Sure enough, Cogita was as perceptive as ever.
He hadn't even spoken yet, and she'd already guessed, in just a few sentences, why he'd acquired the poacher gear.
That left Elias no room to evade with a different excuse.
Seeing Elias hesitate, clearly struggling for words, Cogita knew she'd hit the mark.
From what she knew of him, Elias had never disliked Pokémon battles.
To him, psychic powers and Aura were simply supportive tools.
But this time, he planned to go alone without a single Pokémon by his side.
And he hadn't even mentioned it.
Cogita immediately sensed something off.
"Which Pokémon are you after?"
She'd never liked spending effort on speculation.
Cogita looked straight at Elias and bluntly asked the question on her mind.
At that, Elias felt his heart skip.
Within just a few minutes, Cogita had nearly pieced together his entire plan.
If she found even one more clue, nothing would remain hidden.
"Cogita, it's not a dangerous Pokémon."
Unable to devise a better excuse, Elias could only try to soothe her for now.
Unfortunately…
That flimsy reassurance did nothing to calm Cogita.
"Yveltal?"
"Or Xerneas?"
"It has to be one of those two, right?"
Given Kalos's limited number of legendary Pokémon, Cogita quickly narrowed down the possibilities.
As she moved closer to the truth, Elias felt a chill creep up his spine.
Her intuition was sharp—and after more than a century together, she also knew him inside and out.
Elias realized that nothing he said today could overturn the conclusions she'd already drawn.
Off to the side…
Watching Elias's shifting expressions, Cogita felt irritated—and, strangely, a hint of smug satisfaction.
Only she could read him this thoroughly.
If it were Diancie, she'd have likely been fooled already, standing there smiling obliviously.
But precisely because she'd gotten so close to the truth, Cogita's irritation grew stronger.
The Elias she knew would never act so recklessly.
The only reasons he'd ever risk himself were matters involving her—or those few Pokémon.
Once she considered that, the motive became obvious.
"You're risking your life just to help Diancie make a diamond? Anyone who didn't know better would think you're the Queen."
Cogita snorted softly and spoke deliberately.
In her eyes, the shattering of the giant diamond would indeed cause trouble.
The underground would fall into chaos, and Diancie might even shoulder the blame.
But…
Compared to Elias's safety, that price was trivial.
Especially since a diamond could be recreated.
With a few years' training—under Elias's guidance—it wouldn't be difficult for Diancie to restore the diamond herself.
Cogita couldn't comprehend how Elias could be so foolish.
The only explanation was that he didn't want Diancie saddled with a negative reputation.
But…
A few accusations—how serious could the consequences really be?
As she thought this, Cogita's breath quickened.
She rarely became angry.
But after the recent incident and now this—even her patience wore thin.
Snap—
A slender hand suddenly seized Elias's wrist.
With a pull, she dragged him backward.
He stumbled two involuntary steps before Cogita cornered him against the wall.
"The reward and risk don't match at all. Only an idiot would do something like this—and yet you insist?"
Rarely had he heard Cogita speak through clenched teeth like this.
Her usual languid tone had vanished completely.
"Diancie's condition is still an issue. I want to help her resolve it as soon as possible," Elias replied, shaking his head.
"Then handle it slowly afterward. Isn't that enough?"
"If she seriously trains, in three or four years—under your guidance—she could remake the diamond easily."
"That's not too long, is it?"
Three or four years was short, even for ordinary humans.
Let alone Diancie, a mineral Pokémon—and Elias himself, now in Ghost Form.
Yet…
Several seconds passed after Cogita finished, and Elias still said nothing.
When she glanced up, Elias was staring directly back at her.
They stood close enough for Cogita to faintly feel the chill emanating from his body—and that barely perceptible breath.
But instead of the familiar warmth and fluttering in her chest, she felt only a thin, lingering fear.
Why wasn't he answering?
Had she said something wrong just now?
She mentally reviewed her words, finding nothing inappropriate.
Yet her unease didn't fade—it intensified instead.
"Eli—"
"Cogita, I'll handle everything. Trust me."
Seeing she was about to speak again, Elias interrupted first, gently reassuring her.
After some thought, he chose not to mention that he only had one or two months left to live.
Instinct warned him that revealing it too soon would lead to something truly awful.
Interrupted, Cogita fell silent.
Only after a prolonged pause—
Just as Elias was about to cautiously call her again, Cogita gently released his wrist.
Her brows knitted slightly, as if she wanted to say more.
But even after returning to her seat, she didn't continue.
"Haa…"
Glancing at Cogita quietly sipping her tea, Elias faintly sensed she hadn't believed him.
...
[Cogita appears to have noticed something, yet unusually, doesn't pursue it further.]
[Even the poacher gear—she behaves as though she hasn't seen it, and doesn't ask about its intended purpose.]
[Only her occasional furrowed brows reveal lingering concern.]
[Recently, she's also been experiencing frequent headaches. You've often caught Cogita pressing a hand to her forehead.]
[Time flows steadily. Before you know it, tomorrow is the day you'll return to the surface.]
[Earlier, you'd agreed with Dianna: you'll temporarily return aboveground, while Diancie remains at her side.]
[With tension steadily rising within the clan, even this farewell is handled cautiously.]
---
bonus chaps
100 stones -> 1 chapter
200 stones -> 2 chapters
300 stones -> 3 chapters
and so on
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