Only after stepping outside the café did Lysandre finally exhale deeply, as if he'd just remembered how to breathe again.
Seeing him like this, Elias helplessly twitched the corner of his mouth.
On the other hand, Cogita's mood had improved significantly. Her earlier furrowed brows had vanished entirely, replaced by a faint curve of satisfaction on her lips.
Her sudden change puzzled Diancie and Braixen, who couldn't figure out why Cogita had suddenly become so pleased. Their instincts, however, insisted it had something to do with Elias.
Being unable to find out exactly why felt even worse than knowing nothing at all.
"Mr. Elias, can I ask you one last thing?"
Lysandre, who had planned to leave immediately, hesitated briefly before asking.
Elias cast him a curious glance, signaling him to go on.
Lysandre pondered silently for a couple of seconds, then opened his mouth as if to speak—but at the last moment, he swallowed his words again.
He'd intended to reveal his true ideals and intentions but was afraid Elias might misunderstand or reject him, just like a certain former colleague had done…
Seeing Lysandre's hesitation, Elias roughly guessed his concerns.
"We're partners, aren't we? Just pursue your own goals freely," Elias said calmly, "as long as they…don't affect Diancie or the others."
Elias had already suspected that Lysandre harbored some hidden agenda.
But it didn't particularly matter to him.
Especially after meeting Lysandre twice, Elias felt he wasn't actually a bad person—just somewhat extreme at times.
As long as Diancie and the others weren't harmed, he wouldn't interfere in Lysandre's affairs.
Lysandre wasn't surprised Elias had noticed something, yet the other man's casual attitude still startled him slightly.
He raised his head, eyes locked onto Elias, attempting to discern his true thoughts.
A tense silence stretched, nearly pushing Diancie into a bristling fury, before Lysandre finally nodded.
"Thank you for your trust, Mr. Elias," Lysandre said sincerely.
He was now sure Elias wasn't just brushing him off—he truly didn't care about Lysandre's personal objectives.
Lysandre assumed this casual confidence stemmed from Elias's formidable strength.
Even knowing this, he still felt moved.
"Rest assured, Mr. Elias—if I uncover any new information on the Ultimate Weapon, you'll be the first to know," Lysandre promised.
---
[After parting ways with Lysandre, you brought your two Pokémon and Cogita to a restaurant downtown.]
---
"Not as tasty as what Elias makes..." Diancie muttered, frowning after licking the berry ice cream she'd ordered.
She'd expected human restaurants to be delicious too.
Now it seemed…her Elias was much better.
Hearing Diancie's comment, Braixen nodded vigorously in agreement.
Seeing this, Elias smiled faintly.
It's because of the Power of Viridian—I always add a little.
Although Elias's cooking was decent, the extremely high praise was mostly thanks to the Power of Viridian.
Even an ordinary berry, with just a bit of Viridian aura, would taste exquisite to Pokémon.
Humans could also eat it, but it sometimes produced strange side effects.
Cogita had tried one before—her typically aloof expression had almost shattered instantly. After kicking him sharply, she'd never touched one again.
To this day, Elias still couldn't figure out exactly what had happened.
"Do you really think that lion-headed guy can be trusted?"
Cogita's voice suddenly interrupted his thoughts.
She gazed pointedly at Elias as she spoke.
Lion-headed…
At Cogita's nickname for Lysandre, Elias's mind inexplicably conjured an image of Lysandre standing next to Pyroar.
Surprisingly accurate.
"Lysandre is probably trustworthy enough," Elias replied, smiling faintly.
After two encounters, he hadn't found anything suspicious about Lysandre.
Cogita paused, frowning lightly.
"Are you sure about the things he said?"
She asked again, her voice quieter now.
For the first time, Cogita felt how deeply lacking her knowledge was.
Back in the Hisui Region, she knew the land's history by heart. Whatever happened, she could always understand it.
But Kalos was entirely different—she'd arrived not much earlier than Elias, leaving her completely in the dark about events from over a thousand years ago.
Realizing this, Cogita couldn't help but feel a bit useless.
It seemed…there was very little she could now do to help Elias.
At best, she could only quietly warn him to remain cautious.
Seeing Cogita's mood suddenly turn gloomy, Elias froze briefly, quickly guessing at her thoughts.
He tentatively reached out his hand, gently caressing Cogita's cheek just as he usually did to reassure Diancie.
Yet unlike Diancie's soft skin, Cogita's face was even smoother and more delicate beneath his fingers. Her skin felt almost dewy to the touch, making Elias reluctant to pull his hand away.
The sudden icy touch caused Cogita's body to jolt slightly.
When she realized it was Elias's hand, her brain momentarily short-circuited.
Despite the chill of his fingers, Cogita felt her entire face heat up rapidly.
It was the first time someone had touched her face like this…
"Don't worry," Elias reassured softly, gently squeezing her cheek before reluctantly withdrawing his hand. "I've already verified most of Lysandre's information with someone else."
After snapping back to her senses, Cogita lowered her gaze, struggling to steady her breathing and settle her thoughts.
Even so, her body continued burning inexplicably from within.
She completely ignored the two Pokémon glaring daggers at her from the side—Diancie and Braixen—whose jealousy was clear enough to chew.
Once her thoughts regained some clarity, she finally spoke in a whisper:
"Are they reliable?"
"Yes. Diantha is Kalosian nobility herself, and her information can be trusted."
Seeing Cogita gradually relax, Elias breathed a sigh of relief.
Cogita finally settled down upon hearing his confident words.
Yet…
As the heat gradually faded from her body, her emerald eyes narrowed slightly.
Diantha…
She'd heard this name mentioned several times already.
Initially, she'd assumed Diantha was just another ordinary friend Elias had made, not giving it much thought.
But now it seemed he trusted this "new friend" rather deeply.
Cogita silently decided that she'd definitely have to meet Diantha in person sometime soon.