Upon returning to his room, the first thing Luther did was call Cynthia. With the end of the year approaching, Cynthia wasn't staying up late anymore, so she answered the phone quickly.
Luther got straight to the point. "Did you know that my Pokémon egg came from the Galar Region?"
"Huh?" Cynthia froze for a moment, then quickly asked,
"You hatched it? What Pokémon is it? How's it doing? Turn on your video and let me see!"
She rattled off questions like a machine gun and sent a video call request right away without waiting for Luther's answer.
Luther accepted the request and turned his phone to show Milcery, who was hugging Chikorita's leaf and refusing to let go.
"As you can see, it's a Fairy-type Milcery. Now, answer my question, how did this egg end up here? Isn't it illegal to export Pokémon eggs from the Galar Region?"
Cynthia pressed her face close to the screen, studying Milcery carefully before replying lazily.
"As long as there's profit, there'll be adventure. The authorities used to enforce a strict ban, but lately, they've loosened up a lot. So, those merchants who love flipping Pokémon eggs have started popping up again."
"The merchant supplying prizes for the Moonring Festival bought these Pokémon eggs from a dealer. My guess is that they didn't vet properly this time, and a smuggled Galar egg slipped through."
"Hey, hey, hey! You're throwing around the word 'smuggling' way too casually for my liking," Luther complained.
Cynthia looked helpless as she replied back: "What else can I say? The Pokémon League already knows the situation. The authorities in the Kalos Region is investigating the source of these eggs, and they've even been negotiating with the Galar Region. But, honestly, it's frustrating, you know?"
"Frustrating?" Luther was puzzled.
"Yeah! The Galar League is acting all high and mighty. They're saying, 'Your leagues can't even raise these Pokémon eggs properly,' and talking down to Sinnoh and Kalos League officials with that stinky attitude. They can't even clean up their own messes and they are pointing fingers at others with holier then thou attitude. They've locked down egg exports and most of their exchange channels. Now, they're acting arrogant. Who do they think they are?"
Sweat beaded on Luther's forehead. "Okay, I really don't need to know all this insider drama. You Pokémon League people can sort it out yourselves."
"Anyway, wanna trade?"
Luther blinked, confused. 'Trade? With Cynthia?'
"The egg I got from the Moonring Festival hatched into an Eevee. I'll swap it for your Milcery."
It was a tempting offer, he had to admit. He had wanted an Eevee for a while, and recently, he had only been playing with Mai's Eevee to scratch that itch.
"Oh, that look on your face, you're tempted."
Cynthia lifted the Eevee from her lap and held it up while ruffling its fur. The little Pokémon just stared blankly into the camera.
Luther covered his face before replying. "Forget it. I'm not trading. Milcery's great, and everyone on my team dotes on her."
Cynthia pouted. "Fine, suit yourself. By the way, you're in Whitewind Town now, right?"
"Yeah, we just arrived yesterday."
"Then you're definitely going to challenge the Whitewind Town Gym. Here's a heads-up: Hakuya isn't easy to beat."
"Have you heard about the new gym evaluations the inspectors started this summer?"
Luther thought for a moment. He vaguely remembered hearing about them when he first arrived in this world. He nodded.
"The Sinnoh Pokémon League is considering a Gym ranking system and is starting trials for non-core Gyms.
"Ranking them by strength?" Luther asked.
"Not just that. They will also evaluate the gym's environment and how well the gym leader fulfills their duties. Only then will they consider the quality of their battles."
"So?"
Cynthia pressed her fingers to her brow and said, "On a scale from two to five, the inspectors rated Hakuya's gym a two, just below the core Gym Leaders, such as Gardenia and the others."
"If it weren't for Hakuya's health issues, he'd probably already be considered one of the core Gym Leaders. Taking a badge from him won't be easy. It looks like Bertha sent you to challenge him partly to test you."
"Test me?"
"Not surprising, is it? Your name has come up multiple times within the Pokémon League, and your run-in with the riffraff only made you more well-known. I've also vouched that you're 'promising.' It's only natural they'd take you seriously."
Luther grew anxious. "What's the Pokémon League trying to do?"
Cynthia stroked Eevee's head and said, "Isn't it obvious? If you have the ability, you can join the League. That's always been the way of things, they nurture and recruit talent."
Luther groaned and held his forehead. "You do know I'm just as lazy as you, right?"
"Then take Bertha's place. Be lazy all you want."
The words struck Luther like a clap of thunder. He stared blankly at Cynthia. Mai, who was watching from the side, was stunned, too.
"Wait, something's wrong here…" Luther clutched his head. "Me replacing Bertha?"
"What kind of reaction is that? Are you saying that being an Elite Four is boring and that you'd rather knock me down to take the Champion seat? Or do you just think that you're not strong enough?' Whatever happened to all that confidence you had when you challenged me at night?" Cynthia snarked.
"That's different! You were obviously holding back that night; even your Garchomp's frustration was obvious. Replacing Bertha is no small thing. Don't throw it out so casually! When did I ever say I wanted to do that?"
"Wake up. Your dream is great: your own garden, ranch, and orchard. You'd be lounging in the sun on a deck chair and shearing your Mareep's wool at your leisure. But have you thought about the money? My dear Luther."
"I admit that the benefits of the Pokémon League are solid. If you just wanted to raise a few Pokémon and live a simple life, that would be fine. But given your ambitions, there's no way the subsidies will cover a dream of that scale. If you want to slack off in peace, you have to earn it. As you said, you need strength and status to be lazy however you like."
"Harsh, but true. And you've been through all this yourself, haven't you?"
Of course he had. Luther used to be one of those small fry who exhausted himself in the name of the "blessings of hard work." How could he not know?
It was precisely because of that experience that Luther was determined not to repeat that misery now that he was in a world where high benefits could support an easier life.
"The Elite Four's benefits are beyond your imagination. Work your way up and protect your position for two or three years, and you can spend the rest of your life on a beach surrounded by bikini models or cuddling your own Pokémon, your choice."
"Watch your words!" Luther pressed his temples, suddenly feeling drained.
"Fine, I'll put it another way, don't you want to save up for a wedding?"
"Stop, stop. Cynthia, I get it. I really do. That's enough for today. I'll think about what you said. For now, I need to get back to drafting a training plan for my Pokémon. Talk later."
As Luther stood up, Cynthia called out, "Hey, don't leave yet! The Elite Four wedding expenses are fully covered, including the honeymoon!"
But before she could finish, Luther ended the call and switched his phone to vibrate.
(End of chapter.)
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