to give him a quick lick.
To Milotic, the human who had taken her in back when she was still a Feebas would always be the most important person in her heart.
Nearby, Zinnia watched their interaction with barely concealed envy.
Being someone who had never been particularly well-liked in her clan, she cherished and longed for bonds like these.
Glancing up at the sky, Elias figured it was time to leave.
He bid farewell to Zinnia and arranged a weekly meeting schedule—along with a designated location.
"Alto Mare?"
Hearing that she would have to leave the forest, Zinnia hesitated.
The Draconid people mostly lived near Meteor Falls, and she had rarely ventured into modern civilization.
Noticing her unease, Elias smiled reassuringly.
"Don't worry. I'll be there waiting for you. You'll be fine."
Since she had already agreed to work with him, she would have to step into the modern world sooner or later.
It was best to start adapting now.
---
[Under your reassurance, Zinnia reluctantly agreed to the arrangement.]
[You hadn't forgotten your original goal. Just as you were about to continue searching for a new Pokémon, a Bagon suddenly ran into your leg.]
"Hm?"
"You're one of the Bagon from earlier, aren't you?"
Recognizing the little Pokémon as one of the ones that had been running around with Salamence earlier, Elias tilted his head in confusion.
---
T/N: AHHHHH WHY DID I CHANGE IT TO ALTO MARE IM GONNA KILL MYSELFFFF
...
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 ✨