Before leaving, Mai went to meet with Cynthia. Luther didn't have any flying Pokémon, and Mai couldn't teleport her own, so she had no choice but to ask Cynthia for help.
Cynthia already knew why Mai had come. Cynthia was still conflicted, but ultimately chose to let it go when she thought about how Kukui Tetsu had completely ruined the tiny bit of goodwill she had painstakingly maintained.
"You know what you're doing, right?"
Happiness practically overflowed from Mai's face. If she hadn't spoken so decisively, Cynthia never would have guessed that she had come to borrow a Pokémon just to rush home and cut ties completely.
"I know. I'm very clear about what I'm doing."
Mai's clean and resolute reply stunned Cynthia for a moment. She glanced at Bertha, who was already struggling to suppress her laughter, and finally understood.
"Luther... he... he..."
Cynthia was still stammering when Mai, her face flushed red, nodded repeatedly.
Bertha looked thoroughly gratified. "Isn't this great? You both clearly feel the same way anyway. Now that someone's taken the first step, it's worth celebrating. Youth really is wonderful."
"Mai, come here. Don't borrow from Cynthia; she can barely get her words out. This is Flygon. Back when it battled Cynthia, it gave her quite a hard time. It'll absolutely guarantee your safety, and it's fast, too."
After being teased, Cynthia shot Bertha an annoyed glare.
"Flygon only won because it blocked my Cacturne's attacks. Mai, here..."
After thinking for a moment, Cynthia handed Altaria's Poké Ball to Mai.
"You won't just be taking your Pokémon this time. You'll probably need to move the things you like and the items that hold your memories with your Pokémon, too. Altaria is perfectly suited for that."
After thanking Cynthia and Bertha, Mai released Altaria and Flygon.
Upon seeing Altaria's cotton-like wings, Mai couldn't resist reaching out to stroke them.
"I really want to raise a Swablu with Luther someday."
By the time Mai had disappeared from view, riding Altaria alongside Flygon, Cynthia was still standing there stiffly.
Bertha chuckled. "What's wrong? Feeling jealous?"
"To be honest, a little," Cynthia admitted, pouting slightly.
"Well, you could go find someone, too. You've got plenty of free time anyway. Ever since the Mt. Coronet and Team Galactic incident, the Pokémon League hasn't received a single complaint about you. You're probably the most relaxed Champion in history."
"But I don't even know what kind of person I'd like," Cynthia said helplessly, spreading her hands.
That was something even Bertha couldn't help with.
Being obsessed with battling and immersing oneself entirely in a personal world tends to cause problems like this.
Compared to Cynthia's romantic concerns, Bertha was more interested in tomorrow morning's battle between Luther and Hayata.
Hayata had never lacked money or resources, so his Pokémon had naturally received the best training with no concern for cost.
He had also grown up sparring with many outstanding Pokémon trainers.
Emotionally speaking, Bertha very much hoped Luther would win.
The Steelix that Luther had given to Chiaki had already formed a deep bond with her. Though she had originally had little interest in Ground-type Pokémon, she had gradually adapted to a Ground-type team with Steelix by her side.
Seeing Chiaki, whom Bertha was raising as her successor, progress so smoothly made it impossible for her not to feel at least a trace of gratitude toward Luther.
Mai had made her choice for Luther, and Luther would respond to Mai's love in his own way.
Cynthia decided to send the news to the others so they could all enjoy the spectacle together.
Given Luther's personality, he would bite back twice as hard if bitten once, so could he really not handle Hayata even if he couldn't deal with Kukui Tetsu directly?
Diantha, who was resting at home, soon learned about it. Lance, busy preparing for the Indigo Plateau Conference, also received the news.
Lucian, who had just finished a long assignment outside the League and returned for a break, saw Cynthia's message as well.
A preliminary round attracting this much attention was probably unprecedented.
However, Luther had no idea what was happening. He had just finished selecting the six Pokémon he would register for tomorrow's battle.
The eliminated Jumpluff and Chansey were extremely dissatisfied.
All the Pokémon knew that tomorrow's battle was about more than just advancing; it was also their chance to act as matchmakers and help Luther express his feelings to Mai.
Every Pokémon wanted to participate. Even if they couldn't battle, they at least wanted to be included in the lineup.
Jumpluff lost all control, clinging to Luther's face and refusing to let go. Not even Mismagius's Psychic power could pull her off.
Chansey, on the other hand, behaved very obediently. Holding a frying pan, she walked toward Luther, seemingly intending to cook for him.
"I plan to overwhelm them with pure offense."
After getting kicked in the nose by Jumpluff, Luther couldn't hold it in anymore. The moment he finished speaking, he let out a loud sneeze.
Only then did Jumpluff release him, hurriedly asking Marill to spray her with water so she could wash herself.
"In my opinion, Hayata really isn't much. You two are both part of my six-on-six strategy, but he's not worthy of me using one."
This wasn't meant to comfort Jumpluff and Chansey. These were Luther's true thoughts.
He had his own pride. Even though he only had one and a half complete teams, who said Marill was the only one capable of fighting?
"Darkrai, no matter which Pokémon the opponent sends out tomorrow, you'll lead the opening battle. Go enjoy the applause, the cheers, and the looks of shock on their faces when they see you."
"Garchomp taught you many things, but it probably never told you that showing yourself on a stage like this will make your blood boil and give you an irreplaceable sense of satisfaction."
Darkrai had been quietly watching from the sidelines. Hearing Luther call his name left him stunned.
Since officially joining the team, he has only participated in daily training and helped Chansey and Jumpluff grow stronger. Even his match with Ash had felt more like friendly sparring.
Darkrai had assumed he would remain on standby throughout the preliminary rounds. He hadn't expected Luther to call upon him.
"Being needed feels wonderful."
That was something Mai had once told him. Until now, aside from training, Darkrai had never truly felt needed. He had silently helped Luther protect Mai, but everything had been calm, leaving him no chance to truly shine.
The two of them had given him so much care and attention, yet he had never found an opportunity to repay them. Darkrai didn't like that feeling.
"No matter who appears, they cannot win."
This was Darkrai's promise to Luther.
It was an incredibly domineering statement. Luther couldn't understand the words, but he could read Darkrai's expression perfectly.
He had stayed hidden for so long so that everyone could enter the main tournament in peak condition, yet someone had looked down on him.
Some even dared to step over him and try to control him.
Did Kukui Tetsu and those who sided with Hayata really think that, aside from Marill, he didn't have any other Pokémon capable of fighting?
(End of Chapter)
You can read ahead up to 30 chapters on my Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/darkshadow6395