Pokémon: Breeding Simulator [28]

[You are dead. Before Gardevoir's eyes, you shattered into countless ice crystals.]

[You watched as the light slowly faded from Gardevoir's eyes, an unbearable ache swelling in your chest.]

Many had witnessed Elias's death.

Not just Gardevoir and Delibird.

Gengar, who had been held back by Swinub, Pryce, who had been watching for the final outcome, and… Mew, who had just arrived.

All of them saw this brutal yet eerily beautiful curtain call.

"Mew…"

Mew, having finally escaped from Lugia, froze midair as her gaze locked onto the ice shards drifting in the air.

Her pupils dilated.

The usual sparkle in her eyes dulled.

The ever-optimistic, ever-playful Mew—this time, she couldn't bring herself to smile.

A rare expression of fury crossed her small, delicate face.

Her gaze locked onto Pryce, murderous intent rising in her heart for the first time.

She would not forgive the man responsible for Elias's death.

But before Mew could act, Gardevoir moved first.

She rose to her feet, slowly, almost mechanically.

She stood there, dazed, her wide, tear-filled eyes staring at the space where Elias had vanished, as if her mind had stopped functioning.

Then—

A crimson hue seeped into her irises.

And the air around her turned suffocatingly heavy.

"…Elias."

Gardevoir raised her bloodstained hands, her trembling gaze locking onto the two bracelets in her palm.

The once bright blue bands were now soaked in deep red.

The small hearts she had painstakingly engraved were now fully dyed in blood.

But instead of joy, all she felt was endless emptiness and pain.

She remembered the day Elias first put on the bracelet—his promise to never take it off.

Gardevoir inhaled deeply, her eyes fluttering shut.

"…Idiot."

A soft murmur escaped her lips.

But before she could sink any further into her memories, Pryce approached.

"The [Rainbow Feather]—you still have one, don't you?" Pryce asked directly.

Even now, his obsession with the [GS Ball] remained unwavering.

He already possessed a [Silver Wing] and the knowledge to craft the [GS Ball].

All he needed was a [Rainbow Feather], and next full moon, he would capture Celebi.

This time, without Elias's interference, success was guaranteed.

Yet, Gardevoir gave no response.

She remained motionless, standing as if she hadn't even heard him.

Pryce frowned.

"Your trainer is dead. As long as you cooperate, I won't harm you," he said, his voice laced with warning.

"But if you try to run… don't say I didn't warn you."

To him, a Pokémon without a trainer was nothing to fear.

Even if Gardevoir was strong, so what?

He still had Swinub and Delibird, and Lugia was on its way.

Meanwhile, Gardevoir had only herself.

Gengar was already too injured to fight.

Three against one—the odds were in his favor.

At last, Gardevoir stirred.

She carefully tucked the bloodstained bracelets away, then lifted her gaze to Pryce.

Her once gentle, sapphire eyes were now deep crimson, void of warmth.

Her voice drifted through the air like a whisper of death.

"Run? Why would I run?"

A chill crawled up Pryce's spine.

That look in her eyes—it was the gaze of someone staring at a corpse.

Unease gripped him, and he instinctively stepped back.

But before he could even move half a step—

He realized, with horror, that he was completely frozen in place.

An unseen force bound his body, crushing him with terrifying pressure.

It felt as though his frozen limbs were on the verge of shattering under the strain.

Pryce's face darkened.

"Delibird, [Aerial Ace]!" he barked.

Without hesitation, Delibird dived straight at Gardevoir.

It planned to repeat what it had done to Elias—finishing her off in one swift strike.

In the blink of an eye, it was upon her, claws gleaming with razor-sharp light as they slashed forward.

The sound of air being sliced rang sharply.

But—

Just before its attack could land, its talons came to an abrupt halt.

As if some invisible hand had gripped it midair, Delibird found itself completely immobilized before Gardevoir.

"Delii…?"

It tilted its head in confusion—

Only to meet Gardevoir's crimson gaze.

"You… all deserve to die."

Her voice was as cold as frost, layered with grief and hatred so profound it sent a chill down even Delibird's spine.

Even an Ice-type like Delibird couldn't suppress the shudder that ran through its body.

For the first time in its life, it felt pure, unrelenting fear.

Not even when facing Ho-Oh had it felt this level of dread.

And it was too late to escape.

The moment Gardevoir spoke, an unseen force invaded Delibird's mind.

Its nerves twisted in agony, as if a dull blade was slowly severing every connection in its brain.

It wanted to resist, but it quickly realized—this wasn't an ordinary psychic attack.

Gardevoir's overwhelming resentment had fused with her psychic energy, infecting its mind with torment both physical and psychological.

A piercing scream escaped Delibird's beak before it lost consciousness.

Meanwhile, Pryce—having already recalled Swinub—watched in horror.

He had heard stories of Gardevoir's immense power when driven by extreme emotions.

But that power was supposed to last only for a brief moment—

Because a Pokémon consumed by such emotions would eventually succumb to madness themselves.

Yet…

Something about this Gardevoir was different.

"Damn it."

He cursed under his breath.

Lugia hadn't arrived yet.

He couldn't afford to stay here.

In that instant, he made his decision.

"Swinub, retreat!"

Without hesitation, he recalled Delibird into its Poké Ball, then turned and fled at full speed.

Gardevoir did not chase him.

Instead, she clasped her hands together, cradling the bloodstained bracelets in her palms.

She lifted them beneath her chin, closing her eyes as if in prayer.

Then—

She smiled.

"Elias… They won't escape."

As her quiet whisper faded into the night, a beam of moonlight broke through the clouds, casting a glow over her blood-soaked dress.

The scene was both serene and eerie.

Then—

As if drawn by some unseen force, the moonlight in the sky began to gather in a single point.

The air trembled under its weight.

And once the energy reached its peak—

Gardevoir lifted her hand.

Boom—

A fully charged [Moonblast] tore through the night, streaking toward the fleeing Pryce.

The explosion illuminated half the sky.

Pryce turned his head just in time to see a blinding flash of white.

It was the last thing he ever saw.

Swinub tried to shield him, but it was futile.

The [Moonblast] swallowed them whole.

Along with every Poké Ball on Pryce's belt.

Gardevoir landed softly on the ground, her movement as light as a feather.

She teleported next to Pryce's unconscious body.

He was still alive. Barely.

But she didn't finish him off.

Instead, she cast [Heal Pulse over him.

Her voice was chillingly calm.

"You won't get off that easy."

The whisper echoed through the forest.

---

T/N: gulp