Chapter 218. Sirin: Don't Come Any Closer!!
Sirin lost—and she lost badly.
Her opponent might be a battle maniac, but anyone who makes it to champion knows how to read the room. After gauging Sirin's level, they eased up considerably, letting her beat three of their six Pokémon before sending out the ace to "struggle" to victory.
Which makes sense. Sirin spends her days goofing off with games and thinking about how to reel in guys, so she hasn't had much time to train her own Pokémon. Her levels can't keep up, and her rapport with them is even worse.
Phantom beasts are strong, and Benares' entrance put real pressure on the other side. But the level gap and Sirin's command limited what Benares could do. After a deliberately "hard-fought" exchange, the first bout ended in a double knockout.
At least Sirin wasn't an official contestant. The opening match was just an exhibition to show off Pokémon battles. People were there to have fun; seeing a rarely seen phantom beast made the trip worthwhile, so no one booed.
Backstage, by the time the opening ceremony ended it was already late. The crowd was trickling out. After giving their closing words, Xander Masato and Elysia stretched and came back to rest.
Emceeing is tiring, and right now Xander just wanted to flop down and relax. But as soon as he came in, he saw Sirin sitting on the sofa, looking pitiful. Her eyes briefly lit up when she saw him, then dimmed as she lowered her head, not daring to meet his gaze. Her small frame was curled in on itself, and her long purple hair looked as if it had lost its usual life.
Elysia caught Xander's eye and smiled, patting his shoulder and quirking a brow—as if to say, "A cute girl's feeling down. Aren't you going to comfort her?"
Xander shrugged back a helpless look, gave Elysia's hand a quick squeeze, and walked toward Sirin.
The moment he approached, the grievance Sirin had been suppressing burst out. You can hold it in when you're alone, but when someone you like and can rely on is right there, you can't—because you know that person will be your support.
"Xander, I lost," Sirin said softly, head down.
"Then you lost." His tone was gentle. Xander ruffled her hair. "Your opponent was a regional champion who fought their way up. If you'd won, that would've been the strange part."
"But… but you even helped me find Benares…"
Ever since that first event with "legendary" Pokémon, Xander had wondered whether Sirin's bond with Benares would draw them together again. He underestimated how hard it is for one person to encounter a phantom beast. In the end, he had to open a small backstage door for Sirin—just a crack.
"Benares isn't invincible, and her level isn't that high," he said. Xander dropped to one knee in front of her, stroking her hair. "Don't be sad. You did well enough tonight."
"Mm…"
Sirin risked a glance up and met that gentle gaze. She stared, dazed for a few seconds, then snapped back to herself and quickly looked down again, cheeks burning.
Waa waa waa!! She had come backstage for this exact moment!! Wish granted, much of Sirin's dejection faded as she anticipated even more intimate comfort.
If only he would hug her right now…
Bang!!!
The backstage door flew open. The sudden crash made everyone jump.
"Kiana?" Elysia said, puzzled.
A white blur dashed to Sirin, shouldered Xander aside, and hugged her. "Sirin, don't be sad. You were amazing!"
Sirin: "?"
Seeing her sister get stomped so hard—and knowing Sirin's personality—Kiana figured she must be feeling horribly wronged. As soon as the venue cleared out, Kiana asked where Sirin was and sprinted over to comfort her.
Heh, Sirin, do you feel my care? Do you feel this rich, rich sisterly love?!! Come on, dive into Kiana's arms and have a good cry. I'll console you properly!!
While Kiana pictured a touching sisterly scene, Sirin was already cursing inside. Just a little more—she'd been inches from a chance she'd worked so hard to create!!!!! When Kiana's arrival made Xander step back, Sirin's heart bled. She almost shoved Kiana away to go to him.
But she knew Kiana meant well and couldn't bring herself to do something that would make her sad. So she crushed her thick, heavy grievance into pieces and swallowed it—on top of the earlier grievance. Now she truly wanted to cry.
"Kiana, you—uu… uuu…"
"It's okay, it's okay, Sirin. I'm here~" Kiana hugged tighter, voice growing even gentler.
Don't come any closer!!!!
Her heart screamed, but on the surface Sirin could only sob, which made Kiana hold her tighter and refuse to let go. A perfect vicious cycle.
"Such deep sisterly love~" Elysia cooed, snuggling against Xander's arm, delighted by this "heart-warming" scene.
"Kiana and Sirin really do have a great relationship," Xander said with a smile and a nod.
No, we absolutely do not. Save me!!!!
Sadly, no one could read Sirin's sorrow. Pinned in place by Kiana, she could only watch Xander and Elysia whisper together and sneak a kiss now and then—the picture of closeness—which made Sirin's heart sink even further.
Just then, Sirin's "savior" arrived. Theresa pushed the door open and stepped in. Seeing the crowd, she frowned. "It's so late. Why aren't you back resting?"
Her gaze landed on Sirin, crying nonstop in Kiana's arms, and she hurried over, heart twisting. This time Kiana got squeezed out, and Theresa took her place.
"Who bullied my niece like this? I'm canceling that person's qualification to compete!!!"
Sirin, still sniffling, was so startled she didn't dare cry. "N-no, don't do that!" she blurted.
They'd already shown her plenty of courtesy. Disqualifying someone for such a ridiculous reason would make the opponent feel wronged to death—and it would be a major blow to Gensokyo's reputation.
"In duels, there's winning and losing. You can't throw a fit just because you lost," Xander said, stepping in. He knew Theresa was venting, but he was honestly afraid she'd act on impulse.
"I haven't even started on you!" Theresa huffed, angrier now that she'd seen him. "Why did you put Sirin on stage? Isn't that making my niece lose face in front of the whole world?"
Sirin sniffed and turned aside, embarrassed. "Auntie, th-that… I pestered Xander to let me go."
She'd heard the opening match was an exhibition, so after getting Benares she begged Xander to let her onstage, planning to show off and let everyone admire Benares' splendor. Instead of showing off, she got beaten into mild social withdrawal.
"Weren't you the one who had final say on the opening ceremony schedule, Academy Head? As I recall, you didn't object to Sirin going on," Xander said with a weary sigh.
"I…" Theresa fell silent. She'd panicked seeing Sirin cry. Now, calmer, she realized she'd been in the wrong. "Sorry. My tone was a bit harsh…"
"It's fine. Just let me take a few extra photos," Xander said, waving it off.
He could understand Theresa. If someone he cared about suddenly started crying, he'd panic too.
"What photos?" Kiana asked, curious from the sidelines.
"None of your business. It doesn't concern you!!" Theresa snapped, afraid Xander would spill. If word got out that she was still wearing a magical-girl outfit, Aunt Theresa's dignity might never recover.
"Aw." Kiana blinked and fell silent, planning to ask Xander later.
"Auntie, I—I'm okay now," Sirin said, wiping her eyes, a little ashamed. She had only wanted to find Xander and get a hug. Who knew things would take so many twists? Now that she had calmed down, she felt awkward.
"Mm. If you're ever wronged, tell your Auntie. I'll stand up for you!"
"Mm. Thank you, Auntie!"
"What about me? What about me?" Kiana piped up.
"I'll be grateful if you don't bully anyone," Theresa said, looking away with a sharp little quip, puffing Kiana's cheeks with indignation.
After watching the family farce for a bit, Xander turned to Theresa. "Academy Head, the opening ceremony wrapped up smoothly. Is everything confirmed on the Gensokyo Park side?"
At the mention of business, Kiana and Sirin fell instantly quiet. Their sudden obedience even made Theresa blink, though she didn't dwell on it. Propping her chin, she said, "The last facilities were finished last week. We're having people run a third round of overnight testing. No safety hazards so far."
"Good. Then I need to prepare for my new game's launch event." Yu-Gi-Oh! was finished and had gone through two rounds of closed beta—time to go live. Perfect timing to ride the lingering heat of the Pokémon World Championships.
"Still holding it in Gensokyo Park as planned?" Theresa asked.
"Yeah. In a couple of days I'll send you a list of media with good ties to Gensokyo. Have staff send them a few admission tickets for that day. We'll do the launch at night; during the day they can give the park a nice free boost."
That was how Xander put it, but for those friendly reporters it was pure perks: play all day and catch the headline at night. Day one was invite-only—no invite, no first-hand traffic. Free publicity? Some would gladly come even out of pocket.
"Got it," Theresa said, brushing off the minor logistics. The Pokémon World Championships would run for a week; the amusement park would have its first opening the next day after the finals. Compared to the tournament, that was what she cared about most.
"It's late. We'll head back to rest," Xander said.
"Mm. I've got some wrap-up to do. You go on ahead."
"Need help?" Kiana raised a hand.
"No need. It'll take a few minutes. Better to go keep Sirin company."
"Mm! I'm staying with Sirin tonight!" Kiana declared.
Sirin: "?"
On the way back, after a quick word with Xander, Kiana grabbed Sirin and galloped home like a runaway colt. Sirin's eyes filled again—surely with deep emotion… right?
Xander and Elysia, meanwhile, strolled behind, hand in hand, enjoying the quiet night. The tourists had gone; the Pokémon lights were out; only rows of warm streetlamps remained.
"Xander, once the game launch is over, can you finally take a vacation?" Elysia asked, playfully stepping on his shadow.
"Mm. If Yu-Gi-Oh! has no issues, everything before New Year's can count as my vacation." He paused. "Though I might need to write a galgame script. Won't take long."
Elysia's eyes lit up. She pressed close and tugged lightly at his hem. "Then I want to go on a little trip. Will you come with me, Xander?" He had just nodded when she added, "Just the two of us."
"…"
Meeting the expectation in her eyes, he found he couldn't say no. After a brief hesitation—and seeing that light dim—he steeled himself and nodded firmly. "Okay."
"Yay!!!" She leapt into his arms, looping her arms around his neck. He quickly caught her plush, springy thighs so she wouldn't fall.
Elysia lay on his shoulder, cheek pressed to his. With soft fingertips, she poked his face again and again. "Even if you refused, I wouldn't be mad. So cute, Xander~"
He decided to take her at her word. "I don't want to disappoint you, Elysia. And I haven't really been there for you these past six months. It's time I stayed by your side more."
"Mhm~"
As for how to soothe Bronya and the others when they learned he was going away alone with Elysia… that was a problem for future Xander to handle.
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