Although restless emotions spread wildly in her mind, years of growth had taught Gardevoir not to be controlled by them.
Suppressing the agitation deep in her heart, Gardevoir let out a soft breath.
She firmly believed that Elias must have had an important reason for not coming to find her.
But still...
She could understand Elias, but a certain pink cat had no excuse.
Looking at the "herself" inside the room—comfortably curled up on Elias's left side, shamelessly rubbing that fake body into his embrace—Gardevoir's gaze grew colder by the second.
With a gentle clench of her pale, slender hand, the other "Gardevoir" in the room was suddenly lifted into the air.
Mew, who had been peacefully sleeping, instinctively stabilized herself at the sudden feeling of weightlessness.
Still drowsy, she didn't even realize what had happened.
It wasn't until the cold wind brushed past her on both sides that she shivered involuntarily and groggily opened her eyes.
"Garde...?" She instinctively called out in Gardevoir's voice.
But after taking in the scene before her, she was speechless.
Floating silently not far away was a Shiny Gardevoir with crimson eyes and a darkened expression.
Mew swallowed hard—she recognized the figure immediately.
Under that intense gaze, she quickly reverted to her original form and waved her little paw ingratiatingly.
"Mew~ (Long time no see~)"
Unlike when she was still an Eevee, ever since that night when she witnessed Gardevoir's strength firsthand, Mew had completely chickened out.
She had to admit, there was indeed a slight power gap between them now.
In response to Mew's flattery, Gardevoir merely let out a cold chuckle.
She said nothing. With a wave of her hand, an overwhelming surge of psychic energy instantly rushed toward Mew.
Sensing danger, Mew's fur bristled. Trusting her instincts, she turned to flee—only to slam headfirst into an invisible wall.
Watching Gardevoir slowly approach, Mew, knowing she was in the wrong, dared not fight back.
Most importantly... even if she did, it wouldn't change anything except making Gardevoir even angrier.
---
The morning sunlight streamed through the windows at a gentle angle.
Amidst the playful chirping of Pidgey outside, Elias stirred from his sleep.
For some reason, he had slept unusually well last night.
Stretching lazily, he slowly sat up, intending to lean against the headboard.
But what should have been a simple action turned out to be surprisingly difficult.
The reason? His waist was tightly embraced by a "Gardevoir."
"Mew, time to get up."
With a helpless sigh, Elias reached out and gave the supposed "Gardevoir" a light push.
His fingertips brushed against soft, silky skin, as smooth as the finest white jade.
He had to admit—many Pokémon had skin far smoother than humans. Even though the "Gardevoir" before him was actually Mew in disguise.
"Garde~"
Just as he was thinking this, the arms wrapped around him tightened slightly, pulling him back into bed.
At the same time, a pair of slender, delicate legs entwined around him, completely cutting off any chance of escape.
"Gardevoir~ (Let's sleep a little longer.)"
A voice echoed in his mind through telepathy.
Hearing this, Elias didn't think much of it—after all, Mew was known for being a late riser.
However, just as he was settling back down, Gardevoir suddenly opened her eyes.
"Garde, Garde~ (Shall we continue what we started last night?)"
She asked, her tone laced with something unreadable.
"Last night?" Elias looked puzzled.
As far as he remembered, after escorting Lance home, he had gone straight to sleep—nothing else had happened.
As he carefully observed her expression, Gardevoir seemed to relax, closing her eyes once more.
"Gardevoir~ (It's nothing.)"
Just as Elias grew even more suspicious, Gardevoir spoke again:
"Gardevoir (When are we going to find Gardevoir?)"
"Find Gardevoir for what?" Elias replied absentmindedly, still trying to figure out Mew's unusual behavior.
The moment his words fell, he clearly saw Gardevoir's expression darken.
But before he could take a closer look, she had already shut her eyes again.
Something was very off.
Elias knew Mew's personality well—normally, if he asked about Gardevoir ten times, she might not even answer once.
Yet today, she had voluntarily brought it up?
Either Mew was still half-asleep... or this wasn't Mew at all.
Elias leaned in slightly, studying the peaceful sleeping face before him.
Connecting the dots with the earlier question, his eyes widened in realization.
He had a strong suspicion about who this was.
To confirm, he discreetly used his psychic powers to scan the room—but no trace of Mew could be found.
Now he was even more certain.
—So you like to play pretend, huh? Well, here's the real deal.
"What are you looking for?"
Just then, the Gardevoir in his arms suddenly opened her eyes, her voice carrying a chilling edge.
The moment he saw the blood-red glint in her gaze, Elias's breath hitched.
"Gardevoir?" he probed cautiously.
Seeing that he had recognized her, Gardevoir's displeasure eased slightly.
She didn't reply. Instead, she simply tightened her embrace and shut her eyes again, as if she truly intended to go back to sleep.
Even though she remained silent, Elias was now certain of her identity.
As the distance between them shrank, he caught a faint scent—
Unlike Mew's characteristic milky sweetness, Gardevoir carried a light floral fragrance.
Exactly like in his memories from the simulator.
To further confirm, he tried reaching out to the psychic energy within her.
Sure enough, it responded with a familiar warmth.
Being sought out by Gardevoir so suddenly, even Elias was momentarily thrown off.
But as he processed the situation, he relaxed and gently stroked her smooth back.
"Welcome home, Gardevoir," he murmured.
This time, she responded.
"Why didn't you come looking for me?"
Her voice carried a suppressed emotion—thick with resentment.
Elias fell silent.
He didn't know how to explain. Or rather... in this situation, any explanation would just sound like an excuse.
"...I'm sorry. There were many reasons, but... it won't happen again."
Finally, Elias met her gaze and made a serious promise.
It was the only thing he could do right now.
Gardevoir, being highly attuned to emotions, could sense that he wasn't lying.
After a moment, she rested her head against his neck once more.
Just when Elias thought she had fallen asleep in this awkward posture, her soft yet chilling voice rang out again:
"Elias, would you be willing to stay with me forever? In a world where it's just you and me?"
As she spoke, a bewitching red glow flickered in her eyes.
It was clear—she had been thinking about this for a long time.
---
T/N: phew she didnt run away but... Elias I think you need to RUN AWAY