Looks like everyone's here...
Inside the space-time rift, Dialga and Palkia had completely lost their earlier bravado.
If they'd been brimming with rage when first attacked, now they only felt relief once they clearly saw their assailants.
They attacked so lightly... Clearly, they're not here specifically for revenge.
And indeed, they weren't.
Elias had simply sought out the Twin Dragons for a favor. Had Dialga and Palkia not entered the main world, even that small attack could've been avoided.
Seeing both Pokémon calm down obediently, Elias nodded with satisfaction.
"I called you two over this time because I need your help," he explained. "Relax, you'll be free to leave afterward. I won't ask for anything strange."
He made sure to reassure them directly.
Truthfully, Elias had little interest in these two fools of Sinnoh.
For one, compared to his soft and cuddly Gardevoir or fluffy Zoroark, the massive, icy-cold dragons weren't exactly appealing.
And secondly, he didn't currently have a Poké Ball suitable for capturing them.
He'd already used the Origin Ball given by the system on Giratina. The best he had left were Luxury Balls—practically useless against Pokémon of this caliber.
Thus, Elias never even considered capturing them this time around.
Dialga and Palkia simultaneously let out sighs of relief.
So, just a simple favor… You should've said so earlier! You nearly scared us to death.
If it had been just Giratina, they might've considered fleeing. But with Zoroark and Gardevoir added into the mix, all they could feel was overwhelming despair.
Even facing Arceus wouldn't have felt worse than this.
Dialga turned to Elias, the jewel on its chest glowing faintly as it projected telepathically:
[What do you need?]
---
Meanwhile, far away in Alola…
Diantha stared at her communicator, deeply pondering the messages she'd received:
[I've already dealt with Dialga and Palkia.]
[You can take your time coming back, no rush.]
These were the last messages Cynthia had sent.
Combined with the information she'd received from the League, everything Cynthia said appeared accurate. A catastrophic crisis had indeed ended swiftly and abruptly.
Yet…
After reading the messages multiple times, Diantha couldn't help but furrow her brows in skepticism.
Cynthia claimed she'd personally handled Dialga and Palkia—but knowing her friend's capabilities, that seemed impossible.
Dialga and Palkia were terrifyingly powerful. Even among legendary Pokémon, they stood near the absolute peak.
Even a Champion-level trainer would only be able to run for their life in front of such beasts.
Naturally, Diantha found Cynthia's claims highly suspect.
If you're going to lie, at least draft something believable first, Diantha sighed softly, feeling helpless.
Nevertheless, her curiosity was undeniably piqued.
After all, Dialga and Palkia had indeed retreated into the space-time rift. And Cynthia clearly knew the real story.
It made Diantha genuinely curious about what actually happened.
"Surely, there can't really be a trainer capable of driving away two legendary Pokémon simultaneously...right?" Diantha murmured as she slipped her communicator back into her pocket.
---
Back in the space-time rift…
Dialga and Palkia now fully understood Elias's intentions.
In short, he needed their help traveling back several centuries—to the Hisui region of the past.
Realizing this, Dialga and Palkia felt completely at ease.
This was exactly their specialty!
With such a simple request, the two Pokémon had absolutely no objections.
Seeing their agreement, Elias recalled Gardevoir and the others into their Poké Balls as they'd previously agreed.
Then, turning toward Cynthia, he smiled and asked:
"Want to come along to Hisui again?"
His main purpose this time was to revisit Irida and Cogita.
Their previous simulation had ended too abruptly. Leaving it unresolved felt deeply unfair to everyone else there.
Besides…
He hadn't forgotten about his wager with Cyrus.
He wondered what expression Cyrus would wear upon meeting his ancestor face-to-face. Could he still maintain his usual stoicism?
Just imagining the scenario sparked anticipation in Elias's heart.
"Of course!"
Cynthia answered without the slightest hesitation.
She dearly missed that ancient, unspoiled region—especially the peaceful days she'd spent there with Elias.
Having settled everything, Elias didn't delay any further.
At his signal, Dialga and Palkia raised their heads simultaneously, each releasing beams of blue and pink energy into the void.
The powers of Time and Space intertwined midair, gradually forming a massive sphere.
At the same moment, Elias distinctly felt the surrounding space become increasingly unstable.
As the energies reached their limits—
Humm—!
A resonant buzz filled the air, and Elias's vision dissolved into pure white.
After a brief moment, the scenery finally returned.
Unlike the harsh, unstable environment of the space-time rift, he now stood overlooking a vast, serene ocean.
It appeared to be midday; warm sunlight poured down from above, glittering softly over the ocean's surface.
Elias squinted slightly, adjusting to the brightness.
Soon enough, he recognized their location—the Cobalt Coastlands of Hisui.
If he recalled correctly, this territory belonged to the Pearl Clan.
And the Warden overseeing this area—Palina—was someone he knew quite well.
She had often accompanied Irida on visits to Cogita's cabin in the past.
Compared to Irida, Palina was a few years older, with a notably gentler and more mature personality.
In fact, when it came to selecting the clan leader, Palina had once been favored over Irida herself.
---
P.S.
Regigigas: You say you're here for Irida and Cogita, but aren't you really here to visit me?