"Elias... did you hear a strange sound just now?"
Zoroark's voice was low, uncertain as she turned to Elias.
She wasn't sure if that dragon's roar had been real or just something she imagined as she drifted off to sleep.
"A strange sound?"
Elias blinked, then shook his head.
"Nope. Didn't hear anything."
"Oh... alright."
Zoroark slowly nodded.
Maybe she really was just overtired—that must've been it.
But...
The memory of that roar lingered vividly in her mind. It had sounded so real.
She could still feel the malice in it. The brutal, feral rage that rattled her instincts.
No question—if that sound came from a real Pokémon, it had to be terrifyingly strong.
---
[Soon after, Zoroark drifted back to sleep—this time, peacefully. There were no more sudden jolts or ghostly echoes.]
[Not long after, Cynthia took her leave as well.]
[Though the two of you had concluded the attacker was most likely Giratina, its motives remained shrouded in mystery.]
[Before leaving, Cynthia made sure to warn you: be careful in the days ahead.]
"Elias, maybe we should ask Regigigas for help?"
Lucario approached once Cynthia had gone. He'd been silent up until now, but the anxiety on his face said it all.
After tonight's brief encounter, he wasn't confident he could protect Elias if Giratina came again.
Even with [Mega Evolution], Lucario knew—defeating Giratina wouldn't be easy.
After thinking it over, he believed Regigigas was their best bet.
"That big guy?"
Elias had just laid Zoroark on the couch when he paused to consider Lucario's suggestion.
A few moments later, he shook his head.
"Regigigas moves at a snail's pace. Before it even gets to its feet, Giratina might've already flattened us."
"I don't think it'd be much help."
Regigigas had left quite the impression on Elias—especially its infamously [Slow Start].
Compared to that, even a Snorlax felt nimble.
Lucario thought about it for a second and gave a reluctant nod.
Judging by the speed Giratina had displayed earlier, it would be a terrible matchup for Regigigas.
"Alright. Don't stress about it too much."
Seeing Lucario still looking worried, Elias reached over to pat his shoulder.
"Didn't Cynthia say Giratina was exiled from the main world?"
"That means... it probably can't just barge in whenever it wants. So try not to overthink it."
Stretching as he spoke, Elias tried to inject some optimism into the room.
Lucario let out a slow sigh and didn't argue further.
He could only hope the true High Sovereign of Sinnoh was still watching over this land.
If so... maybe, just maybe, Giratina would hesitate.
---
[The next morning, you gathered your Pokémon and met up with Cogita and Cynthia.]
[Since you lived with Cogita and Cynthia happened to be heading the same way, the three of you decided to travel together.]
[All things considered, you were pretty satisfied with this journey: not only had you acquired two more Plates, you'd also helped restore the clans' perception of Zoroark.]
[Honestly, it had gone even better than expected.]
[The only thing that puzzled you was Zoroark herself. She'd been unusually quiet the whole way back, lost deep in thought about something you couldn't guess.]
Trailing beside Elias, Zoroark was mentally sorting through her future plans.
Her biggest obstacle?
Where in the world could she find a disaster big enough to make her the next "High Sovereign of Sinnoh"?
Wildfires? Avalanches?
Too mundane—seasoned Hisuians knew how to handle those.
A drought? A meteor strike?
Not an option. She didn't know [Sunny Day] or [Draco Meteor], so she couldn't fake those either.
One by one, she ruled out possibilities, her brow furrowing deeper with frustration.
None of them were good enough.
"What are you thinking about?"
Elias had been watching her for a while and finally leaned in to ask softly.
Zoroark startled, her fur fluffing slightly at the sudden voice in her ear.
When she realized it was Elias, her gaze flickered evasively.
"Nothing..." she murmured.
Elias didn't buy it for a second.
Zoroark was terrible at hiding things—her guilty expression gave her away instantly.
But he didn't press.
It was fine if she had her own secrets. As long as they weren't dangerous, he had no reason to interfere.
---
[The tournament site wasn't far from the Crimson Mirelands.]
[But since you strolled at a leisurely pace, it was already late afternoon by the time you arrived.]
[After saying goodbye to Cynthia, you and Cogita finally returned to your shared home.]
"The tea table's gotten dusty,"
Cogita frowned, standing in the courtyard as she eyed the thin layer of grime covering her small round table.
"Clean it tomorrow?" Elias offered.
It was getting late, and he still needed to unpack.
Cogita nodded lightly.
Then, as if a lightbulb went off, her eyes lit up.
Turning with a sweet smile toward Zoroark—who immediately tensed—she asked:
"Why don't you clean it, Zoroark? Pokémon are supposed to have excellent stamina, right?"
"And... you don't want me to enforce the terms of our earlier agreement, do you?"
Before Zoroark could object, Cogita smoothly brought up the "contract" she'd proposed in the camp tent days ago.
Zoroark froze, eyes wide in outrage, her voice catching in her throat.
If I ever become the High Sovereign, Cogita's the first one getting exiled from Elias's side!
But for now, cornered by her own promise, Zoroark could only sigh and stay behind to clean.
Elias gave her a few words of comfort before heading inside to sort his things.
Zoroark wet a cloth and began scrubbing the table, lips pursed in silent frustration.
The table itself was made from some kind of special crystal. Once polished, it gleamed like glass—almost mirror-like.
A pity it was getting dark now; otherwise, she might've used it as a makeshift mirror to tidy up her fur.
With the last bit of dust wiped clean, Zoroark tossed aside the cloth and turned to head inside.
But just then... the polished tabletop shimmered, rippling like disturbed water.
Zoroark blinked and rubbed her eyes to make sure she wasn't seeing things.
For a master of illusions, it was rare to feel such a disconnect from reality.
But no—it wasn't her imagination.
She tensed, every sense on high alert, and locked her gaze onto the surface.
She hadn't spent much time living in the wild, but even she knew—
Unnatural phenomena usually meant danger.
The ripple calmed... but in its place, a shadow began to emerge from the depths of the crystal table.