Chapter 154: I Caught Jirachi!
"Yes — is that okay, Jirachi?"
Lillie's dewy eyes blinked hopefully, fixed on the little star.
What she'd actually wanted to wish for was for Mammon to love only her, forever — but that felt too selfish. She already felt guilty enough about Mitsuki.
Mitsuki was Mammon's actual girlfriend. And Lillie was Mitsuki's close friend. Developing feelings for her friend's boyfriend was genuinely terrible of her.
She really was awful.
But she couldn't help it — she genuinely liked Mammon. He was her first love.
"Hmm… let me think~"
A troubled expression crossed Jirachi's adorable face. It really didn't understand.
If it couldn't understand what the wish meant, how was it supposed to grant it?
But faced with Lillie's hopeful gaze, Jirachi found itself unable to refuse. It did genuinely like this human girl. Her flute-playing was lovely.
"Mm-hmm~!" Lillie was delighted, her whole face bright with anticipation.
If this worked, she and Mammon could actually be together!
It was awful of her toward Mitsuki — but as long as Mitsuki didn't find out, it would be fine. Mitsuki was still traveling. It would be okay.
Jirachi considered the situation, then decided to consult the all-knowing Mammon.
It opened a private telepathic link directly to Mammon. Just him. That was the beauty of telepathy — so convenient!
Mammon, Mammon — what does "fall in love" mean?
Fall in love?
Mammon's expression went slightly odd at the sudden voice in the back of his mind.
Yes! Like, making you fall in love with Lillie. Jirachi offered this example with complete guileless innocence.
Pfft.
Mammon understood instantly. He glanced toward the kitchen with an unreadable look.
Right. So that was Lillie's little wish.
He was both amused and mildly struck by it. He had always been fond of Lillie — it wasn't as though he hadn't gone out of his way for "chance encounters" back in Alola. But a girl going to Jirachi to wish for his affections was something he genuinely hadn't anticipated.
Here's what to say back to her, Jirachi…
Mammon thought it over and told Jirachi exactly what to say.
Back in the kitchen.
"Okay, Lillie! I'll grant your wish~!"
Jirachi puffed up its little chest with tremendous confidence. Then it closed its eyes, a soft light beginning to glow around its body — putting on quite a show.
Lillie pressed her lips together, eyes fixed on Jirachi with a tension she'd never felt before — though a small thread of doubt had unexpectedly crept in.
The glow faded.
"Did it work, Jirachi?"
"Mmm~ But I sensed something just now — Mammon already likes you, Lillie."
"WHAT?!"
Lillie's eyes flew open. The shock of pure, electric joy stripped all volume control from her voice.
"Really?! Mammon actually—"
She caught herself, both hands flying to grip her skirt hem, leaning forward to stare at Jirachi with barely-contained intensity.
"He does! Mammon already likes Lillie. So I wanted to ask — do you still want me to grant the wish?"
Jirachi tilted its head with an expression of natural, uncomplicated adorableness that made you want to squeeze it.
"I…"
Thump. Thump. Thump.
Lillie's hand went to her chest. Her fair, delicate face bloomed with pink. She was so happy. She was so genuinely happy.
So Mammon had feelings for her?
Well — when she thought about it, he'd always looked after her, always been so gentle with her. Of course he had some warmth toward her.
"Thank you, Jirachi — I'm so happy!"
The knowledge swept away the last of her hesitation. Lillie threw her arms around Jirachi before she'd finished the thought.
Jirachi let out a series of muffled sounds, its tiny arms scrabbling against Lillie's hug, attempting to rescue itself.
It wasn't working. The girl's grip was far too strong.
And Jirachi didn't dare push too hard — it might hurt her.
After a while, Lillie's emotions gradually settled enough for her to realize what she was doing. She released Jirachi quickly, took in the sight of the little star wobbling and unable to float in a straight line, and went red all over again.
"I'm so sorry, Jirachi — I got too excited."
Lillie immediately produced a candy from her pocket, unwrapped it, and held it out.
"This is one of Nebby's favorites. Please forgive my terrible manners."
"Mmm~ So sweet~" The little star was easily appeased.
"So Lillie — do you still want to make a wish?" It hadn't forgotten.
"Hmm…"
Lillie had actually already started to waver. She'd just had the realization herself — love obtained through Jirachi's power: was that really love?
And if she got Mammon's affections that way, could she honestly accept it as something real?
It was perhaps a little dramatic of her to think this way, but the thought had genuinely surfaced on its own.
"Actually — no, Jirachi. Thank you. I've decided I want to earn my own love myself."
Lillie made up her mind and said it gently.
"Okay~!" Jirachi tucked the candy into its cheek, the little bulge on one side extremely endearing.
It still didn't quite understand "love" — but if Lillie was dropping the wish, that was one less thing to puzzle over.
"Can I change my wish to something else?"
Lillie blinked her big eyes and looked at Jirachi with fresh anticipation.
"Of course~"
"Then, Jirachi — could you help me slim down a little? I think I've gained some weight recently."
Lillie pinched the soft bit of extra padding at her waist with genuine distress.
Mammon had been taking her to eat all sorts of local snacks and sweets over the past few days, and she was fairly certain it had caught up with her.
"?"
Jirachi looked at Lillie with mild bafflement.
Was there not a single normal wish in this girl's repertoire?
Late that night.
Mammon sat in his room, polishing Poké Balls.
The tiny Wish Pokémon sat on the table in front of him, hands at its sides, watching his movements with close attention.
"Jirachi — would you be my partner?"
Mammon set down the last Ball — Tyranitar's — and picked up an empty one, holding it toward Jirachi.
"Partner? But we're already partners." Jirachi thought about this and said so.
"Not this kind. I mean a partner who stays together and never separates. I care a great deal about you, Jirachi — I want you at my side, always."
"Hehe~ I really like Mammon too."
Jirachi's little face broke into a happy smile, its voice bright and pure.
"So Mammon wants to catch me?" Jirachi had understood.
"Yes. That way we can always be together. For the rest of my life."
Mammon's smile was quiet and warm.
"But Mammon — I'll fall asleep. For a long time." Jirachi's voice went small, and visibly sad.
It knew. When the comet's seven days ran out, it would return to its long slumber — and channel every bit of the energy it had absorbed back into the land.
"That's why I'm asking you to be a little selfish for once. Stop giving your power to Farnes. Will you?"
Mammon lifted Jirachi and held it in front of him, looking directly at the legendary Wish Pokémon.
"But that would mean…" Jirachi was troubled. It had always given back to that land.
"Farnes is already thriving. Even without you, it will remain abundant. So many Pokémon live there — they'll look after it. You don't need to worry about it."
Mammon thought Jirachi was simply too selfless for its own good.
"Mm…"
Jirachi was still reluctant. Mammon's reasoning made sense, but after so many ages, the cycle had become almost instinctive: wake for seven days — absorb comet energy — sleep and give the energy back to Farnes — wake for seven days. On and on.
Mammon considered this, then reached for a marker. He held Jirachi steady, found the center wish-tag on top of its head, and got to work.
"Hm?" Jirachi blinked in surprise.
Scratch, scratch, scratch…
Mammon wrote quickly. A line of text appeared on Jirachi's wish-tag.
"If you can't make this decision yourself — then I'll make a wish."
He looked at Jirachi, whose expression had gone sweetly vacant, soft light beginning to emanate from its body.
"My wish is this: I wish that Jirachi doesn't have to fall into its long sleep anymore. That it can stay with me as my partner, and live freely — the way I do."
"Mammon~!"
Jirachi's clear eyes filled with bright, glimmering tears. It looked at him, overwhelmed.
But at the same moment, the center wish-tag blazed with brilliant light, and Jirachi began to slowly rise.
The seam across its belly split open — revealing its true form: one strange, dark-green eye.
The True Eye.
The legend said that when Jirachi woke from its thousand-year sleep, it would grant the wish written upon its tag. Any wish, supposedly, without limit.
Could Jirachi, awake for only seven days in a thousand years, actually grant a wish that freed it from its own endless sleep?
Mammon wasn't certain — but he believed it was possible. Pokémon were remarkable beings. Most had established natures, but that didn't mean those natures were immutable.
And thinking it through: the reason Jirachi slept was energy depletion — it needed rest to recover. But as shown in the film, Jirachi absorbed enormous energy from the comet, then deliberately entered sleep to share that energy with Farnes. If it simply removed the sharing step, a Jirachi with full energy reserves should theoretically stay awake.
But theoretically wasn't good enough. Better to wish for it directly.
The True Eye turned, shifting in its strange way. Jirachi closed its eyes and began to fulfill what Mammon had written.
Seconds passed. The black words on the wish-tag faded, letter by letter. The light around Jirachi dimmed.
The True Eye closed. Jirachi drifted back down and landed on the table. It opened its eyes.
"Did it work?" Mammon wasn't sure.
"Mammon~"
Jirachi looked at him. Its voice was clear and bright, its enormous eyes sparkling.
"I look forward to working together with you from now on~"
The tiny Wish Pokémon floated up and flung itself at the young man's neck, nuzzling against him with shameless affection, exactly like a little cat.
The wish had been granted.
"Looking forward to it."
Mammon was genuinely happy. He had caught Jirachi — the legendary Mythical Pokémon of wishes.
This dear little creature would be with him for the rest of his life, free from its endless sleep. Only when Mammon was gone someday would the wish finally end — and Jirachi would return to Farnes, the land that meant so much to it.
"This is good."
Mammon rested a hand gently on Jirachi's little head.
Jirachi's matter was settled. Which meant it was time to prepare for the final confrontation with the Hoenn League.
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