A Pokémon's lifespan was fundamentally different from that of humans. Even ordinary Pokémon, once trained by a Trainer and having gained great power, would live far longer than any human ever could.
Those powerful Pokémon that eventually died usually did so for only one reason—after their Trainer passed away from old age, the bond that sustained them vanished. Some Pokémon would follow their Trainers in death, while others would quietly return to the wild, patiently waiting for the end of their own lives.
Because of this, Logan had never once worried that his Pokémon would one day leave him.
What truly concerned him was something else entirely.
When time continued to flow forward, would the girls who had once accompanied him eventually grow old and disappear as well?
This worry might have seemed far too distant for someone like Logan—after all, he was still not yet eighteen, and his life had only just begun. But Logan was someone who planned ahead. Once he identified a problem, he instinctively sought a solution.
At first glance, this dilemma appeared unsolvable.
Yet after what he had discovered in the Team Rocket hidden beneath the Viridian City Gym, Logan already had an idea of how to resolve it.
Standing quietly at the entrance of the Pokémon Center, Logan waited patiently.
What he needed to do now was capture Latias and Latios—but the process was turning out very differently from what he had originally imagined.
Although Logan had long known from the records that Latias possessed a humanoid form, he had never expected her to blend into human society so effortlessly—like a drop of water dissolving into the sea.
His originally planned method of capture clearly needed adjustment.
"I thought I'd be using strength… or reason… so how did this turn into courting and chasing a girl instead…?"
Logan rubbed his forehead, feeling both amused and troubled.
Still, no matter the method, as long as it benefited the capture of these two Legendary Pokémon, it was acceptable. Logan was a patient man—more than willing to slow down and do things properly.
He waited some distance away from the Pokémon Center, idly passing time. More than an hour later, he finally saw Latias step outside. By now, she had changed out of her nurse's uniform and into casual clothes, hurrying away.
Logan stroked his chin thoughtfully and chose not to follow her directly.
With Latias's keen perception, tailing her too closely would be easily detected. Fortunately, with the Eon Flute acting as a tracker, it didn't matter where she went—he would know.
He immediately turned and walked in the opposite direction, pulling out a map of Alto Mare. Using the guidance from the Eon Flute, he traced Latias's route, then found a shortcut for himself. After a few quick turns and detours, Logan arrived ahead of her.
He bought some snacks from a shop along the riverside road, pretending to enjoy them leisurely. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched the opposite side of the street.
Before long, a beautiful girl with twin red ponytails entered his field of view.
Logan tossed the empty snack box into a trash bin, wiped his mouth with a napkin, and called out cheerfully:
"…Miss Latias, fancy meeting you again. What a coincidence we have!"
On the road of pursuing girls, most "fate" was actually man-made. If one waited for destiny to arrive naturally, they might wait a lifetime. Sometimes, a man had to create fate himself.
Latias looked over in surprise. Then, she broke into a bright, sunny smile and waved back.
"…Hello, Mr. Logan. I didn't expect to see you here again!"
She was genuinely happy.
In truth, Latias rarely interacted with humans. It wasn't that she had no human friends—but even across her incredibly long life, she had made very few.
Seeing someone she already felt fond greet her, and in such a "coincidental" manner, filled her with joy.
Of course, she had no idea that Logan had waited over an hour outside the Pokémon Center, armed with the Eon Flute as a cheat.
"Calling me by my surname feels a bit distant—just call me Logan. Are you heading home, Miss Latias?"
Logan smiled as he asked.
Through the Eon Flute, he could sense that Latios moved occasionally, but never strayed far. According to the map, Latios's activity zone lay behind Alto Mare's administrative district, within a garden courtyard.
Logan was almost certain—that was where the two Legendary Pokémon lived.
"Yes. I've finished work for the day, so I'm heading back."
Her expression was radiant and carefree, her answer lighthearted. No one could possibly imagine that the girl before them was a Pokémon—much less a Legendary one. It was precisely this ability that had allowed Latias to live in Alto Mare for so many years without being discovered.
"What I'm about to ask might be a little forward, but would you be willing to spare some time to show me around Alto Mare? You're a local, right? It's my first time here, and I'd be really happy to have a local guide."
Logan made his invitation directly.
In their brief interactions, he had already realized that despite her long lifespan, Latias remained innocent, pure, and straightforward—far less complex than humans. In that sense, she resembled Mew.
"You're inviting… me?"
Latias pointed at herself, surprised.
"Yes, you. How about taking one of Alto Mare's small vendor boats? Cruising through the canals sounds like a local specialty."
Logan gestured toward a small dock by the canal.
"Sure! This is the first time anyone's ever invited me like this!"
Latias was visibly delighted and immediately agreed.
"The first time? With how beautiful you are, Miss Latias, I doubt that."
As he spoke, Logan naturally took her hand and led her toward the boat rental.
Although Latias possessed a human way of thinking, she was still a Legendary Pokémon at heart—and thus lacked human-style shyness. Being held by the hand didn't strike her as inappropriate in the slightest.
Logan, on the other hand, took advantage of the contact to quietly sense her condition.
In human form, Latias was indistinguishable from a real girl. At the very least, her hand felt just as soft, slender, and delicate—smooth as silk, light as if boneless.
"Well… it's not that I've never been invited before. I just didn't like the people who invited me."
As a Legendary Pokémon, Latias was extremely sensitive to human emotions. She disliked those who harbored malice.
In truth, Logan also harbored ulterior motives—but his overwhelming Dragon Tamer Power distorted Latias's perception of him, making her instinctively trust and favor him.
"Then I'm truly honored to have earned your approval, Miss Latias."
With that, Logan led her to the rental booth, hired one of Alto Mare's signature boats, and began their leisurely tour.
Capturing Pokémon had never required defeating them.
In Logan's view, subduing Pokémon with brute force was the lowest-tier option—especially when dealing with Legendary Pokémon. Strength alone was never absolute.
This time, Logan's plan—Operation: Kidnap Latias—was simple.
First, approach her.
Then, build a bond.
And finally, persuade her with reason to leave Alto Mare.
Logan couldn't help but think that after all this, he might just earn himself a new title—
"Master Pokémon Kidnapper."
--------------------
T/N:
Check out my Patreon
[email protected]/FictionalRealms784 - (Replace '@' with 'a')
for 5 Advanced Chapters absolutely FREE—or unlock 35 Advanced Chapters
--------------------