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That night, after leaving Candice's ranch, Luther sat in his hotel room seriously studying the ranch management notes Candice had given him.
Although he knew it was far too early for him to start carving out territory and making long-term construction plans, seeing Candice's exquisitely crafted mountain cave had made his heart restless.
That wasn't a ranch at all, it was clearly a private paradise.
And Luther wanted one too!
The feeling was exactly like knowing he couldn't afford something yet still obsessively scrolling through shopping sites, dreaming.
Logic told him it was silly, but the thrill of imagining that he could one day have a space like that filled him with energy. Restless on the hotel bed, he tossed and turned, thinking about the next stages of his journey.
He had already cleared six Gyms: Oreburgh, Hearthome, Rockfist, Whitewind, Greenfloat, and Snowpoint.
Since he wasn't solely focused on challenging core-level Gyms and simply followed his travel route, collecting Badges as he went, his progress had been fast. Now, he was only two Badges away from the eight required to participate in the Lily of the Valley Conference.
He needed to arrive at Lily of the Valley Island one month in advance. That still left him four months, plenty of time!
With no more Gyms left to challenge along the current route past Snowpoint City, the only logical step was to turn back.
But where would he go after that?
Holding Espurr in his arms, Luther finally fell asleep still pondering the question.
A phone call early the next morning helped him make his decision.
The call was from Professor Rowan at the Research Lab. After updating Luther about the Pokémon he'd rescued, the Lairon's observation progress and the latest developments in Flaaffy and Musharna's romance, Rowan got to the real reason for calling.
Someone wanted to adopt one of the abandoned Pokémon Luther had rescued from Purple Leaf Forest.
"This year, among the Trainers registered to receive a Rookie Pokémon from me, there's a boy named Saigu who doesn't want the Piplup, Chimchar, or Turtwig we provide," Rowan explained.
"Which one did he pick?" Luther asked, stirring his breakfast.
"One of the Misdreavus you brought back," Professor Rowan couldn't hide his smile. "The moment he arrived at the Lab, that Misdreavus played a prank on him."
Luther instinctively wanted to turn and tell Mismagius that they'd met the same way, because of a mischievous Misdreavus.
But turning around reminded him that Mismagius was still with Diantha for checkups and observation.
"So just like that…"
"Just like that, he fell for that Misdreavus. He spent a long time figuring out exactly which one had pranked him, then spent several days trying to get close to her, and he succeeded."
So it was mutual affection... a perfect match... well, something close enough. In any case, they clicked, and that was a good thing.
Because Luther was the one who had brought these Pokémon back, Professor Rowan had held off on approving the adoption. The Misdreavus also hesitated when she heard she might leave with Saigu to travel.
"Hesitating about what? I never caught them," Luther said blankly.
True, at the beginning he had thought about catching all of them, but that was just the impulsive excitement of someone suddenly thrown into this world.
Once he calmed down, he realized he had simply been swept up by the thrill of capturing them; to put it bluntly, he was tempted by how strong and cool they all were.
Arcanine, Lairon, Mismagius, Houndoom… some had been abused by thugs as test subjects, others had banded together simply because they'd been abandoned. A lineup like that could make anyone drool.
But after learning what those Pokémon had been through, Luther felt it was better to let them choose their own future.
So he only brought Mismagius with him. The rest he left at Professor Rowan's Research Lab, giving them a new home.
"You gave them a place where they could finally rest safely," Professor Rowan said.
"That's all?"
Professor Rowan sighed. "To you, it may feel like a small gesture… but to them, you pulled them out of a nightmare and placed them somewhere they never even dared dream of, a place that only existed for them in their fantasies."
"You probably never realized what your actions meant to them."
"They're very grateful to you. During your travels, every time we speak, they always sit nearby, quietly listening to your updates."
A video call request from Professor Rowan popped up on Luther's screen.
Luther tapped the screen gently. Professor Rowan greeted Mai with a smile before tilting the camera downward.
At Rowan's feet stood a lively crowd: Lairon, Arcanine, Misdreavus and Mismagius, Poliwhirl, Nidorina, and the snuggled-up pair of Musharna and Flaaffy, all gathered close around him.
When they saw Luther appear on the phone screen, they let out excited cries, each trying to squeeze to the front of the camera.
Lairon reared up eagerly, and Professor Rowan, worried that one heavy paw might crush the phone, helplessly lifted it higher out of reach.
The background turned into chaos, Misdreavus and Nidorina, using their small size to their advantage, floated up against Rowan's face, trying to push closer to the screen.
Luther laughed and laughed… until his eyes began to blur. He waited patiently for Professor Rowan to calm the scene down.
"That's how things are," Rowan said finally. "If you're still busy collecting Badges, I can arrange a quick video call between you and Saigu, just to confirm everything. If you don't feel comfortable, neither he nor Misdreavus will mind."
Luther shook his head. "No need. If Misdreavus wants to go out and see the world, that's wonderful."
"I've been traveling for so long, and my biggest realization is just how vast this world really is."
"And it's beautiful… even with all the hardships, I still think so."
"Still, since he wants to take Misdreavus with him, I'd like to test his ability first. That's reasonable, right, Professor Rowan?"
Rowan stroked the Misdreavus pressing against the camera and nodded. "Of course. This is very important for Misdreavus, we must be thorough. It's part of our responsibility to the Pokémon."
"Good," Luther said. "I'm in Snowpoint City right now. I'll head back in a few days."
Rowan was about to say goodbye but then turned the camera once more toward the eager Pokémon, letting Luther wave to them one last time.
Seeing their joyful faces on the screen, Luther couldn't help feeling emotional.
The omelet on his plate had gone cold. Chansey noticed and kindly brought him a fresh one, tugging at his sleeve until Luther snapped out of his daze.
Mai, who had already finished breakfast, sat nearby holding Eevee, staring at Luther silently.
"Mai," Luther said softly, "let's go home."
"It's been so long since we left Sandgem Town… I really miss it."
Mai froze for a moment, then nodded firmly. "Wherever you go, I'll go too."
Luther looked at the darkened phone screen and smiled faintly.
Ever since what happened with Shiran, Twinleaf Town had only left him with unpleasant memories.
He might be lying to himself, but in Luther's heart, the true beginning of his journey wasn't Twinleaf, it was the moment he received his Pokédex from Professor Rowan's Lab in Sandgem Town.
Now, it was time to go back.
Back to where the dream began.
(End of Chapter)