Luther and Mai had both become office workers in their own way.
Luther's job was fairly straightforward. When Pokémon Trainers arrived to challenge Gardenia but needed a bit of last-minute guidance, the staff would bring them to Gardenia's garden. There, Luther would ask a few simple questions to gauge their understanding, then offer explanations and coaching based on their weak points.
That said, Trainers like this were rare. Most were convinced they were fully prepared before the battle, only to suffer defeat and be humbled. It was only afterward, often at Gardenia's suggestion, that they considered seeking extra lessons from Luther.
Even so, many still chose not to come.
When Luther had no students to mentor, he'd roam near the battlefield. The spectator stands were almost always packed, yet the defeated Trainers sitting there paid him no mind.
Not that Luther cared to engage them, either. As the saying goes, "A healer can't cure a patient who doesn't know they're sick," and Gardenia herself often said she wasn't looking for disciples to revere her, only Trainers with drive and self-awareness who were truly eager to improve.
After spending some time with Gardenia, Luther had come to realize she was one of the easiest people to get along with. She was vibrant, expressive, and never held back her emotions. So whenever he saw that characteristic scoff of hers, he knew exactly how to deal with the stubborn types.
Luther had set up a lounge chair in the garden out back, and after a few days, most of Gardenia's Grass-type Pokémon had grown familiar with him.
Thanks to the Pokémon food Mai prepared at the Day Care, Luther didn't know the specific flavors Gardenia's Pokémon preferred, but Mai's recipes were gentle and balanced, just right for most tastes. As a result, the Pokémon often came by to beg Luther for snacks.
Sprawled on his lounge chair, Luther rested in the shade of a large Tropius beside him. The towering Pokémon blocked out the harsh sunlight while calmly chewing on some of the treats Luther had brought.
Not far away, Marill and Chansey were helping Ralts train its psychic abilities. Ralts had made great progress, its Psychic was now strong enough to lift Chansey off the ground.
But just as Ralts managed to do it, excitement overtook focus. Forgetting Chansey was still floating, Ralts let go of the Psychic hold and turned to run toward Jumpluff for praise. Thankfully, Marill was paying attention and caught the falling Chansey in time.
Ralts's next target was Tropius.
Tropius didn't mind the challenge, after all, in the Pokémon world, even the biggest Pokémon understand not to bite the hand that feeds them.
Meanwhile, Jumpluff was leading a group of Gardenia's beginner Grass-types through a lively practice session in the garden. The carefree joy in the air gave the whole scene a playful, nostalgic feel, like being a kid again.
That morning, only four or five local Trainer hopefuls had shown up for lessons with Luther. No other challengers had come by.
When Gardenia walked into the backyard holding a steaming lunchbox, her Roserade courteously shifted a lounge chair next to Luther's and motioned for her to sit.
"Lunch break," Gardenia said, giving Luther a nudge as he began to doze off.
He sat up, drawn in by the aroma, and took the offered lunchbox.
"Fish cakes with garlic sauce again? I've been here a week and the menu hasn't changed once."
"Too many Magikarp in the lake this season, what else are we supposed to do? They're cheap."
Magikarp weren't exactly prized for their meat. The edible portions were small, so most Magikarp dishes involved removing the usable bits, grinding them into mince, mixing in flour, and forming fish balls or cakes. Fried, steamed, or sauced, they were convenient and filling.
In the Pokémon world, Magikarp was practically a staple food. Between them and Tauros, their overwhelming breeding rates kept half the culinary market supplied.
Of course, other animals still existed, cows, sheep, fish, that weren't classified as Pokémon. Referred to as "primitive animals," they were bred and studied by researchers across the regions.
Before the controversy surrounding artificial power amplifiers came to light, these creatures were a key focus in the study of Pokémon mutations and evolutionary biology.
A few years back, after confirming their nutritional value, these animals began to be raised commercially. Though their reproduction was efficient, their meat still sold at higher prices than Pokémon-based dishes. A single pound of quality beef cost as much as twelve pounds of Magikarp meat, and a whole Magikarp rarely yielded even two pounds.
"Do you really order this every day?" Luther asked, scooping some garlic onto the fish cake. He took a bite, it was fine, but he was definitely getting tired of it.
"Right? I mean, have you ever heard of a Gym that comes with its own restaurant? Mmm... so good…"
Gardenia chomped down half a fish cake and then quickly shoveled rice into her mouth. Luther was already used to her enthusiastic eating style, it really didn't match her adorable, playful appearance at all.
"The League doesn't cover meal costs," she said between bites. "So I've got to stretch every Poké Coin I can."
"No wonder everyone at your Gym disappears during meal times," Luther remarked. "No one ever eats with you. How long have you been living on these fish cake combos?"
"Let me think... yesterday was spicy sauce with fried fish cake, the day before that was sour-spicy sauce with fried fish cake, and before that... buttered fish cake…"
Before she could go on, Luther couldn't help but cut her off.
"So basically, it's always fish cakes, and you just switch the sauce?"
What made it worse was that Gardenia hadn't even bothered changing the sauce when ordering for him.
"Of course not!" Gardenia said defensively. "The veggies are different every day! Look, today it's cabbage!"
Luther was speechless. He gave in.
"Do you even have a stove and cookware around here?"
"Cookware? If you really want it, I can head home and grab some. But what are you planning to do?"
"Just hand over what you spend on takeout, and I'll cook from now on. Deal?"
Gardenia nearly choked at that suggestion, mid-chew.
"Seriously? Takeout isn't that bad. If you're sick of fish cakes, we could just eat somewhere else. Besides, can you even cook?"
"It's not about the food, it's about living a better life. You know how much cheaper it is to buy ingredients and cook them yourself? Sometimes you even end up with leftovers! And of course I can cook, just give me the daily budget."
Gardenia tilted her head, clearly reevaluating him. After a long moment, she sighed, pulled out thirty Pokémon League Coins, and slapped them into Luther's hand.
"You must have way too much time on your hands, going full domestic like this."
"You just don't get it," Luther shot back with a grin. "This is about upgrading our quality of life. And yes, I do have time. So much time it's honestly kind of embarrassing."
"At first, I thought having nothing to do was the dream. But now, just sitting around feels like your money is burning a hole in my pocket. All day long, it's just a handful of local beginner Trainers coming to practice their basics or asking simple questions."
"Was the last assistant this... free?" Luther asked.
"They were a bit busier than you."
"Then how come none of the Trainers who lost to Gardenia ever come back for extra lessons?"
"Maybe it's because they found out you're just a Rookie Trainer, with only one Gym Badge."
Ouch. That stung.
Luther realized then: they were totally underestimating him.
(End Of Chapter)
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