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Finally... They had succeeded.
It had been very difficult, but after so much effort, they had managed to defeat Dialga Primigenia, and thus, prevent the Tower of Time from collapsing. That feat had been accomplished by two young pokémon: a human Riolu and a little six-year-old Piplup.
From the first time they met, they liked each other in every way. Although the ice-type was quite mischievous, the truth is that he was just a little orphaned boy, who had been alone all his life and longed with all his might to have a friend to spend the rest of his life with... And he had finally found her: lying in the middle of the beach, not knowing what she was doing in the pokémon world, only remembering that she had been a human and her name, nothing more...
She took very good care of Piplup, especially when they both decided to go together to save the world, with the support of the pokegremio. After much effort, they managed to reach the Tower of Time and face Dialga, who was out of his mind, things that threatened the destruction of the tower, and as a consequence, the paralysis of the entire planet. But after a risky fight, the two finally succeeded.
But deep down... Piplup hadn't quite understood what was meant by the paralysis of time. His childish mind couldn't process it, couldn't understand everything that had happened. And that alone would be about to begin to take its toll on him at that moment, when together they watched the orange sunset on that beach where it had all begun. Bubbles were rising up to the sky, looking golden in the sunlight.
- Piplup... - Riolu had something to confess to his little brother. Or well, at least until what was to happen definitely happened.
- Riolu, now we can live together! We can be in the guild and we'll keep exploring the world! We'll be two inseparable brothers, you'll take care of me, and I'll take care of you as well as you take care of me! It'll be great, it's what I want most in this world!
- Piplup...
He wondered what was wrong with his best friend, who was already his family. His own and only family.
- I've kept something from you for a long time....
- A secret? - Innocent him, he didn't know that soon they would have to part. - I love secrets! I won't tell anyone, I swear!
- No, Piplup... I-I have to...
Suddenly, he stifled a gasp.
Rilu was glowing with golden sparkles.
- I have to go, little brother... I'm going to disappear... I have to say goodbye to you... Forever...
- WH-WHAT!? - I was in shock. What had happened? All along they had planned their life to their liking: simple, but together, with the love they both needed and could give each other. They could stay in the guild, and then, as they evolved, buy a house and live there together forever, teaching other young pokémon for their future expeditions with rescue teams, other guilds, etc.... - B-BUT WHY?
- Because by intervening in history, the Pokémon of the future would disappear? And I'm part of that future, little one...
- B-but that's impossible! You live here, with me, it's today, it's today!
- I-I know! - she said, her voice breaking and her eyes with big tears about to come out. - But it's like this... It has to be like this... Piplup... Thank you for everything... You're the nicest brother I could ever meet, you've made me so happy, you know that?
Piplup shook his head.
That wasn't happening. It wasn't real.
He wasn't going to be alone like he had been in his five years of existence before he met the pokémon that had welcomed him into her arms.
- I'm glad for all the adventures we've been able to share together.... I'm glad... to have met you... Piplup...
- NO! - he shook his head, beginning to feel tears streaming down his little face. - That's a lie! You're not leaving, you're cheating on me, you're cheating on me!
- I-I'm not fooling you.... This is reality... Saving the future means this, little guy.... - he said, smiling at her as she also swallowed her own tears.
- I DON'T WANT YOU TO GO! - he began to scream. - I DON'T WANT YOU TO GO! DON'T GO, I WON'T LET YOU GO!
- Please don't cry... Please... - Riolu begged, feeling the end was near. I love you very much, Piplup, never forget that, please.... I've been lucky to have you as a friend... And as a brother.
And suddenly, his image began to fade as the flashes increased.
- RIOLU! DON'T GO, DON'T GO, PLEASE, DON'T GO...!
But it was too late. She had disappeared. She had ceased to exist.
Piplup stood still, staring at the same place where moments ago he had heard his big sister's farewell. To think that she no longer existed.... To say that she was part of that future.... What did she mean by that? He didn't understand... No, I didn't know what he meant by that....
But... What if...
What if Dialga was punishing her for her antics? What if this was really what she deserved for being a little more unruly than she should have been? But he never meant it badly, he always asked for forgiveness, he was always forgiven and never held a grudge?
So what was wrong?
What was wrong?
Who was to blame for her leaving?
Piplup just didn't understand.
Suddenly, the crying began to build up more and more inside his throat. The blood was beginning to pound in his temples, his heart was pounding hard all over his body, and a strongly tingling sensation was running through him from paws to head. And a horrifying pain in his head pricked him.
His body began to tremble as he puffed out his cheeks to hold back the crying, and as a result, he began to shake heavily, at the same time feeling his legs wobble. Then she just couldn't take it anymore....
- ¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡BUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!
That heart-rending scream and the cries that followed could be heard for hundreds of miles around... Even in the heights...
Where Dialga rested to repair all that was now saved, even there it was heard. And then she saw it: Piplup sobbing heartbreakingly, with a cry that was not typical of a small child in a normal situation.... It was a cry of pain, of despair... of fear.
She thought he could understand. But even the deity of time herself was foolish enough to let that happen in front of such a small child who barely knew how to raise himself. He could hear the little ice-type Pokémon sobbing in pain, asking for forgiveness for his innocent antics, which he believed had caused Riolu to leave his side.... He was apologizing to Dialga...
I could see him grabbing his chest and pulling it out, as if he wanted to rip it out. The anxiety hurt him a lot, he couldn't breathe well, he was afraid and panicked because he was alone again and he believed he was being punished to loneliness.
She was very serious... But for Arceus, at that moment he could feel nothing but humanity!
- No... This is not right. - Dialga said to himself. - This is wrong... To do this to a poor child who has saved me.... Who has saved us all... He doesn't deserve this suffering!
And without further ado, she summoned a portal to that beach. He levitated and passed through it, and the sobs turned into screams and uncontrolled crying.
Piplup was writhing in the sand. He was sobbing, screaming, clutching his chest in pain, rolling around in the sand and it even seemed that at any moment he would faint from so many bad emotions....
- WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH, AAAAAAAAAAH, AAAAAAAAAAAH!
Dialga's heart broke.
So small, so innocent, so lonely.... And now so torn, so sore, so confused, so... he couldn't even describe that feeling in words. He felt a lump in his throat and his eyes began to crystallize. But she had to be strong and give all her comfort to the little one, along with a solution. After several attempts in which her voice cut her off, she was finally able to speak.
- You are not to blame for anything. No...
He suddenly fell silent, but still sobbing, he stood up and saw the mighty Dialga in front of him. Without a second thought, he threw himself at her and began to cry louder.
- AAAAAAAAAH! DIALGAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! FORGIVE ME! I'VE-I'VE BEEN BAD, I'VE BEEN VERY BAD, FORGIVE ME, DON'T- DON'T PUNISH ME, PLEASE, I'LL DO ANYTHING YOU WANT, BUT DON'T PUNISH ME!
She was astonished, did she think this was a punishment from him...? For the simple antics of a little boy, who had done no harm to anyone? No... It was because he didn't understand everything that had been involved in that risky adventure to save the planet from time paralysis, because he was simply too small to understand it all.
- Piplup, no... This is no punishment, none of this is your fault.... You changed the future to save me and the Time Tower.... That's why...
- NOOOO! - he just stepped backwards and started hyperventilating. - I DON'T UNDERSTAND! IT'S IMPOSSIBLE, THAT'S A LIE, THAT'S A LIE!
- Please, let me explain....
- Go away! - he shouted again. - Go away, go away, I won't listen to you! - he shouted, covering his ears. Suddenly, he started to run in the opposite direction, but realized he was running in the direction of a stone wall.
- Stop, you're going to...!
Suddenly, a loud bang. Piplup had hit his head and body against the cliff wall. He sat down on the ground and began to sob, holding his forehead, where a large bump was already forming.
- AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! RI-RIOLUUUUUUU! WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! - he sobbed incessantly.
Dialga knew it was her fault. There was no use trying to talk to him because he thought it was over. Finally, she decided it was time to end the little guy's suffering and give him the life he truly deserved.
Piplup cried and cried, his face was streaked with tears, and the new ones that kept coming filled his whole face, constantly wetting it.
He no longer cared what happened. She simply wanted to cease to exist as well. Until...
- Piplup! Piplup! - the ice-type pokémon kept sobbing inconsolably, its front paws covering its face and eyes, swaying from side to side, until again that familiar voice called out to it, but this time, by the name it loved to hear so much. - Little brother!
Suddenly, he uncovered his eyes, and through the blurred vision from tears he saw an anthropomorphic blue figure, that of a canine.... And its eyes were also filled with tears....
Riolu.
- Are you hurt, are you ok? What's wrong?
Suddenly, the little boy's face twisted into a new grimace of joy and anxiety. He threw himself into the arms of his sister, who hugged him tightly and covered him with kisses on his face and head. The little one did the same....
- You were gone! Why are you here?!?
- I... Dialga let me stay... You can't bear for me to leave, you really love me... And I love you very much, too, little brother.
They both hugged each other tightly for a long time until it got dark. Piplup had fallen asleep, and even now he was drooling from how much he loved to stay in his sister's furry lap. She carried him in her arms and they walked to Treasure Village, their home. The house where they would live together forever.
- Riolu... - Piplup was half drowsy from the older Pokémon's movement.
- Tell me, little brother. - he whispered tenderly.
- Will you never leave again? Will you stay with me... Forever?
- Yes. I bet I'm going to stay with you forever. Because I love you. I love you very much, little brother, I will always love you. - she said, giving him lots of kisses on his forehead, and on the bump too, so that it would heal soon. This provoked the innocent laughter of the Piplup he loved so much.
And finally, that night, they both stayed hugging each other on the straw mattress.
They would never be separated again, never again....
END.