J was in a great mood.
Especially when she recalled the moment Latias had left without a hint of doubt—her excitement only grew stronger.
Successfully luring Latias over and making her follow the predetermined route seemed simple on the surface, but J had actually been anxious for quite some time before executing her plan.
After all, Psychic-type Pokémon were incredibly intelligent, and Latias was a Legendary Pokémon—there was no guarantee that her plan would work.
But luckily, when Latias received those medical supplies, she hadn't suspected a thing.
And just moments ago, J had received an even more unexpected piece of news.
—Elias had actually eliminated Latios.
She had no idea what had led to a conflict between them, but this outcome was undeniably in her favor.
Originally, her plan was to use the tainted medicine to sow discord, but there were many loopholes in that approach, making failure a real possibility.
Yet now, Elias had personally handed her the perfect solution.
"As expected, even Arceus is helping push you right into my hands, huh?"
J's lips curled into a smirk.
Time ticked by. J remained completely focused, monitoring every single scout she had stationed around the island's perimeter—she couldn't risk Elias slipping away unnoticed.
Just as impatience began to creep in, and she was considering sending a Pokémon to check on the situation inside the island—
A familiar figure suddenly entered her field of vision.
The person looked exhausted, maybe even injured, his movements unsteady.
Against the raging inferno, he seemed like a lone raft in the middle of a stormy sea, on the verge of being swallowed whole.
And yet, the surrounding flames recoiled from him, as if they had encountered their natural enemy.
Elias!
J immediately confirmed his identity.
Instinctively, she licked her lips, a predatory grin surfacing—the kind she only showed when hunting Pokémon.
If her guess was correct, he had probably already met with Latias.
And just as she had predicted, there had been a confrontation—otherwise, he wouldn't be here alone.
Most importantly…
The frail state he was in wasn't something mere fire could cause.
J was far more inclined to believe that something else had weakened him.
—Like an attack from Latias.
Everything was unfolding exactly as she had planned. Satisfaction gleamed in her eyes.
Latias was reckless, Elias lacked wisdom.
Now, it was her turn to act!
Meanwhile, Elias wandered aimlessly toward the island's outer perimeter.
J's equipment was top-tier—so much so that even he couldn't pinpoint her exact location.
But there was one thing he could be certain of—if he tried to leave, J would reveal herself.
With that thought in mind, he arrived at a relatively open area where the fire wasn't as intense.
The ground here seemed… different from the rest of the island.
Narrowing his eyes, he extended his psychic energy into the earth—and sure enough, he detected a large quantity of buried explosives.
So that earlier explosion was because of this.
Just as he was contemplating his next move, a dark figure suddenly descended from the sky, landing lightly a short distance away.
"Elias!"
A crisp voice rang out.
Unlike before, J was now completely unarmored—her protective gear was gone, her visor nowhere in sight. She was dressed entirely in black.
With her delicate features and the concern on her face, she looked nothing like a wanted Pokémon poacher.
"Elias, are you alright?"
J appeared worried as she hurried toward him.
Elias's body tensed slightly at her approach. Faint blue psychic energy flickered in his palm, ready to strike her down in an instant.
But J was no amateur—she was a veteran criminal who had survived countless life-or-death situations.
Before she got too close, she stopped, keeping a deliberate distance between them, her gaze locking onto his.
"Do you need medicine?" J asked with a soft smile, though a hint of regret slipped into her tone.
The moment their eyes met, she knew—Elias wasn't at all surprised to see her.
That meant… her identity had already been exposed.
Her heart sank slightly.
This wasn't part of the plan.
"Latias—you lured her here?"
Elias ignored her question, instead throwing out his own.
J blinked in surprise.
She hadn't expected him to drop all pretense so quickly.
Fine.
Abandoning her act of concern, she let a different expression take over—one of fervor and ambition.
"That's right. I used your flute to do it."
As she spoke, she tossed the flute back to him.
Then—before he could respond—she continued,
"Elias, since there's no trust left between you and Latias, why not come with me?"
"I admire your abilities. If we join forces, most of the world's Pokémon will be ours for the taking."
"At that point, forget just one Latias—Pheromosa, Meloetta… whatever Pokémon you want, they'll all be yours."
Her voice was smooth, alluring.
Of course, she didn't actually believe a few words would make Elias abandon his grudge and sincerely side with her.
She just needed him to agree—even if it was a lie.
Once she got him back to her base, a combination of [Hypnosis] and Alakazam could break him.
Even Psychic-type Pokémon couldn't withstand their methods—let alone a mere human with psychic abilities.
This was the adjustment she had made after realizing her identity had been compromised.
"So, what do you think?"
J prompted when Elias didn't answer right away.
But the moment she finished speaking—
She froze.
Because suddenly—without her noticing—Elias had moved.
He was right in front of her now.
The distance that had been between them just seconds ago was now less than two meters.
Her instincts screamed at her—
Almost reflexively, she drew the short blade at her waist.
Clang!
The sharp clash of metal rang out as Elias's psychic blade collided with hers.
The sound made J frown.
Eyes widening, she stared at him in disbelief.
"Are you insane?"
"You'd rather die here for a Pokémon?!"
A chill ran down her spine.
If she hadn't reacted in time—if her clothing didn't have psychic-resistant properties—she would have already fallen to her own carelessness.
But she still couldn't understand—why was Elias throwing away his only chance at survival just to fight her now?
Even if he pretended to agree, he could have at least waited until later!
In their struggle, J was forced to the ground.
Flat on her back, she stared up at the blade hovering inches from her face.
"Damn it," she cursed under her breath.
---
At the same time—
Boom!
Latios struggled to rise.
After countless attempts, his body was finally starting to move again.
As he strained against his weakened state, a sudden thought hit him.
His eyes lit up.
He had almost forgotten—
As twin Pokémon, he and Latias shared a special ability.
—Shared Vision!
---
T/N: LMAOOO i like how J threw out potential FEMALE pokemon partners for him... like he's not attracted to pokemon he's attracted to WHO they are...? i think im coping
...
Huh. You really stuck it out all the way to the end.
Didn't think you had the patience. Guess I was wrong.
WiseTL's the one who actually made all this come together. I'm just here putting a bow on it… or, well, shoving it in a backpack and calling it a day. Same thing.
If you had fun, you know what to do:
👉 [patreon.com/WiseTL]
Heads up—Patreon's 50% off for all tiers during May. So if you were on the fence? Now's the time.
And if you're the social type, there's a Discord too. Pretty decent spot to hang out—no battles required.
👉 [discord.gg/wisetl]
Alright. That's enough standing around. Go on—before you make it weird.
—Leaf