Cynthia guessed that Luther was eager to reassure himself, so she went straight to the gym after leaving the Pokémon League office.
Wearing sunglasses, she stood by the railing of the spectator stands and watched Luther and Mira's double battle.
As she had expected, neither Kenichi nor Risa could stop Luther in terms of raw strength, not to mention that Luther had already figured out their battling style and likely prepared plans to counter them.
Of the Pokémon Trainers Cynthia held in high regard, aside from Ash and Paul, Luther was the only one whose rate of improvement was outrageously fast.
However, Luther was an extreme case. His growth was driven entirely by a single belief: the idea of destroying the Hodgepodge Organization left him unable to relax for even a moment.
"If the Hodgepodge Organization really gets wiped out, Luther might actually turn into a lazy person. What would we do then?"
Cynthia was troubled. After spending so much time with Luther, she knew his personality inside and out. If nothing pushed him forward, this glutinous rice dumpling would just keep rolling until he stuck to the ground and refused to move.
With talent like that, failing to reach his full potential would be such a waste.
Lost in thought, Cynthia watched the entire battle.
She did not recommend Luther challenge the Gym because of its rules.
The Gym's challenge rules were designed to require cooperation. Unless you were strong enough to defeat two Gym Leaders at once and eliminate any interference from your partner, you would simply be wasting time.
For someone with Luther's level of strength, a proper partner would have to be someone like Mai, who lived and trained with him day in and day out.
Those who could clash with him head-on were already at Hakuya's level. Bringing a rookie into battle with Luther would probably only frustrate him.
However, Mira's appearance made Cynthia's eyes light up.
Her battling skills, ability to read the flow of a match, and level of care in raising her Pokémon were all outstanding—one might even say she was top-tier among trainers her age.
The double battle between Mira and Luther was exceptionally smooth, with clear divisions of responsibility and a noticeable sense of mutual understanding.
Cynthia had never heard of a Pokémon Trainer like this before. It seemed that, on the eve of the Lily of the Valley Conference, more surprises were yet to come.
Kenichi and Risa awarded the Gym Badge to Luther and Mira, respectively.
Luther suppressed his joy and first thanked the two Gym Leaders. Out of the eight badges, he had obtained seven. His journey to the Lily of the Valley Conference was going smoothly.
Mira, on the other hand, curiously examined the badge in her hand as if she had never seen one before. 'Oh, right... it really was the first badge she had ever received.'
"To be honest, battling you two gave me a strong sense of frustration. You don't seem like Pokémon Trainers who just teamed up. You seem more like long-term traveling companions," Risa said admiringly.
Luther put away his badge and replied, "It really was our first time meeting today. I can only say that Mira is very strong."
Hearing Luther praise her, Mira tilted her head. "Thank you for the compliment. But if we fought one-on-one, I definitely wouldn't be your opponent. So, next time we meet, please go easy on me."
Luther thought Mira was trying to hype them both up in advance, assuming she planned to participate in the Lily of the Valley Conference. As his thoughts wandered, Mira extended her hand.
"That might be difficult," Luther said. "After all, I don't want to lose."
Mira glanced at Luther, took his hand, and sighed. "Then I'll have no choice but to go all out."
There were a few light knocks on the lounge door. Kenichi assumed it was a staff member informing him of another challenger, so he opened the door.
When he saw the figure wearing sunglasses outside, Kenichi froze for a moment. Just as he was about to speak, Cynthia closed the door.
"It's been four years. You and Risa haven't really changed at all," Cynthia said with a sigh as she removed her sunglasses.
Luther stared at Cynthia in shock.
"Don't look so surprised. I figured you wouldn't be able to resist challenging the gym, so I rushed over after you were done to see how things turned out."
Risa suddenly realized something. "So Luther is the Pokémon Trainer you value so highly, Cynthia? No wonder, his record and level of strength really are astonishing."
Kenichi also recalled something. "A few days ago, the Pokémon League forums were in an uproar. Was the mysterious person who challenged Cynthia Luther?"
Luther covered his forehead. "Rumors. It's all just rumors. Cynthia simply made some new discoveries and used my Pokémon to practice."
Practicing with Cynthia... This...
"Risa, if I remember correctly, I got my final badge from you back then, didn't I?" Cynthia said.
Risa nodded. "Times have changed. You seem to have gone farther and farther ahead."
"It's not that I went farther; you're the ones who stayed in place. When I challenged you, I told you that the rules you set are shackles you put on yourselves. They help train coordination, but if individual strength doesn't improve, then the so-called teamwork can't determine the outcome of a battle."
Kenichi and Risa both lowered their heads, accepting the lesson. Coming from Cynthia, those words carried immense weight.
Back then, she had completely ignored any notion of cooperation and forcibly crushed both of their Pokémon at once. They still shuddered when they thought back on that absurd performance.
Cynthia didn't continue the topic. Many people already knew what their problems were. Whether they chose to change or move forward was ultimately a personal decision.
Mira was sweating. Her palms were already soaked. Cynthia's appearance shocked her more than anyone else's.
When Mira set out on her journey, Cynthia had already reached the pinnacle of the Pokémon League. Inspired by Cynthia's experiences, Mira had grown stronger step by step.
Her greatest wish was to keep growing stronger, to stand before Cynthia and challenge her.
Because of Evergreen, she joined the Hodgepodge Organization, which changed the trajectory of her life.
She felt that she no longer had the chance and had missed the best period to improve and grow. So, when she saw that the organization was facing a period of upheaval, she found a way to break free.
She wanted to go to Alola, a place not yet fully developed by the Pokémon League. It was bright with sunshine, and opening the door revealed blue seas and clear skies.
Since she could no longer face Cynthia directly, she decided to go and enjoy her life to the fullest.
Along the way, she could atone for herself.
She hadn't personally taken part in the Hodgepodge Organization's actions, but she had still helped them.
No matter the reason, wrong was wrong.
Evergreen thought Mira's background was clean, but Mira herself felt dirty.
All of those thoughts were cast aside the instant she saw Cynthia.
Dreams are like sparks… seemingly extinguished, yet all it takes is an unintentional flicker to set them ablaze again.
"Your name is Mira?"
Cynthia's words made Mira's throat go dry. She desperately wanted to ask for a battle right then and there, but thinking about what she was doing now, she swallowed the words and simply nodded firmly.
"Has anyone ever told you that your talent and strength are both quite good?"
Luther chuckled. "So that's how Professor Rowan sold me out back then?"
"A Champion has a responsibility to identify promising talent," Cynthia said righteously.
Luther shrugged. Sounds nice, wasn't she really just looking for a convenient sparring partner?
This sparring partner was too soft, that one too hard. If all else failed, she'd just make one herself, Luther thought the analogy fit perfectly.
(End of Chapter)
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