Hearthome City. The hurricane rains had just passed through.
Gardenia should have been cleaning up the courtyard that had been flooded by the storm, but after seeing Luther's performance in the tournament, she simply couldn't tear herself away. Her face was practically pressed against the television screen.
Watching Kirlia being suppressed by Slaking's overwhelming explosive power, Gardenia felt her heart tighten with anxiety.
Accompanying Gardenia were her Pokémon. Having worked with Luther for a short time in the past, they all held a favorable impression of him, and at this moment, they were cheering him on as well.
Exeggutor's three faces were still filled with gloom. Whether he had simply been in a bad mood today or the battle itself was making him uncomfortable, he looked utterly dejected.
"At least she's a little one I personally trained. How did she end up in such a miserable state?"
A strange glimmer suddenly appeared across Exeggutor's three troubled faces.
Kirlia had not been crushed by Slaking's pressure.
The Psychic Power that had originally been protecting her outside the barrier seemed to be flowing in reverse, connecting itself to Slaking's Giga Impact.
Exeggutor suddenly recalled that afternoon in this very courtyard, when he had stood before Ralts and mercilessly suppressed her with Psychic Power far beyond her own strength.
The exact same scene.
The exact same feeling of helplessness.
Kirlia's eyes became somewhat fierce as she stared at the energy storm pouring forth from Giga Impact.
She couldn't see Slaking, but she could sense its disdain and contempt.
Kirlia hated this feeling of powerlessness.
She hated being suppressed so completely, unable to fight back, unable even to create an opportunity for Luther to launch a counterattack.
Luther had carried her out of the Pokémon Center himself.
He had shown her the outside world and given her everything she needed.
Because of Luther, she had not become one of those Pokémon in the Pokémon Center who had been deceived by Shiran and left lost and spiritless.
But was she really going to leave the battlefield at this critical moment without accomplishing anything?
Even when she was still a Ralts, she had despised her own weakness. That was why she had broken through Exeggutor's Psychic Power suppression.
She didn't want to lose.
The others had worked so hard and fought so desperately just to create this one-on-one opportunity.
Kirlia didn't want to disappoint anyone.
"I want everyone... to stand on the stage of the finals."
Her entire body burning hot, Kirlia once again saw her own Psychic Power.
No longer was it merely something sensed through perception. It now appeared clearly before her eyes, as though every pathway and connection could be traced.
She also saw the energy spilling from Giga Impact as it struck her.
Every point of impact was incomparably clear.
"The technique you used earlier is an advanced application of Psychic Power. Only a very small number of powerful Psychic- and Ghost-type Pokémon can see a different world. Psychic perception is a gift this world grants us."
"Don't deliberately chase after that feeling. Wait until the day everything falls naturally into place. Then you'll step into a new stage and attempt to reach the realm where you can clearly see the flow of Psychic Power, and even the flow of energy itself."
The words Exeggutor had spoken on the day she evolved into Kirlia still echoed vividly in her ears.
"The day everything falls naturally into place?" Kirlia had asked.
"Grow alongside that foolish Pokémon Trainer of yours. That's something you should only be thinking about when you evolve into a Gardevoir."
After saying that, all three of Gardenia's Exeggutor's heads had smiled together.
Luther was wrong when he said that Gardenia's Exeggutor had never shown a happy expression on all three faces at once.
Back on that warm afternoon, Exeggutor had smiled.
As a teacher, he had passed on to Kirlia everything a powerful Psychic-type Pokémon had been able to summarize through long years of experience.
In Hearthome City, Luther was teaching those children.
And in the courtyard, Exeggutor had been teaching Kirlia.
Suddenly, a voice appeared in Luther's mind.
"Trust me."
Luther froze for a moment and stared at Kirlia in disbelief.
Kirlia was clearly facing away from him, struggling desperately against Slaking, yet Luther felt as though she was standing right in front of him.
"Do what you want to do. This is our battle."
In Exeggutor's field of vision, all of the Psychic Power protecting the barrier surged toward the front.
The barrier shattered in response.
The circular shield was instantly sliced away on both sides by the immense force, leaving only a curved section directly in front.
The half-minute stalemate felt as though an eternity had passed.
Kirlia's tightly shut eyes slowly opened.
The points of light that had appeared when she broke through Exeggutor's Psychic Power defense that day emerged once more.
Ever since that day, no matter how hard she tried, Kirlia had never been able to witness that miraculous scene again.
But now, everything was laid bare before her eyes.
The Psychic Power protecting the front gradually condensed into a long, slender needle.
The countless points of light before her resembled a vast star map.
Smiling, Kirlia thrust the needle toward a spring-like point that was continuously producing violent "currents."
"Let nature take its course." Kirlia whispered softly.
The most powerful layer of energy surrounding Slaking's body instantly collapsed and disintegrated, dispersing as if it had never existed.
A sharp pain shot through Slaking's chest, as though he had been struck by a massive hammer.
He let out a hysterical roar of agony.
The barrier in front of Kirlia shattered completely, no longer capable of stopping Slaking's pain-driven, full-force charge.
She could dismantle the outer layer of Giga Impact's energy, but against an attack built entirely around explosive force, there was no shortcut.
The only answer to violence was greater violence.
As Kirlia's body was sent flying backward, it began to lengthen little by little.
A dazzling light enveloped her.
The pain-crazed Slaking had to shield his eyes with his hands.
Mai jumped to her feet, completely ignoring Barry's protests behind her as she stared excitedly at the battlefield.
Dawn's breathing quickened with excitement.
The hand holding her Pokédex trembled slightly.
"Gardevoir, the Embrace Pokémon. When protecting a Trainer whose heart is connected to its own, it unleashes its greatest psychic power."
Looking at Gardevoir's back, Luther's lips trembled.
"Finally..."
Luther clenched his fists tightly.
Slaking had relied on the enhanced energy suppression gained through evolution to overpower Kirlia.
Now, that advantage had been reduced to almost nothing.
Dakota gritted his teeth.
What exactly had just happened?
Giga Impact's damage consisted of two parts:
The outer layer of energy surrounding the attack, and the explosive physical force generated by the Pokémon's own impact.
An attack that should have finished Kirlia outright had only managed to deliver the physical-force portion of its damage.
And what was the injury Slaking had suffered?
Even now, Slaking occasionally clutched at his chest.
That was clearly the sign of a severe injury.
Kirlia had used the remnants of Giga Impact's energy to launch a counterattack.
The stronger Slaking's strike had been, the more severe the damage reflected back onto him.
Gardenia's Exeggutor looked at Gardevoir with satisfaction.
All three heads broke into smiles once again.
"The little one has grown up."
Watching the student he had taught break through yet another limit filled Exeggutor with pride.
Exeggutor had never hinted to Gardenia that her talent in psychic abilities was actually greater than her talent as a Grass-type Pokémon.
If Gardenia ever learned that she had independently explored a path that many Psychic-type Pokémon could never even touch, then given her personality, she would certainly entrust him to someone capable of drawing out his full potential.
Perhaps to Cynthia.
Or perhaps to Caitlin, who had once watched him silently from afar.
Gardenia's dream was to nurture more Trainers who loved Grass-type Pokémon in Hearthome City.
Exeggutor's dream was simply to stay by Gardenia's side, quietly meditating in a corner, exploring new possibilities for becoming stronger.
He didn't want to go anywhere else.
If he couldn't remain beside the Trainer he loved, then becoming stronger had no meaning.
Kirlia had naturally evolved into Gardevoir when the time was right.
As for Exeggutor, he looked forward to taking another step forward himself, discovering more insights, becoming stronger, and then secretly giving Gardenia a pleasant surprise.
Until that day came naturally, he decided he would continue sitting quietly in a corner of the courtyard, facing the wall in meditation.
(End of Chapter)
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