Lugia quickly figured out what had happened.
Silver was the type who could take a loss gracefully. Even while pinned down by Azumarill, she hurriedly explained the situation to her mother.
What Silver feared most was Lugia deciding, without warning, to drive everyone away with her overwhelming presence. If that happened, there would be nobody left to play with.
It had happened before. Whenever Silver finally managed to make friends with other Pokémon, the moment Lugia appeared, their families would quickly gather them up and flee. Most Pokémon living in the ocean instinctively held a deep reverence for Lugia.
But the scene Silver expected never happened. After confirming that she and Azumarill had simply been roughhousing, Lugia turned her attention toward Luther.
"Human..." She paused, then corrected herself. "You are Luther, correct? Are you feeling better?"
Luther hadn't expected Lugia to ask about his condition. The nervousness he had been carrying instantly eased. At the very least, it was obvious that Lugia wasn't hostile. Thinking back, the wind and rain earlier had probably been her way of protecting him.
"I'm much better now. If my presence bothers you, I can leave tomorrow." Even with Ho-Oh's support, Luther knew every Legendary Pokémon had a different personality. Worried that his stay might be unwelcome, he immediately offered to pack up.
"Ho-Oh asked me to watch over you until you've recovered. So the decision is yours." Lugia slowly sank back into the water. Before disappearing beneath the surface, she raised her head and added, "Silver is rather energetic. If she bothers you, you may tell her to leave. She will understand."
---
Silver stared blankly as her mother returned to the depths. Today, Lugia seemed surprisingly reasonable.
Lugia's feelings toward humans had always been complicated. As Ho-Oh had said, they had once met humans of exceptional character. That was precisely why they had been so disappointed, so hurt, and eventually chosen to distance themselves from humanity.
Yet even after leaving humans behind, Lugia had never completely ignored them. When she sensed ships about to be lost at sea, she would quietly lend her power to save them. The recent hurricanes had been no different; once the storms grew too severe, she would intervene rather than allow coastal cities to be destroyed.
After Silver was born, there had even been people who tried to capture them for their power. But a boy with a Pikachu and his companions had come to help. To this day, Lugia still remembers that boy's face and his kind, courageous heart.
Those encounters had planted seeds in both Lugia's and Ho-Oh's hearts. Humanity had both good and bad sides.
Lugia had never allowed the bad to erase the good; the problem was that the old wounds ran deep, leaving her constantly conflicted. So over the years, she had settled on a compromise, keeping her distance while occasionally interacting with humans from afar.
Ho-Oh had made a promise to return in three years, hoping to see for herself the strength within Luther and the girl named Mira. To feel that warmth once again. And Ho-Oh's words had moved Lugia as well. For the first time in a long while, she was considering whether she should learn more about this generation of humans.
---
On the island, the Mantyke witnessed Silver's suffering firsthand.
She challenged Jumpluff. Jumpluff responded with Stun Spore. Silver spent the next several minutes completely stiff and unable to move.
She challenged Mismagius. Mismagius simply lifted her into the air with Psychic and treated her like a child who wanted attention.
Refusing to give up, she challenged Houndoom. Houndoom jumped onto her back and pinned her face-first into the sand.
Next came Gardevoir. Silver didn't even manage to touch her before Gardevoir pressed her into the white beach with Psychic. She couldn't even lift herself up.
Still full of energy, Silver then approached Chansey. Chansey casually pulled out an Egg Bomb and tossed it into the water,
'BOOM!'
A towering column of water shot into the sky. Silver hesitated.
Then she turned toward Darkrai. Darkrai was probably the weakest one here. At least, when they had practiced before, she had spent the whole time chasing him around.
Darkrai calmly used Dark Void. It hit.
A moment later, Luther watched Silver lying on the beach, occasionally twitching and squirming, her face twisted in agony. Judging by the expression, she was having one heck of a nightmare.
Previously, Darkrai had been acting as Silver's punching bag out of consideration for Luther's condition and Lugia's feelings. Now that it was clear Lugia didn't mind, Darkrai decided to show a little of what he could do.
The six Pokémon gathered around Silver after she finally woke up from Dark Void's nightmare and sleep effects. They were all thinking the same thing: 'Was Lugia really her mother?'
She had such a powerful body, and the energy inside her was clearly immense. So how was she this bad at fighting? There wasn't the slightest resemblance to the Lugia who could summon storms, command the seas, and whip the ocean into a frenzy with a single burst of anger.
After waking up, Silver looked at the circle of Pokémon staring at her. After a brief hesitation, she turned around and dove straight into the ocean, leaving behind a group of bewildered Mantyke.
---
Silver went straight to Lugia to complain. It wasn't that she couldn't accept losing; she was genuinely confused. She had spent her life tempering her body amidst hurricanes and towering waves. So why did all that seem so useless? Why couldn't she use telepathy like her mother? Why could that human's Pokémon knock her around so easily?
The question wasn't easy to answer. It involved years of growth. It involved the training systems developed by humans, the differences between trained and wild Pokémon, and even the bond between Trainer and Pokémon. The answer couldn't simply be brushed aside with, '"You're still young."'
As for Luther's Pokémon, Lugia could sense danger from every one of them. That was the mark of proper training. Then again, the person Ho-Oh admired probably wasn't remarkable solely because of his heart; he likely possessed exceptional skill as a Trainer as well.
"Once you've been knocked down enough times, you'll naturally become stronger." That was the answer Lugia gave Silver.
---
Silver thought about it for a while. After resting briefly, she returned to the cave and once again called for Luther's Pokémon to come out and play.
Luther quickly figured out what had happened. Silver had obviously gone to see Lugia, and now that she had returned, Lugia's attitude was clear: this was training. If you couldn't win, then experience it. Learn from it. Running to your parent for help solved nothing; getting stronger was always your own responsibility.
Lugia could train Silver in hurricanes and let her experience the might of the raging sea, but she couldn't shelter her beneath her wings forever. One day, Silver would leave her side and rule a stretch of ocean on her own.
"Then let's help her train." Luther looked toward Chansey. "Chansey, I'll leave it to you."
Training needed to be gradual. Throwing Darkrai at Silver right away would just be bullying. The incredibly sturdy Chansey was undoubtedly the perfect sparring partner.
Ho-Oh had entrusted him to Lugia, and Lugia had quietly protected him in return. Helping train Silver was the least he could do to repay the favor.
Afterward, Luther checked on Mira. Recently, she would occasionally mutter in her sleep. The words were always indistinct, as if she were trapped inside a nightmare. And beside her, her Gengar remained on guard without leaving for even a moment, patiently waiting for its Trainer to wake up.
(End of Chapter)
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