No one knew better than Diantha just how strong—or rather, how weak—her Ralts truly was.
Yes, she had remarkable talent and limitless potential.
But because Diantha had never trained her seriously, her actual battle capability was painfully low.
Worse still, Ralts had almost no real combat experience—reckless enough to charge at Ghost-type Pokémon without a second thought.
So, the moment Diantha spotted her, she already knew—Ralts had absolutely no chance of escaping the devastating attack hurtling toward her.
And sure enough, reality proved her right.
Reacting a half-second too late, Ralts tried to dodge only after Yveltal's attack had already locked onto her.
Her instincts screamed in panic. Her tiny face went pale as she realized what was about to happen.
She'd seen firsthand how horrifying Yveltal's power was—
Everything its attacks touched turned instantly to lifeless stone.
Am I about to end up like them, too?
That single, terrified thought flashed through her mind just as the crimson-black beam closed to within a meter of her.
At that range, there was no escape.
And then—
BOOM—!
The explosion shook the entire forest, gouging a massive trench into the ground and scattering stone fragments where flowers and trees had once stood.
Diantha stared blankly at the destruction, her body trembling as her mind went numb.
Ralts…
Right before her eyes, Ralts had vanished into the path of the blast.
Her vision blurred. Tears spilled freely down her cheeks. She opened her mouth, but no sound came out—her throat locked by shock and disbelief.
Yet just as despair began to swallow her whole—
"Ralu~!"
A cheerful, familiar cry rang out from behind her.
Holding Ralts gently by the scruff, Elias set her back down once she'd recovered her senses, letting out a soft sigh of relief.
When he'd seen her about to be hit, even he had been shaken.
He'd grown rather fond of the mischievous little Pokémon—and she was, after all, Diantha's partner.
So at the very last instant, he'd yanked her out of danger with his psychic power.
Still, the sudden shift seemed to have left her a bit dazed.
Ralts blinked, staring at her hands and patting herself down in disbelief.
Realizing she was completely unharmed, her confusion quickly melted into relief… and then into curiosity.
That force that had saved her—it had been a psychic power.
But whose psychic powers could possibly be faster than hers, a Psychic-type Pokémon?
Puzzled, she slowly turned her head—
At the same time, Diantha spun around, drawn by Ralts's voice.
For a moment, she thought she was hallucinating.
How could Ralts—who'd been swallowed by the blast moments ago—suddenly be standing safe and sound behind her?
Her heart pounding, she turned fully—
"Ralts!"
"Ralu~!"
Their cries overlapped, bright and full of relief.
But before Diantha could pull her into her arms, Ralts darted neatly aside and instead launched herself straight into Elias's embrace.
Eyes closed, she pressed her small body contentedly against his chest—cold and faintly translucent though it was.
To her, this was the safest place in the world.
Just moments ago, she'd been wondering who had saved her—and now she realized it was the very ghostly figure she'd been longing to see again since the library.
Her delight overflowed, her entire face glowing with bliss.
Meanwhile, Diancie's expression darkened immediately.
Elias saving the little green Pokémon wasn't the issue—of course he would act in a crisis.
But watching Ralts snuggle into him so shamelessly afterward… that was another story.
A sour feeling welled up inside her chest before she could stop it.
Fortunately, she didn't have to say anything—someone else spoke first.
"Ralts! Get over here, now!"
"You ran away without permission—what do you have to say for yourself?!"
Diantha's voice was sharper than usual, laced with fury and fear.
She almost never raised her voice at her beloved partner—but after what had just happened, she couldn't hold back.
She wanted to march over and pry Ralts out of Elias's arms herself.
Hearing her Trainer's scolding, Ralts shrank her head guiltily… but stubbornly refused to move.
Her wide eyes flicked upward—toward the sky above.
The colossal, red-and-black Pokémon still loomed there, its wings spread wide.
Yveltal's gaze was fixed on her, its icy blue eyes burning with insulted rage.
It couldn't believe its prey had escaped.
The humiliation only deepened its anger.
Already wounded and irritable, Yveltal's fury boiled over completely.
The instant its killing intent swept downward, both Elias and Diancie felt it.
"Let's go!"
Without hesitation, Elias barked the order.
Still clutching Ralts, he reached for Diancie and Diantha with his other hand.
In a rapid chain of Teleports, the group vanished from Yveltal's sight—slipping away just ahead of its next attack.
Their brief encounter had already told Elias one crucial thing: Diancie's injuries had nothing to do with Yveltal.
There were no traces of its destructive power in her body, unlike the residual energy that still lingered within Dianna.
Ruling out that cause brought Elias a small sense of relief.
It meant he was one step closer to finding a true cure for Diancie.
However—even though his goal was met, Yveltal clearly wasn't finished.
Wings beating furiously, it surged upward in pursuit, its teal eyes narrowing to slits.
From above, it sensed a presence it utterly despised—one carrying the same detestable aura as that arrogant stag Pokémon that had scarred it long ago.
Its fury reached a fever pitch as it gathered power once more, a massive orb of crimson-black energy coalescing at its beak.
This time, its aim was fixed squarely on Ralts.
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bonus chaps
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