Rex, along with Cynthia and Diantha, lit a campfire outside the cave and waited for dawn to arrive.
Once the sun rose, the mysterious branch in Rex's core would replenish his life energy, allowing him to heal the three legendary Pokémon right away.
"Keldeo, don't worry too much. Cynthia and Diantha are both Champions—you can count on them to help resolve this soon,"
Rex said, noticing Keldeo lying off to the side, clearly preoccupied.
"Oh? So you two are that strong, huh?"
Keldeo replied, surprised.
Though it rarely interacted with humans, Keldeo had heard of Champion Trainers through its mentors. It knew their partner Pokémon could rival legendary Pokémon—and sometimes even defeat them.
Keldeo didn't quite buy that part, but it didn't deny that Champions were strong and reliable allies.
"Don't worry, Keldeo. I'll do everything I can to help resolve this conflict,"
Cynthia said with quiet determination.
"Same here. But hey, Rex—why did you call me 'Miss Diantha' but not say 'Miss Cynthia' too?"
Diantha chimed in, after making her own promise to Keldeo, suddenly shifting her tone as she glanced teasingly between the two.
Caught off guard by her playful tone, Rex looked visibly flustered, unsure how to respond.
"Alright, Diantha, don't tease him. He probably just isn't as familiar with you yet, so he was being polite,"
Cynthia cut in with a smile.
Time passed quickly as they chatted, and before they knew it, it was midnight.
Though all three of them were sleepy, they forced themselves to stay awake—Rex especially, knowing this was the moment his life energy would be replenished.
With his reserves restored, Rex confidently returned to the cave and channeled the revitalized life energy into three equal streams, directing them into the bodies of Cobalion, Terrakion, and Virizion.
Immediately, the verdant light began to work. Their wounds visibly healed, and their once-fading auras rapidly regained strength.
"They're stable now. Let's not disturb them—they'll need the rest, but by sunrise, they should be fully recovered both physically and mentally,"
Rex said as he stepped back.
Cynthia and Diantha exchanged amazed glances. Only now did they truly understand the extent of Rex's abilities.
The power to heal legendary Pokémon—that alone would take Rex further as a Trainer than most, maybe even farther than either of them.
Cynthia began to understand why Rex had formed bonds with so many legendary Pokémon. His extraordinary healing ability must've played a major role.
By morning, when Rex and the others awoke, they saw Cobalion and the others already outside, silently watching over them at a respectful distance so as not to disturb their rest.
"Hello, young one. Thank you for healing us,"
a calm, resolute voice echoed in Rex's mind as Cobalion stepped forward on behalf of the trio.
"No need to thank me. I just did what I could. Are you all feeling alright now?"
Rex smiled.
"Yes. Our physical wounds are completely healed, though recovering our core energy will take much longer,"
Cobalion explained.
Rex understood. His life energy could accelerate the process, but unless he poured it into them daily, the effects would remain limited.
Cobalion and the others clearly understood that too—they didn't press him for more.
Cynthia and Diantha joined them, clearly intrigued by the legendary trio.
"Cobalion, can you tell us what exactly happened with Deoxys?"
Rex asked.
"It started out calmly. Though Deoxys spoke harshly, it didn't initially show hostility. But something happened during our discussion… it suddenly lost control and attacked us,"
Cobalion recalled with lingering unease.
"It seemed extremely protective of its lair. When Keldeo arrived, it stopped short of finishing us off,"
he added.
"This is odd. Its behavior reminds me of an animal protecting its offspring. But… Deoxys isn't supposed to be capable of reproduction,"
Cynthia mused aloud, then frowned.
"We won't figure it out just by speculating. Unless we get close enough to its lair, we'll never know the full story,"
Diantha said with a sigh.
"With the two of you here, I'm sure we can handle or even defeat Deoxys. It must have taken a heavy hit in its last fight—it can't still be at full power,"
Rex said confidently.
Cobalion nodded. Though their side lost, they hadn't gone down easily. Deoxys had also suffered heavy damage—and unlike them, it hadn't received any healing.
After a brief discussion, they all agreed: the trio would rest a few more days, then they'd head for Deoxys's lair to settle things once and for all.
With a few days to spare, Rex decided to visit a nearby city to ask Yuli Terada for help transferring Diancie to him.
After all, their next opponent was none other than Deoxys—one of the most formidable Pokémon in the world. Rex wasn't taking any chances.
(End of Chapter)