Lugia returned, its psychic power extending into the cave and gently pushing Gengar away from Mira's side. Gengar immediately recognized the owner of the psychic force.
It hesitated for a moment, torn between stopping the intrusion and allowing it to continue, but ultimately chose to trust the legendary Pokémon.
While Luther had respected Mira's privacy, Lugia had no such reservations. With sheer force, its psychic power tore open a passage into Mira's spiritual world.
The sky above the orphanage split apart. Lugia's enormous head descended through the rift, looking down upon the courtyard until it found Mira standing there absentmindedly.
The other people within her mental world noticed nothing; they continued acting exactly as they always had, completely unaware of the colossal presence.
Mira stared up at the gigantic head in astonishment. It didn't take long for her to identify the creature from her memories: Lugia, the Sea God.
Even the title alone carried enough weight to make her instinctively take several steps back. She couldn't understand why a legendary Pokémon would appear in a place like this.
"I can sense that you are not unable to wake up," Lugia said. "You simply don't want to. I can sense that much, and naturally, Darkrai could as well. Luther chose not to pry because he wanted to respect your privacy. But Luther isn't here right now, so I will make that choice for him."
Strictly speaking, Lugia had no obligation to interfere, but it was deeply dissatisfied with Mira's current state. Mira likely had no idea how Luther had begged Ho-Oh to appear, nor did she know that he had been prepared to sacrifice the "recognition" he had earned from Ho-Oh just to save her.
Ho-Oh had granted her life, but it was Luther who had pleaded for that miracle. Lugia knew all of this.
Having witnessed humanity's ingratitude and filthy betrayals, Lugia did not want Luther's kindness to go unrewarded. It wanted this girl, who was still trapped in her past, to wake up.
After all, as Ho-Oh had once said, kindness was a beautiful quality, and it deserved to be protected.
The orphanage began to collapse, its walls crumbling into ash. Lugia's invading psychic power transformed into a violent hurricane, mercilessly tearing Mira's dream apart. It was an extremely forceful solution, but it worked.
---
Mira's body suddenly trembled violently, cold sweat slicking her skin as she abruptly woke up. Remembering everything that had happened inside the dream, she began to shake uncontrollably.
Gengar happened to enter the cave just then, carrying a pile of Berries. Seeing Mira sitting upright, it froze in shock, the Berries slipping from its hands and scattering all over the ground.
Mira's lips trembled as she struggled to control her facial muscles, finally managing to give Gengar a faint smile. Gengar immediately threw itself into her arms and hugged her tightly, refusing to let go.
Throughout the days Mira had been unconscious, Gengar had constantly feared she would leave them behind forever.
"My body is numb," Mira whispered. "Help me with your psychic power... take me outside. Lugia is waiting for me."
Gengar carefully supported her as she slowly stretched her stiff limbs.
---
When they reached the shore, Lugia stood with its neck held high, looking down at Mira with unmistakable disdain.
Compared to Luther, this girl, who remained imprisoned by her past and trapped inside her own dreams, seemed vastly inferior. It even felt that Luther's kindness had been wasted on her.
"I know you look down on me," Mira spoke first. "But I want you to know... the moment Ho-Oh saved me, through Ho-Oh's consciousness, I saw everything that happened outside. I know what Luther did."
A trace of anger appeared on Lugia's face. "You knew... and you still refused to wake up?"
Mira opened her mouth to answer, then closed it again. As Lugia's enormous head slowly drew closer, she lowered her gaze to her own hands. Her nose stung, and tears began streaming down her face.
"Lugia... tell me... how am I supposed to repay him?"
Lugia froze. Mira wasn't crying because she was sad; she was crying because she was lost.
"My life... he saved my life," she muttered, wrapping her arms around herself as if speaking only to herself. "He gave me the chance to live again. What could I possibly do... to repay a debt like that?"
Money?
Compared to the value of a single life, money weighed no more than a feather; it wasn't even worth mentioning.
Help Luther?
Mira couldn't imagine a single way in which he actually needed her. She was lost, and because she was lost, she had become timid. She no longer had the courage to face him.
Within her dream, she had overcome the demons haunting her, yet the moment she imagined meeting Luther again, her entire body trembled. The composure and confidence she had shown before vanished without a trace.
Luther had saved her simply to remain true to his own conscience, but to Mira, it was a debt she could never repay.
She admitted to herself that she had instinctively measured everything by the most mundane standards, but this was the first time she had ever experienced feelings like these. They were so unfamiliar that her only instinct was to run away.
"I really don't understand you humans," Lugia sighed. "You are making Luther far more complicated than he really is, and you're making this whole matter far more complicated than it needs to be. From a Pokémon's point of view, it's simple. He saved your life, so you do your best to repay him. How long that takes depends entirely on whether you can overcome the hurdle in your own heart. So why torture yourself? The human heart is truly complicated. I just don't understand you."
Lugia repeated its sentiment one last time. With a single beat of its wings, it split the sea and descended back into the depths, leaving Mira standing there in silence, drenched by the spray, staring blankly into the distance.
---
At the same time, standing atop Wailord's back, Luther enjoyed the exhilarating feeling of cutting through the waves. Facing the endless ocean, he spread his arms wide, feeling as though he could take flight at any moment.
His Pokémon stood along the edges of Wailord's massive back, peering curiously over the side. Watching the white spray explode where the giant's body met the water, they all let out amazed cries.
If this Wailord hadn't been one of Lugia's subordinates, Luther would have been sorely tempted to throw a Poké Ball.
Fortunately, he quickly talked himself down. A creature as enormous as Wailord belonged in the ocean; unlike many other Water-types, only the open sea could truly give it freedom.
Then there was the food problem. Even if he wanted to raise one, the sheer cost was terrifying, every time that enormous mouth opened and closed, how much food would it consume?
Still, never before had Luther so desperately wished for a Pokémon that could serve as transportation. If a Fearow happened to fly overhead right now, he might actually throw a ball at it.
'I can't fly. I can't even cross the open sea.'
Thinking about it carefully, despite being the newly crowned Lily of the Valley Conference Champion, his means of transportation were no better than those of an ordinary rookie Trainer.
Once he got back and settled everything, he absolutely had to solve this problem. Otherwise, it was just too embarrassing.
---
As evening approached, Luther sat watching the sunset when he suddenly felt the giant Pokémon come to a stop.
His own team, who had all fallen asleep from the relaxing ride, slowly woke up as Wailord let out a low, humming cry. Luther immediately realized they had reached the waters close to Sinnoh's coastline.
After recalling his Pokémon, he carefully slid down Wailord's sturdy side to the surface of the sea. Climbing onto Azumarill's back, he paddled over until he was face-to-face with the gentle giant.
Its eyes were filled with warmth.
Unable to resist, Luther leaned forward, wrapping both arms around Wailord's enormous head to rub his cheek against it, and the giant nudged him gently in return.
"Open your mouth," Luther said.
Wailord obediently opened its mouth just a crack. Luther poured every Berry he had packed for the journey straight inside. It wasn't nearly enough to fill the gaps between its teeth, but it was the best expression of gratitude he could offer.
Bathed in the golden glow of the setting sun, Wailord slowly turned around and began heading back toward the distant open sea, while Luther, urged onward by Azumarill's powerful strokes, sped toward the shores of Sinnoh.
(End of Chapter)
You can read ahead up to 30 chapters on my Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/darkshadow6395