[You may choose one Pokémon from the following.]
[Diancie, Dianna, Delphox, Gardevoir.]
Elias: …
Staring at the bouncing text on the screen, Elias found—oddly enough—that he was getting used to this.
After all, it wasn't exactly new for the system to present a multiple-choice prompt like it was single-choice.
But…
This time felt different.
Dianna and Diancie being unavailable was perfectly normal; it had happened before with Gardevoir and the others.
As for Delphox… Elias guessed it was because she'd been turned into a stone statue and still hadn't changed back.
Given what the system could do, that was at least understandable.
But... "Why is there a Gardevoir?!"
His eyelid twitched as he stared at the only Pokémon he could actually select.
He could say for sure this Gardevoir wasn't his.
It was Kalos's Champion—Diantha's Gardevoir.
Elias couldn't figure out what criteria the system was using.
Gardevoir was Diantha's Pokémon. He'd only helped train her for a while; logically, she shouldn't even be within the system's selection range.
Unless…
Unless the system couldn't bear to lose face, and shoved in a filler option just to make the list look nicer?
It felt exactly like something the system would do.
Shaking his head, Elias ultimately ignored the interface entirely.
With how much Diantha adored her Gardevoir, if she vanished for no reason, Diantha would probably turn all of Kalos upside down.
After sorting through the rewards from this run, Elias rubbed his temple and let out a long breath.
Even now, his head still throbbed faintly.
A century-long Simulation was… not exactly light work for the brain to process.
[Host, are you satisfied with this Easter Egg?]
[I specially applied for it—]
Suddenly, a voice burst out, excitement barely held back.
Elias froze. His eyes narrowed.
The system was here.
Perfect. There were plenty of things he wanted to ask.
And with that reminder, he finally remembered: before the Simulation, the system had mentioned an Easter Egg.
He hadn't paid it much attention then. Looking back now, that Easter Egg was probably—
"Cogita?"
[That's right, that's right—her!]
At the mention of Cogita, the system's voice grew even more excited.
It wasn't Elias; it didn't have any special feelings about Easter Eggs.
It didn't even know what Cogita looked like—only that such a person existed.
But…
That Easter Egg had triggered an achievement for Elias!
In a single Simulation, he'd cleared every major achievement—three full lines of them.
That could only be called a feat.
At least in the system's memory, aside from its own host, no one else seemed to have pulled off something like that.
Because it wasn't just skill—your luck had to line up perfectly, too.
And in the end, you also needed a system willing to proactively apply for an Easter Egg, or you'd never get three major achievements at once!
Listening to the system's excited chatter, Elias could already tell he'd probably set some absurd record again.
[Host, next time there's something good, I'll definitely save it for you first!]
After calming down a little, the system patted its chest and made a solemn promise.
With achievements like this, it was practically a legend among systems.
And with that came perks—most good things would naturally come with a share for it, so it had the confidence to talk big.
"By the way… system, did you steal something?"
Cutting off its proud rambling, Elias narrowed his eyes and asked abruptly.
System: ?
[N-No?]
It swallowed, frantically rummaging through its dusty old memories of past deeds.
Aside from Gardevoir's wristband back then, Latias's flute, and Zoroark's Poké Ball…
Other than that… it didn't think it had taken anything else?
And besides, those were rewards. How could rewards count as stealing?
Watching the system put on an innocent face, Elias took out Diancie's Mega Stone.
"This—shouldn't Diancie have made it herself?"
He pointed at the stone as he spoke.
Unlike other Mega Stones, Diancie's was closer to a hexagonal diamond.
Pink throughout, crystal-clear—an absolute top-grade gemstone.
The moment the system saw the diamond, it blanked for a beat, then slowly let out a breath.
[Diancie's Mega Stone is the first diamond she creates after she becomes capable of making giant diamonds.]
The system explained.
Elias nodded. He'd heard that before.
[But your Diancie… the very first diamond she made got mixed into Diamond Storm and used to attack Xerneas.]
[Afterward, Diancie probably couldn't even find it again, so I just… took it as one of the rewards.]
Hearing the system's aggrieved tone, Elias's expression stiffened.
So Xerneas really hadn't escaped disaster after all.
Hope the deer's okay…
"Ahem. My bad—I blamed you unfairly."
Elias cleared his throat.
By that logic, when he met Diancie again, he could even return it as a surprise.
With the system finally showing its face, a lot of his confusion untangled on its own.
"System. Let my consciousness out."
Estimating how long he'd been awake, Elias spoke to the system.
He still wasn't fully conscious—he was still inside the system's mental space.
His body outside should still be asleep.
He'd done it this way mainly because after the last Simulation ended, he'd fallen into another bout of unconsciousness.
The system had stayed up all night flipping through manuals and found this solution.
Rare competence, for once…
Naturally, the system had no objections.
[Okay. Host, wait a sec. I'll let you out righ—uh…]
Halfway through, its voice abruptly cut off, like someone had grabbed it by the throat.
"What is it?"
Elias asked, puzzled.
[N-Nothing, nothing! Haha…]
Staring at what was happening outside, the system sucked in a cold breath.
That kind of scene… better to leave it to its host. It wanted no part of it.
Hearing the stiffness in the system's laugh, Elias was about to press—
But with a tiny tap of its "hand," his consciousness rapidly blurred.
Just like before a Simulation, his vision began to dim.
And once it crossed that threshold…
Everything sank into black.
...
"Gardevoir, that's three nights in a row!"
"Lati… (Elias still hasn't woken up, you guys…)"
"Mew!"
"Gardevoir~"
Through the haze, Elias heard voices arguing near his ear, drifting closer and farther.
At the same time, something warm seemed to be leaning against his shoulder…
Soft.
Furry.