Ralts felt incredibly unlucky. She'd snuck out on her own, failed to find the ghost she was chasing, and somehow managed to awaken a monster instead.
Taking advantage of the moment Yveltal still lingered in the pit, she frantically scanned her surroundings and Teleported behind a nearby rock to hide.
Just a second after she ducked behind it—
BOOM!
Another deafening blast tore through the air as a massive red-and-black figure erupted from the pit below.
Rumble—
As if venting pure rage, Yveltal unleashed a colossal beam of crimson-black energy the instant it broke free from the ground.
The blast carved through the forest like a scythe, gouging a deep trench into the earth.
Worst of all—
Ralts watched, horrified, as everything the beam touched—trees, flowers, even blades of grass—instantly turned to stone.
Through her psychic senses, she felt it clearly: the life energy of everything nearby being ripped away, leaving nothing but lifeless husks.
Gulp—
Ralts clutched her chest tightly, swallowing hard.
She was suddenly regretting every decision that had led her here.
Had she known things would turn out this way, she would've begged Diantha to help her find that ghost instead of sneaking out alone.
Now, instead of the ghost, she was face to face with a furious, terrifying Pokémon.
Her only hope now was that Diantha had realized she was missing and would come looking for her soon.
Otherwise…
As another deadly beam sliced across the forest, Ralts felt tears welling in her eyes.
...
Elias had originally planned to move closer to the source of Yveltal's rampage, hoping to see the Pokémon for himself.
He wanted to confirm whether Diancie's fragile state truly had any connection to it.
However—under Diancie's firm insistence, he reluctantly gave up the idea and turned back.
"Elias, don't ever do something this dangerous again, alright?"
Diancie puffed her cheeks, scolding him softly as they walked.
She'd nearly lost her composure when Elias suggested going deeper into the forest.
A powerful Pokémon was clearly raging out there—getting closer would be suicide.
Sure, Elias had looked calm and confident, and yes, he was doing it for her sake…
But that didn't make it any less reckless.
If Elias ended up falling into another long slumber—another century or two—Diancie was sure she'd lose her mind first.
"I understand…" Elias sighed, sounding a little dejected.
Seeing his expression, Diancie's anger faded into concern.
After a brief pause, she spoke gently, trying to cheer him up.
"I'm not saying you can't ever go," she said. "It's just… today, it's only the two of us. Going alone would be way too dangerous!"
"If Her Highness were here—or even one more person—I'd have agreed without hesitation."
She puffed her chest proudly, as if to show how generous she was being.
They were already on their way out, and Diancie couldn't imagine any situation where Elias could actually turn back now.
After all, thanks to his Ghost Form, Elias didn't have many allies—only Cogita and Her Highness Dianna.
And clearly, neither of them could possibly appear here, in the middle of the forest.
So, despite her bold words, Diancie fully expected Elias to keep walking and leave with her.
However—right after she said that, Elias's expression suddenly brightened. He raised an eyebrow, smiling faintly.
"Really?"
"If we had one more person, you'd actually agree to go back right now?"
"Of course!" Diancie replied without hesitation. Then she narrowed her eyes slightly.
"Elias, are you doubting my sincerity?"
There was a hint of indignation in her voice.
"Of course I trust Diancie," Elias said warmly, his smile widening.
Then he stopped walking.
Under Diancie's puzzled gaze, he spoke again, slowly and deliberately.
"In that case… let's get ready to head back."
Diancie blinked in confusion, unsure if she'd heard him right.
Had she somehow provoked him into stubbornness again?
She was just about to comfort him when—
Rustle—rustle—
A nearby bush shook twice.
Diancie froze as a familiar figure stepped out from behind it.
"It's you?!"
Her eyes widened in shock, instantly understanding what Elias had meant.
She never imagined that Diantha—the human they'd just parted with—would suddenly appear here.
"Huh? Elias?"
Diantha, who'd been anxiously following their trail, looked just as surprised.
But then she quickly remembered why she'd come and asked, worried,
"Have you seen my Ralts? The one from the library earlier."
"We got separated, and I think she might've secretly followed you."
As she spoke, her pale cheeks flushed with embarrassment.
After all, having her Pokémon stalk someone wasn't exactly flattering.
Hearing this, Diancie's eyelid twitched.
Secretly followed Elias…?
That alone was enough to confirm how dangerous that Pokémon was.
Luckily, they hadn't run into that sneaky Ralts along the way.
"Sorry, we haven't seen her," Diancie said quickly. "If there's nothing else, Elias and I should be going."
She threw Elias a pointed look, urging him to move.
But instead, Elias gently squeezed her hand and turned back to Diantha.
"We really didn't see Ralts," he said. "But… she might've gotten lost and wandered deeper into the forest."
Almost as if to confirm his words—
BOOM!
Another thunderous explosion erupted from somewhere deep within.
Even from here, they could feel the ground trembling beneath their feet.
Diantha's face turned ashen.
Something terrifying was happening out there—and if Ralts had truly gone in that direction… she couldn't even bear to imagine the rest.
And with Ralts being her only Pokémon, she had no choice but to go after her alone.
"Th-thank you. You should hurry and leave," Diantha said, forcing a shaky smile.
She couldn't possibly ask anyone else to share such a risk.
But the next moment, Elias smiled faintly, a glint of mischief in his eyes.
"If it's alright, would you like us to help?" he asked. "It just so happens we also need to head deeper into the forest."
"Right, Diancie?"
He turned to her, still smiling kindly.
After all—there were three of them now.
Diancie: …
---
T/N: heheh
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