Back then, since Cogita had acted as his guardian, she couldn't openly indulge herself the way she did now. Thus, even she didn't recall the precise details clearly.
But this didn't stop her from vividly describing to Diancie, in elaborate and exaggerated terms, what she imagined Elias's warm body might feel like.
As Diancie listened, her eyes gradually widened, and drool nearly spilled from the corner of her mouth.
Is—is the difference really that huge...?
Diancie was convinced her intentions were perfectly pure, certainly not harboring any weird motives. But still…
If things really were as amazing as Cogita described, she desperately wanted Elias to regain his human form.
"Gulp—"
Diancie swallowed nervously, feeling her entire face burn hot.
Satisfied at having successfully baited Diancie, Cogita set down the game controller and casually left the room.
Of course, she hadn't randomly approached Diancie with this topic purely for fun.
Aside from indulging her own mischievous nature, the crucial reason was…
According to her experience, whenever Diancie felt shy or embarrassed before bedtime, she'd usually retreat into her Poké Ball for the night.
As for Braixen, due to the intense training lately, she always fell into a deep sleep the moment she hit the bed.
This conveniently left Cogita free to take advantage.
Thinking this through, Cogita felt incredibly proud of her scheme.
...
[Time passed steadily, and aside from the occasional small surprise, your daily life saw little change.]
[Yveltal, for its part, hadn't appeared again either, to the point you'd nearly forgotten about its existence entirely.]
[Before you knew it, four more years had slipped by.]
[During these four years, Diantha had grown from a relatively unknown actress into a renowned and popular rising star in cinema.]
[Similarly, her Ralts had evolved all the way into a Gardevoir.]
[One thing hadn't changed: whether as a Ralts or now as a Gardevoir, the Pokémon still loved clinging to you—though it seemed slightly more subtle about it now.]
[Lysandre, meanwhile, had successfully established Team Flare under your guidance, even recruiting his first batch of members.]
...
"Mr. Elias, as per your request, we've already begun a thorough search for Xerneas," Lysandre reported seriously in the café, carefully checking information on his electronic tablet. "Based on our current information, it should still be dormant in its tree form."
His eyes revealed genuine respect and admiration.
If four years ago Lysandre had merely valued Elias for his abilities, wanting him only as an ally, now he wholeheartedly regarded Elias as a mentor.
Team Flare's internal management, recruitment standards, organizational structure—Elias had personally overseen everything.
Without Elias, Lysandre figured it would've taken him at least another five years to get where he was now.
"Good. I'm looking forward to the results," Elias calmly replied, feeling quite pleased with Lysandre's growing maturity.
Four years ago, Lysandre had still dressed like a scholarly novice, but now, neatly dressed in a black suit, he resembled a proper successful businessman.
Finally, Team Flare was fully operational. It had already been a significant help to him several times.
"Ah, that's right, Mr. Elias," Lysandre suddenly recalled something, his expression turning serious. "We recently spotted signs of Yveltal in a southern forest, and we're following up now. I'd advise you to avoid going near there."
Elias blinked in surprise, then nodded solemnly.
After all this time, Yveltal had reappeared—meaning it had likely fully recovered.
But Cogita's cottage wasn't located to the south, so it probably wasn't coming specifically for him this time...
Elias quietly analyzed the situation.
"I'll leave it to you then. I don't think I'll have much free time to check on it in the near future," he finally decided, placing trust in Lysandre's abilities.
"Sir, your coffee!" came a cheerful voice from nearby.
Elias turned his head, spotting a familiar face—a blonde girl wearing roller skates.
Over the past four years, this girl, who'd nearly crashed into him back then, had kept working part-time at the café. They'd gradually grown familiar with each other from his frequent visits.
"Thanks," Elias smiled warmly, accepting the coffee.
Seeing Elias's smile, Korrina felt as if the wheels beneath her feet suddenly went slippery.
Although they'd never officially introduced themselves, she found herself drawn to Elias each time he visited—enough so that she'd even stupidly worked extra shifts unpaid, just hoping to run into him.
Sadly, Elias still hadn't challenged her grandfather's Gym. If he ever did, she was sure he'd be shocked.
Watching silently from across the table, Lysandre cast a suspicious glance at Korrina.
Perhaps he was imagining things, but whenever he came here alone, he never saw this particular girl working. Yet whenever Elias came along, she was always present.
This faint irregularity made Lysandre wary.
Maybe… this girl was secretly trying to poach Elias?
...
[Over four years, Diancie had changed the least.]
[Neither her appearance nor her strength showed any significant progress.]
[If you had to choose something, perhaps she'd grown slightly taller—but even that wasn't very noticeable.]
[Dianna, on the other hand, perhaps preparing to pass on the crown, visited increasingly often. Sometimes she stayed for several days at a time.]
[This caused Diancie's anxiety to grow day by day.]
[Watching Diancie search the internet daily for phrases like "Ten Essential Qualities of a Good Leader," you felt both sympathy and helplessness.]
[You knew only solving Diancie's physical issues would truly ease her worries.]
[Braixen's growth, however, had been the most astonishing.]
[She'd actually stuck to rigorous training every single day for four straight years, making incredible strides in her strength.]
[Now, without exaggeration, even Diantha's Gardevoir would struggle to defeat her.]
...
Night fell...
Elias had just finished sorting through the documents Lysandre had sent him.
He rubbed his weary eyes, deciding it was time to head to bed.
Although he technically didn't need sleep, Cogita had influenced him enough that he at least lay down briefly each night.
Click—
Pushing open the bedroom door, Elias immediately noticed the suspicious lumps under his blankets.
Two distinct shapes—one large, one smaller.
Squinting, he guessed it was Diancie and Cogita.
Cogita's habit of sneaking into his bed had eventually been exposed after a careless slip-up. Following a tense negotiation, the two had reached a compromise, each stepping back slightly.
Remembering this, Elias felt an unfamiliar heat rise within him.
He carefully lifted the covers and slipped into bed. However, the instant he settled down, his expression shifted subtly.
Something felt different tonight.
---
T/N: 4 chaps meeting this weeks quota, i was toooo lazy and slept allllllllll week sorgee
bonus chaps
100 stones -> 1 chapter
200 stones -> 2 chapters
300 stones -> 3 chapters
and so on
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