Fennekin was convinced she'd fallen for a human's trick.
After agreeing to Elias's offer of help, she'd temporarily settled down in the little cottage.
But...
Over these past few days, she'd lived more comfortably than ever before.
Setting aside the cozy bed and daily treatments for her injuries—
What truly broke down her defenses was the food the ghostly human prepared for her every day.
Even though the ingredients were just ordinary berries—the same she'd eaten all her life—once he prepared them through some unknown technique, they transformed into something she'd never tasted before.
No matter how stubbornly she turned her head away, that enticing aroma would always find its way into her little nose, tickling her appetite relentlessly.
Even she had to admit, despite her determination to remain critical, that these berries were genuinely delicious.
After spending several days like this, the clearest change was that she found herself reluctant to think about leaving anymore.
She even started frowning subconsciously whenever she noticed how quickly she was recovering.
It's definitely some human trick.
Gritting her teeth, Fennekin was sure of it.
"You're just about healed now, aren't you?"
After breakfast, Diancie narrowed her eyes at the fox, who was leisurely licking her paws, and asked pointedly.
It wasn't that she was impatient—but lately, this fox had stopped mentioning anything about leaving.
Even though she clearly looked almost completely recovered, she acted as if nothing had changed.
This gave Diancie a very bad feeling.
Hearing Diancie's question, Fennekin casually glanced up, then lightly looked away again.
"Woo~" Not even close. she replied coolly.
"You—!"
Diancie slapped her tiny hands on the table, eyes widening in frustration.
She knew it!
When this fox first decided to stay, she'd solemnly promised she wouldn't linger, but now she clearly had no intention of leaving.
"You look pretty recovered to me."
Diancie's little face darkened as she spoke through gritted teeth.
However…
This time, Fennekin didn't even spare her a glance. Instead, she gracefully leaped onto a nearby soft cushion, curled up comfortably, and closed her eyes.
"Woo." I know my own condition best.
Her voice drifted lazily through the air.
Diancie: …
She felt as if she were about to explode from anger.
The way this fox saw things, she'd probably spend the rest of her life here, "recovering."
Diancie opened her mouth, ready to argue further, but just then, Elias finished tidying up and walked over.
"Diancie, we need to head out today," Elias reminded her, thinking about their plans.
"Hm?" Diancie turned to him curiously. "Where are we going?"
She didn't particularly mind going out; after all, staying home all day could get boring, and going out usually meant finding something fun to do.
More importantly…
It would be just her and Elias—finally, a rare moment without the fox getting in the way.
"Remember Diantha?" Elias continued. "We'll first go back to the area where we encountered Yveltal last time to gather some samples. Then we'll visit Diantha's house."
He'd thought carefully about the plan.
Several days had passed, and even if Yveltal hadn't left the area, it would likely have fallen back into slumber.
Now was a good chance to collect samples of the soil and plant life from that region.
As for Diantha, she'd contacted him herself.
Given the huge collection of books at Diantha's estate—and considering he'd nearly finished the book he'd borrowed last time—Elias felt it was worth making the trip again.
After listening to Elias's plans, Diancie hesitated for a brief moment, then nodded.
Though she wasn't overly fond of Diantha, she knew Elias was doing this for her own health. At such moments, she wouldn't selfishly stop him.
"Fennekin, do you want to come along too?"
Seeing Diancie agree, Elias turned to ask the fox.
Considering Cogita's personality, Elias worried she might actually toss Fennekin out while they were gone.
Fennekin, clearly surprised Elias would ask her, hesitated briefly, then gave a small, tentative nod.
Compared to anyone else, she felt safest around this ghostly human.
Of course, this earned her another fierce glare from Diancie.
---
[Due to the tight schedule, after leaving a note and preparing breakfast for the still-sleeping Cogita, you took the two Pokémon and left the cottage.]
[You traveled quickly, and before long, you'd reached the forest where you'd hidden from Yveltal last time.]
---
"We're here."
Elias narrowed his eyes, carefully examining the forest before him.
Compared to last time, the forest had already begun regaining a bit of life.
Occasionally, faint cries of flying Pokémon echoed through the trees.
It seemed Yveltal really had fallen back into a deep slumber.
"Woo...?" Do we have to go deeper inside?
Fennekin shivered slightly, nervousness creeping into her voice.
She didn't want to remember what had happened here. Those days had felt like a nightmare she couldn't escape, and lately, even her dreams were haunted by those terrifying scenes.
Noticing her trembling, Elias thought for a moment, then crouched down and gently scooped her into his arms.
"Don't worry, we won't go too far in."
Gently stroking her soft fur, Elias comforted her warmly.
Fennekin blinked, stunned.
She hadn't expected Elias to pick her up like this.
Despite his icy-cold body, the hand running softly through her fur slowly eased her anxiety. Almost unconsciously, she relaxed.
The fear in her heart began fading bit by bit.
Fennekin buried her face against Elias's shoulder, her earlier instinct to struggle completely gone.
"Woo." Okay. Her voice came out muffled against him.
If previously her reluctance to leave was because of delicious food and a comfortable life—now, even without all that, she realized she genuinely wanted to stay near this ghostly human.
Standing to the side, Diancie took a couple of deep breaths.
This fox…
Thankfully, just as her chest tightened uncomfortably, Elias reached over and gently took hold of her hand too.
Only then did Diancie's mood ease considerably.
"Let's go," Elias said quietly.
Yet just as he spoke, he suddenly stopped mid-step.
Someone else was here.
At the edge of his psychic senses, deeper in the forest, there was another presence.
And judging by what he sensed, they seemed to be…battling with a Pokémon?
---
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