"Ma—Majesty?!"
Watching Dianna rush out of the room, Diancie's mind blanked for a split second.
That reaction only sharpened the unease in her chest.
I'm going too.
She pressed a hand lightly over her heart, hopped down from the bed, and hurried after her.
She had to find Elias.
Even if… even if he really had abandoned her, she needed to hear it from his own mouth.
...
Cogita sat quietly in her courtyard.
Her home was secluded, but it offered one of the best vantage points in the territory—a high spot with a clear view.
As Dianna and Diancie rushed out one after another, Cogita silently took a sip of plain water from the table.
She'd been dealing with sleepless nights for days, which was why she hadn't chosen tea again.
Besides… tea she brewed herself just never tasted quite as good.
"Enamorus, do you think I should follow them?"
Staring at the pink Pokémon keeping her company, Cogita suddenly asked.
But before it could answer, she shook her head.
From skimming through the books in Elias's room, she'd already pieced together his plan, more or less.
In the current situation, whether she or Diancie went along wouldn't make much difference.
"I just hope Dialga's cry did its job."
That was the charm she'd given him.
"Mm…"
Suddenly, Cogita frowned and instinctively pressed a hand to her head.
Even the cup in her fingers slammed onto the table.
Perhaps it was the consecutive nights without sleep, but lately, her head had been aching intermittently.
The pain was hard to describe—exactly like the time she'd collapsed before.
Yet at the same time, Cogita had a faint premonition.
As long as she endured this period of headaches, seeing Elias again wouldn't be difficult at all.
That was also why she wasn't as restless as Diancie.
...
"Rrrgh…"
Now, Yveltal—hit by heavy artillery—had crashed miserably to the ground.
A layer of specially made capture netting wrapped around its body.
In its weakened state, it was struggling even to tear free.
"Got it!"
Seeing Yveltal crash, Lysandre's delight was plain as day.
Beside him, Xerosic finally exhaled.
Thank goodness… it worked in one shot.
If they'd really had to fight a Pokémon of that caliber head-on, holding nothing stronger than an Inkay-level partner, he'd have been crushed to bits.
At Elias's side, Delphox breathed deeply as well.
Watching Lysandre stride toward them, she finally understood what Elias had meant earlier by "Pyroar will come help."
"Mm."
With that thought, she narrowed her eyes and softly rubbed her cheek against Elias.
This crisis… should be over now, right?
Looking at Yveltal trapped in the net, Delphox felt a rush of excitement.
She'd grown up—she could finally protect Elias with her own strength.
All those years of daily training hadn't been in vain!
Feeling Delphox's affectionate gesture, Elias gently rubbed her head.
Then he turned his gaze to Yveltal.
It had stopped struggling, but anger and resentment still clearly burned in its eyes.
It didn't seem ready to give up—more likely, it was gathering strength to strike again.
"Want out?"
Elias walked forward slowly, smiling as he asked.
Before Yveltal could react, he shook his head.
"You won't feel that way for long."
Hearing Elias's voice, the calmer Yveltal narrowed its eyes.
It distinctly sensed that this Ghost Form's objective wasn't only itself.
"Mr. Elias."
By now, Lysandre had stopped beside Elias.
He hesitated, as if wanting to ask something but unsure how.
Elias could guess he wanted to question his intentions.
After quickly checking the time in his mind—there was no hurry—Elias glanced at the heavy equipment behind Lysandre and spoke first:
"If I remember correctly, the Ultimate Weapon is nearby, isn't it?"
Not expecting Elias's question, Lysandre momentarily froze.
Then he suppressed his confusion and nodded uncertainly.
The Ultimate Weapon had indeed been excavated nearby.
But due to the massive commotion, they hadn't found a suitable chance to transport it back to base yet.
For now, they'd stationed a team around the crater to guard it.
Even Celosia, sent to collect whatever Yveltal dropped, had been pulled from that very assignment.
Glancing at Yveltal, Lysandre suddenly had a guess.
"Mr. Elias… are you planning to use Yveltal to activate the weapon?!"
As he spoke, Lysandre's eyes widened, voice rising.
Considering all the effort Elias had gone to, he must need Yveltal for something.
In Lysandre's imagination—
Elias was asking because, before pursuing his own goals, he intended to lend Yveltal to him first.
After all, Yveltal was currently Elias's Pokémon.
To Lysandre, that favor would far surpass the assistance he'd provided today.
But unfortunately…
"Mr. Elias, to activate the Ultimate Weapon, we still need Xerneas's power."
"But… we have no news about it, and with Team Flare's current technology, we can't keep Yveltal contained for long."
Even as he spoke, Lysandre felt the sting of regret.
Such a rare opportunity, and Team Flare couldn't seize it.
Just thinking about it hurt.
Watching the red-maned, lion-like man act deeply moved, question marks practically appeared over Elias's head.
His instincts told him Lysandre had misunderstood something…
But if the Ultimate Weapon truly was nearby, Elias's odds had improved significantly.
"Lysandre."
"You should understand—whether it's Yveltal or Xerneas, they're Pokémon born to maintain ecological balance."
Elias spoke slowly, staring at the forest around them—already reduced to wasteland.
Hearing this, Lysandre nodded instinctively, following Elias's gaze across the area.
The battle's impact zone seemed even larger than Team Flare's algorithms had predicted…
Then, suddenly, his eyes sharpened.
"You plan to destroy the ecosystem to lure Xerneas out?"
Lysandre asked in disbelief.
He realized he might have pinpointed the core issue.
Upon closer inspection, the battle had continuously moved locations.
Unless someone had been fleeing, this wasn't typical in normal Pokémon battles.
Had Elias deliberately been guiding Yveltal to devastate the environment?
But…
Even if he managed to draw Xerneas out, how was Elias supposed to capture it in his exhausted state?
---
Elias: From now on, when I go out, Giovanni in my left hand, Lysandre in my right.
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