"Elias… is this really not a dream?"
Snuggled in Elias's arms, Zoroark asked again.
This was already the umpteenth ti she'd posed the question.
Even though she'd confird in countless ways that the Elias before her was genuine, she still couldn't quite believe it.
Or rather… she pretended not to believe it.
"It really isn't a dream."
Elias helplessly stroked her silky fur.
Zoroark asked the sa question every few monts. Moreover, she treated him with such care, as if he were a fragile porcelain doll, afraid he'd shatter with the slightest touch.
Predictably, after his answer, she still nodded vaguely, obviously not entirely convinced.
Seeing Zoroark like this made Elias's heart ache.
It seed she'd need more ti to fully accept reality.
Judging from her current state, she'd likely require his constant presence for quite a while yet.
Elias had expected this.
Zoroark had always been cautious and sensitive by nature, and over the years, her ntal state clearly hadn't improved. It was natural for her to doubt the current situation.
After all, in her place, Elias would probably react similarly.
With these thoughts, Elias strengthened the soothing [Power of Viridian] emanating from his hand.
The gentle, life-filled energy enveloped Zoroark's head, causing her to relax, eyes drifting closed in contentnt.
Under its influence, the tension she'd accumulated began swiftly dissolving.
A faint glimr of mischief flashed through Zoroark's narrowed eyes.
"Elias."
She whispered softly.
"Hmm?"
Elias gave her a curious glance.
Before he could question further, he felt her weight shift again as she pounced, far less restrained this ti.
Her fluffy head repeatedly nuzzled his neck, occasionally using her paws to tug at his clothes.
At their reunion, it seed Zoroark had grown bolder—far bolder than she'd ever been.
If the timing and location were slightly more favorable, Zoroark might have attempted to erase past regrets on the spot.
Seeing her behavior, Elias assud it was because, deep down, Zoroark still believed she was dreaming.
If it was a dream… it made sense she'd be more daring.
That must be it, he reasoned.
At least, it was the most plausible explanation he could think of right now.
"Oh, right, Zoroark… can we let Gardevoir back in now?"
Suddenly recalling Gardevoir, still locked outside, Elias gently suggested.
Given Gardevoir's power, it was only a matter of ti before she found her way back inside.
But…
Once that happened, the two Pokémon would likely resu fighting.
Since Zoroark's mood had settled slightly, Elias figured letting Gardevoir back in now was probably safest.
After so reluctant hesitation, Zoroark nodded in agreent.
The remaining ti probably wasn't enough for her to do anything more outrageous anyway.
At this point, letting that Gardevoir back inside wasn't a big deal.
After all… right now, she was a poor, emotionally fragile fox in need of comfort. In the future, there'd surely be plenty of alone ti with Elias!
Zoroark licked her lips lightly, a sly glint sparkling in her watery eyes.
---
Lance sat tensely on a sofa, fingers tapping anxiously against its armrest, brow furrowed deeply.
He was clearly agitated.
As Kanto's Champion and a leading trainer, Lance rarely felt helpless. But the situation he now faced left him surprisingly uncertain.
"You're absolutely sure Giratina dragged Elias into the Distortion World?"
Lance turned again toward Latias and w, confirming anxiously.
When both Pokémon nodded in unison, he inhaled sharply.
A friend he'd just regained had vanished again, this ti snatched away by a Legendary Pokémon. Now Elias's whereabouts were completely unknown, leaving Lance with a heavy weight on his chest.
Worst of all… the culprit was Giratina, considered one of the most fearso among the legendary Pokémon.
Lance had once read information about Giratina, the ruler of the Distortion World, and the terrifying descriptions of its power lingered vividly in his mind.
The thought of Elias trapped on Giratina's turf deeply worried him.
"w? (Do you have a solution?)"
w waved her tiny paws anxiously at Lance.
Even Giovanni had failed to offer much help this ti.
Despite days of tireless effort following Elias's disappearance, Giovanni had managed only to find theoretical thods of entering the Distortion World.
With no other options left, w and Latias had turned to Lance, hoping he could leverage the League's resources.
The longer Elias remained trapped there, the more danger he would face.
"Don't worry, you two," Lance reassured, collecting himself.
"I'll figure sothing out."
Quickly, Lance took out his phone, opening his chat with "Cynthia."
According to recent reports, she'd been missing for quite so ti but had resurfaced safely yesterday—apparently due to so personal issues.
Lance cared little for her private life. What mattered was that, as Sinnoh's renowned archaeological expert, she surely knew about Giratina.
Especially considering Giratina was her region's legendary Pokémon.
He swiftly typed two urgent ssages:
[Cynthia, I need your help urgently!]
[Please contact imdiately when you see this!]
Sending the ssages, Lance sighed quietly, knowing he'd exhausted his current options. Cynthia was now his best hope.
"I might need to make a trip to Sinnoh."
"Do you want to co along?" he asked the two Pokémon.
To be safe, he'd decided to set aside other tasks and handle this personally.
Latias and w exchanged a brief glance, then nodded emphatically.
Yes!
"Which city in Sinnoh are we headed to? I need to call soone to help."
Given the gravity of the situation, Latias decided to involve another Champion who was still caught in emotional turmoil.
After all, that promised gift for Elias still hadn't been delivered yet.
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