Lance, Steven, Mew, and Latias stood in stunned silence, uncertain of what to do next.
The portal to the Distortion World had vanished, and Cynthia, their main ally, had disappeared shortly after charging inside.
Now, only they remained, along with the subdued members of Team Galactic.
"Mew..."
"What do we do now?"
Mew and Latias simultaneously turned toward Lance, questioning him urgently.
One primarily lived in Kanto, while the other had her home in Hoenn.
Neither knew Sinnoh particularly well.
With no other option, they could only look to Lance, hoping he knew more.
Every passing second meant Elias's situation in the Distortion World grew more dangerous.
Moreover, no one knew if Giratina, angered by the recent defeat, was wreaking havoc there.
Though Gardevoir was protecting Elias, they couldn't shake off their anxiety—after all, the opponent was Giratina itself.
Seeing their concern, Lance rubbed his forehead, looking increasingly troubled.
Clearly, Cynthia's reckless actions had caught him entirely off guard.
Her impulsiveness was completely unlike the calm, collected Champion he knew.
"Maybe it's an emotional matter?" Steven suggested gently, guessing Lance's thoughts.
As a fellow Champion, he'd naturally heard rumors about Cynthia.
Initially, he'd dismissed them as mere gossip.
After all, from his understanding, Cynthia was interested only in historical sites and Pokémon battles—much like his own fascination with rocks.
But now...
It appeared he hadn't understood Cynthia as well as he'd thought.
Lance sighed at Steven's words.
"Right now, I'd love to know who messed with Cynthia's emotions and teach that person a good lesson."
If Cynthia hadn't lost control, none of these complications would've happened.
They could've rescued Elias long ago.
Naturally, Lance placed a significant share of blame on whoever had thrown Cynthia's emotions into chaos.
Just as Lance was about to discuss their next move with Steven—
Rustle—Rustle!
A sudden noise came from the bushes behind them.
Everyone instantly turned their heads, on guard after Team Galactic's earlier ambush.
However, as the branches parted and a figure emerged, they all froze.
"C-Cynthia?"
Lance blurted out her name without thinking, rubbing his eyes in disbelief. Once certain he wasn't mistaken, his astonishment only deepened.
Someone who had entered the Distortion World mere moments ago now emerged calmly from a different direction.
Such a thing defied logic.
The last person to leave Lance this baffled had been Elias himself.
"I'm sorry for causing everyone trouble earlier."
"Cynthia" stepped gracefully out of the bushes, offering a sincere apology.
As she spoke, Lucario's eyes lit up with recognition, immediately returning to her side.
This provided another layer of authenticity to her identity—appearance could deceive, but aura was unmistakable.
Lucario, as a Pokémon, would almost never mistake its Trainer.
Just then, a pink blur streaked toward "Cynthia."
Mew stopped abruptly in front of her, urgently asking:
"Did you just come from the Distortion World?"
The moment "Cynthia" appeared, Mew sensed something familiar about her.
It was faint, but enough for Mew to wonder if "Cynthia" had met Elias inside.
At Mew's question, "Cynthia's" lips curved imperceptibly, then replied softly:
"Yes, I did. Why?"
"Did you see another human inside?" Mew pressed anxiously.
"Cynthia" pretended to think for a moment, then nodded lightly:
"Yes, he was right near the exit."
"He was accompanied by a shiny Gardevoir and a beautiful white fox Pokémon."
Mew's breath caught instantly.
It wasn't just her; everyone else stared intently as well.
Cynthia had seen Elias in the Distortion World.
This was the best news they'd heard today.
"Then... didn't he return with you?"
Though confused by how Cynthia had gotten here, Mew couldn't restrain herself from asking.
"No, I found another passage that hadn't closed yet," "Cynthia" explained calmly.
"As for that human you mentioned… he didn't seem eager to return."
"He was having quite a bit of fun with that white fox."
"Cynthia's" eyes narrowed slightly as she spoke to Mew.
Upon hearing this, Mew felt like she'd been struck by lightning, freezing in shock.
Elias could've returned earlier...
But chose not to?!
Why?
Confusion echoed wildly in Mew's mind.
She barely knew Cynthia, so she doubted Cynthia would lie about this.
Could it be… had she done something to upset Elias?
Was that why he didn't want to return?
No—it definitely wasn't her fault!
"It must've been your fault Elias is upset!"
Mew puffed her cheeks angrily, glaring accusingly at Latias, who stared back, bewildered.
Latias, still stunned, felt her feathers bristle with fury upon hearing Mew's accusation.
She turned sharply, ready to argue back—
Fortunately…
Just as tension crackled between the two Pokémon—
A gentle hand simultaneously landed on both their heads.
"Alright, enough. I never said I didn't want to come back."
"So stop arguing, okay?"
Elias sighed helplessly.
As he finished, he shot a pointed look at "Cynthia," now clearly recognizing Zoroark beneath the illusion.
No wonder she had vanished so quickly. They'd been dropped off by Giratina in the clearing together, yet she'd disappeared instantly—
So this was what she had in mind.
Mew and Latias both froze in shock upon hearing Elias's voice, before joy quickly replaced their confusion.
"Elias!"
The two Pokémon rushed toward him simultaneously.
Only upon crashing into his arms did they confirm this wasn't an illusion.
"Are you alright, Elias?"
Latias clung anxiously to his arm, inspecting carefully for injuries.
"I'm fine," Elias reassured her patiently, gently flexing his arm.
With Gardevoir and Zoroark protecting him, getting hurt was nearly impossible.
Only after a thorough inspection, when Latias confirmed Elias was unhurt, did she finally relax.
Immediately afterward, she turned sharply, glaring fiercely at "Cynthia," whose disguise was becoming painfully obvious.
Seeing this, Zoroark finally dropped her illusion completely.
With a slight smirk, she casually walked back to Elias's side.
One sweep of her tail later, and Mew, who had been happily nestled in Elias's arms, suddenly felt the world spin violently.
By the time she opened her eyes again, she had already been tossed back onto the grass.