Capítulo 61: Chapter 61: Duty and Understanding, Legacy and Evolution
On the second floor of the small house, Opal lay unconscious on the bed, gently tended to by her mother, who softly brushed her daughter's cheek, murmuring guiltily, "I'm sorry, Opal. It was my mistake. Rest well now."
"Gardevoir~"
Her Gardevoir lay beside the bed, looking at its trainer with a hint of reproach. Gardevoir was a very loyal Pokémon, but this time, its trainer was indeed in the wrong.
"Yes, I'll apologize to Opal when she wakes up. For now, please take care of her, Gardevoir."
Gardevoir nodded, indicating that it would take care of her, and that a sincere apology was expected later.
On the first floor, Summer sat staring at the steaming cup of tea on the table, hesitant to take a sip. Even an outsider like him could tell that the tea set was extremely expensive.
"Is the tea not to your liking?" Opal's mother, who had just come down from the second floor, asked, looking at the table.
"No, it's just that I'm not used to drinking tea this hot," Summer replied, waving his hand.
"Oh, right. I haven't introduced myself. My name is Eleph Capet. As Opal may have told you, I'm the leader of the Ballonlea Gym."
"My name is Summer. Yes, Opal mentioned it. But why do you want to stop her from becoming a gym leader? I believe everyone should have the right to pursue their dreams, especially when you're her mother."
Eleph sighed, a hint of sadness in her voice. "You're right. Perhaps she takes after her late father more. He loved battles, while, to be honest, I'm not fond of them."
Summer remained silent.
"It's okay, I've buried this sadness in my heart for a long time," Eleph said with a bitter smile. "Wanting to leave Galar and return to my hometown is probably just a way to bury it deeper."
The conversation turned heavy. Despite Eleph's words, Summer felt it best to just listen silently.
"Have you heard of Kalos?"
"Yes."
"That's my hometown. My family was once considered nobility there. Although we no longer have the title, our assets are still substantial. This is why I want to take Opal back to Kalos."
Summer glanced again at the expensive tea set, now understanding its origin.
"There, she could live a carefree life. But now I realize, that's just me imposing my wishes on her. She probably doesn't want to live her life like that."
"The person she idolizes is just a woman mourning her husband, forcing herself to uphold the gym he left behind. I'm not nearly as radiant as she thinks."
"I can't keep it up anymore. I want to run away. I don't want to pass on this burdensome duty to our daughter."
"I guess I'm just an unfit mother."
"No, Leader Eleph, you are Opal's role model. You've helped her find her own dreams and become a trainer who stands up for her partners. I think you've done more than enough." Summer said, recalling how Opal bravely protected Hatterene from the Grimmsnarl despite her fear.
"You just have a distorted way of showing your love. As long as she does what she loves, no matter how hard it is, she'll be happy, especially with your support."
Reflecting on Summer's words, Eleph's expression softened. She had come to a realization.
"Yes, I understand now. Your Pokémon must be very fortunate to have a trainer like you."
Thwackey and Milotic nodded silently, agreeing that meeting Summer was indeed a great fortune.
"When Opal wakes up, I'll talk to her personally. If she still wants to be a gym leader, I'll support her wholeheartedly. After all, Opal is not just my daughter but also his daughter."
"Mom, I still want to be a gym leader!" Opal shouted from the staircase, gripping the handrail. Behind her, Gardevoir looked both exasperated and touched.
Opal had overheard most of her mother's conversation. She never expected that her seemingly sunny mother hid such deep sadness.
Yet, she still wanted to be a gym leader. Her mother's image was the starting point of her dream, and now she wanted to carry her own hopes towards that goal.
Because Opal had grown to love Fairy-type Pokémon, to love battles, and because she was the daughter of both her mother and father. She wanted to keep the gym's legacy alive, no matter what.
"Opal, I understand. You see, Simon," Eleph's voice choked with emotion, "she really is like you."
"No, I shouldn't cry. Today should be a happy day."
Eleph wiped her moist eyes and went to a long-sealed cabinet. She slowly opened it and took out a jar full of various decorative sweets.
Strawberries, hearts, clovers, stars, and all kinds of decorations—these were the decorations her husband Simon had collected. He loved Milcery, and to collect all its different forms, he had amassed a large collection of decorations.
When Milcery spins with a decoration, it evolves. This magical evolution phenomenon was discovered by Simon, who also found that the time of day, spin direction, and spin speed influenced the evolved form of Alcremie.
That man even proposed to me with seven different Alcremie. Will our daughter love them too?
"Opal, come here. These are decorations that can evolve Milcery. If you want to become a gym leader, you'll need to work hard to improve your skills."
Hearing about evolution, Milcery popped out from atop Opal's head, eyes sparkling at the decorations in Eleph's hand. No wonder it felt an attraction in the house; it was these decorations.
Opal ran down the stairs excitedly, with Milcery and Hatterene in tow.
"That's great, Opal. You can continue striving towards your dream."
Summer nodded. Even without the advantage of being a time traveler, he would have encouraged Opal the same way.
"I believe you will become a great gym leader."
"Of course!"
Eleph smiled warmly, handing the jar to Opal, allowing her to choose for herself. Opal, in turn, let Milcery make the choice.
After some thought, Milcery picked a strawberry decoration. Thrilled, it spun rapidly counterclockwise, enveloped in evolution light. When the light faded, it had evolved into a pink Alcremie.
"Strawberry Sweet Alcremie... Simon, you both chose the same decoration," Eleph murmured softly, her Gardevoir sharing the sentiment.
Inspired by Milcery's evolution, Hatenna felt a sense of competition. It expressed its gratitude for Opal's rescue, enveloping itself in evolution light.
Seeing a Pokémon evolve for their trainer, Summer thought, Opal, this is a result of your hard work. But just as he was feeling touched, his ranger assistant rang in with a strange report.
[The gate to the spirit world in Glimwood Tangle is about to open.]
(End of Chapter)
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