Chapter 742: I'll Go With You
Kazuya could not agree with what Oranguru had said.
He believed that the problem with Jirachi could definitely be solved.
Perhaps this group of Pokémon couldn't solve it, but humans certainly could.
As it happened.
Kazuya actually knew an expert in stones.
Although that young master hadn't been born yet.
But he believed that with the other party's abilities and future technology, they could definitely artificially create an "Alarm Clock Comet" to accompany Jirachi, allowing Jirachi to stay awake at all times.
However.
At present.
There was indeed no solution.
Jirachi temporarily couldn't break this curse of the millennium slumber.
Furthermore...
Staying awake constantly.
Might not necessarily be a good thing for the pure and sensitive Jirachi.
Kazuya reached a consensus with Oranguru and the others on this point.
The feeling of being perfectly healthy while watching family and friends go through birth, aging, illness, and death, leaving one by one...
Was it really something a child like Jirachi could endure?
In his seven lifetimes, Kazuya also had many human friends and family members. He had sat by the bedside numerous times, watching important loved ones show painful exhaustion and pass away, while he was powerless to do anything.
Because of this.
He knew that feeling very well.
It was something only long-lived species could understand.
With Diancie and Volcanion's age and experience, they probably couldn't proactively consider this point right now.
"Master, what should we do? Will we never be able to see Jirachi again?"
Diancie reached out and grabbed Kazuya's skirt, her face full of sorrow.
"When the Millennium Comet appears again, won't we be able to meet?"
Kazuya sighed, reaching out and picking her up.
"But that's a thousand years..."
Diancie clasped her two small hands together, tears welling up in her eyes.
To her.
A thousand years was truly a very long period of time.
Even to Kazuya.
It was the same.
A thousand years was still quite hard to wait.
However.
Someday in the future, when he had lived for tens or hundreds of thousands of years, a thousand years might only be called a blink of an eye.
"I know, I know. But perhaps this is better for Jirachi?"
Kazuya reached out and hugged her in his arms, gently patting her back to comfort her.
"Why?"
"Being awake isn't necessarily a good thing. At least it won't have to watch important people leave, just like Floette."
"..."
"..."
Diancie fell silent. She hugged Kazuya without speaking.
Actually, she still couldn't completely understand it in her heart.
Carbink were a species with a long lifespan.
They were incarnations of stones. However long stones lived, they lived that long.
So for Diancie, she might not have experienced many partings in her life.
But Volcanion beside her.
Even though He was younger than Diancie, He already understood a bit in His heart.
After all, among the Pokémon living on the Nebel Plateau, there were some weak species with short lifespans.
"Little girl, you don't need to be so sad. At least, Jirachi itself is quite happy."
Oranguru glanced at Diancie and spoke up to comfort her.
"Jirachi is happy?"
Diancie turned her head to look at him in confusion.
"Mhm... because we told Jirachi that every time it sleeps, it brings happiness to everyone in the Pokémon Village. So, Jirachi is very happy that it can continuously fall asleep."
Oranguru nodded gently.
Although these were words of deception.
They could indeed spare Jirachi from feeling pain over its nature, and even make it feel proud and happy about it.
"...It's been hard on you all."
Kazuya looked up at Oranguru.
This group of Pokémon.
Must have hoped that Jirachi could see them every time it opened its eyes.
That's why they had stayed in this village all along.
Although in Jirachi's memories, Slowking, Oranguru, and these Pokémon only existed for less than a month of memory, they were already its family and friends.
If it woke up and couldn't see them.
Jirachi would definitely be extremely sad. It might even cry loudly and find no one to comfort it.
It had to be said.
Only this group of immortal spirits had the qualification and ability to be Jirachi's family.
"This is all our own choice."
Oranguru shook his head.
He turned and walked towards the entrance of the tree hollow, looking at the children chasing and playing with Jirachi outside, then turned to Kazuya and said, "If the wish you want to fulfill is very simple, you can go and let Jirachi try now. Perhaps it can help you fulfill it with its own power."
Hearing this.
Before Kazuya could react.
Volcanion excitedly turned to look at Kazuya and quickly said, "That's right, Kazuya! It's just finding someone, it shouldn't be a very difficult wish, right? Let's go try?"
However.
To their surprise, Kazuya decisively shook his head: "Unfortunately, the child I'm looking for is not in this world or in this era, so... the difficulty of fulfilling this wish might not be low. With Jirachi's current power, it probably can't be achieved. It's better not to let it waste time."
Jirachi's time was very precious.
Even if it only spent this time playing, it was still very precious time.
After all, it could only wake up for seven days every thousand years.
Furthermore.
During these seven days, it still needed normal sleep.
So the actual time it stayed awake and used for playing was very little.
And once Jirachi fulfilled some wish during this period, it would accelerate the consumption of energy in its body, causing it to fall asleep earlier every day and require longer sleep times.
Kazuya had an idea of his own wish in his heart.
It wasn't a simple wish.
Relying on Jirachi's own energy wouldn't achieve it. It would only waste its time and be completely meaningless.
"Is that so? Then you can only wait until the seventh day, when the Millennium Comet is at its closest."
Oranguru didn't care much about what Kazuya said, just nodding gently to explain, "At that time, Jirachi will use the True Eye on its belly to absorb the comet's energy. Make your wish then, before it falls back to sleep."
After saying this.
Oranguru left the tree hollow and returned to the tree canopy to meditate.
If you asked how profound his knowledge was.
It really wasn't that much.
He had indeed lived for tens of thousands of years.
But how much could a spirit imprisoned here for tens of thousands of years know?
So what Kazuya said actually surprised Oranguru quite a bit.
But surprise was just surprise.
He truly didn't care.
For a lifeform like Oranguru, what was the point of knowing the specifics?
And wasn't Slowking in that state precisely because he cared too much about Kazuya?
To be able to reduce Slowking to that state.
Oranguru didn't even need to use his brain to know that Kazuya, this beautiful-looking Gardevoir, was definitely not an ordinary character.
After Oranguru left.
Volcanion's brain also caught up.
He stared wide-eyed at Kazuya, feeling a sense of unease in His heart: "Hey, Kazuya, you said that your child isn't in this world or this era. What does that mean?"
"Hm? It means exactly what it sounds like."
Kazuya spread his hands. He put Diancie back on the ground and reached out to pinch her small cheek, "Jirachi doesn't have much time. Go play with it. The next time you meet will be a thousand years from now."
"...Mhm!"
Although Diancie was somewhat depressed, she still tried her best to cheer up and ran out to find Jirachi.
Since she couldn't change this matter.
Then she must take Jirachi to play to their heart's content!
After Diancie ran out.
Volcanion rushed up with a serious face, even stretching out His arms to grab Kazuya: "What is the wish you want Jirachi to fulfill for you?!"
"Ah, that. It's nothing. Asking Jirachi to bring Meowscarada here or something is probably impossible, so I plan to ask it to open a path for me."
Kazuya pursed his lips.
Gardevoir's figure made him look somewhat frail.
But the unshakable will in his eyes put one's heart at ease upon seeing it.
"A path?"
"That's right, a path leading to where Meowscarada is. I think fulfilling this wish should still be possible. As for the price... I am already prepared to bear everything."
Kazuya grinned, revealing a relieved smile.
"So, will you disappear from this era or this world?"
Volcanion let go of Kazuya, staring at him and asking woodenly.
He knew Kazuya came from a more ancient era.
So when the latter said Meowscarada wasn't here, Volcanion didn't feel it was strange.
He just thought that Kazuya might be leaving them.
"As expected, yes."
Kazuya nodded solemnly.
When he decided to tell Volcanion these things.
He was actually saying his goodbyes.
"I'll go with you."
Volcanion said without any hesitation.
In His heart, this wasn't a multiple-choice question.
No matter what Kazuya wanted to do, He would follow by his side to protect him.
Just like the past twenty years.
Whether he went to Azoth, or Mt. Faraway, or the underground Diamond Domain, He would always follow Kazuya's side, even if He didn't actually want to go.
But He was the guardian of the plateau.
And Kazuya was the princess of the plateau.
So He would definitely do this.
"Sorry, Volcanion. I can't take you with me this time."
Coincidentally.
This phrase.
Kazuya had also said to the Big Cat.
When he and Liz went together to Mt. Silver.
"What?! Why?!"
If Volcanion had fur on His body, it would definitely be standing on end right now.
"I'm not sure what dangers I'll encounter either, so I can't let you risk it with me. I know you want to help me, but this is my business."
Kazuya reached out and pushed away the big head in front of him, then pointed to the golden egg on His back, "Magearna hasn't been born yet. Do you want to take her into danger with you? Also, if you leave, who will protect the Nebel Plateau?"
~~~
Get early access to 30+ advanced chapters on Patreon!
https://www.pat-reon.co-m/c/Hollowborn
~~~
Every 5 new reviews = 1 extra chapters
Every 150 Power Stones = 1 extra chapter