"What did you do?!"
Alain stumbled back a few steps, staring at Elias like he was looking at something lethal.
Panic was plain in those sharp eyes now.
He didn't think he'd ever been this rattled.
Even back when he'd challenged Hoenn's Champion alone, he'd kept his face calm.
But this human in front of him…
No—could he even be called human?
Fighting Charizard to a standstill was one thing.
But now Pyroar and Xerosic—who'd only just arrived—had both dropped for no obvious reason.
And Pyroar was Lysandre's ace. At the very least, it was Elite Four level.
Even so, Alain's battle-honed instincts told him he couldn't show fear.
"Who are you?"
He fixed on Elias, like he could pry the truth out of him by force of will.
"Put them back the way they were, or else—"
Alain forced himself to keep talking, trying to bluff out a threat.
He didn't get to finish.
Xerosic—who'd been sprawled on the ground—suddenly sprang up with a loud THUMP!
His heavy body burst into an absurd speed—but he didn't lunge at Elias.
He lunged at Alain.
Alain jerked, startled by the sudden movement. Even Charizard beside him twitched, wings flaring.
Then before Alain could react, Xerosic grabbed his wrist.
"Stop talking," he pleaded, voice shaking. "Please."
Xerosic's mind was a wreck. It felt like his cerebrum and cerebellum were both going through a second puberty.
But he was pretty sure Mr. Elias in front of them was the real thing.
Pyroar lying limp on the ground was proof enough.
Pokémon didn't recognize familiar people by sight. They relied on scent.
And for feline Pokémon like Pyroar, that was even more pronounced.
If it only looked similar, those flaming fangs would've come down without hesitation.
But the reality was…
Pyroar hadn't just ignored his orders. It had practically flopped into the man's arms and shown its belly.
Pyroar would never act like that unless it trusted someone completely.
"X-Xerosic… sir?"
Huh?
Alain's mind went blank. He froze too.
Was his "teammate" seriously telling him not to provoke that human anymore?
But… why?
Alain knew this high-ranking executive acted meek and obedient in front of Lysandre.
But when it came to enemies, he never held back.
If he wanted to force someone into submission with brute force, even Kalos's Champion showing up might not stop him.
Was this human really that terrifying?
Seeing Xerosic look both cowed and terrified, Elias's lips curled.
At this point, he could basically guess what had happened.
Lysandre must've been running something nearby and mistaken him for an intruder.
So he'd sent Alain and Xerosic to deal with him.
And judging by Xerosic's reaction… he'd probably already messed something up before this, too.
"Alright, Little Xero. When we see Lysandre, I'll put in a good word for you."
Elias dropped the teasing line with a smile.
Xerosic's whole body went rigid.
Under Alain's wide-eyed stare, Xerosic looked like he'd been revived on the spot—he let go of Alain in a flash and hurried over with a fawning grin.
"Mr. Elias… you mean it?" Xerosic asked, hope shining in his eyes.
If Mr. Elias didn't help him, he genuinely couldn't imagine how he was supposed to survive today.
It would've been bad enough to botch the preparations—
But he'd actually treated Mr. Elias as an intruder.
He'd even almost had Pyroar attack him.
Multiple charges, and every single one was tap-dancing on Lysandre's forbidden line.
If Lysandre didn't throw him into a cage and feed him to Pyroar, Xerosic would almost feel it wasn't fair.
"I mean it, I mean it."
Elias took in Xerosic's ingratiating expression and instinctively shifted half a step back.
If Gardevoir made that face, maybe it'd be cute.
Xerosic didn't care in the slightest. All he knew was that he'd picked his life back up off the ground.
"Phew—"
He let out a long, shaky breath.
"So tell me," Elias said, looking at Xerosic, voice calm. "What are you doing around here, and where's Lysandre?"
"..."
A little while later, after listening to Xerosic's rough explanation, Elias nodded.
Overall, it matched what he'd expected.
So Diancie and Lysandre really had set their sights on the Ultimate Weapon as a way to revive him.
What surprised him was… Diancie had been the one to approach Lysandre first.
Diancie—the one who would apologize for ages just for plucking a flower—had been the first to suggest something this ruthless.
"So she's really grown from a princess into a queen," Elias said, genuinely pleased.
He only wondered whether she'd still come barreling in to Charm him the moment she saw him.
"Mr. Elias… are we going back now?" Xerosic asked carefully.
Elias had answered questions, sure, but Xerosic's own doubts hadn't eased at all.
Wasn't Mr. Elias supposed to have died to Xerneas's jaws…? Diancie herself had said so.
And another Diancie had nodded along to confirm it.
So what was the Mr. Elias standing here in front of him?
It couldn't really be some lingering obsession, could it…?
The thought made Xerosic shiver for no reason.
"Wait for me. I've got one other thing to do first."
Elias shook his head and started walking toward the nearby lake.
As Elias headed off, Alain—who'd been silent at the side for ages—finally found an opening to edge up to Xerosic.
"That guy… what is he?"
He flicked his eyes toward Elias as he asked.
With Elias farther away, Xerosic naturally regained the cool composure of a Team Flare executive.
He thought for a moment, then said flatly:
"If Mr. Elias told us Caterpie could evolve into Rayquaza, our boss would probably believe him."
"In short—if you want to stay alive, don't provoke Mr. Elias."
Xerosic left it at that.
Never mind Lysandre.
Just the two Diancie at Elias's side—and that missing Delphox—were enough to grab Alain and swing him around like a toy.
"Caterpie… Rayquaza?"
What was he even talking about?
Alain's mouth twitched. Xerosic didn't exactly feel reliable.
He narrowed his eyes at Elias's back.
Elias's existence had shaken the confidence Alain had always worn—his belief that he was the strongest of the younger generation.
Still…
"A strong Trainer doesn't mean much," he muttered. "Pokémon are what really make a Trainer's strength."
---
T/N: OKAY KID
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