Chapter 459: The Thing to Protect Even at the Cost of One's Life
After staying on the Nebel Plateau for three days,
Will and Cynthia prepared to set off, going to other places to look for traces of Xerneas.
Volcanion and Magearna escorted them out of the Nebel Plateau all the way.
Passing through layers of thick fog.
They arrived at the forest path outside.
"Then we will drop you off here."
Volcanion stopped his footsteps.
"Diri duru."
Magearna walked in front, turned around and waved to Volcanion.
"What do you mean see you again if fate allows?! You silly girl, how many times have I told you he is not your dad!"
Hearing what Magearna said, Volcanion instantly became anxious.
He reached out two arms and hugged Magearna back.
"Diri duru~"
Magearna constantly waved her arms and legs in the air, struggling and insisting on leaving together with Will.
"Magearna."
Will's voice sounded.
Magearna instantly quieted down, preparing to listen to the teachings of her father.
Seeing this, Volcanion felt a burst of annoyance again.
But he still put the mechanical girl on the ground.
If Magearna truly wanted to leave with Will and the others from the bottom of her heart, Volcanion definitely wouldn't stop her.
But whether Magearna was acting from the bottom of her heart, or just having a three-minute passion.
Could he, this adoptive father in the true sense, not know?
Believing Will as an Aura Guardian could also feel it, so he chose to put Magearna down and let Will speak.
"Magearna, do you really want to leave the Nebel Plateau, leave Volcanion, leave everyone here, and leave with me, a Pokémon you've only known for three or four days?"
Will raised his hand and patted Magearna's head.
Then he pointed behind her.
Magearna froze for a moment, turning her head to look at Volcanion.
"Hmph!"
Volcanion turned his head away, sneaking glances over here quietly.
"Diri duru..."
Magearna gradually calmed down.
"If you can never see Volcanion and everyone again in the future, does it not matter?"
"Diri duru."
This time Magearna shook her head.
She didn't want to leave Volcanion and the others.
After hundreds and thousands of years of getting along, Volcanion had long been Magearna's most important family.
"So, just stay here; if there is a chance in the future, we will come to the Nebel Plateau to play again."
"Diri duru?"
"Really."
Will smiled and nodded.
"Diri duru."
Magearna reached out and hugged Will tightly.
"Hmph."
Seeing this, Volcanion couldn't help grinning proudly.
What the heck!
Sure enough, in Magearna's heart, he still carried more weight than this blonde and this dog.
"Hahaha!"
Volcanion laughed wildly in his heart, completely unaware that his inner thoughts were already palpable.
The rough laughter and wretched expression made the three people present couldn't help being stunned numb.
"Diri duru."
Or maybe dad you should still take me away.
Magearna reached out and hugged Will's arm.
"Uh."
Will was really seriously considering it this time.
"Ahem! Well..."
Volcanion snapped back to his senses, his old face blushing, hurriedly speaking seriously,
"This time, truly thank you very much, Lucario, Cynthia."
"You're welcome."
Cynthia responded with a smile.
This was the first time in these few days Volcanion thanked her face to face.
"Then, farewell, see you again when there's a chance."
Will held Cynthia's hand, turning and stepping onto the forest path.
"Wait a minute."
Volcanion suddenly spoke, looking at Will hesitantly, then sighed:
"Although as someone who asked for help it's not very suitable for me to say this, but I think we should be considered friends now, right?"
"So, before you leave, let me say a few more words. Sometimes I really hope you Aura Guardians could be a bit more selfish, and not always disregard your own safety for things like justice and peace."
"Evil will not disappear, and peace will not exist forever; you guys are not short of that moment!"
"Things that can't be done just can't be done! Honestly give up, don't push yourselves too hard, just wait for an opportunity to come again later, and consider the feelings of the people around you more!"
Volcanion's words contained some anger; it seemed some past memories resurfaced in his mind.
Listening to his words, Will fell into a period of silence.
These words.
He also wanted to say to Lucario in the past.
But after personally experiencing many things, his thoughts had changed.
"Volcanion."
"What?"
Volcanion looked at Will.
"We don't know at the moment of facing a choice, whether that will be the only opportunity in our lives."
"We also don't know if we choose to give up this time, whether we can bear the outcome and consequences."
"For example, earlier, if you encountered those two people alone, and you were not their match in a one-on-one fight, would you run?"
Will looked at Volcanion.
The latter was silent.
This was the answer.
He wouldn't.
Because if Volcanion ran at that time, Magearna might truly die.
Even if he could win later.
He couldn't save Magearna back.
That kind of result was something Volcanion couldn't accept.
Will pursed his lips and smiled, pulling Cynthia heading towards the distance, only leaving sentences echoing in Volcanion's ears:
"In this long life, we will always find something more precious than our own lives. Maybe that is a memory, maybe that is a piece of land, maybe that is a certain person..."
"As long as it is to stick to these things, sometimes even one's own life can actually be ignored."
"I think those Aura Guardians didn't simply fight for justice and peace, but fought for the beliefs they held onto and the meaning of their existence."
Will's voice fell.
Volcanion's eyes widened looking at their retreating backs, frozen in place for more than ten seconds before snapping back to his senses.
"Diri duru?"
"Nothing, just... recalled a few friends from the past."
"Diri duru?"
"Forget it, even if I tell you, you wouldn't know them, they... left one after another long ago."
Volcanion lowered his head, a bit of mist actually permeating his eyes.
"Diri duru."
Magearna stepped forward worriedly, hugging Volcanion's head with both hands.
"Although suspected of acting cool, that guy is right."
"Diri duru?"
"Mm, exactly, I also have things I want to protect even at the cost of my life."
"Diri duru?"
"Haha, not telling you, just guess it yourself."
Smack smack smack!
Allowing Magearna to pat his body as if venting anger.
Volcanion turned his head to look at the sky.
As a father.
What else could it be that he desperately wants to protect?
Isn't it just his own child.
He understood.
Five days later.
Lumiose City.
Will and Cynthia visited here again.
The reason was when Cynthia was communicating with other trainers on the road, she heard from the other party that Professor Sycamore here also seemed to be looking for Xerneas, and already had some clues.
So Cynthia immediately dragged him here in a huge hurry.
After some inquiries.
They went to Professor Sycamore's laboratory on the same day they returned to Lumiose City.
What made Will feel it was a pity was.
Sycamore didn't seem to have taken over his grandmother Platali's laboratory, but used a new laboratory the Kalos League helped establish.
The location was in the due south of Lumiose City near the edge of the city.
Could take the Gogoat Shuttle in the city to go there.
Logically speaking.
For Cynthia who has Garchomp, they could completely fly over from the sky.
But she wanted to experience the feeling of riding a Gogoat.
The result was her butt bumped so much it hurt.
"Lucario~ carry me~"
Cynthia hugged Will's arm, squeezing out two drops of tears looking at him pitifully.
"Huh? Your butt hurts, not your legs or feet hurting, why do you want me to carry you?"
Will pushed her aside.
"Wuwu, if you won't carry then don't carry, then just let me die of pain here."
Cynthia raised her hand to cover her eyes, putting on a weeping appearance.
Will frowned, then spoke slowly,
"Cynthia, did you secretly watch the TV dramas I collected?"
"Uh..."
"Stop learning from those women inside! They are neurotic, are you neurotic too?"
Will reached out to cover his forehead speechlessly.
He just knew it.
Where did Cynthia learn such a set of behaviors.
Anyway, Kaoru wouldn't do these.
Because she normally wouldn't need it at all; relying on her other skills, she was completely enough to handle all situations.
Turns out Cynthia learned it by secretly watching those melodramatic TV dramas he collected.
"I thought you liked this kind of trainer more."
Cynthia showed a slightly awkward smile.
"What, I just thought those trainers were very funny, so I collected them."
Will shook his head and sighed.
He didn't collect ordinary TV dramas.
Only those so melodramatic they could be called unbelievable would he collect.
Who would have expected Cynthia actually watched them, and even learned from them secretly.
"Oh."
Cynthia nodded gently.
She looked down, then reached out and grabbed Will's hand.
Will glanced at her.
Holding her heading towards the Sycamore Laboratory.
As a laboratory opened in a place like Lumiose City, its popularity almost needed no more words, especially since rumors spread a few days ago that Professor Sycamore seemed to have grasped the location of Xerneas.
Looking at the trainers blocking the entrance of the laboratory.
Will instantly felt a headache:
"By the way, doesn't the League plan to manage this situation? Can Professor Sycamore quiet down to do research?"
"Professor Sycamore is generally not here; this side is all managed by his assistants."
A voice came from the side.
Will and Cynthia turned their heads to look, unexpectedly seeing an acquaintance:
"Aunt Yoko!"
The person who came was exactly Yoko Juniper, who Will and Cynthia met at the Pokémon Fan Club in the Unova region three years ago.
The younger sister of Elder Professor Juniper, the aunt of Professor Juniper-kun.
"Cynthia, quick! Step back!"
Will vigilantly hid Blonde-kun behind him, looking at this woman as if facing a formidable enemy.
He remembered.
This Pokémon-loving woman almost led Cynthia astray back then.
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