[Time passed swiftly in such a routine.]
[For you, Diancie, and Cogita, the passage of time wasn't very noticeable.]
[Your extremely long lifespans made you all less concerned about exactly how much time had slipped by.]
[In the blink of an eye, decades had already passed since you first fell asleep.]
[During this time, you quickly accumulated the energy needed to recover, your consciousness gradually growing clearer with each passing day.]
[By now, though you still couldn't fully materialize, you could already easily sense everything happening outside.]
[And after spending such a long period with her, you had grown accustomed to this human named Cogita.]
[She was very kind to you, and one thing was certain—she definitely harbored no malice towards you.]
...
"You've grown stronger, haven't you?"
Cogita lightly held the diamond necklace hanging around her neck, lifting it gently up into the sunlight.
Several decades had passed—enough that even she had become restless with anticipation.
Fortunately…
She could now clearly sense that the ghost within the diamond was indeed growing at an astonishing pace.
Judging by its current state, it likely wouldn't be much longer before Elias regained his former self.
This realization made Cogita excited, but also filled her heart with a faint trace of nervousness.
Not only had Elias turned into a ghost, but he had also lost his memories from their time in Hisui.
And, after all, the one who'd initially picked him up was Diancie, a Pokémon.
Cogita couldn't help but worry… that Elias might not accept her once he awakened.
Each time she thought of this possibility, she felt her hands and feet grow cold with anxiety.
If, at that time, he says he wants to leave me… Would I really let him go?
...
Down in the underground kingdom, Diancie was troubled by similar worries.
Decades had passed, and she'd constantly restrained herself from going to see Elias at Cogita's place.
Almost all her news about Elias came from what Cogita relayed through letters.
After so long, her patience had already worn unbearably thin.
Thanks to these decades of rigorous training, despite her innate physical limitations preventing her from significantly increasing her strength, she'd at least managed to control her subconscious habit of absorbing energy from nearby minerals.
Because of this progress… recently, she'd considered finally visiting Elias.
According to Cogita, he seemed to have regained some consciousness, perhaps enough to communicate with her again.
Thinking of that long-unseen figure, Diancie unconsciously swallowed nervously, eyes glimmering with longing.
But very quickly, that longing was replaced by anxiety.
Of course, she hadn't forgotten her previous foolish mistake—the subconscious theft of Elias's energy.
If Cogita hadn't intervened back then, she might have continued absorbing his precious energy without restraint, potentially even endangering his life…
Thinking about that possibility, Diancie nervously twisted her fingers together.
She worried deeply that Elias would be angry with her because of this incident.
Furthermore, these past decades, it had been Cogita who stayed by Elias's side every single day.
Diancie still couldn't figure out how a human could possibly live for so long.
After several decades, normal humans—even if not on their deathbeds—should at least have aged dramatically, their hair turning white and their bodies frail.
Yet Cogita hadn't changed in the slightest. Her skin was still smooth, her figure flawless as ever. Even her spirit was still vibrant—sometimes she'd even show off the diamond necklace around her neck with the excitement of a young girl.
Diancie couldn't make sense of this at all.
It even made her wonder whether Elias had somehow extended Cogita's lifespan.
Most importantly…
While she herself hadn't seen Elias in decades, Cogita had remained constantly by his side.
Diancie worried that once Elias awoke, he might abandon her entirely, choosing instead to remain in Cogita's embrace.
Given the current circumstances, the likelihood of this outcome seemed dangerously high.
At this rate, Cogita would probably have no trouble living for another few decades or even longer.
"Uuu…"
Diancie groaned miserably, clutching her head as if suffering from a terrible headache.
...
[You didn't understand the complicated thoughts troubling Cogita and Diancie.]
[But you could clearly sense—that you were rapidly approaching your former state.]
[Your consciousness was already almost fully restored. Once you accumulated a bit more energy, you could finally leave the diamond again as a ghostly form.]
[This time, you planned to meet face-to-face with this human called Cogita.]
[Not only because she'd cared for you patiently for decades…]
[But also, as you spent more time with her, you increasingly felt she was extremely familiar.]
[You were certain that in the past, you'd definitely met her somewhere before—perhaps you even knew each other well.]
[At long last, after yet another significant period, your damaged body had finally been completely repaired.]
[You could finally emerge again from the diamond necklace around Cogita's neck.]
...
"Mmn…"
Cogita slowly sat up in her bed, making a drowsy, unclear sound.
She had always been prone to sleeping in late, and right now, outside her house, it was already bright and sunny.
She rubbed her sleepy eyes, leaning weakly back against the headboard.
Clearly, she hadn't fully awakened yet.
"I'm so thirsty."
Cogita lightly frowned, her delicate, pale fingers massaging her throat uncomfortably.
It was currently summertime, and Kalos's weather was uncomfortably humid and hot.
After sleeping through the night, her throat felt burning and painfully dry.
Right now, all she wanted was to quickly get up and enjoy a cool, refreshing glass of iced water.
"Tornadus…"
Mumbling softly, Cogita called out in a weak, sleepy voice.
Normally, Tornadus would help her take care of these basic daily tasks.
After speaking, Cogita cleared her throat, preparing to endure the dryness and issue clearer instructions.
After all, though Tornadus was smart, she was ultimately still a Pokémon. Sometimes she needed detailed instructions to understand exactly what Cogita wanted.
But…
Strangely, today, before Cogita even managed to speak, a cup-shaped object was gently placed directly into her hand.
Whoever had handed it to her seemed worried she'd feel cold, even thoughtfully wrapping the cup in a towel.
Cogita hadn't experienced such attentive care in a very long time.
As she unconsciously took hold of the cup, her sleepy mind failed to immediately register what had just happened.
With her eyes half-closed, she couldn't clearly see who or what was in front of her.
---
Cogita:Even when you're old and gray, I'll still look exactly like this.