"Enamorus, take a detour."
After briefly observing the black fog in the forest, Elias gave the order in a low voice.
Anyone could tell something was very wrong with how that fog had formed.
Charging straight in right now would be suicide.
Hearing Elias's command, Enamorus let out a quiet sigh of relief.
She felt sympathy for the trees trapped in the fog, but she certainly wasn't eager to rush in herself.
Besides, she trusted Elias deeply—just as she trusted Cogita. She'd known Elias back when they lived in the Hisui region.
And the two Pokémon he'd raised back then were beyond comparison.
Lost in her reminiscence, Enamorus joined Delphox in following Elias as he headed in another direction.
However…
The instant they turned around—
BOOM!
A red-black beam shot abruptly from the black fog, aimed directly at Elias.
It sliced through the air with a shrill screech.
Enamorus jolted at the sudden attack.
She snapped her gaze toward Elias, only to find Delphox had already whisked him away to safety.
Seeing that, Enamorus exhaled in relief—then swiftly whipped out her arm, unleashing a tornado.
Bang—!
The two attacks collided and exploded midair, sending shockwaves rippling outward.
Enamorus quickly retreated.
Her hastily countered attack hadn't fully stopped the incoming strike.
Fortunately, the shockwaves didn't cause her much harm.
As for the stray blasts hitting her, she hardly cared at all.
Yet, as soon as that thought crossed her mind, Enamorus's body suddenly stiffened.
The relief on her face slowly froze in place.
Looking down, she stared in disbelief—
Her body was turning to stone, starting from her tail and gradually spreading upward.
The petrification wasn't quick, but it was terrifying nonetheless.
By the time she fully processed it, the stone had already advanced.
Not far away, Elias also noticed Enamorus's transformation.
His expression instantly darkened.
Clearly, this was Yveltal's doing.
He could undo petrification, but it would take time—time he didn't currently have.
Which meant…
In just their first encounter, he'd already lost a critical piece of his fighting strength.
That left only Delphox.
"Hoo—!"
Just as Enamorus fully transformed into a statue, the black fog in the distance violently split open.
A giant red bird emerged, poised to attack, brutality surging in its eyes.
Compared to their last meeting, Yveltal had grown significantly stronger—not just by a little.
When its gaze swept over her, Delphox felt the fur along her back rise instinctively.
She grasped Elias's hand tightly with her fluffy paw, ready to flee with him at any moment.
Beside her, Elias gently squeezed her paw, silently signaling her not to panic.
If she hadn't glimpsed the future moments earlier and dragged him away from Enamorus…
He might already be at Yveltal's feet.
Even so, facing Yveltal's predatory gaze, Elias felt a headache coming on.
It seemed his suspicions were correct.
Yveltal was targeting him specifically.
Or rather—knowing how viciously vindictive this Pokémon was…
If it couldn't locate Xerneas, it was inevitable that Elias would become its next target.
Thinking quickly, Elias stepped back half a pace and discreetly pressed the emergency button on his communicator.
It was the distress call directly linked to Lysandre.
Once Lysandre got the signal, Team Flare would presumably arrive soon.
Until then, Elias's only task was to survive under Yveltal's assault.
"Delphox, be careful," Elias murmured softly.
Hearing his calm voice, Delphox's nerves visibly settled.
She nodded obediently, moving even closer to him.
...
Lysandre stood with his arms crossed before an enormous electronic screen, studying the data it displayed.
Authority radiated from him, more like a decisive leader—
rather than the reckless Pokémon scholar he'd once been.
Yet…
Right now, Lysandre was far from calm.
Yveltal had disappeared several days ago, leaving him with an inexplicable, nagging anxiety.
The data suggested it had probably gone into dormancy again, and that was precisely what he'd told Mr. Elias.
But that only deepened his unease.
What if the data was wrong?
Thinking back to Mr. Elias' warning—that Yveltal might harbor hostility toward him—
Lysandre's mood darkened further.
Just as he'd practically memorized every line of the report—
Beep-beep—!
The communicator at his waist suddenly emitted a series of urgent beeps.
Lysandre quickly checked it, his pupils constricting sharply when he saw the message:
A distress signal from Mr. Elias.
Instantly, he felt his strength drain away.
His worst fear had come true. Something had undoubtedly gone terribly wrong.
Lysandre clenched his teeth. Without wasting a second, he grabbed his Poké Balls and swiftly left the room.
At the same time, he urgently summoned nearly all of Team Flare's senior executives.
He had to get there—fast.
As he walked, he was already preparing himself for how he'd apologize upon arrival.
...
"Cogita… looks like the weather's turning."
Diancie anxiously eyed the gathering dark clouds overhead.
Elias had left some time ago.
But unlike previous outings, today Diancie felt strangely empty—a vague unease she couldn't shake.
Beside her, upon hearing Diancie's words, Cogita's appetite for tea vanished as well.
She raised her head toward the dimming sky, pressing her delicate lips together.
"With Enamorus and that fox there, everything should be fine."
"And Elias knows so many moves himself, doesn't he?"
Cogita, uncharacteristically, offered Diancie words of comfort.
Yet at the same time, it felt more like she was reassuring herself.
Even as she spoke, Cogita found herself recalling what had happened in Hisui.
Back then, Zoroark had been stronger.
Yet even then…
Her hand tightened around the teacup handle.
She knew that if she rushed out now, she'd only worsen the situation.
The only thing she could do now was endure this tormenting wait.