Chapter 67: It's Okay to Be a Little More Tired
The next morning, after breakfast, Will coiled his tail around Liz and flew to the gates of the capital. Blaze and the others had already been sent to the Primal Beast Academy.
"Lan, where are you taking me? We just got back, and I still have so much to do." Liz asked, looking at the back of Will's head in confusion.
"..."
Will didn't respond. The flight from the palace to the city gates only took five minutes. When they landed, Liz looked at the gates behind her with a frown, not understanding.
"You should go back," Will said, pointing his tail towards the city.
"Is Lan telling me to go back? Then what about you?" Liz understood his meaning but tilted her head, still confused. She felt that something was very, very wrong.
It wasn't that Will had never left the capital before, but he had never taken her with him. But today, he had brought her all the way to the gates, only to tell her to go back by herself. The act seemed completely redundant. But Liz felt that Will never did anything without a reason.
"I'm going to Mt. Silver," Will said, turning his head to look in its direction.
"That's the direction of the Mt. Silver range," Liz said, following his gaze. She paused for a moment, then walked forward and placed a hand on his body. "Do you want to go back for a visit, Lan? I'll go with you."
There was an uneasy tone in her voice.
You've always been so smart, Will thought, looking down at Liz with a smile as he silently shook his head.
He knew Liz would figure it out. If he were just going back for a visit, he could have easily gone by himself and returned on the same day. He wouldn't have brought her all the way to the city gates to tell her this, only to send her back alone.
Liz felt uneasy, which was why she wanted to go with him. If he agreed, it would mean he wasn't leaving her side, because he couldn't possibly let her stay in Mt. Silver for long; he would have to escort her back. If he refused, it would mean he was going to be gone for a long time—so long that she wouldn't be able to endure it in the mountain.
It could even mean he wasn't coming back at all.
"Does Lan not like me anymore?" Liz asked, the rims of her eyes and the tip of her nose turning a little red, perhaps because of the cold weather.
"Are you playing the victim with me?" Will grinned, seeing right through her act. He remembered when she was a child, she would put on the same pitiful look to get close to him for warmth, only to fall asleep in his arms with a secret, triumphant smile.
"Why?"
"...Tomorrow and accidents, you never know which will come first. You are the Queen of the Dragonite Kingdom, and you have great ambitions. I want to have the power to protect you, and even to help you achieve your dreams," Will said, blinking.
The leveling speed in the capital was too slow, and the comfortable environment always made him want to slack off. At this rate, it might take him two or three years to reach his next evolution. In that case, it was better to steel his heart and force himself to go into "seclusion" in Mt. Silver for a while. He could also catch a few suitable Pokémon for her while he was there.
"Will you come back?" Liz sighed, stepping forward to wrap her arms around him, looking up at his face.
In truth, Liz already knew the answer. She could just feel that he would return to her side. But she still had to ask, to hear the answer her heart needed to be at peace.
"I will. It won't be long. I promised I would stay by your side. We still have to travel to many places in this world together," Will said, nodding seriously. He extended his tail, and the soft tip brushed against her cheek, wiping away a tiny pearl that had fallen from the corner of her eye.
"I'll wait for you to come back." Liz raised a hand to wipe her cool cheek.
"I will," Will nodded again. He leaned down and gently kissed her forehead, then turned and flew into the sky.
"Be safe," Liz whispered, standing in place and quietly watching his figure fly into the distance.
In the sky, Will glanced back, watching the tiny figure gradually disappear from his vision.
Liz, you will definitely be the one to change this world.
Without enough strength, I can't help you go further.
I've never thought of getting stronger for someone else before. But if it's for you...
This life, it's okay to be a little more tired.
In that moment, Will's gaze was firmer than it had ever been. To be honest, in his two lives, he had never really known what he was living for. He was just living for the sake of living, getting stronger for the sake of survival. He was sick of such a meaningless existence.
Now, he would get stronger for something he wanted to do. And what he wanted to do was to help Liz achieve her dream.
Half an hour later, Will arrived at Mt. Silver, heading straight for the middle ring, a place he had never set foot in in either of his lives.
He landed. "First, find a shelter, then gather food and map the area. I'll probably be staying here for a long time."
Will looked at the familiar forest environment and couldn't help but grin. The feeling of his past life as a Beedrill was gradually returning.
"RAWR!"
Suddenly, a deafening roar sounded by his ear. He immediately whipped his head around and saw a nearly 4-meter-tall Ursaring behind him, more than double its Pokédex size.
"In the outer ring, this would definitely be an Alpha. But in this area, it's probably nothing special, right? I'll start by testing the waters with you," Will said, whipping his tail and charging forward.
[Agility]
[Focus Energy]
He closed the distance instantly, then swung an [Aqua Tail] at the Ursaring's belly. The Ursaring reacted with extreme speed, raising its right arm and swinging down with a full-power [Slash].
The claw and tail collided, and both creatures shuddered from the impact. The Ursaring was clearly the weaker of the two and was knocked back two steps by his tail.
"Strong," Will said, his brow furrowing as his expression grew serious.
This Ursaring's level was probably similar to his own, but its reaction speed was just as fast. The Pokémon that survived in the middle ring of Mt. Silver were truly no weaklings. If he didn't have the boost from his Mystic Water, he might have been the one at a disadvantage in that exchange.
"ROAR!"
The Ursaring flew into a rage. It raised both arms and charged at him, a pink energy glowing on its claws.
A Fairy-type move? Will couldn't tell what it was using. But the pink energy, and the uncomfortable feeling it gave him, could only be Fairy-type energy. He had no intention of meeting it head-on and flew into the air to dodge.
In an unregulated, no-holds-barred wild battle, a Pokémon that can fly is king. Especially against an opponent like Ursaring with few ranged attacks, he would always hold the initiative.
[Twister]
[Thunderbolt]
[Icy Wind]
[Water Pulse]
A barrage of ranged attacks of four different types was launched from the air. In that moment, Will was like a turret mage.
The Ursaring, unable to hit him and unable to run away, was inevitably beaten down and knocked out, its eyes turning to swirls.
After a brief search, Will found the Ursaring's nest. It was a relatively large cave.
"I'll settle here for now."
From this day forward, a seemingly endless daily routine of battle began.
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