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Most preliminary round matches felt neither exciting nor worth skipping; they were watchable yet dull. At this stage, there were no true clashes between strong competitors. To the slightly stronger Pokémon Trainers within the Pokémon League, the battles were simply uninteresting.
However, the audience at Battle Arena No. 3 suddenly took notice of several familiar figures appearing around the arena today.
Luther and Hayata's battle was the first match of the day, so Luther arrived early and waited in the Competitor's Passage for his entrance.
At first, the crowd of over a thousand people made the place feel crowded and busy. After two rounds of eliminations, though, the venue staff had become much more relaxed, so relaxed that some even had time to chat with Luther.
Luther was puzzled by their sudden interest in his daily life.
After hearing from Aaron that someone was at ringside looking for him, Luther walked curiously toward the preparation area near the arena. Sure enough, he saw Aaron, who was standing beside a fierce-looking man with an explosive afro and his hands tucked casually into his pants.
No need to guess. That had to be Flint, the Fire-type Elite Four member.
Flint and Aaron leaned against the railing and chatted enthusiastically. They never liked watching battles from the elevated VIP seats. Viewing from this angle felt far more exciting.
"Yo, Luther's here," Aaron called out after spotting Luther peeking over from a distance.
Since Aaron had already met Luther at Cynthia's house, he walked over and introduced him to Flint.
Although this was Flint's first time meeting Luther, he had already heard plenty about him from the other three Elite Four members.
Lucian especially, who stirred things up within their circle every single day. Honestly, it was unclear whether Lucian admired Luther or simply wanted everyone to keep their eyes on him.
Luther was confused. Logically speaking, the tournament hadn't even reached the Top 64 main rounds yet. While he understood that spectators might be enthusiastic about the matches, he never expected Aaron and Flint to come watch in person.
"Is there some big match today?" Luther asked instinctively before considering the possibility. "Are you here to watch Dakota's battle?"
Ettore's and Ash's matches were exciting, but Dakota's strength was astonishing; he ended two consecutive battles with a single move per Pokémon. The sheer impact had been shocking.
"What are you talking about? We came specifically to watch your match with Hayata," Aaron corrected him.
"My match with Hayata?" Luther froze.
Flint thought for a moment before revising Aaron's statement. "Actually, we're here to watch the drama. No matter how you look at it, your battle with Hayata is guaranteed to be lively."
"More than lively, it's going to be pure entertainment. I'm looking forward to it."
Lucian's voice arrived before he did.
"Hayata has received enormous support from his family. Even before he officially became a Pokémon Trainer, he had already gained plenty of experience. Not to mention, he used his family's financial resources to raise a group of highly talented Pokémon. His starting point was far higher than yours."
Lucian patted Luther on the shoulder as he spoke, smiling.
Aaron suddenly remembered something. "I heard you ran off with Kukui Tetsu's only daughter. That's true, right?"
Although he had already met Mai at Cynthia's house, Aaron still wanted confirmation.
Luther responded openly, "I just confessed, so now it's officially true."
The three of them let out a collective "Oh," looking at Luther with approving expressions. Lucian slapped Luther on the back and gave him a thumbs-up.
"Do you know about the relationship between the Uematsu and Kukui families?" Aaron asked.
Luther had never heard of this before and decided to listen carefully.
"Simply put, the Uematsu family is a strategic partner of the Kukui family. They help distribute Kukui products to markets in other regions. Over the years, people have said that the two families are practically inseparable."
Luther gestured for Aaron to get to the point.
The three of them stared at him in surprise.
"You really haven't heard that rumor?"
"What rumor?" Luther asked, completely confused.
Seeing Luther's expression, the three of them finally became certain that he truly had no idea about the gossip that had exploded overnight.
"Someone started spreading a rumor that you stole Hayata's girlfriend. Now, everyone's waiting to watch the drama unfold," Flint said bluntly.
Lucian clicked his tongue. "That's only one version. Some people say you cheated Hayata; others say you swooped in and stole his love."
Luther's jaw practically dropped.
"What...what is all this supposed to mean?!"
"Wait... me?" Luther pointed at himself. "I stole someone's lover?"
The three of them nodded in unison. That was simply how the rumor was being told.
"I cheated Hayata?"
They nodded again.
Luther held his head, looking exhausted. "And you guys believed that?"
"Of course not," Lucian said, "but you should know how rumors work. Once they spread far enough, they start becoming 'truth.' Even if you clarify things, most people remember the first version they heard."
Lucian sighed helplessly before continuing. "Compared to a calm, ordinary romance story, people prefer messy love disputes. After all, it's more exciting, isn't it?"
That much was true. The rumor about him stealing someone's lover didn't make basic logical sense.
If Mai actually liked Hayata, how could Luther possibly "steal" her away?
Anyone could figure that out with a moment of thought, yet everyone was being carried along by the rumors.
It's no wonder the staff seemed so enthusiastic and eager to gossip when he arrived earlier.
On the way from the contestant village, a group of reporters also looked eager to approach him. If they had walked any slower, they might have shoved microphones into his face for questioning.
"Oh, by the way," Lucian added casually, "here's a little extra gossip. Hayata spent his childhood on several islands in the Alola region. His family has business interests there, so Hayata's views on romance…"
Luther covered his forehead. "I know you're deliberately stirring things up, but hearing you talk still makes me angry."
When Luther first met Lucian, he thought he was a quiet man with a literary temperament.
It wasn't until Lucian stepped in to break up Luther's fight with Alon that Luther discovered Lucian's other side: subtle, sly, and absolutely mischievous.
"You're definitely the disgrace of the Elite Four. All you do is fan the flames and stir up trouble while pretending to be harmless. Why don't you just retire with Bertha already?"
Luther's complaint, delivered with gritted teeth, earned immediate agreement from the other two.
Seeing himself become the common enemy, Lucian simply smiled.
"How about this? I'll give you two useful pieces of information to calm you down."
"Did you know that if both trainers agree, they can modify the match rules? The battle could become unrestricted, or even a full six-on-six battle with all team members."
Luther froze.
Flint and Aaron also seemed to recall something.
"This has happened many times before," one of them explained. "Usually in grudge matches or when longtime rivals meet too early in a tournament and request it to properly settle things."
"As long as both sides agree, the Pokémon League won't interfere."
In the end, though, wasn't this still just stirring the flames?
Lucian was truly a professional troublemaker among the Elite Four.
Nevertheless, it must be said that Lucian understood exactly what Luther needed.
Opportunities to demonstrate his strength were always welcome, especially since it was also a legitimate way to dispel the rumors.
"Tell me the second one," Luther said, already forming a plan.
Lucian smiled faintly. "You're wondering how to convince Hayata to accept your proposal for a full six-on-six battle, aren't you? The second piece of information solves that problem perfectly."
After whispering a few words into Luther's ear, Luther stared at him in shock.
"It's true," Lucian assured him. "There'll be a formal entrance ceremony later. If you make the request publicly and Hayata refuses, he'll lose his pride completely."
"And with someone as proud as him facing a civilian-born Pokémon Trainer like you, there's no way he'll back down easily."
(End of Chapter)