Chapter 497: You Head to Xiaoxiang, and I to Qin
Will didn't sweep Wallace's entire team afterwards.
In battles of this level, achieving a team sweep is truly quite difficult.
Although Wallace is very young now, being invited to participate in this competition shows he is no roadside Youngster in shorts.
Especially after realizing Water-type moves were useless, the Pokémon Wallace subsequently sent out were quite targeted.
They were Starmie, Gyarados, and Ludicolo—dual-type Pokémon with wider move pools.
The most troublesome was Starmie.
It brought Will even more trouble than Wallace's ace, Milotic.
The invisible attack methods of Psychic-types are truly hard to dodge.
After defeating three Pokémon in a row, when fighting Ludicolo...
Will estimated that his physical strength was also almost at its limit.
He took the initiative to use telepathy to ask Cynthia to switch him out.
Subsequently, Cynthia won relatively easily.
After all, it was 5 against 3, and Ludicolo's condition was not good either.
After the match.
Wallace walked up to Cynthia and said, somewhat dejectedly:
"This is the first time I've lost so tragically. Although your Lucario is a bit cheeky, I must say, your figures are full of charm. I hope you can aim for higher places, letting me see the ultimate art someday in the future."
After speaking.
Wallace turned and left on his own.
Today's special training intensity from Will was too high, making Wallace somewhat withdrawn; he needed to go back and recover a bit.
Then check for gaps and fill omissions, and properly learn moves of other typings.
In the future.
One day.
He will wipe away this past humiliation!
This match ended.
All the people paying attention to this tournament had a new impression and a deeper memory of the Will and Cynthia duo.
And Lorelei, watching from the backstage, also shook her head with a helpless smile on her face.
That day she battled Cynthia.
Will successively defeated Mamoswine and Lapras.
It was fine during the former.
Mamoswine didn't use Water-type moves, his level wasn't high, and his body was cumbersome; he was easily brought down.
This didn't exceed Lorelei's expectations.
She inherently had the idea of letting Mamoswine experience a strong opponent.
Later sending out Lapras.
She truly thought about defeating Will.
During the battle.
Although her and Lapras's every move was anticipated, there were indeed a few times they launched powerful attacks on Will.
However, she only knew today.
'Powerful' was merely a visual effect.
In reality, those moves caused no damage at all.
Because the moves Lorelei had Lapras use were basically all Water-type. After all, Lucario has a resistance to Ice-type moves, but not Water-type.
But now she understood.
It turns out the heavy injuries at that time were all pretend, pretending so well that she didn't even notice Will's Ability was Water Absorb.
So stepping down 'heavily injured' was to take care of her and Lapras's feelings.
"What a gentle child..."
Lorelei rested her chin on one hand, her gaze fixed on the figure always standing beside Cynthia.
"I'm a bit envious of Cynthia."
Later.
In the official tournament.
Cynthia and Lorelei didn't encounter each other again.
Not because Lorelei couldn't win on her side.
But because Will and Cynthia couldn't win on their side.
Just as they were in high spirits, preparing to show off their skills in the round of 32 to 16 match.
They encountered Alder.
There was truly nothing they could do.
Even if the uncle shouted himself hoarse, it wouldn't help.
Can't win means can't win.
Freaking five Champion-level Pokémon plus one quasi-Champion, how the hell do you fight that?
Will almost broke his arms, but still couldn't deal much damage to Alder's Escavalier.
Panel stats couldn't match the opponent in any aspect; even Will's proud speed was hard to contend with.
Although his reaction and combat experience could suppress the opponent, the panel gap was too large to change the overall situation.
Can only say a Champion is a Champion.
Not something the current Cynthia can mess with.
Moreover, Alder is no ordinary Champion.
A concurrent contestant, Unova Elite Four Marshal, is Alder's disciple.
This result was even worse than Will expected.
But there was nothing unacceptable about it.
Anyway, they had already shown off enough; it was about time to stop.
The night they lost.
"Are we patting our butts and going home in disgrace, or staying a few more days?"
Diancie asked, tilting her head.
"..." x2
Will and Cynthia fell silent simultaneously, exchanging a glance.
"We're going home now."
"Mm, we'll send Diancie back first."
"Waaaaah! No! Don't send me back!"
Diancie immediately plopped her butt on the ground and started wailing.
If asked, she learned it from TV dramas.
This child has strong learning abilities.
Especially when learning those messy things.
"Hehehe, just kidding, I still plan to watch the competition for a while. You can learn a lot of things. Does Diancie want to watch?"
"I'm not watching, I want to watch TV dramas."
Diancie resolutely refused.
Going to watch the competition before was because she wanted to watch Will and Cynthia.
Honestly speaking.
Battles and such are completely meaningless.
Far worse compared to TV dramas.
When she returns to the Diamond Domain, she will make the whole clan kneel and bow.
"Alright, then you continue watching, we are leaving."
"Mm mm, bye-bye~"
Ruined.
This Princess of the Diamond Domain is completely ruined.
Whatever.
Let Majima slowly get a headache over it when she gets back; anyway, they are only responsible for making the little princess happy.
The Star Trainer Tournament didn't last long; from the first day to the finals took less than ten days.
After watching the final Star Tournament Champion match.
Will and Cynthia also took Diancie and headed towards Ambrette Town.
"Will we meet again?"
"When will we meet again?"
"Where will we play next time we meet?"
"Let's watch TV dramas together when we meet again?"
Diancie was smiling all the way.
But Will and Cynthia knew she wasn't very happy.
Over these past few months.
The little princess experienced what freedom is for the first time.
And finally understood what the joy of living is.
It's not watching TV dramas.
It's not sightseeing.
It's forging bonds with worthy people as they walked through this final stretch of the road together.
It seemed no different from the roads walked before.
Stepping again into the forests, grasslands, rivers, and lakes they had already traversed...
Nothing had changed.
Yet it seemed everything had changed.
Full of joy when coming.
Silent and reticent when leaving.
Advancing slowly, taking four or five days, they eventually arrived at the forest outside Ambrette Town.
Walking in the quiet forest.
"Want to go to the seaside?"
Will suddenly spoke.
"Yes."
The little princess beside his leg nodded without hesitation.
Anything is fine.
As long as she could stay with them for a while longer.
Arriving again at the seaside of Ambrette Town.
It was as desolate as ever here, making the atmosphere a bit more bleak.
Diancie was stuck in the sand by the sea like a corncob, staring blankly at the distant ocean, not knowing what she was dazing about.
"Don't be so sad, we will meet again. You have such a long lifespan, are you afraid you won't see us?"
Will smiled and patted Diancie's shoulder.
How long is the lifespan of a diamond?
He didn't know.
But it's definitely much longer than a dog and a human.
"Yeah, if you miss us, just call us. Doesn't Majima have a phone?"
Cynthia nodded.
Every parting.
Besides bringing sadness, also brings anticipation—the expectation of the next meeting.
"...Sigh."
Diancie merely sighed,
"Actually, a few days ago, I occasionally felt traveling was extremely boring, but thinking about it now, that period of time was also very precious."
Hearing her say this.
Cynthia nodded in agreement.
The ordinary is extremely precious.
How many people spend their entire lives pursuing peace and quiet.
"It's quite normal; after all, we cannot accurately judge the value of a certain moment until it becomes a memory."
Will looked down at the seawater underfoot.
Clearly the same soul.
But using a different body to feel the ocean underfoot brings different feelings.
Clearly the same thing.
But doing it with different people also yields different experiences.
Cannot say which moment holds higher value; after all, every moment is unique and can never be re-experienced.
"Parting today, who knows when we will meet again."
"No matter when, as long as we are alive, we can always meet again."
Will reached out and hugged Diancie.
Took a step back.
"I will always treasure the gem you gave me."
Cynthia also stepped forward and hugged her.
At this time.
"Your Highness the Princess~"
Majima's voice came from afar.
It seems the nearby Carbink saw the returning Diancie and notified Majima immediately.
This loyal Elder of the Diamond Domain, upon receiving the news, rushed over non-stop to pick her up.
"Time to separate."
"Mm."
"Will, Cynthia, wishing you... um, a safe journey?"
"Mm."
Will and Cynthia smiled.
Diancie finally used an idiom correctly for once.
The little princess stood in place and looked at them for a while, lowered her head, and turned to bounce away.
She didn't look back again.
Just blindly raised her hand to wipe away tears.
Cynthia didn't wipe tears.
Just her gaze never left her back.
Until Diancie's figure gradually disappeared from their sight.
"Time to go."
"Mm."
Will and Cynthia embarked on the return journey.
This remote small town where they met Diancie, will there be a day they return again?
Things in the future.
Who knows.
All we can do is carefully piece together the gradually blurring memory fragments on this endless road of memories, quietly looking forward to that unknown "see you again".
When Will and Cynthia's backs completely disappeared by the coast.
Diancie, hiding behind a streetlamp in the distance, only then reluctantly withdrew her gaze:
"I really lived very happily during this period of time."
"Thank you for appearing in my life."
"Goodbye."
Can we really meet again?
Hard to say.
No one can guarantee things in the future.
Diancie shoulders the major responsibility of reforging the Sacred Diamond and saving the Diamond Domain.
If she can't find Xerneas.
Then for the Diamond Domain, she might die.
Will and Cynthia didn't know what kind of mindset she was holding while saying this goodbye.
Three days later.
The airplane from Lumiose City to Jubilife City in the Sinnoh region took off.
From then on.
The original three-person squad was completely split into two.
One side soared towards the bright sky, and the other fell towards the dim underground.
Life has many divergent paths north and south; you head to Xiaoxiang, and I to Qin.
This is the inevitable path of living a life in this world.
Legendary and Mythical beasts are the same.
Cheaters are no exception.
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