The truth was exactly as Cogita had predicted—after some time, Diancie finally realized the changes occurring within her own body.
Previously, even though she hadn't seriously followed Elias's training plans for quite a while, she'd still been shocked to find that her strength hadn't completely stagnated. Though slow, she'd been gradually growing stronger.
The best proof was the increasingly brilliant shine of the diamonds on her body.
For mineral Pokémon, the more dazzling their diamonds, the stronger they were. Her Highness Dianna, for instance, glittered beautifully even in the deepest darkness.
Yet Diancie herself, due to her natural physical limitations, had always been somewhat dull. Her diamonds weren't entirely lifeless, but they certainly weren't brilliant—much less as sparkling as Dianna's.
It had always been something Diancie regretted deeply.
But over the past year, her diamonds had begun shining significantly brighter, feeling smoother to the touch as well.
Initially, Diancie assumed Elias's carefully made training plans had started to pay off, or perhaps it was her own diligent effort.
However, after recently handing Elias over to Cogita, these changes abruptly stopped.
Her steadily growing strength suddenly came to a complete halt.
Such a drastic change naturally caught her attention.
Unable to shake off her suspicion, Diancie began researching the books she'd gathered.
"Mineral-type Pokémon naturally absorb energy from nearby mineral veins."
"If left uncontrolled, this often leads to large-scale cave collapses."
Diancie softly read aloud, her little finger tracing the text on the page.
After years of effort, she'd finally become proficient enough to read human writing.
The book before her was a human encyclopedia detailing the characteristics of Pokémon types.
When she read these lines, Diancie's mind suddenly went blank.
Even the voice slipping from her lips quivered slightly.
If memory serves correctly…I am a mineral Pokémon, aren't I?
Moreover, unlike regular Carbink, she was the princess of the underground kingdom—a Diancie with inherently greater power.
She naturally absorbed far more energy than others of her kind.
Connecting this fact with the strange changes she'd experienced, a terrible realization emerged clearly in Diancie's mind.
Could Elias's extremely slow recovery be because I'd been unconsciously absorbing his energy all this time?
"Gulp…"
Diancie swallowed nervously, panic filling her heart.
Her guess felt horribly plausible. Otherwise, how could she explain the sudden stop in her growth after parting with Elias?
Thinking back, even Cogita seemed to have subtly hinted at this when she took Elias away.
At the time, Diancie had felt puzzled, annoyed by the way Cogita kept staring intently at her diamonds. She'd simply assumed Cogita was jealous of how beautifully they sparkled.
But now that she thought carefully, Cogita probably realized the truth back then. The human woman hadn't stated it outright, instead leaving it for Diancie to discover herself.
That would explain Cogita's firm insistence on keeping her apart from Elias.
At this realization, Diancie unconsciously stumbled back two steps, collapsing weakly into her chair.
She stared blankly ahead, completely at a loss for what to do.
After a long moment, tears began welling in her eyes.
She'd caused a huge mess.
Even though it wasn't deliberate, her subconscious actions had nearly caused a catastrophic disaster.
If Cogita hadn't discovered this early enough, Diancie herself might never have realized.
Will Elias blame me…?
Diancie anxiously wondered, wiping tears from the corners of her eyes.
Elias, while residing within the diamond, surely retained some awareness.
He must've realized she'd been constantly absorbing the precious energy he'd painstakingly accumulated.
Anyone would be furious if they found out.
Diancie felt terribly frightened. Once Elias finally awakened, would he resent her for what she'd done?
After anxiously twisting her fingers for a while, Diancie held her head gently in her hands.
She desperately wanted to visit Cogita and check on Elias's condition…
But she was terrified her very presence might undo all his recent progress.
After hesitating repeatedly, Diancie managed to restrain her restless heart.
She took a deep breath, resolving to communicate with Cogita only through letters from now on.
In the meantime, she would dedicate herself wholeheartedly to training!
Only when she finally learned how to control her subconscious energy absorption from nearby minerals would she dare to approach Elias again.
Then…she'd sincerely apologize and seek his forgiveness.
...
"That's how things stand. It seems that Pokémon won't be coming over anytime soon."
Cogita lightly held the letter from Diancie between two fingers, speaking calmly.
Although she appeared to be talking to herself, she was actually addressing the necklace she wore around her neck.
Or rather…the Elias resting quietly inside.
With her help, he'd completely moved into the new diamond.
As for the old, badly cracked diamond…
It still barely maintained its shape, but after Elias departed, it had become dangerously unstable.
It was probably only a matter of time before it shattered completely.
When Cogita finished speaking, the diamond resting against her chest seemed to flicker faintly.
Seeing this, a satisfied smile appeared on Cogita's face.
It felt as though she'd just picked Elias up all over again.
Back then, Elias was still an infant, incapable of speech, so she'd often communicated with him exactly like this—quietly murmuring to herself.
That indescribable sense of nurturing filled her heart again, making Cogita inexplicably excited.
After gently tucking the diamond necklace back beneath her clothes, Cogita sipped her tea.
The cool sensation of the diamond against her skin cleared her mind wonderfully.
Thankfully, Elias's growth rate had now significantly improved.
Compared to the original timeframe—which spanned a millennium—
Cogita estimated he might now fully recover in roughly one hundred years.
Though that still sounded extremely long, it was easily within her acceptable range.
So…
"You have to grow faster~" Cogita whispered softly, pressing her palm gently against the necklace beneath her clothes.
...
[With Cogita's help, your growth rate indeed increased by more than double.]
[Your consciousness rapidly sharpened at an impressive speed.]
[Meanwhile, possibly due to guilt, Diancie rarely came to visit Cogita anymore.]
[Even when she did, she'd restrain herself by not entering the cottage, carefully maintaining a safe distance from you.]
[Her cautious behavior left you feeling both heartache and helplessness.]
[Cogita, on the other hand, continued faithfully wearing you every single day. You had to admit—she took extremely good care of you.]
[In such a routine, time quietly sped by.]