"Groon~ (There, there, sweetie.)"
Gardevoir bent down and gently scooped up the Ralts in her arms, her usual regal demeanor melting into boundless tenderness. Su Feng watched the adorable creature and pulled out a can of Psychic-type Energy Cubes to offer the Ralts.
Noticing Gardevoir's questioning glance, Su Feng scratched his head. "A gift for the little one."
Gardevoir nodded in understanding.
"Hello there, little friend," Su Feng said softly, crouching to meet Ralts' gaze.
"Raaa… (H-Hello, Mr. Human…)" Ralts' voice was shy and sweet, like a bashful whisper.
[Livestream Chat]
[OMG green-haired loli!!!]
[But how do we know it's female?]
[A cute boy?! EVEN BETTER!]
[Seek help, bro.]
[This family's genes are unreal! I'm obsessed!]
[I have… ideas about this smol bean.]
[For those "ideas," China has laws, cops have guns, judges have gavels—and you'll have a coffin.]
[Pokémon Protection Act Section 69: "No funny business." Now I get why.]
So cute, Su Feng thought, though his appreciation was purely wholesome. Regrettably, there was no time to play.
Standing, Su Feng signaled Xiao Da, who recalled Audino into her Poké Ball. Gardevoir watched calmly—she'd heard tales of these human tools from her mother's stories.
"Farewell, Gardevoir," Su Feng said with a respectful nod.
"Groon~ (Safe travels, Mr. Su.)" Gardevoir replied warmly. "Groon. (Return if trouble arises. I'll aid you.)"
"Thank you," Su Feng said, grateful for the unexpected ally.
"Groon. (One more thing.)" Gardevoir gestured to a Sceptile lounging in a nearby tree. "Groon. (Sceptile, guide them to the Dragon border.)"
"Scep. (Got it.)" Sceptile leapt down, agile as a shadow.
As Su Feng and Xiao Da departed, Pangoro sidled up to Gardevoir. "Rrroar? (Why let them go? Rare humans…)"
Gardevoir rolled her eyes. "Groon. (We're not villains. He'll return.)"
Pangoro nodded. Gardevoir's premonitions were never wrong—they'd saved the forest from disasters and droughts for generations.
Alone now, Gardevoir removed a pendant from her neck: a teardrop-shaped gem swirling with red and green light. She fastened it around Ralts' tiny neck.
"Groon. (My time to bond with a human for Mega Evolution has passed. This duty falls to you now.)"
Ralts tilted her head, baffled. "Raaa?"
Gardevoir smiled sadly, stroking her child's hair. She hated burdening Ralts, but her mother's final prophecy left no choice.
"Groon. (Mother… The psychic human has arrived. Your foretold crisis nears, doesn't it?)"