After making a brand-new promise, Peter recalled Lopunny and continued deeper into the surrounding mist.
Very soon, he spotted Slaking's massive figure within the fog to his left.
Standing before him was a tearful Vigoroth.
"Slak…"
Slaking scratched his head awkwardly while gently patting her back. Faint glimmers of moisture shimmered in his eyes.
Yes.
The Vigoroth standing before him was his mother—the one who had sacrificed herself to protect him when he was still young.
"My child… have you been doing well? Without Mom around… have you been eating properly?"
"Mom, I'm doing great. You don't have to worry."
Slaking wore an easygoing smile.
"..."
Vigoroth looked at him silently, clutching his enormous hand tightly as tears streamed endlessly down her face.
Her child had grown up.
He already knew how to comfort his mother now…
But how could a disabled Slakoth—one born without proper use of both legs and who lost his mother's protection at such a young age—possibly have eaten well or slept peacefully?
"Slak…"
Slaking suddenly lowered his head, secretly letting the tears spilling from his eyes fall into the mist below.
He was no longer that weak and pitiful little Slakoth from the past.
He wanted his mother to live peacefully in the other world without worrying about him anymore.
So no matter what…
He refused to show weakness in front of her.
"Slak… (Mom, look~)"
Slaking lifted his legs proudly.
"Mhm… As long as you're healed, that's enough…" Vigoroth smiled through her tears.
"Mom, stop crying. I'm really, really strong now."
Seeing her like this made Slaking panic slightly.
He hurriedly clenched his fist, gathering violent energy around it.
BOOM!!!
A shockwave erupted outward instantly, blasting apart the surrounding mist while cracking the ground beneath his feet.
"Good… then I can finally rest easy…"
Vigoroth's figure began flickering in and out of existence, the smile on her face slowly freezing in place.
"Slak… Slak!!"
Slaking finally couldn't hold back his tears anymore. He desperately grabbed his mother's hands.
"Mom… please don't go…"
Vigoroth gently shook her head.
"My child… live well. Mom will always be watching over you…"
"You still have a bright future ahead of you. Mom blesses you…"
As her voice faded, her shadow gradually disappeared completely into the swirling mist.
"Slak…"
For the first time, Slaking's steel-like arms trembled visibly as he stared blankly at the spot where his mother had just been standing.
Then—
A warm hand rested upon his shoulder.
"We'll meet again someday."
"We'll open the gates of the underworld ourselves."
Slaking turned around.
The boy stood there with his fist extended, determination filling his face.
He understood.
This was the promise between them.
"Slak!"
Wiping away his tears, Slaking nodded heavily and bumped his oversized fist against Peter's.
Clack.
The crisp sound echoed far into the distance…
…
…
After finally calming Slaking down, Peter continued walking through the mist.
Turning around another corner, he finally saw that graceful figure.
Whitney.
Beside her sat an elderly old man with a hunched back.
He looked well past seventy years old, yet sharp flashes still occasionally appeared within his cloudy eyes.
As Peter approached, he overheard their conversation.
"Grandpa, do you remember when I told you a boy walked me home?"
"Mhm. Grandpa remembers everything Whitney tells me."
"Hehe~ Grandpa's the best!"
Whitney sat beside Howard's legs with a nostalgic smile on her face.
"That boy's name is Peter. He's your grandson-in-law now~"
"Is that so? What a shame… Grandpa never got to meet him…"
"Haha~ Then let me tell you about him! Peter's really, really amazing…"
Whitney vividly recounted story after story while Howard listened quietly, occasionally helping tidy her messy hair.
After a long while, Whitney finally summarized proudly:
"So yeah, Grandpa—your grandson-in-law is an incredibly reliable and wonderful guy~"
"Now you don't have to worry about me being unhappy anymore, right?"
Howard slowly shook his head.
"Grandpa… only regrets never getting to see our Whitney wearing a wedding dress…"
"Grandpa…"
Whitney's lips quivered slightly.
The wistfulness in his voice made her chest ache painfully.
"Don't worry, Grandpa Howard."
Peter's voice emerged from the mist as he walked over to them.
"I promise you—Whitney will become the happiest girl in the world."
"Honey…"
Whitney's cheeks flushed pink. Tears still clung to her eyelashes, making her look heartbreakingly beautiful.
Howard carefully sized Peter up.
"So you're Peter?"
"Yes, Grandpa Howard. It's me."
"If you really want to become my grandson-in-law…" Howard chuckled softly, "then shouldn't you change the way you address me?"
Peter froze briefly before immediately lowering his head respectfully.
"Grandpa!"
"Good. Good. Good…"
Howard repeated the word three times in succession.
The corners of his wrinkled eyes had already become damp.
He slowly took Whitney's hand and placed it into Peter's.
"Then… Grandpa is entrusting his most precious granddaughter to you."
"I hope you'll keep the promise you just made."
"I will."
Peter nodded solemnly.
"This is the promise between Grandpa and me."
Howard gazed at Whitney with endless reluctance in his eyes, as though trying to preserve every ounce of his love and concern within this final moment.
"My child… you'll have a new family of your own now…"
"So don't keep thinking about Grandpa all the time, okay?"
"Grandpa…"
Whitney seemed to realize something.
She frantically shook her head, tightly gripping Howard's hand while tears poured down uncontrollably.
But…
There was no way to stop the mist from fading.
No way to keep the old man before her for even a little longer.
"You silly girl… why do you always make every goodbye so heartbreaking…"
Howard forced his voice to sound lighter than it truly was.
"Being able to see you again… Grandpa is already satisfied."
"Next time we meet, remember to bring Grandpa his great-grandchild, alright?"
"Pfft—Grandpa, what are you even saying?!"
Whitney's face instantly turned scarlet as she pouted shyly.
"Hahahaha…"
Howard laughed warmly.
His laughter gradually faded into the distance…
And so did his figure.
Whitney's embarrassed expression froze instantly.
Fresh tears slid down her cheeks once more.
"..."
Peter pulled her gently into his embrace, resting his chin atop her head while silently letting her tears soak through his shirt.
...
Several dozen minutes later, the Milktank Girl gradually fell asleep in Peter's arms.
The thick mist surrounding them completely dispersed as well, revealing a deep-blue cavern entrance ahead.
Peter rubbed the bridge of his nose, forcing away the lingering sorrow in his heart before carrying Whitney into the cave.
The sound of flowing spring water echoed softly throughout the cavern.
The entire cave glowed with beautiful azure hues, winding in circular pathways.
After turning several corners, Peter finally saw the true appearance of the Ruins of Hope.
It looked largely similar to the other ruins.
At the center stood a stone altar.
Upon it rested two earthy-yellow Z-Crystals.
Beside them sat two cups filled with crystal-clear liquid.
"Congratulations."
"You have overcome the trial of the mist."
"These are your rewards."
Tapu Fini emerged gracefully from the flowing river beside the altar and looked toward Peter.
"Thank you, Tapu Fini."
Peter bowed slightly toward her.
To him, this trial had already been an unimaginably precious gift.
Lopunny, Slaking, and Whitney had all been able to meet their lost loved ones one final time.
"There are many divine auras surrounding you," Tapu Fini said softly.
"At first, I didn't understand why."
"But now I do."
"You possess a heart filled with dreams and love."
"So there's no need to thank me. Please—go ahead."
For once, Tapu Fini revealed a gentle smile before scattering droplets of glowing rainwater into the air.
The surroundings instantly shimmered with blue light, and even breathing felt refreshingly moist.
A flash of light later, Tapu Fini vanished from sight.
At the same time, the exhaustion lingering within Peter's body completely disappeared, replaced by renewed vitality.
--------------
T/N:
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