Luther might not have been a devil, but to Diantha, he had always felt just a little… odd.
During their time spent together, both Diantha and Cynthia had come to sense something subtle yet persistent, Luther carried a faint air of superiority when it came to Rookie Pokémon Trainers.
It wasn't because of any major advantage in age or experience, nor was it the calm confidence that came from greater strength.
They couldn't quite pin it down. It was more like Luther's definition of "Rookie" didn't quite match everyone else's.
Cynthia's little class continued all the way until lunch.
Trainers who'd overslept were left groaning and regretful, feeling like they'd missed something valuable.
After lunch, Cynthia and Diantha were preparing to depart for Kanto.
"Cynthia, do you know Tobias?"
Diantha had returned to her room to grab something she forgot, and Mai had gone to pick up drinks. Taking advantage of the rare moment alone, Luther decided to ask his question.
"Tobias? Hm~~ Oh! You mean the Trainer with Darkrai? What about him? Did you catch one of his Gym battles?"
"You said before that you were looking for a worthy opponent, right?"
Cynthia caught the meaning immediately. She crossed her legs, leaned forward, and locked eyes with him, the corner of her mouth curling in amusement.
"He doesn't stand a chance."
Luther blinked. "Have you battled him?"
"Not at all."
"Then how do you know he doesn't stand a chance? I think he's going to stand out in next year's Lily of the Valley Conference."
Cynthia gave him a long look, as if she had just discovered something fascinating.
"Stand out? Sure. But I'll hold off on forming an opinion until the tournament begins. Still…"
Her gaze sharpened, and Luther felt as if his inner thoughts had been completely laid bare.
"The fact that you're asking about him means you've been paying attention. From what I know, you only speak highly of Paul and Ash, but you've never brought either of them up directly. You've just agreed with me when I mentioned them."
"Do you have something against Tobias?"
"Maybe… or maybe not. I just think the pressure he gives off is unsettling."
"You're wrong, it's his Darkrai that puts pressure on people. He's just another Trainer."
Luther hadn't expected Cynthia to hold that kind of view. After a brief pause, he added, "He also has a Latios."
Cynthia didn't look surprised at all. In fact, a teasing glint sparkled in her eyes.
"I'm not going to ask how you found that out… but if he has Latios, then I need to revise my statement: he has even less of a chance."
"Why?"
"I told you, it's because of Darkrai and Latios."
That answer explained nothing!
Luther felt like he was getting pulled in circles by Cynthia's cryptic replies, his thoughts left spinning.
"Wait, so the reason you didn't choose Tobias and picked me instead… does it have something to do with this?"
"Partially. At first, you reminded me of myself back when I started, your way of thinking, your style… and you even took my Jumpluff. But after spending time with you, I've realized you're actually quite interesting."
"Was that a compliment?"
"At the very least, it wasn't an insult. Do you think just anyone earns recognition from both me and Diantha? You and Mai, we both have high hopes for you."
"Being acknowledged by a Champion feels like a lot of pressure…"
Luther scratched his head awkwardly.
Cynthia took a sip of juice. "What if it's just recognition from a friend?"
Luther shivered.
"Mai said that's how she confirmed things with you. Hope you don't mind me borrowing the line."
Luther wanted to argue that Cynthia had phrased it wrong, but he was more concerned with how Mai seemed to share everything!
"What about Diantha?"
"I'll ask her when I get the chance… ah, speak of the devil."
Diantha and Mai returned to the sofa. Diantha picked up Cynthia's small travel bag and gave her a gentle tug.
"It's time to go."
Cynthia tried to sneak in another cup of juice, but Diantha stopped her, refusing to let Luther and Mai walk them out. After all, they could contact each other anytime. They waved goodbye, a casual farewell between friends.
Mai had already secured a job at a nearby Day Care through an online interview, so she accompanied Luther to the Hearthome City Gym.
It was just after lunch, and the Gym was crowded with spectators watching the battles. When the staff learned that Luther and Mai were there for an interview, they were invited to wait in the lounge.
The waiting room had quite a few people, most of them clearly here to challenge Gardenia.
Luther scanned the room, most of them barely reached his waist.
Mai, holding Eevee in her arms, pointed at the TV mounted on the wall. On the screen, Gardenia's Roserade was currently dominating her latest challenger.
"Ponyta's just standing there trying to dish out damage, and they sent out Wooper for Ice Beam... oof, that's rough."
Luther turned to look just as Wooper finished launching an Ice Beam, only to be immediately knocked out by Roserade's Magical Leaf.
A Grass-type Pokémon that's four times effective against Wooper? This was more than just painful to watch, it was almost cruel. Banking everything on a single Ice Beam was a risky gamble, especially when Wooper could be knocked out the moment it touched the field.
Sure, type disadvantage doesn't mean it's over, experienced Trainers can still turn the tide, but that's a skill earned with time.
If you're a beginner, at the very least, respect the type chart.
Gardenia stepped into the waiting room with a towel draped over her shoulder. The waiting challengers, startled, stood up quickly, clearly hoping to be called into battle. But Gardenia waved a hand to stop them.
Her eyes swept across the room, then locked onto someone in the back. Remembering something, she lit up and excitedly made a beeline for him.
"Luther?"
"Huh? Oh, yeah, that's me."
Gardenia leaned in, her face way too close, forcing Luther to instinctively lean back a bit.
"Are you here to challenge the Gym? Great! Welcome, welcome! But do you mind coming back tomorrow? I've got to give my Pokémon a proper rest."
"Uh?" Luther blinked, confused. Hadn't the staff told her he was only here to apply for a part-time job?
"Sorry to ask, but… do you know me from somewhere?"
"Of course! You're already kind of a big deal among us Sinnoh Gym Leaders."
Mai, who had been feeding Eevee a bite of ice cream, froze mid-scoop, visibly surprised by what she just heard.
Luther's confusion turned into pure disbelief. What did she mean, "big deal"? When did that happen, and how come he didn't know about it?
"Me? Famous? Wait, what? Why would I be known among Gym Leaders?"
"We've all seen the footage of you battling Roark at the Oreburgh Gym," Gardenia said, rubbing her hands together excitedly. "Roark said he got completely outplayed by a Rookie with a super flexible team. That caught our attention. Anyway, show me your Jumpluff! I've wanted to see it in person ever since I saw how well you trained it!"
…This was really a thing?
So beating Roark somehow landed him on the Gym Leaders' radar? Apparently, some of them had been talking for a while about using more dynamic teams to give new Trainers a solid challenge. But after watching Luther's match in Oreburgh, they quietly took notes.
To them, Luther was no longer just a Rookie. He was a Trainer who deserved a full team thrown at him, no holding back.
Yet here he was, still pretending to be a newbie… while hiding not one, but two trump cards.
A shameless outsider like this… definitely had to be dealt with!
(End of Chapter)
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