Pokémon: Breeding Simulator [24]
"Elias… where are you…"
Gardevoir sat at the edge of the bed, her expression blank, as if her soul had been drained from her body.
She had already searched the entire room and found no sign of Elias.
She tried to reassure herself—maybe he had just stepped out for something urgent.
But… every time he left without telling her, he would always leave a note on the bedside table, carefully explaining his reason and even marking exactly when he would return.
This time, however, there was nothing.
Not only that, but she also noticed something else—Gengar's Poké Ball was missing. So was Elias's old investigator uniform.
Everything pointed to one conclusion—Elias had left without telling her. And more importantly, he had likely gone off to fight.
But… what kind of battle would he leave her out of?
A terrifying possibility surfaced in her mind.
She clenched her fists, memories of Elias's recent suspicious behavior flashing through her mind like a film reel.
Looking back now, it was obvious—he had never given up on capturing Celebi. He simply stopped mentioning it to keep her from worrying.
All this time, he had been making preparations in secret.
And if her guess was correct… then tonight was the night Celebi would appear.
Her body stiffened. Then, as if waking from a trance, she abruptly stood up and strode toward the window.
Her large, watery eyes gazed into the distance—toward the Ilex Forest.
The night air was calm, and the forest lay in peaceful silence.
But Gardevoir knew Elias was there.
It was an instinct, a connection they had forged over years of sharing psychic energy.
"Liar…"
Her voice trembled.
She could only hope that Celebi wasn't too strong—that Elias wouldn't get hurt before she could reach him.
"At least that foolish Eevee is with him… it should be able to hold the fort."
She hated that Eevee, but she had to admit—its strength was undeniable.
However, just as she was about to leave—
BANG!
The door suddenly burst open.
For a split second, her heart soared—she thought Elias had realized he was in danger and had come back to her.
But when she turned around, the joy on her face vanished.
"E… Eevee?! What are you doing here?!"
"Where's Elias?!"
Gardevoir's voice was sharp with disbelief.
She stared at the panting, dust-covered brown figure standing in the doorway.
For the first time in her life, she wished—prayed—that this was all a bad dream.
But it wasn't.
Eevee, who had sprinted all the way back, took in the empty room—then, hearing Gardevoir's question, stiffened in horror.
She had rushed back here expecting to find Elias safe with Gardevoir.
But if Gardevoir was here… then that meant…
A chilling silence filled the room.
Their hearts sank, growing colder with each passing second.
If Eevee was here… and Gardevoir was here…
Then Elias was out there alone—with only Gengar by his side.
A wave of dizziness struck Gardevoir.
Her body moved on instinct, summoning her psychic energy.
In the next second, she vanished—heading straight for Ilex Forest.
...
The battle between Elias and Pryce had reached its peak.
Gengar's agility—once its biggest advantage—was gradually being worn down by the relentless teamwork of Delibird and Swinub.
With every exchange, Gengar's injuries worsened.
In contrast, Delibird and Swinub had only suffered minor wounds—their sheer strength was enough to suppress Gengar completely.
"You've trained this Gengar well."
Pryce's tone was almost admiring.
He knew the battle was as good as won.
It wasn't arrogance—it was reality.
Elias had no access to his psychic abilities.
He had no backup Pokémon.
And without those two things, there was no way for him to turn the tide.
Elias remained silent.
Pryce didn't seem to mind. He lifted a hand, signaling Delibird to ease its attacks.
Then, turning his masked gaze back to Elias, he spoke in a calm, measured voice.
"Elias, as your opponent, I respect you. A talented Trainer like you is an asset to the League—losing you would be a waste."
"So here's my offer—hand over the [GS Ball], and I'll let you walk away. I won't pursue any past grievances."
His words sounded sincere.
But they weren't.
Pryce didn't actually care about Elias's potential.
He just didn't want to expend unnecessary resources before capturing Celebi.
If he kept fighting, he would still win—but at what cost?
Delibird and Swinub would burn through their stamina.
And if they were too exhausted to battle Celebi afterward…
That was a risk Pryce refused to take.
Elias narrowed his eyes, processing his opponent's words.
He knew exactly why Pryce was making this offer.
But more importantly, Pryce had just revealed something crucial.
The [GS Ball]?
He doesn't have Ho-Oh's feather?
Elias's mind flashed back to that day—when he had ordered Gardevoir to steal every last feather from the battlefield.
That meant that Pryce's only shot at catching Celebi was the [GS Ball] in Elias's hands.
Elias lowered his gaze, beckoning for Gengar to return to his side.
Pryce didn't stop him.
To him, this was a sign that Elias had surrendered—that he was about to hand over the [GS Ball] obediently.
And Elias's next action only confirmed his assumption.
Slowly, Elias reached into his jacket and pulled out a Poké Ball—one with a golden, intricate design.
Then, he held it up and waved it slightly toward Pryce.
"This is what you want, right?"
Pryce's gaze locked onto the GS Ball, his breath catching slightly.
This was the closest he had ever been—the closest he had ever come to Celebi.
"Elias, give it to me, and I'll let you go."
At this moment, Pryce's thoughts of revenge had been completely overwritten.
All that mattered was Celebi.
He had sacrificed too much for this moment…
But just as he reached out—
Elias suddenly smirked.
"Pryce, there's only one Celebi in existence, right?"
A terrible feeling surged through Pryce's chest.
But he forced himself to nod.
"Yes, there's only one. Now stop wasting time and—"
His voice cut off sharply—turning into an almost animalistic roar.
Because before his eyes—
Elias had tossed the [GS Ball] into the air… and Gengar blasted it to pieces with [Shadow Ball].
The shattered fragments scattered like dust, disappearing into the night sky.
Elias didn't look the least bit regretful.
Instead, he smiled, locking eyes with Pryce.
"Since there's only one… then for Gardevoir's sake, let's have a fair competition next full moon."
There was no way he would let this masked bastard steal the only Celebi.
As he spoke, he slowly lifted his arm—the one encased in ice, still bound by the bracelet's trap.
Then, in the same calm voice, he turned to Gengar.
"Gengar. Use [Shadow Ball]—and blow my arm off."
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T/N: WHHHHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAT
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