At night.
Carla had already co ho, but Will hadn't returned.
Cynthia looked at the ti on the clock, her expression very downcast.
He promised to celebrate her birthday with her.
But he disappeared for the whole day today.
Cynthia curled up on the sofa, hugging her knees and sighing, staring blankly at the big cake on the dining table.
She loved sweets so much.
But today, she didn't look forward to the taste of that cake at all.
Knock knock!
A knock on the door sounded.
Cynthia's eyes lit up, and she raised her head, but then she pouted and buried her head again, pretending not to hear.
She was angry!
Knock knock!
The knock sounded again.
"Cynthia, why don't you open the door?"
Carla walked out of the kitchen toward the door.
Hearing her mom, Cynthia turned her head away, not wanting to speak.
She had decided.
She was going to sulk and make Riolu guess why.
'What if it's not Riolu?'
This thought suddenly flashed through Cynthia's mind, and she hurriedly looked up at the door.
Seeing the small black and blue figure by her mom's leg, she withdrew her gaze with relief, putting on a sullen look again.
"Oh my! Riolu, why are you injured?"
Carla's surprised voice ca from the door.
"What?!"
Cynthia bounced off the sofa instantly, rushing to the door in three steps.
She squatted down, gently parting Will's fur, checking his physical condition.
After a while, she sighed in relief.
Because she found Will just looked ssy; there were no injuries under the fur.
However.
When Cynthia looked down, she noticed Will's hand.
The fur on his paw was dark red, obviously stained with blood.
She grabbed Will's hand and saw that one of his claws was broken.
"Riolu, did you fight with other Pokémon?"
Cynthia looked at the pitiful puppy in front of her.
Unexpectedly.
The puppy grinned.
He took out a large black and gold ribbon hair accessory from behind his back and placed it on her head.
"Happy birthday, Cynthia."
"Now this is the complete Cynthia."
Will grinned, nodding with satisfaction.
Now Cynthia looked much more pleasing to the eye.
"~So I wasn't hallucinating that day; Riolu, you can really use Aura Power well."
Carla looked at the puppy with slight surprise.
When Cynthia ntioned it before, she didn't quite believe it.
Unexpectedly, it was true.
It seed this Riolu's talent was even higher than she and Lucario imagined.
Afterward.
Carla took Will to wash up, cleaning the stains off him.
Then she led them to the grass in front of the house.
Cynthia's birthday party was naturally held outside.
Because Carla and her husband's Pokémon would all participate; it would be very lively.
"Oh~ I know, Riolu, you went out to pick berries in the forest these past few days to earn money, right? To buy that birthday gift for Cynthia."
Carla glanced at the small bamboo basket at the door, her eyes lighting up.
Hearing her say this.
The other Pokémon shifted their gazes to Will, their eyes filled with affection and approval.
At this mont.
They sincerely hoped Will could beco Cynthia's partner.
Only with a Pokémon like Will becoming Cynthia's partner could they feel at ease.
"Really?! Riolu, is what Mom said true? Did you go out these past few days to prepare a birthday gift for ?"
Cynthia's eyes lit up instantly, and she pounced in front of Will.
She held the black and gold ribbon in both hands, waiting expectantly for Will's answer.
"Mm."
Will nodded gently.
"Waaa... Thank you, Riolu! I will cherish it!"
Moved to tears, Cynthia hugged Will tightly.
Will smiled slightly.
"And this, thank you for saving ."
Then he took out the ceramic mug and gave it to Carla.
He rembered Cynthia's family loved drinking coffee.
When Carla woke up in the morning, she occasionally made a cup of coffee before going out.
However.
Carla was used to drinking coffee from a bowl; she never had her own mug.
So Will picked this ceramic mug.
"Oh my? One for too? Thank you, Riolu; you're such a lovable child."
Carla bent down to take the mug, then reached out and stroked Will's head.
She lifted the mug to look.
On it was a pattern of a cute little Piplup crying cutely, making Carla smile.
Although she didn't know why it was a Piplup, she did like this mug.
Most importantly...
Gifts filled with a Pokémon's heart were even more precious to her than historical relics, important things that couldn't be sought.
The birthday party proceeded as scheduled.
Cynthia wore the ribbon hair accessory Will prepared for her.
Although for the current Cynthia, the accessory might be a bit big, it would be just right when she grew up in a few years.
"Alright, Cynthia, make a wish quickly. Be sincere."
"Mm!"
Cynthia nodded vigorously.
Looking at the ten candles on the birthday cake, she clasped her hands together and made a wish silently in her heart.
Ten seconds later.
She opened her eyes and blew out all the candles on the cake in one breath.
"What did you wish for?"
Carla leaned in smiling.
"Not telling Mom; saying it out loud makes it ineffective!"
Cynthia turned her head away, guarding her birthday wish strictly.
Just then.
Awooo~
Awooo~
Cold wolf howls ca from the distant forest.
Thump thump thump!
Accompanied by neat and heavy footsteps.
"No way?!"
Will's heart trembled, and he quickly turned to look into the distance.
Carla and Cynthia also looked up in confusion.
At the end of the plain, swift black figures appeared one by one. Dozens of figures approached rapidly in the darkness of the night, fanning out to surround Carla's family.
Only then did Carla and Cynthia see clearly.
Appearing in front of them were Mightyena!
And the leading Mightyena was a giant over two ters tall!
If there was anything strange.
It was that in this Mightyena clan, there was also a Buizel and a Croagunk.
"That Mightyena clan that ran out of Mt. Silver?! Why are they targeting us?"
Carla frowned, shielding her daughter behind her.
Garchomp, Lucario, and other Pokémon stepped forward one after another, scanning the pack of wolves without much concern.
With their strength, these wolves weren't enough to cause trouble.
The only one worth noting was the leader.
Just as the two sides faced off.
"Don't attack! It's a misunderstanding!"
A puppy ran quickly to the center between the two sides, jumping up and down to attract everyone's attention.
"Riolu?!"
Seeing Will run to such a dangerous place, Cynthia was about to rush over.
But Carla hugged her tightly.
"Could it be..."
While hugging her daughter, Carla looked at Will with a hint of surprise.
She was starting to suspect.
Suspecting if Will was a mber of that Mightyena clan.
"Wolf Mom, they are good people. They saved from poachers and took in for several days."
Will ran to Wolf Mom, quickly putting in a good word for Carla's family.
Of course.
The reason he was so anxious wasn't fear that Carla's family would be hurt.
But fear that the Mightyena clan would be wiped out.
Although the current Carla wasn't as strong as when Will saw her in his previous life, she still had quasi-Champion level strength.
Among the six Pokémon in her team, even the weakest Spiritomb was no weaker than Wolf Mom.
"Woof."
Hearing this, Wolf Mom nodded to Carla not far away.
Then she glanced at the Mightyena clan behind her.
A dozen Mightyena ran out and spat out sothing.
Will glanced at it.
Those were all treasures originally belonging to the Persian clan, quite valuable in human society.
This was the thank-you gift prepared by Wolf Mom.
Seeing these, Will realized.
Wolf Mom might have expected Will to be saved by other humans long ago.
After all, she had lived in human society for decades and knew many things about this side.
"Mom?"
Cynthia looked up at Carla.
She didn't understand the situation in front of her.
"Riolu's family ca to pick him up."
Carla pursed her lips, looking strange.
She felt.
Her daughter and Riolu's matter might be dood.
Or.
It would be very rocky.
"Eh?"
Cynthia was stunned. She turned to look at Will.
She saw the huge Mightyena licking his head, and the puppy didn't resist, looking like an obedient child.
On the other side.
"Woof."
Wolf Mom picked up Will by the scruff and turned around, seemingly ready to take him ho.
"Bui bui!"
"Gunk."
Buizel and Croagunk ran over to greet Will.
Especially Buizel, sticking to Will like an octopus.
Not seeing its big brother for a few days, it couldn't sleep.
"Wait!"
Just then, a girl's immature but firm voice rang out.
Wolf Mom turned around.
A little blond bean stood opposite her.
"Riolu! Battle with ! If I win... please beco my partner and travel with !"
Cynthia clenched her fists, facing Wolf Mom's gaze without fear.
Her eyes only saw Riolu!
"Gabite!"
The little shark (Gible) rushed up aggressively.
She would take down that puppy for Cynthia!
And beat him up while she was at it!
Carla, Lucario, and the others standing behind saw this and showed looks of realization.
This was Cynthia.
This was...
Shirona.
"Cynthia..."
Will murmured, dazed.
In this mont.
He felt Cynthia was so much like Liz, Lorelei, and the others.
All brave.
Or rather...
Trainers are just like this.
"I accept your challenge!"
~~~
Get early access to 30 advanced chapters on Patreon!
spat-reon.co-m/c/Hollowborn
~~~
Every 5 new reviews = 1 extra chapters
Every 150 Power Stones = 1 extra chapter
User Comments
0 comments from readers