Pokémon: Breeding Simulator [23]

"Masked Man."

The worst-case scenario had unfolded before Elias's eyes, and his expression darkened.

He had anticipated that his opponent might be lying in wait, but he had counted on slipping past the ambush using the hidden path he had scouted beforehand.

Yet, not only had he been caught, but he had also walked straight into a trap that had been set up in advance.

"How did you know I'd take this route?" Elias narrowed his eyes.

The ice barrier surrounding him was massive. Even for a powerful Ice-type Pokémon, constructing such a structure would take considerable time.

There was no way the Masked Man had set up barriers along every possible path.

Which meant only one thing—the man before him had known his exact movements all along.

"Heh."

The Masked Man let out a smug chuckle, lifting his wrist slightly as if to hint at something.

Elias instinctively glanced down at his own wrist, where the bracelet from Gardevoir rested.

Understanding dawned on him immediately.

"So that's how it is. Gardevoir bought this from you, didn't she?"

"Or perhaps… your Pokémon betrayed you and chose to work with me instead?"

Pryce did not confirm Elias's suspicion directly. Instead, he seized the opportunity to plant doubt.

He was eager to see Elias's reaction upon realizing that the very gift from his most trusted Pokémon was what had given away his location.

Yet, to Pryce's surprise, Elias remained entirely unaffected.

Instead of showing hesitation or distress, an even more dangerous aura radiated from him.

"Deceiving Gardevoir… you deserve to die."

Elias would never fall for such a cheap attempt at manipulation.

No one understood the depth of Gardevoir's feelings for him better than he did.

And that made him even angrier at Pryce's underhanded methods.

"Gengar, [Shadow Ball]!"

Without further words, Elias issued the command.

"Sha-ha—!"

Gengar, already primed for action, conjured a dark, pulsating sphere of energy and hurled it straight at Pryce.

"Hmph."

Seeing that his ploy had failed, Pryce scoffed in disinterest.

With a flick of his wrist, he released Delibird and Swinub from their Poké Balls.

The moment it appeared, Delibird snapped its beak open and unleashed an [Ice Beam], colliding with the incoming [Shadow Ball] midair.

The impact created a thick cloud of mist and smoke.

At the same time, Swinub—seeing Delibird drawing near—suddenly leaped into the air and landed securely on its back.

"Delibird, [Air Slash]."

"Swinub, [Blizzard]."

Pryce issued his commands without hesitation.

The two Pokémon attacked in unison, their combined assault of slicing air currents and frigid winds rushing toward Gengar.

If the attack connected, even a resilient Ghost-type like Gengar would suffer serious damage.

But when it came to dodging, Ghost-types had a natural advantage.

"[Phantom Force]."

As the raging storm closed in, Elias remained composed.

At his command, Gengar melted into the shadows, dissolving like a purple mist into the ground.

Delibird and Swinub's attacks blasted against the terrain, kicking up a swirling haze of snow and debris.

Meanwhile, beneath the battlefield, Gengar had already positioned itself directly beneath Delibird.

In a flicker of movement, Gengar reappeared in midair, just slightly above Delibird's altitude.

A dark energy coiled around its fist as it swung downward in a brutal [Shadow Punch].

BAM!

At the last possible second, Swinub barely managed to conjure a [Protect] barrier around itself.

But in real battles, [Protect] wasn't an absolute defense—it was affected by power disparities and environmental factors.

The hastily deployed barrier lasted less than a second before shattering.

Delibird, though powerful, was still a small-bodied Pokémon. It simply could not withstand such forceful impact.

"Wah-li!"

The force sent it reeling midair, its flight pattern suddenly unstable.

Elias saw his opportunity.

He focused his psychic energy, preparing to pull Delibird down and remove it from the fight completely.

But just as a faint blue glow began to shimmer around him—

Pryce sneered.

"This trick again?"

Unpleasant memories flashed through his mind, veins bulging under his mask.

Beneath his cloak, his fingers moved subtly—triggering a hidden mechanism.

In an instant, a strange wave of energy pulsed outward from Elias's wrist, spreading through his entire body.

His psychic power was forcibly suppressed, retreating into his core as though it had been locked away.

"A Psychic Restrainer?"

Elias immediately recognized the device for what it was.

It was a tool often used by poachers to capture Psychic-type Pokémon, emitting a frequency that temporarily sealed their abilities.

He hadn't expected that Pryce had embedded such a mechanism into the bracelet.

Without hesitation, Elias reached to remove the bracelet. He planned to discard it for now and retrieve it later—after dealing with Pryce.

But Pryce had anticipated this.

Or rather… he had prepared for this exact moment from the very beginning.

Just as Elias's fingers brushed against the bracelet, a built-in failsafe activated.

Thin layers of ice suddenly spread outward from the bracelet, engulfing his entire forearm in seconds.

Any attempt to remove the bracelet was now completely impossible.

Meanwhile, thanks to Pryce's interference, Delibird had regained its balance and hovered once more, locking eyes with Gengar.

Seeing this, Elias exhaled a cold breath.

So this was why the Masked Man had refused to show himself until now.

Now, it was clear…

Everything was riding on this final battle.

...

Meanwhile, back at the inn in Azalea Town…

Gardevoir, who had fallen asleep early, suddenly jolted awake.

She shot upright, her chest heaving as she gasped for breath.

She had just had a terrible nightmare.

A nightmare she never wanted to face.

In it, Elias had left her… going somewhere far away… never to return.

The dream had felt so horribly real that even now, she was still shaking.

"Thank goodness it was just a dream…"

Placing a hand over her chest, she let out a relieved sigh.

But then—

She realized something was wrong.

"Elias?"

Gardevoir reached out, searching for his presence beside her.

Instead, all she felt was cold, empty sheets—no sign that anyone had been sleeping there.

Instantly, an uneasy feeling surged through her.

Panic flashing in her eyes, she scrambled out of bed, calling again—this time, toward the door.

"Elias!"

No response.

The only sound in the room was the faint rustling of the wind outside.

The color drained from Gardevoir's face.

Her nightmare…

Was it really just a dream?