Having just woken up, the little Fennekin's mind was still sluggish.
Normally, when she opened her eyes, she would see lush green forest.
But today, what greeted her was a warm, well-furnished wooden room—and that startled her quite a bit.
Yet after blinking her wide, watery eyes, memories of her current situation gradually resurfaced.
Right—she had been hit by that red bird's attack.
Her body had started slowly turning to stone, and she hadn't had much longer to live.
But after struggling all night, she'd somehow managed to drag herself all the way to the house of those humans who had escaped the forest.
So now…
Had they picked her up and brought her here?
Fennekin suddenly sat up, eyes alert, scanning her surroundings warily.
She was the only one in the room. From a corner, a faintly sweet incense was burning, its pleasant aroma wafting through the air.
And nothing seemed to be restricting her movement.
She tested her limbs cautiously, still uncertain.
Wait...
Her expression froze, her entire body going still.
As if realizing something unthinkable, she lowered her head and carefully examined herself again.
Her fur looked clean—soft and fluffy, as if it had been washed.
But that wasn't the point.
The point was—
The parts of her body that had been turning to stone were completely back to normal!
Her tail, which had been grazed by the red light, had nearly turned half to stone by morning.
But now it was soft again, perfectly smooth and lively.
Fennekin gave it an experimental shake—no stiffness, no pain, no weight.
"Woo!"
Realizing this, excitement welled up inside her chest.
That meant she'd been saved.
She didn't have to end up like those other Pokémon—ugly, cold statues of stone.
Then, suddenly, she remembered—could her recovery have something to do with the people who had rescued her?
She tried to recall the scene when she had stumbled toward them.
There had been a woman dressed like a shrine maiden, and a Pokémon whose whole body sparkled with beautiful diamonds.
And then there was...
A man.
A human, but half transparent, his form ghostly and unreal.
Fennekin narrowed her eyes.
Somehow, she doubted the first two.
So… was it the ghost who saved me?
She wondered, ears twitching thoughtfully.
Click.
Just then, the wooden door creaked open.
Fennekin stiffened instantly, turning her head toward the sound.
And there they were—the very same people she'd just been thinking about.
They too looked a bit surprised to find her awake.
"Feeling better?"
Elias smiled as he approached, his voice warm.
When he'd first seen her injuries—those patches of petrified flesh—he had already guessed what must've happened.
Most likely, she had been living in the same forest where Yveltal had appeared.
She'd probably been injured during its rampage and, after witnessing their escape, had tracked them down here.
Honestly, she was both brave and smart.
For a wild Pokémon, to travel this far in a weakened state was no small feat.
And it took real courage to stumble up to a stranger's door.
Seeing him draw closer, Fennekin shrank back nervously.
"Woo…"
She gave a small, uncertain cry, curling herself into a fluffy ball in the corner of the bed.
Watching this, Cogita's eyes narrowed slightly.
Normally, she wouldn't bother with such things, but today she'd come along precisely because of her fox problem.
If Elias healed this one completely, she was absolutely going to find a way to toss it out afterward.
Cogita had already decided.
Elias, noticing the fox's tension, stopped approaching and thought for a moment.
Then he tried using the Power of Viridian to communicate.
"Does your body feel better now?" he asked gently.
Since he'd already treated her, he might as well see it through.
And honestly, she was far too cute for him to ever let her turn into a lifeless statue.
Hearing Elias's voice, Fennekin froze.
She felt, strangely, as though she were speaking with one of her own kind.
She was a clever Pokémon—she could understand human speech well enough—but it never carried this sort of connection.
Yet Elias's voice carried that warmth. That familiarity.
It made her pause, blinking in wonder.
Then, remembering what he'd asked, she hesitated before replying:
"Woo?" Was it you who saved me?
She licked her lips, testing him.
She was pretty sure he could understand her.
Sure enough, Elias nodded slightly.
"Yeah. You fainted, so I treated your wounds a bit."
As he spoke, he gestured toward her tail.
Hearing this, Fennekin's eyes brightened again.
He wasn't a Pokémon—nor her own kind—and yet he could talk with her like this.
And besides…
Even though he called it "simple treatment," she knew better.
She might not know much about humans, but she did know that injuries caused by a Pokémon like that red bird were nearly impossible to heal.
Very few humans could even attempt such a thing.
Which meant…
This ghost must be incredibly powerful.
Fennekin's eyes gleamed at the thought.
At that moment, Diancie, who had been quietly watching from the side, came over as well.
"Little fox," she said, crossing her small arms, "where did those diamond fragments on you come from? Tell us now."
Her tone carried both suspicion and anxiety.
She needed the fox to clear her name.
After all, she had been by Elias's side the entire time—she'd never even seen this fox before.
There had to be some other reason the creature was covered in her diamonds!
Hearing Diancie's sharp voice, Fennekin frowned slightly.
She recognized her instantly—the sparkly Pokémon who had been there during the chaos.
As for why she was covered in diamond dust—it was because, during that battle, Diancie's Diamond Storm had collided with the red bird's attack, and the flying shards had rained down on her mercilessly.
She'd been pummeled so hard she'd thought her fur would never recover.
Watching Diancie now—flustered, desperate to explain—Fennekin's eyes narrowed slyly.
Raising a tiny paw, she pointed straight at Diancie.
"Woo!" She put them on me!
Diancie: …
---
Diancie: This is why you never pick up strange things and bring them home.
bonus chaps
100 stones -> 1 chapter
200 stones -> 2 chapters
300 stones -> 3 chapters
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