"Delphox, [FIRE BLAST]."
After using Teleport again to adjust his position, Elias issued the order quickly.
The moment his words fell, Delphox had already lifted her staff, swinging out searing flames in the shape of a giant "大."
But compared to the start of the fight, she looked downright bedraggled now.
There was none of her usual elegance or composure left.
Rumble—!
Fire Blast collided with the Dark Pulse Yveltal spat out, erupting with a violent roar in an instant.
With Enamorus's fate as a warning, Delphox immediately hopped back a few steps, making sure she didn't get petrified by accident too.
"Hah…"
Only after retreating all the way back to Elias did she finally breathe out a hot, scorching breath.
The next second, several icy fingers were already resting on the small hand that held her staff.
"Good work."
As he used the Power of Viridian to treat Delphox, Elias spoke softly.
Nearly half an hour had already passed since they'd run into Yveltal.
It didn't sound long, but during that time, Enamorus had almost completely lost the ability to move—Delphox had been holding the line alone.
Trying to stall a Pokémon like Yveltal… you didn't need to imagine how hard that was.
Feeling Elias's gentle touch, under normal circumstances Delphox would've been grinning with excitement.
But right now, her heart felt unbearably heavy.
Elias won't leave.
That was what was eating at her.
From the very beginning, he'd been at her side, supporting her in the fight against Yveltal.
No matter what she said, there was no chance he'd run off on his own.
For the first time, Delphox felt anger toward Elias.
And what made her feel even more hopeless was that she was almost out of stamina now.
A few more exchanges, and Yveltal would finish her off completely.
And then…
Clack—
Just as Delphox, face weighted down, was thinking about the consequences, she suddenly heard a sound like chains.
Looking down, she saw both of her fluffy little feet had been fastened to the ground with Elias's Telekinesis.
"Mm?! (What are you doing?!)"
A bad feeling blossomed in Delphox's chest as she jerked her head up at Elias.
"Trust me."
Elias didn't explain any further.
After confirming that Delphox, drained as she was, had no way to break free of the Telekinesis, he walked calmly toward Yveltal.
A light breeze brushed past, and Elias felt his mind clear up instead.
Even the sounds of Delphox struggling behind him seemed to fade.
Staring up at Yveltal in the air, Elias narrowed his eyes slightly.
He hadn't lied to Delphox—he really was confident he could get her and Enamorus out of here.
It was just…
Before that, he needed to buy a little more time.
And with Delphox in the state she was in, she clearly couldn't keep fighting.
Fortunately, with Aura and Psychic at his disposal, his strength far surpassed that of an ordinary Trainer.
Not far away, seeing Elias step up in front of it, the red glow in Yveltal's eyes deepened.
Even after battling Delphox for so long, the real target was that Ghost Form in front of it.
With that hateful stag nowhere to be found, Elias—who carried the same aura—naturally entered its sights.
Whether Elias had anything to do with Xerneas or not, Yveltal intended to deal with him first.
After all…
A creature brimming with life only annoyed it.
"Raaah—!"
A slightly shrill sound tore from its throat.
Immediately after, Yveltal spat out an orange-red beam.
HYPER BEAM.
Using a high-destruction move right out of the gate—Yveltal's patience had clearly been worn to nothing in the earlier fight.
Elias clenched his fist, then lifted his hand, sending a broad surge of Telekinesis upward.
Even though he wasn't a Psychic-type Pokémon, the Telekinesis he unleashed still managed to hold Hyper Beam back—if only for an instant.
Not long, but enough for him to use Teleport and slip out of the attack's range.
The moment Elias's figure vanished, Yveltal instinctively darted backward.
That Ghost Form…
It had disappeared from its sight.
As the question surfaced, Yveltal suddenly felt a cold draft sweep down from above.
Before it could even look up, a massive Aura Sphere slammed down hard onto the top of its head.
Rumble—!
The thunderous impact rang out against its skull.
It didn't deal that much damage, but it still left Yveltal's consciousness wavering for a split second.
And most importantly… an indescribable, living energy rode that Aura Sphere straight into its body.
"Raaah!"
Pain and fury flashed across Yveltal's face.
It had never imagined that one day it would be hurt by something that was like a human—yet in Ghost Form.
And the power the other party used… belonged to its mortal enemy, Xerneas.
This is bad.
Seeing Yveltal's expression, Elias's face shifted slightly too.
He hadn't expected its head to be that hard.
It had blocked an Aura Sphere he'd thrown with everything he had—and then endured a surge of Life Energy on top of that.
And even after all that, the giant bird still snapped back to itself almost instantly.
Sure enough…
The very next second, Yveltal raised its proud head again.
A faint red glow gathered in front of its beak—its telltale sign of charging an attack.
Only this time, Yveltal didn't seem to be aiming at Elias.
Elias realized the crafty Pokémon's intent at once.
It was targeting the immobilized Delphox, gambling on whether he'd rush over.
He didn't need to think.
In the next instant, Elias's figure appeared right in front of Delphox.
The fiery fox—eyes half-lidded, already braced to block—went blank for a moment.
Elias… fell for it?
That was her first instinct. But in the very next second, she rejected it herself.
No way. He was too smart—there was no way he hadn't seen through Yveltal's goal.
Which meant…
He'd teleported over willingly, to shield her from Yveltal's attack.
That thought had barely formed when Yveltal's strike crashed into the Telekinesis barrier Elias threw up.
...
Rumble—!
Thud!
Two muffled booms sounded one after the other.
Smoke flooded the entire area.
But the difference was...
The first was the sound of Elias getting hit.
The second was the heavy crash of Yveltal being knocked out of the sky and slammed into the ground.
Delphox was blown backward, forced to stumble for two full seconds.
And the chain-like restraint around her feet dissolved along with it.
But Delphox only felt a rising panic.
What just… happened?
---
bonus chaps
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300 stones -> 3 chapters
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