When Latios learned that a human had caught Latias, he flew into a rage. Those damned humans were still after Alto Mare's power. They had even gone after his sister!
"Uh... something feels off."
What struck Mingyou as odd was what Latias had just said. She had practically directed the conflict straight at him. She probably had not realized it, but he had cared for her long enough to know exactly what she was like.
She simply did not want to go back with her brother. Mingyou normally stayed out of family disputes and took neither side. This time was different, though. Latias was his Pokémon, and he was her guardian too!
He was not about to let Latios take her away just like that. Listening to a child's wishes mattered to a guardian, but that also meant this would not be settled easily.
So, just as an argument with Latios seemed inevitable, Mingyou said, "Why don't we settle this with a test of strength?"
"Huh?"
"Let's battle. I'll have Latias face you. If we win, it'll prove she's capable of living independently now, and you'll stop interfering in her life. If you win, it'll mean I haven't taken good care of her, and you can carry on doing it!"
Mingyou went straight for the simplest, fastest way to prove how much Latias had grown. She no longer needed her brother's protection.
Latias froze, her orange-tinged eyes full of confusion. How had this suddenly turned into a battle?
Besides, she was no good at battling. She could manage against little kids, but Iron Valiant had completely overwhelmed her in the digital world a few days ago. She had long since lost confidence in her ability to beat an opponent.
Latios was even more baffled. He wanted to argue with Mingyou,