#but when you're fighting back against him closer to his demise it seems to fuel him in a way where he reacts almost with enthusiasm

[insecateur]

What’s your interpretation of Lysandre and Diantha’s relationship in XY? They seem to be friends or at least acquaintances but there’s also not a lot to go on

hmm!! i think i tend to consider them acquaintances... they do meet up to talk in café soleil early on but my assumption would be that lysandre knows her more bc of her status as an actress/the champion than on a personal level... the way he introduces her to you (the player) feels kind of impersonal to me. he talks about her more in terms of what she represents (as an actress, who dedicates herself to others) than who she is as a person

of course, that doesn't necessarily mean they're not friends, but that's the vibe i get from that one interaction they have. (especially in light of the way diantha responds to him, and how he dismisses her...) in contrast, i do think augustine seems to be on more friendly terms with her, which imo is corroborated by that one pokémas interaction they have where she offers him her support regarding the whole situation with lysandre (actually, i never did make a post about that...)

in general, i tend to write them as getting to know each other through their mutual friendship with augustine, but lysandre does seem to have a strong interest in her acting career, which makes sense as someone who cares about people who make the world better (which also would be a factor that endears him to augustine as well, of course)

it's my understanding that they're old friends in the manga, but i still haven't gotten around to (re)reading it that closely, so i can't comment on that aspect in more details, i'm afraid...