The more Luther watched, the more unsettled he became.
For Hakuya, there was no such thing as "rookie battles." Based on the data available on the website, it was clear that he used his fourteen Pokémon very evenly.
This meant that every challenger who stepped into the arena faced a fully serious Hakuya. Whether they could win a badge depended entirely on their performance in battle.
The trainer with Hitmontop was swiftly defeated; Hakuya swept him aside in three straight matches, using Tauros and Kangaskhan with neat, decisive moves.
Against the next challengers, he sent out Ursaring, Miltank, Ambipom, Delcatty, Linoone, an oversized Sentret, Noctowl, Dunsparce, Cinccino, and Lopunny, one after the other.
Luther no longer knew how to put his feelings into words.
He didn't know exactly how Hakuya had trained his Pokémon to understand the sound of the harmonica. However, being able to command so many different Pokémon so fluidly proved that the bond between Hakuya and his Pokémon was beyond imagination.
This was a form of communication that transcended language. It wasn't a super ability, but rather simple, pure, mutual trust and connection— the kind of bond that allowed them to share one heart.
Cynthia and Bertha's praise for Hakuya was clearly well-founded. Just watching Hakuya interact with his Pokémon after their battles left Luther deeply moved.
Playing the harmonica continuously in the middle of an intense battle consumed enormous energy. Not to mention the constant breath control required, always ready to play at any moment.
After several matches in a row, Hakuya was drenched in sweat. His face was flushed red, and his lips, where the harmonica had pressed against them, were swollen.
When Luther entered the waiting room to prepare for his challenge, he saw Hakuya wiping sweat from his forehead and carrying the slightly injured, oversized Sentret.
"Sorry, but I need a moment to pause the battles. I need to rest and check their conditions first." Hakuya raised his small notebook and glanced apologetically at Luther.
"Do you need a hand?" Luther asked. "You look exhausted."
Indeed, Hakuya was. A normal Pokémon Trainer only needed to expend mental energy thinking about commands during a match. But Hakuya had to continually produce accurate instructions on the harmonica. An hour or two was manageable, but doing so for most of the day was torture.
That was why the Whitewind Town Gym rules clearly stated: "If the Gym Leader is unwell, scheduled battles may be canceled for the day."
"Sure. Could you put those berries into the blender for me? I've already sorted them; just toss them all in."
Luther followed Hakuya into his private restroom. Guided by Hakuya, Luther found a blender on the workbench, along with baskets of pre-sorted berries.
He dumped them all in at once and blended them into juice. When Luther handed the berry juice to Hakuya, he noticed that Hakuya was holding something to his lips and wiping them.
Only then did Luther realize his lips were chafed raw.
Catching Luther's gaze, Hakuya smiled and wrote in his notebook:
"I'm used to it."
But those four casual words struck something deep inside Luther's heart.
The berry juice was portioned out to the Pokémon, restoring their stamina. Each Pokémon that had just fought received its share.
"Are you this busy every single day?" Luther asked curiously.
"Not always. About a year ago, a reporter wrote a feature interview about me, and challengers have flooded in ever since."
Hakuya lifted his slate for Luther to read, then lowered his head and continued writing.
"Maybe it's because they didn't believe the rumors were true. For a long stretch last year, I had to face a flood of challengers every single day. I couldn't bring myself to refuse, so I just endured it."
"Things are better now. Only about four or five people come here daily. With the year-end approaching, it just gives you the illusion of being busier. In reality, many people leave after watching a few battles."
Of course they would leave. Most people only came hoping for a lucky break. There was no reason to run headfirst into Hakuya stubbornly.
Up close, Luther noticed that Hakuya's complexion wasn't good at all. He looked pale. For a normal Pokémon trainer, these battles wouldn't be considered high-intensity, but for Hakuya, they were like running a marathon.
Once his Pokémon had finished their berry juice, Hakuya told Luther they had recovered and he was ready to start the match.
Luther glanced at the clock; it was nearly 11:00 a.m.
"Your gym's lunch break starts at 11:30, right?"
"Yes, we still have half an hour. That should be enough." Hakuya held up his notebook in reply.
"I don't mind challenging you in the afternoon. You should eat lunch first. You don't look well. Your face is pale, and you're already drained of stamina. Forcing yourself serves no purpose."
However, Hakuya still couldn't set aside his Gym responsibilities. In his notebook, he wrote: "What about the challengers after you?
"This is your gym. You should face them in your best condition."
Just then, Mai and Junna pushed the door open.
"So that's why I couldn't find you in the rest area; you were hiding in here. Look at you wearing yourself down again. Didn't we agree to limit the number of challengers? That's it for the morning. I'll go to the front desk and announce it."
Junna circled around Hakuya, pressing down on his head as she examined him carefully.
Afterwards, she turned to Luther and apologetically asked, "Could we postpone your battle until the afternoon? Hakuya's overexerted himself."
Hakuya raised his notebook, smiling at Luther. "Are you the messenger Junna sent to persuade me?"
Luther chuckled at Junna's words, too. "That's exactly what I told him earlier. I've already agreed to postpone my challenge until the afternoon."
Seeing the two of them smile together, Junna felt played and quickly turned away so they couldn't see her expression.
"At least you're not one of those heartless Trainers who only care about victory and badges. Since you're being considerate, you might as well stay and have lunch, too."
As Junna bustled about, Mai and Luther tried to get up and help, but Hakuya stopped them.
"If you help, she'll scold you."
"Huh? Helping would get me scolded?"
Luther found that hard to believe. Sitting back while the host worked tirelessly made him uneasy.
Sure enough, Hakuya was right. The moment Luther approached, Junna's demeanor changed completely. She ordered him to sit back down and wait to eat.
"She's like that. Easygoing when it comes to work, but very stubborn in private. If she says you should wait to eat, then she'll handle everything herself. If you interfere, she'll be upset."
With no other choice, Luther and Mai obediently sat down.
"Hakuya, since you're a Normal-type Gym Leader, have you caught a Slaking or a Snorlax?"
Hearing Luther's question, Hakuya stood up and motioned for him to follow.
In the snow-blanketed courtyard, a massive silhouette lay on its side by the leafless trees, snoring loudly.
Hakuya raised his notebook. "I do have a Slaking. But I don't think I can afford to raise a Snorlax."
(End of Chapter)
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