Pokémon: Breeding Simulator [49]

In the wild, Pokémon born outside human care often face countless uncertainties that can affect their health.

Even Legendary Pokémon, despite their power, are not exempt from this rule—especially the weaker ones.

Take Latias, for example. Because of her unique physiology, her body naturally secretes a distinct scent, making her a beacon for poachers.

But what Latios had never told his sister was that his condition was even worse.

That's right—compared to Latias, whose only problem was an uncontrollable scent, Latios was born physically weak.

He had no doubt that if left to natural circumstances, he wouldn't have many years left to live.

But he had never shared this with Latias.

As her older brother, he didn't want to burden her with anxiety, forcing her to live in constant fear.

Unfortunately, his silence wouldn't stop his body from deteriorating.

And that meant one day, when he was gone, Latias would be left without protection, her very existence luring in poachers like a pack of starving Mightyena.

He needed to find her a safe haven.

For years, he had been tracking Lugia's whereabouts.

As the guardian of the sea, Lugia was probably one of the few beings capable of protecting Latias.

But Lugia hadn't been seen in ages, and any clues Latios had managed to find were fragmented at best.

He still had no idea where to locate him.

And just when he was feeling trapped in frustration—

The human in Latias' arms had displayed an extraordinary psychic gift.

Sure, due to his young age, the power was still raw and unrefined.

But the sheer potential was undeniable.

If this human could truly come to see Latias as family… maybe even as his mother…

Couldn't he offer the same level of protection as Lugia?

Before he realized it, Latios' perspective had shifted.

His gaze on Elias softened—his hostility fading, if only slightly.

...

Meanwhile, Latias remained wary.

She noticed the change in his attitude, and that only made her more suspicious.

Is he plotting something?

Just as she was contemplating whether she should grab Elias and run—

Latios finally spoke.

"I'll allow you to keep raising him. But there are conditions."

In the end, he decided to take a calculated risk.

"What conditions?"

Latias blinked, eyes wide with surprise.

She hadn't expected things to turn out this way—and she wasn't complaining.

"First," Latios said firmly, "you can only stay in Alto Mare. You're not allowed to go anywhere else without my permission."

"If he ever leaves, you're not allowed to follow."

Latias nodded without hesitation.

She was well aware of her own condition and had never planned on venturing far.

As for her little one…

As both his owner and mama, keeping track of his whereabouts was not going to be a problem.

Seeing that she didn't object, Latios relaxed slightly before continuing,

"Second, he can never find out you're a Pokémon. If he starts to suspect, you must return immediately."

Until Latios was absolutely certain Elias saw Latias as family, he wouldn't allow her to take any unnecessary risks.

At this, Latias hesitated.

Not revealing her true form meant she'd be severely restricted in what she could do.

And more importantly…

She wasn't sure how Elias would react if he one day discovered the truth.

Would he be unable to accept it?

But seeing her brother's unwavering expression, she bit her lip and nodded in agreement.

Fine. I'll just have to be extra careful.

Having made up her mind, she looked back at Latios cautiously.

"Any other conditions?"

She was terrified he'd suddenly throw in something ridiculous to force her to give up.

But after a brief moment of thought, Latios shook his head.

"Not for now."

As his words settled, Latias visibly relaxed, her face lighting up with joy.

Watching her reaction, Latios still felt uneasy.

He wasn't sure if he was making the right choice.

But after some thought, he convinced himself this was a controlled gamble.

If it worked, Latias would have a protector even after he was gone.

If it failed… well, at least she'd learn the harsh reality that humans couldn't be trusted.

Either way, he would be in control.

With that reassurance, his tense nerves finally loosened.

---

[Thanks to Latias' persistence, the two of you moved into a small house in Alto Mare during the autumn of that year.]

[Upon entering human society, Latias was far more fascinated by everything than you were. She bought nearly every item she saw in the marketplace and left you in charge of cleaning up the chaos.]

"You can just use [Psychic] to move everything! Come on, you got this~!"

Latias cheerfully tried to trick two-year-old Elias into organizing the mess.

Unfortunately for her, he completely ignored her request.

---

[With her plan failing, Latias was forced to clean up herself. That night, as punishment, she covered your face in playful bite marks.]

[Age 3: Over nearly a year of living among humans, you and Latias gradually adapted to city life.]

[Latias chose a less conspicuous name—'Tias'.]

[To avoid suspicion, she claimed to be mute and communicated solely through telepathy.]

[The simple folk of Alto Mare didn't question it. Instead, they often went out of their way to help her.]

[However, due to her exceptionally youthful appearance, Officer Jenny had visited multiple times to investigate.]

"Tias, please understand—we have a fully functional legal system."

"If you tell us who the child's father is, we will ensure that he fulfills his responsibilities and receives the appropriate punishment."

Latias, standing at the doorstep, resisted the urge to sigh.

For the third time, Officer Jenny had come to ask about Elias's father.

She had no idea why the woman was so fixated on this, but there was no way she could suddenly produce a non-existent "husband."

After a moment of careful thought, Latias decided to take a different approach.

If being a mama was causing too many problems…

Then she would simply change titles.

With newfound confidence, she met Officer Jenny's gaze and declared,

"Elias isn't a child. He's a pet. So he doesn't have a father—he only has me, his owner."

She lifted her chin proudly, as if this were the most natural thing in the world.

Officer Jenny nearly snapped her pen in half.

She stared at Tias in stunned silence, at a complete loss for what to do.

…Who exactly was she supposed to arrest here?!

---

T/N: good lord