After signaling Garchomp to let her down, Cynthia frowned in Zoroark’s direction.
It was definitely the fox.
According to Lucario, everything should have been fine.
Yet…
Why was her heart still so uneasy?
Cynthia glanced around, rubbing her temples lightly.
Perhaps the scene of destruction was giving her this sense of dread.
Everything would surely be better once she saw Elias.
Holding onto that hope, Cynthia quickly approached Zoroark alongside Lucario.
But the closer they got, the clearer it became that something was terribly wrong.
“Sob… hic…”
The faint sound of crying floated through the air, reaching Cynthia and Lucario’s ears.
Was that…Zoroark crying?
Cynthia exchanged a tense glance with Lucario, feeling a sudden jolt of alarm, as though they’d both stepped into emptiness.
They had never once seen Zoroark shed tears.
Usually, Zoroark behaved like a stubborn child, hiding any unhappiness beneath a prideful exterior. Only in Elias’s comforting presence would she let down her guard, revealing emotions beyond aloofness.
She hadn’t even cried when falsely accused.
But now…
The fox was weeping openly, completely lost in grief.
Cynthia knew well that a Pokémon as strong as Zoroark must have already sensed their arrival.
Yet Zoroark still hadn’t moved, indicating something was terribly wrong.
Combined with the devastation around them and her own deep unease, a dreadful possibility slowly emerged in Cynthia’s mind.
Quickly moving past Lucario, Cynthia approached Zoroark directly.
But even up close, the fox paid her no attention.
Tentatively, Cynthia placed a hand on Zoroark’s shoulder and asked quietly:
“Zoroark, where’s Elias?”
“I don’t see him anywhere.”
Cynthia didn’t even realize her own hand trembled slightly as she spoke.
At her words, Zoroark’s quiet sobs gradually ceased.
“Get away from me.”
Zoroark still didn’t look up, her voice muffled and hoarse.
Cynthia’s frown deepened.
“What happened here? Who were you fighting?”
The ground was scorched beyond recognition—far beyond anything a normal Pokémon battle would cause.
But clearly, Zoroark had no intention of answering.
Before Cynthia could finish speaking, a pair of blood-red eyes locked onto her.
A palpable aura of resentment radiated around Zoroark, forcing Cynthia to take several steps back instinctively.
Glancing down, Cynthia saw a shallow claw mark on her forearm. It was superficial, barely breaking the skin, but clearly Zoroark had done it without her noticing—even Garchomp hadn’t reacted.
But Cynthia had no time to dwell on this.
Zoroark’s reaction had already revealed the grim truth.
Previously, even during their harshest arguments, Zoroark had only ever snapped at her verbally, nothing more.
Yet now…
Cynthia felt dizzy, pressing a hand to her forehead as weakness spread through her body.
She’d already suspected this, hadn’t she?
Someone as extraordinary as Elias should have left clear marks in the historical records she’d studied for years. But his name had never once appeared.
The most likely reason was that he had died prematurely, before achieving anything historically notable.
But why now?
If she had been here, maybe she could have changed things—maybe she could have prevented this.
Why had she chosen now, of all times, to explore ruins?!
Cynthia clenched her fists tightly, barely noticing her nails digging painfully into her palms.
“We promised…to go back to our own era together…”
“You liar…”
She took a shaky breath, covering her increasingly damp eyes.
For the first time, Cynthia felt a deep loathing toward her beloved ruins.
She—once hailed as a prodigy and the proud Champion of Sinnoh—now felt utterly helpless.
Even upon arriving in Hisui, she’d believed confidently in her ability to return home eventually.
But now, her mind was filled with nothing but confusion and despair.
—
[Giratina’s arrival undeniably left a profound, lasting scar on the Hisui region.]
[And your death seems to have plunged everyone close to you into deep sorrow and confusion.]
“Zoroark, would you like something to eat?”
Irida softly approached Zoroark, who sat gazing blankly at the lake.
Irida’s swollen eyes revealed she had recently been crying as well.
Zoroark didn’t turn toward her.
Just seeing Irida reminded her of the days when she’d transformed into the other’s image to approach Elias.
Those had been some of the happiest days of her life.
“I’m going to the Distortion World,” Zoroark finally announced firmly after a long silence.
Thanks to Elias, her strength was now immense.
The Plates floating around her still remained, even if she couldn’t permanently absorb their power.
She needed to hunt down that fat centipede.
Only then would the ache in her heart ease, even slightly.
Hearing Zoroark’s determination, Irida didn’t argue. Compared to before, she seemed calmer and more mature, now fully carrying herself as a leader.
“Before you go, please take this.”
Irida handed Zoroark a Poké Ball.
This was the one Elias had entrusted to Irida earlier, supposedly belonging to Zoroark.
It was a pity…she hadn’t noticed anything unusual back then.
“I also have Lucario’s ball. I’ll give it to him later.”
Without a word, Zoroark calmly took the ball.
Promises they’d made echoed clearly in her memory.
Now, I can live for a thousand years…
But…where are you now?
Putting the Poké Ball away, Zoroark murmured softly to herself.
…
[Are you okay?]
Enamorus gestured with concern toward Cogita, who sat dazedly in the garden.
The Pokémon’s movements seemed to snap Cogita out of her trance slightly.
Understanding Enamorus’s meaning, Cogita gave a weak chuckle.
“Why wouldn’t I be?”
“It’s just a child I raised for a few years. If he wants to leave, he can leave. Why should I care?”
Cogita rested her chin in her hand, appearing genuinely indifferent.
Yet her stiff, forced smile betrayed her true emotions completely.
“Still…he didn’t even pay me back for all those years.”
“What a thoughtless, ungrateful brat.”
—
This is a fan translation of 养老婆见多了，第一次见养boss的 by 是阴哦. All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!
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