In the faint glow of the Distortion World, a white-furred fox stood silently within the berry grove.
Zoroark stared at the spot where Gardevoir had just vanished, her expression utterly unchanged.
She had only come here to investigate after sensing someone entering her territory.
To her mild surprise, new faces had somehow found their way into the barren expanses of the Distortion World.
"An accidental intrusion...?" she murmured softly, deciding not to pursue the matter further.
Time felt meaningless in the Distortion World.
Ever since that person had left, she had lost track of how long she'd lingered here.
A hundred years? A thousand years?
After so long, it wasn't unusual for an occasional outsider to wander in.
But compared to the mundane appearance of that Gardevoir, something else—a fleeting, familiar aura—made Zoroark's claws unconsciously clench tight.
"Still haven't learned your lesson, damned worm?"
Zoroark's expression grew fierce, teeth clenched tightly.
A faint, sinister red glowed in her eyes, beautiful yet terrifying.
Since arriving in this world, she'd never stopped hunting Giratina.
But what she'd underestimated was how much stronger Giratina had become once it returned to the Distortion World—far surpassing its strength in the regular world.
Moreover, compared to her, Giratina had spent countless years mastering the bizarre terrain of this realm to its advantage.
These factors combined meant that despite possessing Plates, she still couldn't decisively defeat it.
Even more infuriatingly, Giratina had seemingly found a way to deal with her.
That fat centipede would deliberately choose times when she was about to rest to harass her, never attempting to defeat her outright, merely ensuring she couldn't get proper sleep.
Such harassment had forced her into several days of exhaustion at a stretch.
Coupled with her endless longing for Elias and lingering guilt over past actions, Zoroark had begun seeing frequent illusions of Elias appearing before her eyes.
The faint presence she sensed earlier was probably another of Giratina's tricks.
Zoroark's face darkened even further at the thought.
Next time Giratina dared pull such petty tricks, she'd make sure it paid dearly.
Elias was the only red line she allowed no one to cross.
---
"Elias, it hurts..."
Gardevoir held out her delicate white hand, eyes glistening with tears as she spoke pitifully.
A bright streak of blood stood out starkly against her smooth, pale skin.
This was the wound she'd received during the brief encounter earlier.
If she didn't show Elias now, it might heal entirely unnoticed.
Looking at the injured Gardevoir, Elias sighed helplessly.
He gently took her hand, releasing a faint green glow—the [Power of Viridian]—to heal the wound.
With the assistance of [Power of Viridian], the small wound closed almost instantly, so quickly Gardevoir didn't even notice the exact moment of healing.
"Without permission, don't sneak outside late at night again, understand?"
Elias gently scolded her once more.
However, Gardevoir's attention had already been captured by the [Power of Viridian] he'd just used.
Examining her now-healed hand, surprise flickered through her eyes.
She felt a faint, unique energy lingering in the spot where her wound had healed.
Sensing carefully, she even detected Elias's own aura mixed within.
This new ability Elias had suddenly displayed clearly boosted their intimacy!
With her vast experience, Gardevoir quickly grasped the most important use for the [Power of Viridian].
More importantly, Elias hadn't brought up her earlier behavior again, meaning… he had silently approved?
He didn't reject her despite being his Pokémon?
This realization sent a rush of excitement surging through her heart.
The weight she'd carried for so long finally vanished entirely.
"Does it still hurt?"
Seeing Gardevoir staring blankly, Elias asked quietly again.
Although… honestly, that kind of small wound would likely have healed on its own within the night.
"No, not anymore!"
Gardevoir eagerly shook her head, answering cheerfully.
A soft shade of pink spread across her cheeks as she spoke.
"Elias, from now on… I'll manage the Masked Corps well and earn lots of money to support you!"
She proudly puffed out her chest, promising earnestly.
After all, she wasn't an irresponsible Pokémon.
On the contrary, proudly declaring her achievements to the person she loved was something she had dreamed of countless times.
Hearing this, Elias paused for a moment, a gentle smile slowly forming on his lips.
"I believe you, Gardevoir," he responded warmly.
"But first, you need proper rest, so you can safely get me out of here later."
Seeing her too excited to sleep, Elias had no choice but to coax her into resting.
Otherwise, having such a beautiful and affectionate Gardevoir clinging to him, he himself might end up too distracted to sleep.
"Okay, I understand..."
Gently pressed back down onto their makeshift grass bed, Gardevoir obediently agreed.
However, Elias's words reminded her—
The Pokémon she'd encountered today clearly wasn't Giratina.
Yet its strength was still frighteningly powerful.
Even if it had attacked by surprise, managing to wound her instantly meant she couldn't underestimate it.
If she wasn't careful, Elias might genuinely get hurt due to her negligence.
Thinking this, Gardevoir's eyes gradually hardened with resolve.
She would never repeat the same mistake twice.
She wouldn't allow the despair of years past to return—she would ensure their happiness endured.
With this determination, her consciousness slowly drifted away until she fell soundly asleep in Elias's embrace.
---
Meanwhile, deep within the barren Distortion World, a massive dark shadow flickered briefly through the void.
Giratina was on the hunt for its prey.
Days earlier, it had personally dragged a Gardevoir and a human into its domain.
Currently, it was carefully searching for traces of the two intruders.
As it moved through the void, Giratina reflected on what had happened a few days ago.
For some reason, it couldn't shake the sense of familiarity it felt from the human's aura.
Had it met this human before?
Giratina found itself unusually perplexed.
---
Gardevoir: I'll take responsibility!