Until moments earlier, Palina had resigned herself to certain death, almost entirely giving up on resisting.
After all…
No matter how she looked at it, her situation was completely hopeless.
Heatran's [Hyper Beam] was fully charged. Even if, by some miracle, reinforcements from the Pearl Clan arrived at this very instant, none would be strong enough to deflect such a devastating attack.
Yet just as she thought this, Heatran's attack was intercepted.
Or more precisely…
Heatran hadn't even managed to release its charged [Hyper Beam] before being forcibly interrupted—its massive head had been driven straight into the ground, leaving it motionless and utterly defeated.
A legendary Pokémon of extraordinary power, taken down instantly and effortlessly.
The moment Palina realized this, no relief came. Instead, her heart sank rapidly.
Heatran itself wasn't actually the biggest concern. If the clan sent enough reinforcements, they might eventually subdue it.
But…
What if the new arrival was an even more powerful, ferocious Pokémon?
If that was the case, the entire Pearl Clan could be plunged into a crisis far worse than before.
With dread heavy in her heart, Palina slowly turned her head, intending to see what sort of Pokémon had come.
But before she could look, a familiar yet impossible voice echoed from behind her:
"Palina, it's been a while."
Elias smiled lightly, walking slowly toward her.
Although the curve at the corner of his lips was subtle, Cynthia noticed immediately. She narrowed her eyes knowingly.
As expected, Elias is doing this deliberately, isn't he?
In moments like these, Elias's sense of mischief oddly mirrored Mew's.
Just as Elias anticipated, Palina stiffened at the sound of his voice. With barely a moment's hesitation, she instantly recognized its owner.
Yet…
Because she recognized him, she found herself paralyzed with disbelief.
That person had vanished permanently from Hisui after saving them from the previous crisis. Even his Pokémon had confirmed that he would never return.
Therefore, the voice she heard now must be a trick—perhaps some mischief from ghost Pokémon like Gengar or Haunter.
Yes, that was probably the case.
Palina cautiously, mechanically turned around, mentally prepared to see one of those pranksters.
However…
Her mind froze as a familiar face filled her vision—
Elias.
Moreover, the young woman named Cynthia, along with that Zoroark and Lucario, stood not far away, each of them exactly as she remembered.
"Woof!"
Before Palina fully processed everything, her two Growlithe rushed joyfully toward Elias, wagging their tails excitedly.
Not only had Elias been their close friend, but due to his healing [Power of Viridian], both Growlithe had always felt particularly fond of him.
And given Growlithe's keen sense of smell, if they recognized him…
Palina's eyes widened slightly, shock clearly etched across her usually gentle face.
Somewhere on Firespit Island.
"You… How…?"
Palina hugged one Growlithe close to her chest, stumbling through half-formed questions before finally falling silent.
After carefully confirming his identity, she was certain—the person before her truly was Elias.
But…
How is this possible?
Why would someone who had been presumed dead for so long suddenly reappear and even rescue her from danger?
Her mind swirled chaotically with countless questions, leaving her at a complete loss for words.
"The full explanation might be a bit complicated…" Elias said gently, noticing her struggle. "I'll explain everything once we meet up with Irida."
He could completely understand Palina's current emotional turmoil. Had their positions been reversed, he probably would've felt equally overwhelmed.
At his calm reassurance, Palina managed a soft nod, finally relaxing. As she pushed aside her confusion, a warm smile lit her face.
In any case, having Elias back was all that mattered.
She still vividly remembered the day she'd heard about Elias's supposed demise. She'd sat on the shore of the Cobalt Coastlands, gazing at the waves in a daze until sunset.
"Oh, right," Palina suddenly said, as if recalling something important. "Ever since you left, Irida's mental state has been… unstable. We should let her know about this as soon as possible."
Palina had always been especially protective of Irida. Not only was Palina older, but since Irida had lost her mother at a young age, she'd come to see Irida almost as family, leading to her deep affection and care for her.
Seeing Irida was indeed one of Elias's main goals in returning to Hisui, so naturally, he had no objections.
However…
For someone like Irida, such reunions were best delivered as a complete surprise.
"Palina, I might need your cooperation for this," Elias said with a playful smile.
---
Pearl Settlement, Evening.
Having finally finished her duties for the day, Irida sat exhausted in her chair, stretching tiredly.
She rubbed her forehead softly, a faint headache beginning to surface.
Life as the clan leader was far more taxing than she'd ever anticipated.
At one point, Elias had always been around to help shoulder her burdens.
But ever since he'd vanished, she'd been left alone to carry the heavy weight of leadership.
"Elias…"
Murmuring his name, Irida lowered her head slightly, her voice barely audible. After a long moment, she took a deep breath, forcing herself to recover.
She then moved, as usual, toward the mailbox outside her quarters.
Every evening, wardens from each part of Pearl territory sent reports via Flying-type Pokémon, summarizing their daily activities. Today should have been no exception.
Ingo… Calaba… Gaeric… Iscan… Palina…
Wait.
Where was Palina's letter?
Irida rummaged anxiously through the mailbox once more, carefully counting each report again, only to confirm her suspicion:
There really was no letter from the Cobalt Coastlands today.
A sudden, uneasy fear gripped her heart, recalling vividly how she'd felt the day Elias disappeared. This feeling of dread was unmistakably similar.
Irida's complexion turned slightly pale.
Although Palina might have simply sent the report late, Irida couldn't shake off the anxiety.
Yet, as the clan leader, she couldn't recklessly leave the settlement to investigate herself.
Despite her heart racing with worry, Irida eventually forced herself back into her seat.
Holding the flute Elias had given her tightly in her hands, she buried her face against her knees, resolving quietly:
I'll wait…just a little longer.
---
P.S.: Somehow, Irida is starting to feel a little bit like Misty…