"Don't call me that anymore."
Latias finally mustered the courage to say it.
Hearing this, Elias, whose lips were still covered by her hand, looked at her with confusion, as if waiting for an explanation.
However, that single sentence had already drained all of Latias' courage.
With her mind in complete disarray, there was no way she could push forward any further.
"There's no particular reason."
"I just... I just don't want you to call me 'Mom' anymore. It makes me sound old!"
Latias pouted in dissatisfaction.
Within her own species, her age was actually similar to Elias's in human terms—perhaps even younger.
Elias, knowing this as well, couldn't help but chuckle. A warm breath escaped his nose, and Latias retracted her hand as if she had been jolted by electricity.
He gently wrapped an arm around her slender shoulders, his voice soft.
"Mom is a Legendary Pokémon. How could you ever be old?"
Even if the day came when his own life ended, Latias would still be in the prime of her youth.
The thought unsettled Elias.
If this world was created by Arceus, then why didn't it make Pokémon and humans have similar lifespans?
Elias decided that if he ever met that so-called Creator, he had to ask.
At that moment, he suddenly felt one of the Poké Balls at his waist being pulled away.
Glancing to the side, he saw Latias holding a red-and-white Poké Ball in her pale hands, noticeably larger than her small palm.
Elias blinked in surprise.
It wasn't Milotic's.
It wasn't Salamence's.
It was a completely empty Poké Ball.
"Capture me!"
Just as he was wondering what she was up to, Latias raised the Poké Ball high, speaking with firm resolve.
"...What?" Elias was momentarily dumbfounded.
"I… I want to be your Pokémon! Capture me!" Latias repeated.
Despite the determination in her voice, her eyes darted around nervously, betraying her tension.
This wasn't some impulsive idea—she had genuinely thought it through.
Because to her, a Pokémon was the closest existence to a Trainer.
She wanted to be by Elias's side, always.
However—
"Stop messing around, Tias." Elias rejected her without hesitation.
"Why… why not?"
Hearing his immediate refusal, tears welled up in Latias' eyes, her cheeks flushing a deep red.
Even that sea serpent could be Elias's Pokémon. So why not her?!
Seeing her aggrieved expression, Elias felt his breath hitch.
There was nothing that made his heart soften more than seeing her like this.
But capturing his own mother as a Pokémon…
If he actually agreed, he might escape being arrested by Officer Jenny, but there was no way he'd avoid Latios' wrath.
"Tias, since when does a mother become her child's Pokémon?" Elias sighed, ruffling her hair. "Just saying something like that sounds so weird—"
"...Hm?"
Latias tilted her head at his words, blinking in confusion.
"...Is that weird?" She didn't think so.
Pokémon were family.
A mother was also family.
Pokémon needed care.
A mother needed care.
So Pokémon = Mother, right? That made perfect sense!
Hearing her bizarre logic, Elias was speechless.
From the very beginning, he had noticed that his idiot of a mother could be pretty slow when it came to most things.
But on rare occasions—like this one—her cluelessness reached new heights.
At the very least, he had never heard this particular argument before.
Seeing that she had failed to convince him, Latias lowered her head in disappointment.
Sometimes, having such a smart child wasn't a good thing.
But her disappointment didn't last long—
Because she had Backup Plan Two!
Just as Elias was about to console her,
Latias set the Poké Ball aside and instead took out a completely white one.
"A… Premier Ball?" Elias recognized it immediately.
"Silly Mom, do you think changing the ball will make me easier to catch? At minimum, you'd need a Master Ball."
Elias chuckled.
He had no idea what she was trying to do, but going along with her antics seemed like the safest bet.
"It's not that." Latias puffed up her cheeks.
Then, under Elias's curious gaze, she lifted the Premier Ball and lightly tapped it against his arm.
Click!
The button was pressed, and the Poké Ball immediately popped open.
But because it was aimed at a human, only a brief flash of red light appeared—nothing more.
Latias looked slightly disappointed.
She had expected this outcome, but…
She really wanted a Poké Ball that could capture humans.
Maybe someone would invent one someday…
As Latias spaced out, Elias finally understood what she was trying to do.
He couldn't help but want to laugh but restrained himself.
"So… you're saying you want to capture me, Tias?" he asked.
"Of course!"
Latias snapped out of her daze, nodding proudly.
"If Elias refuses to capture Mom, then I'll just be your Trainer instead!"
"And just now—" she beamed. "That was a successful capture~"
Although the idea of a child being their mother's Pokémon was still ridiculous, this time, Elias didn't have the heart to reject her outright.
"...Of course."
He responded softly, then reached out and took the Premier Ball from Latias' hands.
It was warm to the touch, smooth and pristine.
Under her expectant gaze, Elias used his psychic abilities to form a delicate carving tool, carefully etching onto the ball's surface.
A moment later, an elegant inscription appeared:
Elias's New Home.
"Pfft—"
The second Latias saw the inscription, she covered her mouth and giggled.
She was very satisfied with Elias's cooperation.
After laughing to her heart's content, she suddenly remembered something.
Reaching into her chest, she pulled out a small, black-and-red object.
"This is the Eon Flute—it can awaken the full potential of an 'Infinite Pokémon.' My brother had the Kadabra on the island send it over for you."
"As long as you play it, no matter where you are, I'll come to you immediately."
Latias explained its function briefly before handing it to Elias.
Elias carefully took the flute, turning it over in his hands.
It had a strange texture—dark red with hints of black, its surface rough like stone.
The design was unmistakable.
The flute was shaped exactly like Latias in her [Mega Evolution] form.
Holding it almost felt like having a miniature Latias in his hands.
The only downside was that it was small and extremely lightweight.
If he wasn't careful, he might lose it.
To be safe, Elias decided to tie a string around it and wear it as a necklace.
…And while he was at it, he figured he'd do the same for the Premier Ball Latias had used to "capture" him.
After all, he was officially her Pokémon now.
---
T/N: A bunch of FREAKS
...
Huh. You really stuck it out all the way to the end.
Didn't think you had the patience. Guess I was wrong.
WiseTL's the one who actually made all this come together. I'm just here putting a bow on it... or, well, shoving it in a backpack and calling it a day. Same thing.
If you had fun, you know what to do:
👉 [patreon.com/WiseTL]
And if you're the social type, there's a Discord too. Pretty decent spot to hang out—no battles required.
👉 [discord.gg/wisetl]
Alright. That's enough standing around. Go on—before you make it weird.
—Leaf