Chapter 63
: It will prosper forever, and there will be no possibility of it falling into ruin.
"Doli~ Doli~"
"Wow~"
"Wow~ doll."
"Doli".
"Wow~"
Upon hearing Xia Ming's apology, the Lily Root Dolls and Miss Skirts all gathered around him. They neither accepted nor rejected Xia Ming's apology, but instead comforted him in a friendly manner.
The lily root dolls rubbed against Xia Ming's body, while Miss Skirt reached out and touched his head, releasing a fragrant floral scent to soothe his heart.
"Yoji~"
Xia Ming, they said it's not your fault, and you have no obligation to apologize for that bad kid.
"Lhoo~"
The trainers said they weren't blaming you, but that feeling really made them feel terrible.
Young Gilas and Aluminum Steel Dragon acted as Xia Ming's translators, helping him communicate with Miss Skirt and the Lily Root Dolls.
It was clear that they didn't want Xia Ming to feel guilty about that incident; it would be unfair to him.
But Xia Ming's apology was definitely effective, which greatly boosted his reputation and goodwill among Miss Skirt and the Lily Root dolls.
"I know, I understand, but if you do something wrong, you need to apologize. My father is a willful man, and I know he would never have the courage to face you, but now he can no longer face you."
Xia Ming's father in this life is a willful and somewhat fussy person; otherwise, Xia Ming wouldn't have been so decisive in dismissing the Pokémon from the farm.
Therefore, Xia Ming was certain that his father had never said goodbye or apologized to the Pokémon on the farm because of the contract.
But it's too late to say anything now.
Upon hearing Xia Ming's words, the young ladies in skirts were stunned for a moment, then covered their mouths with their hands, somewhat incredulous:
"Doli! Doli?"
"Yukichi Yukichi~"
Xia Ming, is it true? What happened to that child?
"Yes, not long after you left, my father was caught up in a storm, and even his body could not be returned to this land."
"Doli..."
I'm sorry, child, I didn't know about this. I forgive him...
Did you understand?
Xia Ming understood Miss Skirt's words, which proved that she was willing to accept him, as were the other Miss Skirts and the Lily Root Dolls.
After hearing the news of the child's death, all they felt was sadness and remembrance. After all, Xia Ming's father was someone they had watched grow up.
"Doli doli..."
He was such a well-behaved child, and he loved to take naps in the flowerbeds.
"Wow~"
I remember him wearing us on his head like hats.
"Baby, waaaah."
Yes, he took us to plant flowers in the flowerbed and watered them for us.
"Doli~ Doli~"
It feels like just yesterday that I was waiting for him to change his mind, apologize to us, and for us to blow dandelions and have afternoon tea together.
Negative emotions spread among them, and the leaves on Miss Skirt's head quickly withered and turned yellow, losing their luster in the blink of an eye.
The lily root doll's body also became much duller, and the leaves on its neck turned yellow.
They were sad, very sad, and this emotion was so strong that it directly affected their bodies.
When I had to leave that farm, the sadness was many times worse than it is now.
They had been waiting for Xia Ming's father to apologize to them and invite them back to that land to carry on their father's wishes.
But now, his child comes over and says:
That hope is gone; he will never come again.
It was at this moment that Xia Ming truly understood what bonds meant to Pokémon, and he could deeply feel how strong and heavy their emotions were.
I also understood why Gastly watched over a human for so long in the anime in my past life... for so long...
The young ladies in skirts could understand birth, aging, sickness, and death, but they could not let go of this sudden accident.
Only after they had caught their breath did Xia Ming continue his promise:
"Miss Skirt, and Lily Root Doll, I don't really have much sincerity to offer right now. My grandfather only left me a huge but abandoned farm, and my father didn't leave me much."
Actually, I'm now starting from scratch to renovate that farm. I need and crave your help to revitalize it, to bring my other family members back, and to rebuild a new home.
"I cannot offer any decent sincerity; I can only swear to Xernias, who gave life to all things, to the cloud, who gave the earth its abundance, and to the seraphim, who gave nature its purity."
Life, abundance, purity—these solemn vows are not merely empty words.
"I will establish a connection with this land, and never leave it. I will take root in this land, making it flourish and abundant. Even if I am given my last beautiful dream, I am still willing to be buried in this land."
I will build you a garden, plant four kinds of flowers that will never fade, and shelter you from the wind and rain. Even after I am gone, I will not send you back to this forest like my grandfather did.
"That land is my home, and it will be your home. My descendants will have no right to drive you away, and you will have the right to take root in that fertile land."
Finally, I don't expect you to immediately agree with me or believe everything I say. I only ask that you leave this forest with me briefly to see if I can keep my promise and whether I am worthy of your trust again.
Pretty words?
That's not the case. When Xia Ming brought up Xerneas, Land Cloud, and Celebi, he had to take responsibility for his words.
And he genuinely felt from the bottom of his heart that the choice he made was the right one.
"Doli! Doli... Doli?"
Good heavens! Child, you don't have to be like this... Do you really know what you're saying?
"Of course, Miss Skirt, I know very well what I'm promising."
"Doli...Doli?"
Okay, maybe you really understand, but are you really willing to give up that land as our home?
"If my descendants cause that land to become barren again because of something, why not leave it to the Pokémon who are willing to let it continue to flourish and thrive?"
Xia Ming straightened his back. He had always felt that occupying a toilet without using it was a disgusting behavior. If you only know how to take without using it, then what is the point of taking?
"That land can support many Pokémon, it shouldn't be abandoned, and I think there will definitely be people among my descendants who are willing to accept it, no matter how long it takes, and I also believe that you will always reserve a place for it that belongs to us."
Xia Ming felt it was worth it to do this because of the Pokémon's innocence and kindness.
No matter how much time passes, there will always be a group of Pokémon living on the farm who are willing to reserve a place for their offspring, so that the child who is willing to lead them can sit on it again.
Instead of being like me, having to slowly pay off my father's debts...