Chapter 261: You Won't Leave Me Behind, Right?
Hikaru's heart skipped a beat when he heard Sakura's words.
But soon, he flicked her forehead lightly.
"You can't just say things like that."
She pursed her lips, not saying anything—but the rosy blush on her face didn't fade.
That, in turn, made Hikaru's face heat up as well.
This was definitely a case of saying one thing but meaning another...
A delicate atmosphere started to form between them.
However, before it could settle—
Latias innocently interrupted.
"Hikaru… if I go too, should I also… wear something like that?"
Her voice was pure and curious, completely genuine.
Hikaru and Sakura looked at each other.
Sakura's blush deepened, while Hikaru awkwardly rubbed his nose.
The next second, Sakura grabbed Latias and flew off into the air, clearly changing the subject.
Hikaru could only shake his head helplessly.
After that…
The remaining performances felt underwhelming.
Maybe it was because the first few acts had been so amazing—
Or maybe… it was because he was distracted by Sakura's words.
Even the audience's scores started to drop.
Only a few performances managed to score above 95 points.
One notable contestant was a coordinator in a green dress, performing with a Meowscarada.
Her Meowscarada used Leaf Storm, sending a shimmering green tornado spiraling through the air.
Then, her shining Rapidash unleashed Fire Spin, igniting the swirling leaves into a multicolored fire vortex.
The explosive display sent the crowd into a frenzy.
Of course… it might also just be because Meowscarada was incredibly popular.
Another highlight was Aqua Grace's Primarina.
She set up a Misty Terrain, followed by Moonblast, Bubble Beam, and Charmed Voice.
And then—
She dimmed the entire stadium's lights, using the mist as a natural projector.
A dreamlike scene unfolded—
A full moon hung in the sky.
The ground was covered in mist, with countless floating bubbles reflecting the moonlight.
Each note of Primarina's song rippled through the air, causing the bubbles to burst into tiny glowing fragments.
And amidst it all—
The silhouette of Primarina, elegantly poised within the mist, like a mystical siren.
While other performances built up to a single climactic moment,
Aqua Grace's performance was a continuous flow of beauty—from beginning to end.
The entire audience was spellbound.
Some were mesmerized.
Others teared up.
And when the final score appeared—
97.5 points!
Even with a -1 deduction for scene manipulation, it still left her with 96.5 points.
That wrapped up the semi-finals.
Tomorrow, the finals would begin, featuring the top eight performers.
Since Latias had brought them so close to the stage, they had experienced every detail firsthand.
However, during Primarina's performance, even Latias hesitated to bring them too close—
After all, as a Dragon/Psychic-type, Latias was naturally weak to Fairy-types.
When the performances ended, the sun had already begun to set.
There had been a break at noon, of course—
After all, there were nearly a hundred participants in total.
As the final contestant left the stage, Hikaru stretched.
No matter how beautiful a show was—
Watching something for an entire day could get a little tiring.
He glanced at Sakura.
Most of the audience was already leaving the stadium.
But she remained seated, staring at the stage.
"You're not leaving yet?" Hikaru asked curiously.
Watching an entire day of performances must have been exhausting—
Even Latias seemed tired.
And besides…
He suddenly remembered—
Tonight was when his Monthly Trait Refresh was due!
He had nearly forgotten about it.
Hopefully, he would get something useful this time—
Maybe a Purple [Teaching Through Experience] trait.
If not, at least a Blue one.
But Sakura didn't answer.
Instead, she grabbed his hand gently.
"Wait a little longer, Hikaru."
Hikaru was puzzled but sat back down.
Soon, however, he realized—
Something felt… off.
As more people left, the remaining audience consisted mostly of couples.
Everywhere he looked—
Men and women sitting together.
It made sense—
Few men would come to a Pokémon Contest alone.
Most were here with their girlfriends.
And then, right on cue—
The host reappeared on stage.
Hikaru had sensed it earlier—
She wasn't just a regular woman.
No Psychic-type Pokémon were present.
Which meant—
She was likely a Psychic-user herself.
"That concludes today's Flame Dance Cup!"
"Before we wrap up, please enjoy one final performance—a special farewell display for all our guests!"
Hikaru's expression shifted slightly.
He remembered now.
Back when he and Sakura were kids,
When they used to watch this contest on TV,
There was always a special finale show—
A segment designed just for couples.
It was one of the biggest reasons the contest was always sold out.
It catered directly to romantic audiences.
Hikaru glanced at Sakura.
In the glow of the stadium lights,
Her fair skin looked even rosier than usual.
Her soft blue eyes shimmered with expectation.
When she noticed him looking, she smiled gently.
It reminded her of a memory from long ago.
Back when she was little—
When the world was still unstable, and new Mystic Realms were appearing everywhere.
She had been restless, constantly whining about going home.
Until one day, she snuck out—
And ended up lost inside the newly-formed Verdant Maple Mystic Realm—
A domain ruled by Raticates.
Terrified, she had collapsed in fear as they surrounded her.
But then—
Hikaru found her.
He grabbed her hand and ran as fast as he could.
Even after escaping, they were still trapped inside the realm—
And it was nighttime.
Dark forest shadows stretched all around them.
Distant rustling.
Insect chirps.
The silhouettes of unknown creatures lurking in the treetops.
They were just two little kids, stranded in a world of monsters.
And back then, she had asked, in a frightened whisper—
"You won't leave me behind… right?"
She had been so small.
She hadn't even called him 'brother' yet.
"Leave you behind?" Hikaru had scoffed, knocking her on the forehead.
"If I wanted to leave you behind, I wouldn't have come looking for you!"
That was, without a doubt, the hardest forehead flick she had ever received.
It hurt so much, she had nearly cried.
But even as tears welled in her eyes,
She had still clung to his hand tightly.
Eventually, the mystic realm stabilized, and they found their way back to the city.
Thinking back on it now…
She couldn't help but laugh softly.
And at this moment—
She gently intertwined her fingers with Hikaru's.
Then, resting her head against his shoulder,
She whispered once more—
"Hikaru… you won't leave me behind, right?"
Above them—
A flock of Rotoms gathered, sparking with electricity.
Forming a brilliant arrow of light—
And beside it—
Another group shaped itself into a glowing heart.
---
Read up to 20 Chapters ahead on patreon.com/Fanglin
[Please leave a 5 Star review and power stone for this novel]
*Thank you*