Pokémon: Breeding Simulator [38]

"Little girl, do you need something?"

Lance forced a smile as he asked, but deep down, he had a bad feeling about this.

However, the crying girl standing before him didn't respond. Instead, she simply pointed at him with a heartbroken expression, as if she were looking at a faithless scoundrel.

Her fair, delicate fingers trembled slightly in the air, as though she had suffered a great injustice.

Naturally, her hesitant yet accusatory demeanor drew the attention of nearby passersby. Many people strolling through the night market began speculating about the situation.

Hearing words like "cheater" and "heartbreaker" floating around, Lance's expression twisted slightly.

No matter how hard he racked his brain, he couldn't figure out who this purple-haired girl was—let alone why she had suddenly latched onto him.

Just as he was about to ask if she had mistaken him for someone else, the girl suddenly opened her hand, which had been tightly clenched against her chest.

The moment her palm unfurled, a bronze dragon-shaped badge came into view.

Lance immediately swallowed the words he was about to say. Now, he was certain—she hadn't mistaken him for someone else.

There was only one reason for that—because he had personally given that badge to a dear friend years ago.

"Where did you get this badge?"

Lance's expression turned serious, his sharp gaze locking onto the girl before him.

Elias's disappearance back then had been incredibly abrupt.

According to Lance's later investigation, the night before vanishing, Elias had booked a room at a nearby inn in Azalea Town. But after that, there had been no trace of him.

Some town residents had even described seeing a bright flash in the night sky that evening.

That had led Lance to strongly suspect that Elias had been taken—whether by someone or some Pokémon.

Even after all these years, with no clues to follow, Lance had never given up on his search.

And now, seeing someone holding the very badge he had given Elias, there was no way he was letting this lead slip away.

However, just as he voiced his question, the girl didn't answer. Instead, she flashed a mischievous grin and let out two light chuckles.

Then, before Lance could react, she spun around and darted into the crowd, running in the opposite direction.

"Hey, wait!"

Seeing this, Lance finally lost his composure and immediately squeezed through the crowd in pursuit.

All that remained were the onlookers whispering and pointing at the red-haired young man's retreating figure.

As an Elite Four, Lance wasn't foolish enough to chase after her alone.

Realizing that the distance between them was growing, he didn't hesitate to pull out a Poké Ball and toss it forward.

"Dragonite, catch that girl!"

Without hesitation, Dragonite flapped its small wings and shot toward the fleeing girl.

"Rooooar~"

Locking onto the running target, Dragonite dived straight down.

Its Champion-level prowess was on full display. Despite its bulky frame, it moved with precision, its plump claws reaching out for the girl's shoulders.

Just as it was about to grab her—

The girl suddenly turned her head, locking eyes with Dragonite.

[Scary Face]

A pair of crimson eyes flashed from the girl's gaze. In Dragonite's vision, her delicate features instantly became overwhelmingly intimidating.

Caught off guard by the sudden change, Dragonite hesitated for a split second.

And that split second was all she needed. Seizing the opportunity, she swiftly darted into a nearby alleyway.

Snapping out of its daze, Dragonite awkwardly glanced at the narrow passage.

Given its size, the only way it could enter was by knocking the buildings down.

At that moment, Lance arrived. Years of partnership allowed him to immediately grasp Dragonite's dilemma.

Recalling his partner into its Poké Ball, Lance tensed as he stepped into the alley.

For her to escape from both him and Dragonite, even if she had relied on tricks, it was enough to prove that she wasn't ordinary.

In fact, she might very well be the one responsible for Elias's disappearance.

At that thought, Lance's wariness heightened. He was prepared to send out his Pokémon at the slightest sign of trouble.

But even as he reached the end of the alley, there was no sign of the girl.

Just as Lance was feeling puzzled, footsteps suddenly sounded behind him.

He quickly turned around—only to freeze in shock at the sight of the newcomer.

"Shocking! The Dragon-type Elite Four Lance was seen following a young girl into a secluded alley at night!"

"With a headline like that, tomorrow's newspaper will sell like crazy, don't you think?"

The newcomer smirked, holding up a newspaper as he spoke.

---

"If I ever give you another keepsake, I'll jump off Mt. Moon first!"

Lance gripped his cup tightly, seething with frustration.

He didn't even need to think about it—his reckless behavior just now had definitely been caught on camera and would definitely be printed in the newspapers.

Tomorrow's headlines were basically guaranteed.

However, despite his complaints, a faint smile never left Lance's lips.

Clearly, he was in an exceptionally good mood.

"I was just boosting your fame, helping you build momentum for your future shot at the Champion seat," Elias said with a satisfied grin.

After all his careful planning, he was pleased. Gengar was pleased. Even Mew, who had just watched the show, was pleased.

And as for Lance? Well, he looked pleased too—so, a win for everyone!

"Oh, thank you so much."

Lance's expression was extremely "kind" as he expressed his gratitude.

As the main courses were served, the atmosphere gradually shifted to something more serious.

Lance gazed at Elias intently and asked,

"So, where exactly have you been all these years? Why didn't you send even a single message? And… why do you look different?"

Although their lighthearted banter had quickly rekindled their old dynamic, Lance still found it hard to believe that Elias had just suddenly reappeared—just as abruptly as he had disappeared.

Hearing Lance's questions, Elias's smile faded. A headache set in.

He had no idea how to explain this to Lance.

He hadn't even explained it to Mew.

Because the simulator…

Forget whether or not Lance and the others would believe him—Elias himself didn't want to reveal its existence.

It wasn't about trust. It was simply that once the truth was out, he would undoubtedly be labeled as some kind of "anomaly."

Seeing Elias's hesitation, Lance also fell into deep thought.

After a long pause, he asked slowly,

"Did… Celebi have something to do with this?"

He remembered that the whole reason Elias had resigned back then was to search for Celebi.

And as a Pokémon of time and space, Celebi undoubtedly possessed the power to travel through time—even the ability to fundamentally alter a person.

Looking at Elias's youthful face, which hadn't changed much from the time he left—

It was as if the years hadn't left a single mark on him.

If there was any Pokémon that could make that possible…

The only answer Lance could think of was Celebi.

A conclusion, shaped by his own reasoning, slowly took form in his mind.