Gardevoir's eyes became incredibly complex.
There was remembrance, contemplation, nostalgia, regret, pain, and a minimal amount of joy.
She looked at Kirlia, who was evolving, and thought of her past self. Comparing them, she realized how miserable her past had been.
The same Pokémon, yet with different trainers, the outcomes were as different as heaven and earth.
A hint of sorrow appeared on Gardevoir's face. There was no anger, no resentment, and no regret, only an unresolvable sorrow.
No matter what that person had done to her, they were still her trainer. She didn't know when it started, but that person's eyes gradually became cold and emotionless.
But before that, Gardevoir still remembered a period of joyful time with her trainer. It was just that this joyful time had been almost completely washed away by the subsequent tragic experiences.
Only today, seeing Kirlia evolving, did she manage to recall some of it.
Gardevoir's aura began to surge wildly, quickly surpassing Aggron and Tyranitar, and then swiftly exceeding Slowking and Gengar, reaching the peak of the Senior Elite Four.
It didn't stop!
With an unstoppable momentum, Gardevoir stepped into the Quasi-Champion level.
This made Slowking and the others' expressions grow even more serious.
But Gardevoir seemed to feel nothing about her breakthrough in strength. She just looked at the evolving Kirlia, the reminiscence in her eyes growing thicker.
Slowly, a smile appeared on Gardevoir's face, but two glistening tears flowed from her two red eyes.
They fell onto the petals below, scattering.
Magearna, who walked over from the side, suddenly also shed tears. Although Magearna's body was mechanical, its Soul-Heart gave it infinite possibilities.
Magearna's tears began to flow wildly; she could clearly feel the sorrow in Gardevoir's heart.
She ran to Gardevoir's side, wanting to wipe her tears, wanting to help her, but Gardevoir's tears still wouldn't stop.
Buzz—buzz—
Magearna was flustered. What she perceived was far more than what Aoki had imagined.
Gardevoir's life force was draining away!!!
She was irreversibly heading towards death!!
Magearna wanted to use her Soul-Heart to replenish Gardevoir's life energy, but found that it couldn't be replenished at all. Gardevoir refused her help; she wanted to leave on her own.
There is no greater sorrow than a heart that has died...
"Gardevoir, Gardevoir, she is ending her own life!!!" Diancie, understanding Magearna's meaning, translated her words.
Tears welled up in Diancie's eyes as well.
"Gardevoir, she... is using her last bit of life to increase her strength..."
"Magearna, Magearna, she cannot help Gardevoir restore her vitality. Gardevoir is refusing Magearna's treatment..."
"Gardevoir is about to die!! Her life has reached its end!!!"
Diancie translated Magearna's words, tears flowing from her eyes just like Magearna's. They were both Fairy-type Pokémon, the closest beings to life, and could feel the profound sorrow of a heart that had died within Gardevoir.
Slowking and Gengar, who were nearby, slowly lowered their guard, looking at Gardevoir with complex expressions.
Aoki also stood by Gardevoir's side, observing closely, and could see Gardevoir's skin and hair withering at a visible rate.
If anyone felt it most clearly, besides Magearna, it was Kirlia, who was currently evolving.
She felt the sorrow in Gardevoir's heart, and even while evolving, Kirlia's tears flowed incessantly.
Slowly, Gardevoir clasped her hands together, placing them on her chest. A small crystal, shimmering with energy fluctuations, appeared, floating between her hands.
The moment this crystal appeared, Gardevoir's aura plummeted, instantly dropping below Quasi-Champion, then falling to Elite Four, then Quasi-Elite Four...
Gardevoir took one last look at the crystal in her hand, gently tossed it, throwing it towards Kirlia, who was currently evolving.
She slowly closed her eyes, a faint smile still on her lips, tears not yet completely dry in the corners of her eyes, and leaned back... She was held by Slowking's psychic power and gently placed on the ground.
Magearna felt that Gardevoir's life force had completely dissipated. Even with the powerful abilities of the Soul-Heart, there was no possibility of her revival.
This was a Quasi-Champion-level Psychic-type Pokémon, completely and willingly giving its all to another Pokémon. This difficulty might have never appeared in the Pokémon world until now; this was the first time.
No matter how sad Kirlia felt, she had already reached the critical moment of evolution. She just couldn't understand why Gardevoir, with whom she had never communicated, would be willing to dedicate everything for her.
Perhaps Kirlia simply touched the most sensitive part of Gardevoir's heart. The target of her sacrifice was not Kirlia, but her former self.
Kirlia just happened to become a substitute for her past self.
The range of the evolution light began to expand, and Kirlia's body also began to change.
Three minutes later, the white light dissipated, revealing the fully evolved Gardevoir.
Gardevoir's body was white, appearing to wear an elegant ball gown, with the inner side of the skirt being green.
Her hairstyle also changed, becoming curly, extending below her head. A strand of blue was in the middle of her green hair, representing the God of Will.
Her arms were also green, with no clear boundary between her arms and hands. Her fingers were slender and directly connected to her hands, like she was wearing gloves.
The fin-like horns on her head before evolution moved to her chest and back after evolution.
Gardevoir had spiky structures beside her face, like she was wearing a mask.
The green band on her chest connected to the middle of her horns and also to her glove-like arms, making her look like she was wearing a long dress.
Kirlia successfully evolved!
Gardevoir was revealed before all the Pokémon.
Seeing one Gardevoir fall and a new Gardevoir rise, Aoki's Pokémon initially wanted to congratulate her, but they couldn't feel happy.
They were clearly enemies before, but now one had sacrificed everything for their companion.
Even Slowking and Gengar could no longer feel hostility towards the Gardevoir peacefully lying on the ground.
After Gardevoir completed her evolution, Aoki immediately obtained her data.
Pokémon: Gardevoir (Light Purple)
Gender: Female
Level: 35 (Rapidly increasing)
Attribute: Psychic-type + Fairy-type
Ability: Trace
Held Item: None
Egg Moves: Memento, Destiny Bond, Misty Terrain, Ally Switch
Basic Moves: Moonblast, Stored Power, Misty Terrain, Healing Wish, Growl, Confusion, Double Team, Teleport, Disarming Voice, Lucky Chant, Magical Leaf, Heal Pulse, Draining Kiss, Calm Mind, Psychic, Imprison
Learnt Moves: Icy Wind, Skill Swap, Telekinesis, Ally Switch, Zen Headbutt, Pain Split, Magic Coat, Hyper Voice, Helping Hand