[After giving Delphox a puzzled look, it suddenly relaxes its tail.]
[As if nothing happened, it brushes your arm with its tail as usual, leaving behind a ticklish sensation.]
[It's obvious that Delphox is hiding something—but it doesn't seem willing to talk about it now.]
[After a moment's thought, you decide to suppress your curiosity for now.]
[It's already very late. Although you don't need rest, Cogita and the others still need sleep.]
[After fooling around in the courtyard for a while, Cogita and the two Pokémon grow drowsy and start yawning.]
...
"Elias… come back early…"
Diancie mumbles indistinctly as she falls into Elias's arms, eyes already squinted shut with a yawn.
Elias gently wipes the tears from the corners of her eyes.
Before he can say anything more, Diancie is already breathing steadily.
Seeing this, Elias smiles helplessly.
It must be nice to be young…
"Sleepy. Going to bed."
With Diancie asleep, Cogita covers her mouth and also gives a small yawn.
As she stretches, her nightgown outlines her figure.
For Cogita, appearance had always been her least notable quality.
It was the mysterious aura, cultivated over hundreds—thousands—of years, that truly captivated others.
But still…
Elias had to admit that based purely on appearance, Cogita didn't lose out to anyone.
"If you dare lie again, I'll catch a whole bunch of Caterpie and toss them into your blanket."
As she passes Elias, Cogita suddenly leans close and whispers in his ear.
Elias: …
He knows she's referring to the poacher gear.
So, he hadn't fooled her after all.
By the time he regains his composure, Cogita has already gone inside.
For a moment, only sleeping Diancie remains in the courtyard—alongside Delphox, sitting quietly off to the side.
"Delphox, aren't you going to sleep?"
Elias looks at Delphox's back, puzzled, as it stares blankly at the giant diamond.
Delphox hasn't seemed like itself today, and it worries him.
At his question, Delphox hardly reacts, merely shaking its head lightly.
It looks dull and pitiful—nothing like its usual clever self.
"You'll have to wake up early tomorrow."
Elias frowns and continues.
Unfortunately… still no response.
Delphox clearly doesn't intend to sleep this early, and Elias doesn't push it further.
"Wuu…"
Finally, Delphox lifts a paw and waves, signaling Elias to go rest first.
Seeing it like this, Elias can only offer a few more reminders before carrying Diancie upstairs.
He doesn't know what's wrong with Delphox, but it definitely isn't acting normally.
What Elias doesn't see, however…
is that once he turns away, the blankness in Delphox's eyes flickers with slyness.
Its fox eyes narrow halfway, clearly plotting something.
...
[Early the next morning, you climb out of bed bright and early.]
[Because they need to see you off, Diancie and Cogita flop around like fish out of water—struggling for quite a while before managing to drag themselves out of bed.]
[Meanwhile, Delphox, who normally wakes early, absolutely refuses to get up today.]
...
After checking with Psychic and using the Power of Viridian, Elias finally confirms that Delphox is simply oversleeping.
Thinking back on how late Delphox stayed awake last night, Elias can only sigh helplessly—but still can't bring himself to wake it forcefully.
Nearby, watching Delphox fail at the worst possible moment, Diancie curls her lip in disdain.
What's the point of always waking up early if it can't manage it today?
She can almost picture Delphox's regretful, disappointed expression once it wakes up.
...
[After breakfast, you, Cogita, and Diancie head for the agreed meeting place.]
[When you leave, Delphox remains sound asleep, forming a small lump beneath its blanket.]
[You don't disturb it, quietly closing the door behind you.]
[By the time you reach the meeting point, Dianna is already there, waiting.]
...
"Elias…"
Compared to Diancie and the others, Dianna's mood is noticeably heavier.
As queen, she bears far greater responsibilities.
Because if she tries to avoid them, the consequences would ultimately fall entirely on Diancie.
Dianna doesn't want that outcome.
And yet…
The instant she thinks about getting caught up in the chaos—about something potentially happening, even today possibly being the last time she'll ever see the Ghost Form in front of her—breathing becomes painfully difficult.
As a mineral Pokémon, she's already lived long enough.
By now, she shouldn't fear death, yet today she feels an indescribable resistance.
For a moment, a faint sheen of tears even appears in Dianna's eyes.
Across from her.
Seeing Dianna like this also startles Elias.
It's the first time he's ever seen her this way.
Guessing her thoughts, he steps forward two paces.
Then, under Dianna's wide-eyed gaze, he lightly taps a diamond against her forehead.
Elias's touch is gentle, merely leaving behind a cool sensation.
It's the diamond she'd given him.
Dianna recognizes it immediately.
Any naturally-born Diancie has a diamond like this—one tied to them intimately.
She hadn't expected Elias to still have it with him.
"I'll take care of everything. Don't worry."
Elias gently rubs Dianna's head, offering a faint smile as he speaks.
She's not like Diancie—normally, she wouldn't tolerate actions that undermine her dignity.
Yet strangely enough, aside from her body stiffening slightly, Dianna hardly reacts today.
Hearing Elias tell her to rest easy, Dianna genuinely feels her tension ease slightly.
However…
She also knows that he can't truly resolve everything.
Unless Elias is secretly a Diancie in disguise, there's no way he could create a giant diamond.
As for rapidly increasing Diancie's strength in the short time they have left…
That's even less realistic. Without evolving, a Pokémon's strength still has to be built step-by-step.
And Diancie's body still has flaws.
Thus, Elias's reassurance can only be words of comfort.
"Go. Be careful on the road," Dianna says, taking a deep breath.
If nothing unexpected happens, this might indeed be the last time she sees him.
But if she could choose…
Dianna hopes that, next time, she'll be the first one to find Elias.
---
bonus chaps
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200 stones -> 2 chapters
300 stones -> 3 chapters
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