A vivid green light flowed from Elias's palm, fading quickly as it touched Diancie's skin.
The Life Energy seeped little by little into her body.
"Mmm…"
Half-asleep, Diancie let out a soft hum, her body shifting slightly in response. From her relaxed brows, though, it was clear—the Life Energy wasn't causing discomfort. It was soothing, almost blissful.
At the same time, Elias scanned her body carefully with telekinesis.
Her chronic frailty meant that internal damage usually stood out sharply—but now, the Life Energy was gradually mending it, piece by piece, though at a frustratingly slow pace.
Elias narrowed his eyes.
His hunch had been right—Life Energy did work on Diancie.
But…
Unlike Dianna, Diancie's body demanded far more of it.
By rough estimation, even if he drained every bit of his own Life Energy, it still wouldn't be enough to fully heal her.
And worse, the issue wasn't just surface injuries. Beneath them lay something deeper—structural weaknesses Life Energy alone couldn't fix.
Realizing this, Elias exhaled quietly.
The only real path forward was to dig into newer research at the library. Maybe the human world had made progress since his last look.
With that thought, he withdrew his hand gently.
He then lifted Diancie and laid her on the bed.
Despite being a Jewel Pokémon, her body wasn't as hard as stone—soft, fragrant, melting in his arms like water whenever she slept deeply.
Still, he couldn't hold her for long. His body was unnaturally cold; she might even wake up shivering.
After tucking her in carefully, Elias picked up a book and slipped out of the room.
He planned to use the quiet to finish the stack of unread volumes.
Click—
As soon as the door closed, Diancie's eyes opened wide.
She'd actually woken the moment Elias released the Life Energy.
That warm, tingling sensation spreading through her body—it was impossible not to wake up.
But… she knew exactly what that warmth cost him.
Elias had fallen into his deep sleep once before precisely because he'd exhausted his Life Energy.
She'd even braced herself earlier—if he hadn't stopped, she would've slapped his hand away without hesitation.
She couldn't let him fall into that endless sleep again.
Fortunately, he'd restrained himself this time, stopping before it became dangerous.
Even so, remembering his soft sigh made her chest ache.
She didn't want him to feel disappointed in her weakness…
She wanted him to have a proper human body again, too.
But that couldn't happen unless she got better first.
Resting her small face in her hands, Diancie sank deep into thought.
---
[The next morning, under Dianna's reluctant gaze, you and Diancie prepared to leave the kingdom.]
[For both of you, it was the first time seeing the usually composed queen show such emotion.]
---
"I'll visit when I can," Dianna said softly, quickly masking her feelings again.
She hadn't expected their schedule to be so tight—no room to delay their departure.
Luckily, she'd already managed to make Elias her "Trainer." That gave her a perfect reason to visit him whenever she pleased.
Thinking this, her mood brightened.
Her gaze then flicked downward—to Elias's waist.
Empty.
Recalling what she'd seen of human customs, she coughed lightly and said, almost teasingly, "Elias, since you're a Trainer now, you should probably prepare some Poké Balls."
There was an unspoken meaning in her words.
Diancie's eyes went wide.
Was Her Highness seriously planning to have Elias capture her?!
She'd thought that whole "Trainer" talk was just an excuse—never imagining Dianna actually meant it.
She wanted to object, but no reasonable words came.
And then Dianna gave her a small, warning glance.
"Hmph."
Diancie huffed, puffing her cheeks and turning away.
Fine. From now on, she'd make absolutely sure to limit Elias's contact with Her Highness.
That kind of "Mature Pokémon" could only corrupt him!
Beside her, Elias met Dianna's gaze and nodded slightly.
Truth be told, he had already planned to get some Poké Balls. The Trainer profession intrigued him.
---
[Dianna was perfectly satisfied with your answer.]
[After leaving the kingdom, you and Diancie returned to Cogita's cottage as promised.]
[When you arrived, Cogita seemed to have been waiting for a while.]
[Seeing you both safe and sound—neither detained nor harmed—she finally let out a quiet sigh of relief.]
---
"Going to the library?" she repeated after hearing Elias's plans, eyebrows lifting slightly.
Then she cast a knowing glance toward Diancie, who was sitting nearby, trying to look innocent. Cogita understood immediately.
Of course. She still remembered meeting Diancie for the first time decades ago—also in a library. Back then, Elias had been diligently researching something for Diancie's sake, page after page of careful notes.
After his long slumber, she'd chosen not to pry.
Now that he was awake again, naturally he'd pick up where he left off.
But still—
"Don't you dare do anything dangerous."
Cogita leaned closer, eyes narrowing slightly, her tone serious.
This time, she didn't hide her concern.
Unlike in the Hisui days, she no longer had to restrain herself. She could let her emotions show openly now.
Up close, she could read the flickers in Elias's gaze—surprise, gratitude, a spark of excitement.
Ignoring Diancie's instantly indignant glare, Cogita watched him closely, a faint smile tugging at her lips.
Even in ghost form, his emotions remain just the same…
Satisfied, she leaned back and took a slow sip of tea.
"That's my only condition, Elias. Whatever happens, promise me you'll follow it, hmm~?"
Her tone was playful, yet firm.
Maybe it was her imagination—but lately, she'd sensed something… watching him.
A presence she'd felt once before—back when he was still asleep.
---
Cogita: Leaving Hisui turned out to be a surprisingly good idea.
T/N: im back, did a poll on my patreon on the new schedule and releases for webnovel so yeah
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