Chapter 567: Stay by My Side Forever
"Will..."
Cynthia's mind went blank, running rapidly towards the giant crater.
"Roar!"
A sound wave that made the air vibrate came from the side.
In an instant.
Cynthia was overturned by the sound wave, falling onto the ground, her ears bleeding, almost deafened.
She pressed her fair, soft body onto the ground.
Whether it was the sharp rubble.
Or Giratina's oppressive feeling.
No matter what.
Nothing could stop her determination to save Will at this moment.
Giratina in the sky launched a final fatal strike—Giga Impact—at Will, who was struggling to get up in the giant crater.
Time seemed to freeze.
The sound of her heartbeat became deafening in Cynthia's deafened world, urging her to hurry up and get up.
Cynthia propped herself up.
She ignored Giratina dive-bombing from the sky, raised her hand, and used a Cherish Ball to recall Will from the crater into the ball, then turned around and ran.
Diving into an alley in Alamos Town.
Boom—
The entire Alamos Town vibrated due to Giratina's impact.
Cracks derived from the giant crater just now, spreading in all directions to the very edge of the island.
Giratina's attack made the already tottering Alamos Town even more dilapidated.
"Roar~"
When it found Will wasn't in the crater, it angrily dove headfirst into the shadow world.
Giratina, within the shadow world, ignored the complex buildings and immediately found the figure of Cynthia leaning against the wall, stumbling forward.
A black hole like an abyss opened beside Cynthia.
She immediately stopped her footsteps, turned around, and ran backward.
How long could this kind of escape last?
An ordinary person.
How could she escape Giratina's pursuit while injured and deaf?
The Renegade Pokémon was like a life-claiming evil ghost from hell.
Waving its claw, it slapped towards Cynthia's back.
Blonde-kun, feeling the fierce wind, immediately threw herself onto the ground.
Swish!
The sharp claws scraped past Cynthia's back.
Fortunately, it failed to hurt her.
But it cut Cynthia's golden hair, which reached her calves, right across the middle.
Even in this dark and boundless spatial rift, that severed golden hair still shone incomparably bright.
Inheriting Cynthia's will, they bravely pounced towards Giratina, obscuring its vision, doing their utmost to buy Cynthia a chance to escape.
"Will, I said it before, I can help you, I won't hold you back."
Bright red blood gurgled from Cynthia's right eye socket.
But there was no pain in her pupils.
Only the full joy of saving the one she loved.
"Roar!"
Another roar.
A despairing dark purple light lit up behind Cynthia.
She turned her head and glanced, grabbed the Poké Ball, and suddenly lowered her head.
A Dark Pulse scraped over the top of Cynthia's head, annihilating that grayish-white bow in the dark light.
Cynthia looked up, staring blankly at the bow that disappeared in the black light.
That scene from twenty years ago resurfaced before her eyes.
[
The dusty little Riolu ran up to her with his hands behind his back and a smile on his face.
"Riolu! Did you get into a fight with other Pokémon?"
Blonde-kun looked at the little dog worriedly.
The little dog froze for a moment.
Then smiled and shook his head, offering the hairband hidden behind his back to Cynthia like presenting a treasure:
"Happy Birthday to you, Cynthia."
]
Tears pushed aside the blood.
Flowing turbulently from her eyes.
It was just a cheap hairband seen everywhere on street stalls.
But that was a gift full of Riolu's hard work and feelings.
It was the most precious birthday gift she had ever received!
She had carefully cherished it for twenty years.
Even if it was washed until it turned pale and soft, she was completely reluctant to throw it away.
It was long past being a simple accessory.
It was a mark engraved in her soul, the proof of the earliest, purest bond between her and Will.
If she had known this would happen today, she wouldn't have worn it.
"Wuu..."
Immense sorrow instantly washed away the dam like a tsunami.
She wanted so badly to cry out loud...
She bit her lower lip deadly hard, her teeth sinking deeply into her pink lips.
Tasting the rust-like metallic sweetness, only then did she firmly block that heart-rending cry.
Cynthia, hugging the precious Poké Ball in her arms, continued to flee forward in a battered state.
She was afraid the sound would let Giratina find her faster.
But.
She was truly so sad.
Looking at the Poké Ball lying quietly in her arms, Cynthia pursed her lips, revealing a forced smile.
Tears of blood blurred her face, looking extremely battered.
At this moment.
Cynthia finally understood Will's feelings.
Understood his back that domineeringly blocked in front of her every time.
Understood what kind of deep love was hidden in those protections she had reprimanded as arbitrary and dictatorial.
That love.
Pure as a pearl.
Precious as a diamond.
"I'm sorry, Lucario... I was too willful."
Cynthia wiped her nose and hurriedly kissed the Cherish Ball.
She pressed the button on the Cherish Ball, locking it tight, not giving the Pokémon inside a chance to come out.
Then quickly bent down and hid the Poké Ball under a nearby pile of rubble, casually picked up a stone to hide it well, changed direction, and fled.
She had hoarsely reprimanded Will's protective behavior more than once.
But now.
She, who kept saying they had to be together no matter what, did the exact same thing as Will.
In the name of love.
I will risk my life to protect you.
And exhaust everything to pray for you—you must get out alive.
The Cherish Ball under the pile of rubble shook continuously.
But nothing could happen.
However much Cynthia loved Will.
That's how tough the lock on the Cherish Ball was.
Unless Will's love for Cynthia reached the same level or even surpassed hers.
Otherwise.
He couldn't get out.
Giratina chased in the direction Cynthia went.
Its huge body rolled through the alley, crushing the walls on both sides.
Reinforced concrete fell from high above, smashing heavily onto the rubble below.
Dust soared into the sky.
That small corner was completely buried.
That heavy love and hope were also deeply buried under the ruins.
Smack!
Cynthia tripped over the corpse of a Pokémon by the roadside, falling onto the ground ahead.
Blood flowed down her dirty face.
"Wuu..."
A sound of pain and violent panting flowed simultaneously from Cynthia's mouth.
She propped herself up, turned around, facing the massive Giratina she had to look up to.
Even though her eyes were full of tears.
The emotion contained in Cynthia's eyes was definitely not fear!
It was anger.
Anger that it destroyed her most cherished gift.
Anger that it hurt her most precious partner.
But besides anger.
The current Cynthia could do nothing.
Mega Garchomp and Milotic were still fighting the gods of space and time, completely unable to break away.
Roserade and the others were everywhere saving people, helping everyone delay the time of Alamos Town's destruction.
Isolated and helpless.
Out of ammunition and food.
But...
"I am not afraid of you."
Cynthia's eyes fixed on that pair of golden vertical pupils in the sky.
She threw the stone she was hugging with her clothes onto the ground, revealing a contemptuous smile facing Giratina.
"Roar!!"
Giratina, realizing it had been played, let out an angry roar.
It raised its golden claws high, swiping fiercely at the blonde little person in front of it.
In the nick of time.
Buzz!
Colorful white light shone between Giratina and Cynthia.
It's the Key Stone!
"..."
Cynthia opened her mouth.
She dazedly raised her hand. The ring on her right ring finger had disappeared at some unknown time, blocking between Cynthia and Giratina.
Turning into a shield of bonds that even a god could not surpass.
Crack—
A crisp shattering sound rang out in front of Cynthia.
What shattered was not the bond.
Only a Key Stone.
The one that destroyed the Key Stone wasn't Giratina either.
It was the feelings between Will and Cynthia that could no longer be bound by stones.
"Stay away from her!!"
Boom!
A muffled roar sounded.
The figure that completely overshadowed Cynthia was instantly kicked flying a dozen meters away, flipping several times on the ground before stopping.
Giratina, suffering a heavy blow, had its head spinning.
This feeling awakened the forcibly suppressed fear deep inside its heart.
Without a word, it turned its head and dove into the shadow space to hide.
"Lucario~"
Cynthia looked at Will, who reappeared in front of her, her body going soft as she fell into his arms, looking up at him with teary eyes,
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry..."
All her strength, all her disguise instantly crumbled.
She didn't know why Will could get out of the locked Cherish Ball.
She also didn't know why he, who was heavily injured and unable to move, could rush to her side in an instant and beat Giratina away.
Cynthia only knew she really, really liked him.
He is her great hero.
"Cynthia."
Will looked down at Blonde-kun covered in wounds, his eyes full of heartache. At this moment, his mouth was no longer stubborn,
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that back then."
"No, I have already understood the reason Lucario did that. Please forgive me too."
Cynthia hugged Will tightly.
Actually, she was deaf in both ears and couldn't hear Will's voice at all.
But her heart heard it.
Cynthia sniffed his scent vigorously.
This embrace.
This feeling.
Is truly...
Long time no see.
"Cynthia."
"Mm?"
"I hope you can stay by my side forever, no matter how dangerous it is, no matter what kind of enemy we have to face."
Will looked earnestly into Cynthia's eyes.
Saying the words he thought he could never say aloud.
"Mm."
Cynthia couldn't say many words, only nodding forcefully.
Tears uncontrollably welled up from her eyes.
Those were all happy little pearls.
Completely opposite to two years ago.
Will didn't push Cynthia away this time, but instead held her tightly in his arms.
The cage that had trapped the two of them for two years was finally broken by both of them working together at this moment.
Their feelings are more resilient than two years ago.
Now.
No matter who it is, they can no longer destroy the bond between them.
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