Seeing Lysandre wasn't seriously hurt, Elias didn't bother further.
He'd only rescued the man along the way anyway; now that Noivern had fled, it was time to get down to business.
Thinking this, Elias moved past Lysandre and began examining the area.
This was the heart of the forest, where Yveltal's lingering aura was strongest.
After just a casual glance, Elias had already found several petrified trees and flowers.
He stepped forward carefully, gathering these stone fragments into a prepared wooden box.
Though it was clear by now that Diancie's physical damage wasn't directly caused by Yveltal, Elias still felt it safer to collect some samples.
Who knows—they might come in handy later…
Noticing Elias's actions, Lysandre's eyes brightened, and he asked:
"Sir, are you this Diancie's trainer?"
From his perspective, Elias's current behavior was similar to his own—gathering research materials.
This implied the young man was also likely a prominent scholar who had risked danger after hearing of the forest disaster.
Such scholars usually were powerful trainers too; having a Diancie didn't seem too far-fetched.
But before Elias could respond, Diancie vigorously shook her little head, denying it outright:
"Nope! Elias isn't a trainer yet."
Hearing Diancie speak, Lysandre grew quite excited.
Hearing Pokémon actually talk was a rare stroke of luck, something even renowned Pokémon researchers often never experienced in their entire lifetimes.
Yet, despite his excitement, Diancie's words confused him somewhat.
Not a trainer?
He pondered a moment, then nodded as if suddenly understanding.
Of course. Legendary Pokémon were never easy to capture.
He supposed Elias's relationship with Diancie was likely something like friendship or partnership—not uncommon between humans and Pokémon.
Thinking this, Lysandre's respect grew further.
To keep a legendary Pokémon by one's side purely through charisma and without a Poké Ball—such a trainer must truly be exceptional.
Just as Lysandre was contemplating whether he should ask for Elias's contact information to arrange a future visit, Diancie spoke again:
"Elias isn't my trainer."
"To be precise, I should be Elias's master!"
Diancie straightened her expression, earnestly correcting Lysandre.
This was a thought she'd only recently clarified after reading some human books.
After all, Elias was someone she had found, raised, and protected.
Moreover, he relied on her daily, even drawing energy from her body to move around.
In that sense, calling herself Elias's master wasn't wrong, was it?
Diancie was convinced her logic was perfectly sound.
However, Lysandre, hearing her argument, seriously doubted if something was wrong with his ears.
When he realized that the legendary princess of the Underground Kingdom was explaining all of this with genuine seriousness—even pride—
Lysandre's expression turned complicated.
Legendary Pokémon… really are different.
No, perhaps he should be thinking about who exactly instilled these strange ideas into Diancie.
With this thought, Lysandre's gaze towards Elias sharpened considerably.
Perhaps he needed to revise his earlier evaluation of this young man…
Meanwhile, Elias, still gathering stone fragments nearby, wore a helpless expression.
Even without looking up, he could clearly feel Lysandre's questioning stare.
But honestly, he hadn't taught Diancie such ridiculous ideas.
She'd come up with these crooked thoughts entirely on her own after reading who-knows-what.
Considering Kalos's history was full of monarchies even just a century ago, it wasn't surprising that words like "master" appeared frequently in old books.
"Ahem, Diancie—we should get going."
After closing the wooden box and picking up Fennekin again, Elias addressed Diancie.
They still had plans to visit Diantha today, so staying too long in the forest wasn't an option.
"Okaaay—"
Diancie dragged out her response, completely oblivious that there might have been something wrong with her previous explanation.
Only after seeing Elias about to leave did Lysandre snap out of his daze.
"Sir, could you perhaps leave me your contact information?"
"I'd like to properly repay you someday for today's help," Lysandre requested.
Although the young man seemed to have some peculiar little quirks, Lysandre figured this wasn't such a big deal.
He'd even heard of someone in Kanto who liked sleeping amid Machoke, so Elias's behavior seemed relatively tame by comparison.
Besides, Diancie was quite beautiful among Pokémon.
But…
Lysandre couldn't help but envy the extraordinary qualities Elias had shown.
Possessing telekinesis himself, and even accompanied by a legendary Pokémon—such trainers were exceedingly rare.
After traveling extensively throughout Kalos, Lysandre had grown increasingly disappointed in humanity's greed and selfishness.
He had even begun considering forming an organization to change this very situation.
If he could recruit someone like Elias, his plans would undoubtedly proceed much more smoothly.
Hearing Lysandre's request, Elias instinctively prepared to refuse.
Given Diancie's sensitive identity, he preferred not to entangle himself too much with unfamiliar humans.
Yet, Lysandre's next words made Elias pause abruptly:
"Sir, if your intention is to help Diancie repair the damage to her body, perhaps I could be of assistance."
Lysandre maintained his respectful tone.
But after seeing Elias's expression halt, he knew he'd made the right gamble.
Historical records clearly stated that the diamonds covering Diancie were typically dazzling and radiant.
But although this Diancie was beautiful, her gems weren't quite as lustrous as described.
Based on his experience, he'd asked tentatively—and unexpectedly hit the mark.
However…
In the very next second, Lysandre regretted his recklessness deeply.
In front of him, Elias's previously gentle expression suddenly turned icy.
Whoosh—
Wind swept past, and Elias disappeared from sight.
By the time Lysandre realized what happened, a hand glowing with Aura Sphere was already next to his ear.
Lysandre couldn't help but swallow nervously.
Aura Sphere…
He hadn't anticipated Elias also wielded the power of Aura.
Just what kind of trainer is he to master so many abilities?
"I'll give you one chance. Explain clearly what you meant just now."
Elias narrowed his eyes, voice frigid.
Anything concerning Diancie was something he would never tolerate lightly.
---
A/N:—Lysandre: The teachings of Elias…really are one-of-a-kind.
bonus chaps
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200 stones -> 2 chapters
300 stones -> 3 chapters
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