After some discussion, Elias decided to depart for Kalos early the next morning by plane.
Due to league responsibilities, Lance naturally couldn't accompany him.
However, Cynthia, equally a Champion, seemed surprisingly free.
"Are you sure it's okay?"
At dusk, Elias glanced at Cynthia uncertainly.
Since leaving Sinnoh, quite some time had passed, yet he'd never once seen Cynthia burdened by official duties.
Compared to Lance, they were total opposites.
"It's fine. The League can manage perfectly well without me," Cynthia said, waving dismissively.
Unlike Lance, Cynthia's status in Sinnoh was unshakable.
In Kanto, the Elite Four were nearly equals in strength.
But in Sinnoh, no one could truly fill the Champion's role but Cynthia.
Thus, even when she openly slacked off, the League tended to turn a blind eye.
Moreover…
She had no intention of letting Elias visit Kalos alone.
If Diantha got hold of him, getting him back might prove tricky.
Seeing Cynthia so determined, Elias nodded quietly without further comment.
---
Nighttime, Hotel Balcony.
Cynthia leaned casually against the railing, dressed loosely, while across from her stood a sleepy-eyed Gardevoir.
"Garde~ (What's the matter?)" Gardevoir asked vaguely, rubbing her tired eyes.
Earlier tonight, she had playfully bested all the other Pokémon, earning herself Elias's exclusive attention.
She'd enjoyed her fill once more, and was ready to drift off into peaceful slumber when Cynthia suddenly summoned her out here.
Had Cynthia not worn such a serious expression, Gardevoir wouldn't have bothered responding.
Cynthia scrutinized Gardevoir quietly.
Her face was flushed, her eyes hazy, clearly exhausted.
Seeing her in such a state made Cynthia unconsciously frown, inexplicably unsettled.
With this Gardevoir's strength, what exactly could have made her this tired?
However, recalling her purpose, Cynthia put aside her doubts and asked directly:
"Gardevoir, are you happy being shiny?"
At this, Gardevoir proudly flicked her hair.
"Garde! (Of course!)"
Without her shiny coloration, Elias probably never would have noticed her in the first place.
She was very satisfied with her unique appearance.
Hearing the expected reply, Cynthia's lips curled slightly upward.
"Well, then…"
"You wouldn't want to revert to your original coloring, would you?"
Gardevoir: ?
---
The next morning, Elias and his Pokémon rose early.
After breakfast, the helicopter Lance had arranged arrived punctually outside the hotel.
It was still the familiar Team Rocket-style helicopter.
Its spacious interior comfortably accommodated everyone.
"When did you two suddenly become so close?"
Elias looked suspiciously at Cynthia and Gardevoir.
Since early morning, the two had been whispering secretly to each other, clearly sharing a hidden agenda.
"Garde!" Gardevoir waved dismissively, indicating nothing unusual was going on.
Elias felt even more confused seeing her reaction.
Just then, Cynthia picked up her communicator after receiving a message.
[Heard you're coming to Kalos?]
The message from Diantha appeared on the screen.
[Yeah, I'll arrive today.]
Cynthia replied.
Seeing Diantha already knew their plans, Cynthia sighed lightly.
Looks like there was no way to hide this anymore.
Fortunately…
She'd already reached an agreement with Gardevoir.
[Unfortunately, I'm still filming in Alola. I won't be back for a few days.]
Diantha's next message arrived.
Seeing this, Cynthia's eyes immediately brightened.
This was an unexpected blessing. Diantha not being in Kalos was absolutely ideal.
[It's fine; I'm mostly just here accompanying Elias.]
Cynthia quickly replied.
Diantha paused briefly upon seeing the unfamiliar name.
Then it clicked—this must be the person Cynthia had mentioned before.
Recalling Cynthia's earlier descriptions, Diantha felt a sudden surge of curiosity.
Just as she pondered how to reply, another message arrived from Cynthia.
[Actually, Elias is just a normal person.]
[Though he's technically a trainer, he's pretty weak. He has a Gardevoir, but it's quite average.]
Worried she might pique Diantha's curiosity further, Cynthia hastily mixed truth and lies in her message.
She suddenly regretted ever mentioning Elias to Diantha.
Yet…
When Diantha read her friend's message, her eyes narrowed thoughtfully.
Knowing Cynthia, this overly defensive explanation was clearly suspicious.
Trying to hide something, Cynthia?
"Are you afraid I might steal this Elias from you?" Diantha mused quietly, easily deducing Cynthia's intentions.
Realizing this, she chuckled softly.
Sinnoh's Champion was still as innocent and straightforward as ever.
Given Cynthia's tastes, Diantha typically wasn't interested in the same things.
Still…
"I suppose I should head back sooner."
"What do you think, Gardevoir?"
Diantha gently petted her Gardevoir's head, whispering softly.
Although not particularly interested romantically, her curiosity had definitely been piqued.
And since Elias also had a Gardevoir, perhaps she could offer him some guidance.
It wasn't arrogance on Diantha's part.
Among trainers of Gardevoir, she genuinely stood at the very top.
Moreover, she knew practically every strong Gardevoir trainer—and no "Elias" appeared among them.
Thus, her thoughts were entirely reasonable.
"Garde~ (I'll help guide them as well.)" Diantha's Gardevoir nodded gently, replying warmly.
...
Afternoon arrived swiftly, and the helicopter hovered above Lumiose City.
As the largest metropolis in Kalos, Lumiose City's architecture was undeniably impressive.
"Elias, the space-time stability here really isn't great," Zoroark warned, ears twitching in discomfort.
Among his Pokémon, she was the most sensitive to fluctuations in time-space energy.
Elias nodded thoughtfully.
As expected, Lance's intel was accurate.
But it still wasn't clear whether Dialga and Palkia would emerge fully from the spatial rift.
Given their immense destructive power, if they appeared directly in the main world, things could get messy…