Guided by Gardevoir, the two Pokémon quickly headed toward their destination.
Along the way, Zoroark learned many things about the current state of the main world from Gardevoir.
Apparently, the place once called Hisui no longer existed.
Instead, it had become known as the Sinnoh region.
Even the ruling forces had changed from the Pearl Clan, Diamond Clan, and Galaxy Team to a unified Pokémon League.
When Zoroark heard this, she couldn't help feeling disoriented.
Clearly, a very long time had passed outside.
It was likely that Cynthia, Cogita, Lucario, and the others were long gone.
Perhaps only she still remembered Elias.
"We're here," Gardevoir's voice broke through her thoughts.
Snapping back to reality, Zoroark noticed that Gardevoir had stopped moving.
In front of her was a temporary shelter built from wood.
Though simple, it appeared sturdy enough to shield against wind and rain.
"This is it. Shall we go in together?" Gardevoir invited, waving cheerfully.
Elias must be hungry by now. She had to deliver these berries quickly.
"Alright."
Zoroark nodded, ready to follow her inside.
But...
Perhaps due to her earlier battle with Giratina, exhaustion suddenly surged through her mind again.
Zoroark frowned, clutching her head while warily scanning her surroundings.
Only after confirming that no illusions had appeared did she slowly relax.
If the illusions showed pleasant things, she wouldn't mind.
But unfortunately, they mostly forced her to relive painful memories she'd rather forget.
Worse yet, they made her mental state deteriorate and weakened her vigilance.
Overall, they brought nothing but harm.
Thus, whenever illusions appeared, she typically destroyed them immediately to avoid being influenced.
Thankfully, her condition seemed stable enough right now.
"Let's go," she said, lowering her claws and following Gardevoir.
---
Elias had already woken up.
Before Gardevoir left, she'd left behind a message, so he wasn't overly worried, knowing she'd gone out to find food.
Right now, he was busy studying the [Spooky Plate] and the [Origin Ball] he'd received from the simulation.
These were the rewards given by the System upon completing the last simulation.
He'd chosen to take them out now in hopes they could help Gardevoir face Giratina.
Based on their previous encounter, Gardevoir seemed slightly weaker than Giratina.
Even though she now had the [Mind Plate], defeating that Ghost-Dragon Pokémon wouldn't be easy.
In the simulation, even Zoroark—who had nearly all the Plates—had failed to catch Giratina.
To ensure victory, Gardevoir would likely need the [Spooky Plate] and the [Origin Ball].
System, retrieve these two items.
[Got it!]
The System cheerfully replied.
Moments later, a dark purple, rectangular-shaped plate and a crimson Poké Ball appeared before him.
A mysterious Ghost-type aura accompanied by an inexplicable pressure immediately filled the room.
Elias's eyes lit up.
The genuine articles from the System were indeed different from their simulation counterparts.
Unfortunately, he wasn't sure if Gardevoir could temporarily harness the [Spooky Plate's] power.
"If only Gengar were here..." Elias sighed, feeling nostalgic about that mischievous purple Pokémon.
Of course, finding Zoroark would be even better.
But several hundred years had passed, and who knew where she'd gone?
Finding her in the short term would be impossible.
Click—
Just as he was thinking this, the wooden door suddenly creaked open.
Turning toward the sound, Elias saw Gardevoir stepping inside.
Floating behind her were two baskets overflowing with berries.
"I'm back!" Gardevoir announced with a smile.
She gently placed the baskets down, gesturing proudly.
"These are the berries I found. You must be hungry, so eat up quickly."
Elias stared at the berries in genuine surprise.
In a barren place like the Distortion World, how had Gardevoir managed to gather so many berries?
And the baskets—surely Giratina hadn't woven them?
Seeming to notice Elias's confusion, Gardevoir decided not to hide anything. She clapped her hands lightly and called toward the doorway:
"Zoroark, you can come in!"
Outside, Zoroark—momentarily distracted—suddenly remembered why she'd come along in the first place.
She gently pushed open the wooden door and stepped into the cabin.
She was very curious to see the human who was supposedly similar to Elias.
But…
Before she could spot Gardevoir's trainer, a painfully familiar figure captured her full attention first.
Elias.
Zoroark's pupils contracted sharply, her lips moving instinctively, struggling to utter the name from her memories.
Seeing the human she'd desperately yearned for the moment she opened the door was simply too much.
However, in the next instant, Zoroark regained clarity.
"Another illusion, huh…" she muttered bitterly, her expression turning fierce.
Just as she'd worried earlier, another hallucination had surfaced again so soon.
These relentless illusions always appeared at the most inappropriate times.
It seemed they would never cease unless she escaped the Distortion World.
Still, she noticed something different this time—the illusion was incredibly vivid.
Not only was Elias's shocked expression perfectly realistic, but the [Spooky Plate] and [Origin Ball] in his hands matched her memory exactly.
But...
Even the most realistic illusions had flaws.
The [Spooky Plate] was with her, and the [Origin Ball] had long since been destroyed. Neither object could possibly exist several hundred years later.
As she analyzed, Zoroark's gaze slowly filled with hostility.
"Gardevoir, you and your trainer wait here a moment."
"I need to deal with something troublesome first."
Flashing her gleaming claws ominously, Zoroark addressed Gardevoir calmly.
All the while, her piercing gaze never left Elias's face.