Pokémon: Breeding Simulator [26]

Faster... just a little faster...

Burning through her psychic energy at an alarming rate, Gardevoir teleported repeatedly in rapid succession, pushing herself to the limit.

Yet, no matter how fast she moved, a suffocating tide of fear engulfed her heart.

Not long ago, she and Eevee had just stepped into the Ilex Forest when they were suddenly attacked by a powerful Pokémon.

Gardevoir recognized it instantly—it was the same Lugia that had been under that masked man's command.

That realization struck her with chilling clarity: Elias wasn't just dealing with Celebi—he had also crossed paths with that masked man.

And with only a Gengar by his side... Gardevoir's already heavy heart plummeted, sinking into a depth of despair she had never known before.

The battle between Eevee and Lugia had jolted her back to her senses.

With Eevee holding off Lugia, she had seized the chance to push forward, heading deeper into the forest.

But amidst her fear, for the first time, Gardevoir recognized her own naïveté.

She had severely underestimated Elias's determination to heal her, failing to anticipate the dangers that might arise.

Had she known things would turn out like this, she would have followed Elias without hesitation, supporting his plan to capture Celebi.

At the very least, she could have stayed by his side, facing the danger together, instead of only realizing the gravity of the situation after it was too late.

Because of her, Elias's already arduous task had become even more difficult.

After what felt like an eternity of relentless teleportation, Gardevoir finally detected a faint energy fluctuation.

Carefully sensing it, she recognized it as Elias's psychic energy.

But there was no relief—only dread.

Through their shared psychic connection, she could feel how terribly weak Elias was.

His energy was so feeble, so fragile—like a flickering candle in the wind. Even the slightest mishap could spell irreversible disaster.

Please... don't let anything happen to him… I beg you...

Gardevoir pushed herself even harder, teleporting faster and faster.

The distance between them shrank rapidly. At this range, she could now faintly perceive Elias's physical condition through her telepathy.

She had prepared herself for the worst, but when she finally saw him—bleeding profusely, an arm missing—her heart skipped a beat.

How… how could this have happened?

A suffocating sense of despair spread through her chest.

Gardevoir couldn't even begin to imagine the kind of brutal battle Elias had endured to end up in such a state.

As his closest Pokémon, she knew better than anyone how overwhelming Elias's psychic abilities were.

Calling him a "human-like Pokémon" was an understatement—most Psychic-type Pokémon couldn't even compare to his power.

Yet despite that, he had still suffered such devastating injuries.

While Gardevoir stood frozen in shock, a small red figure suddenly rushed toward her at incredible speed.

...

Elsewhere, Elias had realized something was wrong the moment the masked man issued an order to his Delibird.

But before he could stop it, the command had already been given.

"Swinub, use [Blizzard]!"

In an instant, a blast of freezing wind erupted from Swinub's mouth, blanketing the area in a white haze, providing the perfect cover for Delibird to escape.

At the same time, the masked man's actions only confirmed Elias's suspicions.

Something was over there—something important.

And if the masked man was this desperate to launch an attack… Elias didn't even need to think to know what it was.

"Gardevoir."

Gritting his teeth, Elias ignored his dwindling psychic reserves and pushed forward, his figure flashing as he teleported through the [Blizzard], chasing after Delibird.

After several rapid teleports, he finally caught sight of the bird's low-flying silhouette in the distance.

But more importantly, he saw a familiar figure on the ground.

"Gardevoir!" Elias shouted.

At the sound of his voice, Gardevoir halted her teleportation, turning toward him.

Even from afar, she could barely make out the dark silhouette, but she knew—it was Elias!

A surge of relief and joy flooded her heart.

The distance between them wasn't far. With a single long-range [Teleport], she could reach him instantly.

Even if someone attacked Elias right now, she would be able to block it in time.

She had made it.

At last, she had caught up to him.

At the same time, Gardevoir noticed Delibird charging toward her.

Though it was airborne, its beak had begun glowing with a chilling blue light.

Even the faintest leak of its icy energy left frost in its wake, freezing the branches as it passed. That alone was enough to show how devastating this attack would be.

But Gardevoir wasn't afraid. Her eyes gleamed with steely resolve.

She was confident that she wouldn't lose to this Delibird.

And anyone—Pokémon or human—who dared to harm Elias would pay the price.

She focused her energy, preparing to strike back with a powerful psychic blast.

But then—something unexpected happened.

Halfway through charging her attack, her psychic energy suddenly vanished.

Her overwhelming presence dissipated instantly, leaving her feeling disturbingly powerless.

Gardevoir's expression darkened.

As someone who had fought alongside Elias for years, battling crime at his side, she knew exactly what was happening.

Her abilities were being sealed.

And she knew the source of the restriction—it wasn't an enemy's doing.

It was the bracelet on her own wrist.

The one she had personally bought for herself and Elias.

Her mind went blank.

Elias's bloodied form replayed over and over in her head.

She had a terrible feeling—she could already guess the reason behind his missing arm.

The joy she had felt just moments ago vanished.

Gardevoir's body trembled.

She didn't dare think about it.

Elias had just called out to her… but was it out of concern?

Or was it… the fury of betrayal?

In the blink of an eye, Delibird's Ice Beam was fully charged.

It soared upward, then locked onto its target—Gardevoir.

And fired.

A thick, arm-sized beam of freezing energy shot straight toward her, radiating an overwhelming chill.

Under the moonlight, the ice shimmered ominously, making the attack's lethality painfully clear.

Even a Fire-type Pokémon would think twice before facing this attack head-on.

But Gardevoir had no time to dodge.

Or rather—without her psychic abilities, her frail body made dodging impossible.

I'm going to die...

I'm sorry, Elias.

Gardevoir shut her eyes, bracing herself for the inevitable.

And then—

Boom!

A deafening impact rang out, the cold exploding into a burst of misty frost.

But... there was no pain.

Instead of unbearable agony, she felt nothing but a faint, almost refreshing coolness—like standing in front of an open fridge on a hot summer day.

Slowly, Gardevoir opened her eyes.

And then—her pupils shrank in shock, her entire body trembling violently.

"E-Elias…"

The one who had taken the full force of the Ice Beam—

The one shielding her—

Was none other than the person she cherished most.

Elias.

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T/N: AHHHHHHHHHHHH THE ANGSTTTT WHY MUST I ENJOY THIS PAIN???