"Elias, I'm going to create diamonds."
"I have to!"
Curled up in Elias's arms, Diancie mumbled through trembling sobs, her body shaking in little jolts.
Her voice was small, but the resolve in it was something Elias rarely heard from her.
That was more than enough to show the scene she'd witnessed under Hypnosis had genuinely frightened her.
He fell silent for two seconds. After gently wiping away the tears at the corners of her eyes with his fingertip, he said softly, "Mm. I'll help you."
Sure enough, the moment he said it, Diancie's shaking gradually eased.
She seemed to be tiring out, her whole body going limp against him.
"Diancie… did you see anything just now?"
When he saw her mood settling little by little, Elias asked cautiously.
He was worried—what on earth could scare her into this state?
Usually, even though Diancie was timid, she would still force herself to look calm, trying not to show weakness.
Crying this hard, then throwing herself into his arms like that… it happened so rarely you could count it on one hand.
At his question, Diancie pressed her lips together.
After thinking for a long time, she finally spoke slowly.
"I don't want to become my clan's sinner."
Just that one sentence—and Elias could feel the sheer grievance and fear packed inside it.
So that really was what Diancie was afraid of…
And it wasn't hard to understand. If the clan you'd lived with for decades was headed for ruin because of you…
Just seeing the fate of familiar faces from day to day would be enough to shatter most people's mental defenses.
Let alone a simple-hearted Pokémon like Diancie.
But…
Elias had the feeling she wasn't telling him the whole reason.
It was like she was hiding something—something she didn't want him to know.
Looking down at Diancie, who had already closed her eyes lightly, Elias let out a quiet sigh.
Since she didn't want to say it, he had no intention of pressing her.
All he needed to do was help Diancie create the giant diamond, and every problem would solve itself.
"Don't worry. I won't let you become a sinner."
Close to her ear, Elias promised in a whisper.
He was going to make the Diancie he'd raised with his own hands into the true queen of her people.
...
[Ever since being hypnotized, Diancie has behaved much better.]
[Aside from clinging to you even more, she's started training and studying in earnest.]
[She's picked up the theoretical knowledge she used to neglect, piece by piece, and she's also been learning quite a few governance skills from Dianna.]
[As the days pass, Diancie really does seem to be taking on the air of a queen.]
[If not for her congenital physical issues, you believe she would grow into a competent and powerful queen.]
[In contrast, the one who's changed the most is Dianna, who's always been so diligent.]
...
Inside Dianna's room.
"Elias, Lumiose City is pretty big, right? And there's Prism Tower—if we get the chance, let's go see it together."
"Elias, humans say surfing is fun. Have you tried it before…? Forget it. A Rock-type Pokémon shouldn't be thinking about stuff like that."
"Elias, you haven't been to places like Sinnoh and Hoenn either, right?"
"I'll plan everything out ahead of time. How about I take you traveling later?"
Dianna flipped through the magazine in her hands as she chattered on to Elias.
Her voice still had its usual cool steadiness, but the lift in her tone gave her away.
Talking about all those places to go and things to do, Dianna looked genuinely happy.
Counting on her fingers, she figured that at most, it would be five years before she stepped down and yielded the throne.
When Diancie took her place as queen, Dianna would be able to grab Elias and travel all over the world with him.
And it wasn't like she lacked money in the human world. If she wanted to buy herself a cruise ship and sail it around for fun, there'd be no problem at all.
Just imagining that kind of life made Dianna feel a rush of excitement.
Even that face that was usually unflappable—there was a pretty flush climbing up her cheeks now.
Seeing how into it Dianna was, Elias didn't want to interrupt.
It made sense, really. After staying underground for so long, of course she'd want to go out and enjoy herself.
Still, the fact that Dianna had worked herself into every single activity in her plans… that surprised Elias a little.
Would Diancie agree to that when the time comes?
He wanted to ask, but in the end, he didn't say it.
Even so, when Dianna saw his hesitant, about-to-speak expression, she caught on immediately.
"Relax. When the time comes, Diancie will have to be a good girl and sit in the queen's seat. She won't be able to restrict your freedom," Dianna replied with confidence.
As an elder, she understood Diancie's intentions all too well.
She didn't even need to guess to know that on the very day Diancie ascended the throne, she'd announce a rule connected to Elias.
It would be something like: no one else is allowed to get close to Elias. Or, if she went a step further, she might even name him as her king consort.
Dianna had already decided—before she stepped down, she would personally cut off every one of Diancie's little schemes.
By the time Diancie figured out a countermeasure, Elias would already have been whisked away by her.
Every time she thought about her plan, Dianna felt a swell of pride.
...
[While Dianna and Diancie are busy with their own affairs, you and Lysandre haven't been idle either.]
[After reforms, Team Flare's power has expanded several times over, and its previously bloated structure has been streamlined once again.]
[Most crucially, Malva is now making a push for an Elite Four position. Before long, she may very well succeed in challenging for it.]
[That means Team Flare's influence will expand even further.]
[Beneath all that growth and prosperity, the Ultimate Weapon buried underground is finally unearthed by Team Flare.]
[This superweapon, unseen by daylight for thousands of years, is bathed in light once more.]
[The moment you confirm the Ultimate Weapon isn't just a legend, both you and Lysandre feel a surge of excitement.]
...
Downtown, inside a café.
"Mr. Elias, we now have the Ultimate Weapon."
"If we also harness the power of Xerneas and Yveltal, then there will be nothing in this world we can't accomplish!"
Lysandre spoke rapidly.
If they weren't in a café, Elias was sure he'd be even more over the top.
After all, the appearance of the Ultimate Weapon—on some level—meant Lysandre's ideal had already been achieved halfway.
"Yveltal's whereabouts are still under your control, right?"
As the conversation finally turned to something he cared about, Elias asked.