Two full seconds passed before Cogita tightened her grip on the cup, surprise flickering briefly in her eyes.
When did Tornadus become this thoughtful? she wondered absently.
This wasn't the first time she'd awakened in such a dazed, half-conscious state.
Yet each time before, she'd always needed to clearly state her request for Tornadus to understand what to do next.
After all, for a legendary Pokémon like Tornadus, the summer heat had very little impact.
She naturally wouldn't know whether Cogita wanted water or something else entirely.
But today…
She'd only softly called Tornadus's name, and the Pokémon had promptly brought her a cup of ice water—wrapped considerately in a towel, no less.
Receiving such unprecedented care instantly brightened Cogita's mood.
Seems like Pokémon really can grow smarter on their own.
"Thanks, Tornadus…"
Cogita murmured cheerfully, taking a small sip of the cool water as she glanced upwards toward the supposed "Tornadus."
The smooth, cold water soothed her throat immediately.
But midway through speaking, her movements suddenly froze.
Still holding the cup in mid-air, she stared blankly straight ahead.
Because in front of her was… nothing at all. No Tornadus in sight.
"…Did she leave already?" she wondered uncertainly, gently placing the cup down.
Given Tornadus's speed, she certainly could've handed over the water and slipped out quickly.
But why would she rush off so suddenly?
And besides… Cogita hadn't even sensed Tornadus leaving the room.
An uneasy confusion crept into her thoughts.
At that moment…
Creak—
The wooden door slowly opened, and Tornadus poked her head halfway in.
"Were you calling for me?" Tornadus signed curiously with her hands.
Instantly, Cogita's expression stiffened.
Tornadus clearly wasn't joking; she genuinely seemed to have just arrived.
Then… who exactly had given her that cup of water a moment ago?
A faint chill involuntarily rose from deep within Cogita's heart.
But suddenly, as if struck by a realization, her breathing quickened slightly.
Through her pajamas, she gently touched the necklace hanging against her chest.
Another possibility flashed through her mind.
"It's nothing. You can go back to whatever you were doing," Cogita said calmly, waving a dismissive hand at Tornadus's slightly confused face.
After Tornadus left, still puzzled, Cogita quickly straightened up.
Ignoring her somewhat messy bed hair, she swallowed nervously, softly whispering into the room:
"Elias, is that you?"
Her voice was soft, as though afraid of startling the other.
Rarely seen, Cogita's usual relaxed expression had vanished, replaced instead by a touch of nervous anticipation.
The instant she realized it hadn't been Tornadus who'd given her the water, she'd immediately thought of Elias.
Particularly…
She suddenly remembered a subtle habit Elias had—wrapping a towel around cold cups when serving her ice water.
This small detail made her heart beat even faster.
She wasn't certain if Elias had regained memories from before he'd become a ghost…
After Cogita spoke, a strange silence settled over the room.
One second passed…
Two seconds…
Cogita patiently sat on the bed, quietly waiting.
Several long seconds dragged by until, just as she began to lose her composure, a faint noise sounded from across the room.
A chair had been gently pulled out.
At the same time, Cogita keenly noticed the diamond necklace around her neck glowing faintly.
Clearly, Elias had responded.
Her guess had been correct.
At this confirmation, a deep sense of relief washed over Cogita.
After nearly a century of careful care, Elias had finally awakened from his slumber.
All her efforts had not been in vain.
Yet simultaneously, disappointment crept quietly into her heart.
Even now, she still couldn't clearly see Elias. Perhaps that meant… only Diancie could truly see him.
If she wanted to fully perceive him, she'd still need a Gastly's help.
Thinking this, the glow in Cogita's beautiful emerald eyes dimmed faintly.
There must still be another way…
Taking a deep breath, she reassured herself internally.
But before she could dwell any further, Cogita's thoughts suddenly halted.
—Right before her eyes, the outline of a human figure was slowly becoming clearer.
Only when the figure grew translucent did its form stabilize.
Elias stood quietly before Cogita, one hand resting lightly on the chair, gazing at her warmly.
His eyes gently roamed over Cogita's features, still searching his memories for traces of her.
At the same time, he carefully observed Cogita's reaction upon seeing him.
If they'd indeed known each other before, her emotions would surely fluctuate.
And that was exactly what happened.
Seeing the familiar yet somehow unfamiliar figure standing before her, Cogita's eyes began to sting slightly.
It had been such a long time since she'd last seen Elias…
Back then, after leaving her cottage for Mt. Coronet, she'd never seen him again.
By the time she returned, only news of his death remained.
Her final memory of him was the morning before her departure, when Elias had woken up extra early to see her off.
They'd argued lightly over how to prune the garden.
Annoyed at his stubbornness, she'd even playfully flicked him on the forehead.
She never imagined their next reunion would be under such circumstances…
Cogita slowly lifted her eyes toward Elias, lips curving into a soft smile.
Doing her best to steady her voice, she gently asked:
"How much do you still remember about me?"
She desperately hoped Elias had already regained all his previous memories.
...
...
Several moments later, Cogita felt a slight pang of disappointment.
Just as she'd feared, Elias's ghostly form held no memories from their past at all.
Fortunately, he'd also forgotten Zoroark, Irida, and everyone else.
At least it wasn't just her alone he'd forgotten.
Otherwise, Cogita knew she probably would've given him a good scolding.
"Did we… know each other before?"
Seeing the disappointment in Cogita's eyes, Elias asked curiously.
She'd asked him quite a few strange questions just now.
Moreover, the nostalgic expression she'd worn earlier hadn't seemed fake in the slightest.
That only heightened Elias's curiosity about what exactly their relationship had once been.
At his question, Cogita seemed to quickly return to her usual relaxed manner.
Leaning casually back against the headboard, she raised a slender finger and pointed playfully at Elias, a teasing smile returning to her lips:
"What do you think… our relationship might be?"
---
T/N: 4 chapters since i was gonna update yesterday but didnt, bonus chaps are tomorrow and uhhh no character note for thisweek
heres my patreon (patreon.com/wisetl) and heres the powerstone rewardsss Every 100 Stones = 1 Bonus Chapter. 100ps = 1 chp 200ps = 2 chp 300ps = 3 chp etc. uhhh for legal matters, my patreon is only there if you wanna support me yep yep with the added bonus of reading ahead OH OH also heres the discord link discord.gg/wisetl