"Um… I know this is a bit much to ask, but… could you share a little bit of your psychic energy with me?"
"Just a little."
As soon as she said it, Ralts immediately clamped her tiny hands over her face, her cheeks flushing bright red. Her heart pounded wildly in her chest.
Requesting to exchange psychic energy…
That was something only the closest mates in her clan would do.
Asking something like this so suddenly—of a complete stranger, no less—the chances of rejection were almost guaranteed.
But she had no choice.
For the sake of survival, she had to try.
Ralts hated poachers. She knew what happened to Pokémon who got caught.
Even if the odds were slim, she had to ask.
Her clear, childlike voice resonated directly in Elias's mind, carried by her psychic power.
Hearing the request, he raised an eyebrow in surprise.
She's asking for psychic energy?
After being turned down by countless Psychic-type Pokémon, he knew exactly what this request meant.
And judging by the way she looked ready to bury herself in the ground, it was clear that she knew too.
"You run out of psychic energy often?"
As he briefly examined her condition, the answer became clear before she even spoke.
"Mhm…" Ralts nodded hesitantly. "I… I was born weak. My body can't store much energy."
Elias's mind immediately began working.
I have too much psychic energy—so much that it could literally explode me.
She has too little—so little that she can barely function.
If we teamed up… wouldn't that solve both our problems?
The idea made perfect sense.
Now, the only question was whether she was willing.
He stepped closer, lowering himself slightly so that their eyes were level.
"Ralts," he said gently, "Would you like to come with me? I can make sure you always have enough psychic energy."
"R-Ralu?!"
Ralts' entire body froze.
Her mind went blank.
She was so stunned that she forgot to use psychic power to transmit her words, and instead, let out an involuntary audible squeak.
"I-I… You, y-you…"
When she finally remembered to use her abilities again, her words were still a stuttering mess.
It wasn't her fault.
Because for Pokémon, what he had just asked…
Was the same as a mating proposal.
She was still a child! If she accepted, the elders would definitely scold her!
She had planned to refuse outright.
But then…
His offer replayed in her head.
Unlimited psychic energy. Every day.
That… sounded really nice.
Sensing her hesitation, Elias reassured her. "Don't worry, it's just a normal partnership."
"I won't put you in a Poké Ball, and I won't control what you do. If you ever feel like leaving, you can—whenever you want."
He just wanted to extend his lifespan for a while. He wasn't about to force a Pokémon to stay with him.
Ralts looked up at him, studying his face.
He looked completely serious.
After a few seconds of hesitation, she gave a small nod.
"I… I agree to the partnership."
The moment she said it, her entire body turned rosy pink, her tiny hands gripping her bangs as if she wanted to hide her entire face.
Elias smiled and gently transferred a portion of his energy to her.
Ralts didn't resist.
But the moment his energy entered her—
They both froze.
Ah… So this is why exchanging psychic energy is considered taboo…
The sensation of their psychic forces coursing through each other's bodies, reaching every part of their being…
It was extremely strange.
But soon after, Elias felt something he hadn't in years—
Relief.
For the first time, his body wasn't on the verge of bursting with excess power.
And for Ralts—
She had never felt this strong before.
For the first time, she felt like she could fight back against the Gardevoir elders.
"R-Ralu…"
Feeling her body turning too warm, Ralts quickly broke the connection.
The power was amazing, but… if she absorbed any more, she felt like she was going to melt.
"Alright," Elias said, flexing his fingers. "Now, let's go take care of those Team Rocket guys."
"Ralu~"
Ralts nodded, reaching out instinctively to take his hand—
But at that moment—
A blinding bolt of lightning shot down from the sky, aimed directly at them.
"Haunter, [Shadow Ball]!"
Elias reacted instantly.
A dark sphere formed in Haunter's hands and launched forward, colliding with the lightning and erupting into a violent explosion.
"Heh. Nice reflexes."
From the shadows, a large blond man stepped forward, his subordinates surrounding them.
The Rocket Executive, Lt. Surge.
His eyes gleamed with undisguised greed as they landed on Ralts.
A shiny Ralts.
Good thing he had been watching the drone footage, or else he might've missed this jackpot.
"Listen, kid," Lt. Surge said, cracking his knuckles. "Hand over that Ralts, and I'll let you walk away."
"Otherwise…"
He clapped his hands—
And from his side, a Manectric and Raichu stepped forward, both radiating dangerous electricity.
"Ralu…"
Ralts took a step back.
They're after me…
She instinctively put more distance between herself and Team Rocket—
But at the same time, she also distanced herself from Elias.
After all…
They had only just met.
They had exchanged power, yes—but she barely knew him.
Would he really fight for her?
She had more than enough energy to teleport away now. She could easily escape if she wanted.
But…
She didn't run.
Somehow, she found herself waiting.
Would he… actually choose to protect her?
Meanwhile, Elias subtly assessed the situation.
There were more Rockets than he expected.
But more importantly—
The blond guy's two Pokémon felt on par with the Gym Leader's Alakazam.
This wasn't just some random criminal.
This was a serious opponent.
He had never gone up against someone at Gym Leader-level before.
Officer Jenny, you better get here quick.
Taking a deep breath, he exhaled slowly—then tightened his grip on Ralts.
"Ralu?!"
Ralts panicked.
She had been waiting for his decision, but this—?!
Her first instinct was to teleport away—
But then she realized—
She couldn't.
Elias's psychic energy had already locked onto her.
"LET ME GO, YOU LYING HUMAN!"
She screeched in protest, kicking and punching his arm.
Unfortunately, with her tiny body, it had about as much impact as being hit by a feather.