Diancie was very angry right now.
Not long ago, she had just finished a long, pleasant sleep. Crawling slowly out of her Poké Ball, she stretched her tiny body in satisfaction.
The environment inside a Poké Ball wasn't bad at all—at least not for a Pokémon. It was cozy enough to sleep comfortably in.
But the moment she thought of seeing Elias again, her heart fluttered in excitement.
Even though it had only been one night since she last saw him, it somehow felt like an eternity.
And the thought that Elias might already be downstairs, preparing breakfast and waiting for her… made her unconsciously swallow.
With that hopeful thought, Diancie stepped out of her Poké Ball.
What greeted her was Elias's room—empty, neat, with the bed perfectly made.
Nothing unusual.
She'd expected this. After all, she always woke up later than he did, and Elias was far too gentle to wake her early.
It was perfectly normal for him to be up making breakfast now.
Thinking so, Diancie moved toward the door, ready to head downstairs.
However...
After only two steps, she suddenly stopped.
The reason was simple: she had caught a scent she hated.
And it came from very close by—from the very bed Elias had slept on all night.
But right now, it wasn't just his scent.
Mixed with it was hers—Cogita's.
That unmistakable fragrance, the one unique to her, clung to the entire bed.
Frowning, Diancie lifted the blanket and fanned it slightly. The more she checked, the more certain she became.
Pokémon senses were far sharper than a human's—she knew she wasn't mistaken.
But then…
Why was Cogita's scent on Elias's bed?
And not just faintly, either. It was thick—as if that woman had rolled back and forth across it again and again.
A nameless fury surged up inside Diancie.
What had that human done to the bed while she and Elias were gone?!
Countless wild guesses flashed through her mind all at once—and none of them made her any less furious.
Her little face flushed red; her breath grew sharp and fast.
Smack!
Marching into the courtyard, Diancie slammed her tiny palm down hard on the table, glaring daggers at Cogita.
"What disgusting thing did you do to Elias's blanket?!"
She pointed upstairs, her voice trembling with outrage.
Just imagining her beloved Elias sleeping the whole night on that bed—on that blanket—made her chest tighten in fury.
If only she'd come back earlier last night and inspected the bed properly, none of this would've happened!
"The blanket's right where it should be. What could I have possibly done to it?"
Cogita took a calm sip of tea, replying as if nothing were wrong.
But if one looked closely, her gaze did flick away—just slightly.
Seeing that evasive look, Diancie's eyes widened.
She had evidence, and yet this woman still dared to deny it!
"I mean the scent! Why is your scent all over the blanket?!"
Her voice trembled with fury.
And the more she thought about it, the more she realized it wasn't just the blanket—
the entire bed reeked of Cogita's fragrance.
She couldn't even imagine how that much scent could've soaked into it.
Even I don't leave that much of a scent when I sleep!
Cogita finally set her cup down.
Lifting a gloved finger, she tapped it thoughtfully against her lips and gave an oh-so-innocent smile.
"Oh, that. You mean that?"
"When you two were away, I took a nap on Elias's bed. That's probably when it happened."
Her tone was light, casual—but to Diancie, every word sounded like an arrow to the heart.
So she had guessed right!
There was no other way that much scent could've gotten onto the bed.
"You perverted human!"
Diancie bit down hard, glaring at Cogita through clenched teeth.
Unfortunately, her vocabulary for insults was pitifully small, so her accusation landed more like a puffball than a punch.
Cogita narrowed her eyes, the corner of her lips curving upward.
"This is my house. When you two aren't here, I can sleep wherever I want."
Her tone carried not an ounce of remorse.
That only made Diancie's anger rise further.
"You—!"
Her little face turned scarlet as she scrambled through her mind for harsher words to throw.
"Diancie, breakfast is ready."
At that moment, Elias approached, sounding helpless.
Clearly, Diancie was no match for Cogita in a war of words, and if he didn't stop them now, she might just faint from anger.
"Hmph."
Hearing Elias's voice, Diancie finally gave a sharp sniff and turned away from Cogita, hopping lightly over to Elias's side.
"Elias, Her Highness once said that many humans hide darkness in their hearts,"
"So you have to be extra careful to stay away from people like that."
She accepted her Pokémon food carefully, her tone full of meaning.
Elias almost laughed.
He had no idea whether Dianna had ever said such a thing—
but in Diancie's mind, Cogita had clearly been classified as a "dark human" beyond saving.
From the side, Cogita gave Diancie a flat, dismissive glance.
She couldn't even be bothered to argue with such a childish little Pokémon.
---
[After breakfast, Tornadus volunteered to handle the dishes, while you began reviewing the books Diantha gave you yesterday.]
[There was indeed plenty of useful material inside.]
[It contained detailed explanations of the physical structures and health issues of various Pokémon.]
---
Watching Elias take careful notes, Diancie propped her chin on her hands, her eyes soft with contentment.
He was reading seriously—for her sake.
Every time that thought crossed her mind, a warm, gentle feeling spread through her heart.
"Diancie, we might need to visit Diantha again sometime soon," Elias suddenly said.
The reason was simple: the book he held was only the first volume—the second still remained with Diantha.
And beyond that, she probably had a lot more useful resources.
It wouldn't hurt to visit again.
"Alright—"
Diancie dragged out the word in a lazy sing-song.
Though Diantha was also on her personal blacklist, in terms of threat level, Cogita ranked far higher.
If it meant getting away from Cogita for a while—even to see Diantha—that was more than acceptable.
Rustle rustle—
Suddenly, the flowers in the courtyard trembled, accompanied by two faint sounds.
All three of them—Elias, Diancie, and Cogita—turned toward the noise, puzzled.
Something had entered the flowerbeds.
A Pokémon, maybe?
The edges of Cogita's courtyard were bordered by a narrow stream and fenced in for safety,
so wild Pokémon rarely wandered in.
To be sure, Elias decided to scan the area with his telekinesis.
But—before he could act, the Pokémon in question stumbled out of the flowerbed on its own.
It was a small yellow fox-like creature, its tail and ears tipped with fiery red fur.
However, at this moment, it staggered weakly, its body swaying as if on the verge of collapse.
---
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