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Wakaba didn't understand a word. Absolutely nothing.
"Controlling Battle Rhythm?" Monitoring a Pokémon's condition after using moves? Luring opponents to waste stamina with multi-type moves?"
This was the information Luther had shared. After he finished, the other three nodded repeatedly.
Then, Etorre took over, explaining how to analyze a Pokémon's condition based on its post-move movements and identify vulnerable weak points for critical hits.
Ash shared his unconventional approach, demonstrating how to use unexpected move combinations to turn the tide in difficult situations.
Dakota explained how to use a highly mobile Pokémon to gather intelligence on the opponent's team and how to build a team with broad coverage that complements the first Pokémon's strategy.
Wakaba was overwhelmed.
This was completely different from the battle style she knew.
In her battles with Roselia and others her age, they would simply trade moves, leaving the outcome to their Pokémon's performance.
The four people before her were discussing concepts she had never heard of, as if they were from another world—utterly foreign and frightening.
At first, Wakaba thought they were merely nodding and agreeing out of habit without truly understanding much themselves.
But when, after a long silence, Dakota finally admitted that he had never considered Ash's strategy, Wakaba was shocked.
"I'm the only one who doesn't understand!"
She had come hoping to learn by observing. The four trainers didn't seem to mind her presence, conducting their daily training, sparring battles, and casual discussions right in front of her.
A treasure trove of knowledge lay before her, but she couldn't grasp any of it. She could understand every word they spoke, but when those words came together, she couldn't comprehend the meaning at all.
Even worse, there were times when someone would offer a fragmented thought and another person would instantly grasp it, cutting off the rest of the explanation and jumping straight to the conclusion.
Wakaba's notebook, in which they recorded their discussions, was covered in chaotic scribbles. By the end, she couldn't remember what she had written.
She shared this with her father, Kihara, who sat in silence for a long time. That evening, Kihara began serving more lavish and refined meals to everyone.
Half a month flew by, leaving only three days until the preliminary round of the Lily of the Valley Conference.
Daily training, brainstorming sessions, and mutual encouragement made the time fly by. Looking back, everyone felt as if their arrival in Twilight Sea Town had happened just yesterday.
This particular day was eventful.
Ash sat motionless in a corner for hours, lost in deep thought from morning until noon.
Pikachu, Dawn, and Brock watched him with concern.
When Ash finally stood up, Brock was astonished.
For a moment, as he stood, Ash radiated fierce determination, his sharpness like a drawn sword. Though the moment was brief, Brock was certain that he hadn't imagined it.
Although Ash immediately reverted to his usual self the next second, Brock couldn't shake the feeling that something about him had changed.
At noon, Ash called Professor Oak and retrieved the Poké Balls that had been transferred from the Pokémon Center:
Bayleef, Totodile, Snorlax, Cyndaquil, Corphish, Heracross, and Donphan were among them.
The familiar faces that appeared in the restaurant courtyard moved Luther deeply. Watching Bayleef pounce on Ash, Luther's eyes welled up.
This time, Ash had truly emptied Professor Oak's yard, preparing for his final battle.
Also at noon, while Etorre fine-tuned his team, his family sent over several additional Poké Balls as backups for the preliminary rounds.
Nidoking, Drifblim, Chandelure, Excadrill, Ferrothorn, and Kingdra appeared.
Ettore mentioned that he would use all of his Pokémon reserves in the preliminary round to evaluate their performance in battle.
That evening, the two Pokémon that Dakota had left with Professor Red Cedar arrived: a Girafarig and a Vigoroth.
Contrary to Luther's expectations, he had assumed that Dakota's reinforcements would include at least one Pseudo-Legendary Pokémon.
The Vigoroth was clearly intended as preparation for Slaking, but what was the purpose of the Girafarig?
"Allow me to introduce my two earliest partners," Dakota said. "They battled alongside me in the three-on-three challenge against Lance. The remaining member is Metagross."
Dakota's words prompted Luther to take a closer look at the Vigoroth and the Girafarig.
Dakota's Vigoroth seemed significantly larger than others Luther had seen, if pressed. A quick scan with the Pokédex revealed that its weight and height far exceeded the averages for its species.
Girafarig, on the other hand, had data precisely below average.
"Where are your reinforcements?" Dakota asked curiously.
With only one day left before boarding the ship for Lily of the Valley Island and two days until the preliminary round began, Luther showed no sign of summoning his main force, which he had left at home.
Dakota had never been so intrigued by anyone. He found Luther utterly enigmatic—a man who radiated an aura of peculiarity from head to toe.
"My only reinforcement just became a mother," Luther chuckled.
Musharna had laid a Pokémon egg just a few days prior, officially becoming a mother. Luther was intensely curious to see if the egg would hatch into a Mareep or a Munna.
Musharna circled her egg proudly, waving at Luther. Her face glowed with maternal pride.
"My main forces are all right here."
Luther glanced back at his Pokémon, who were playfully frolicking behind him:
Marill, Mismagius, Kirlia, Chansey, Jumpluff, Houndoom, Espurr, and Darkrai.
They were the ones who had carried him through everything.
There was the Pokémon who had chosen not to evolve, instead honing their skills to reach their peak as the most versatile Rhythm Master.
Then there was the Pokémon that clung to an almost impenetrable defense, buying time for their teammates.
Then there was the Pokémon that specialized in harassment. They constantly risked being knocked out in a single blow to create openings.
Some could only unleash three moves, after which they had to rely solely on their will to fight. Yet, those three moves could shake the entire battlefield.
There was the Pokémon that capitalized on spaces and opportunities created by others to launch devastating attacks and secure victory.
And there was the Pokémon, ready to handle any emergency, serving as the team's all-purpose solution.
This was Luther's strongest team lineup yet, honed to perfection over months of training.
If Milcery could grow stronger in the future, perhaps Luther's team lineup would evolve further, offering more strategic options and rotation possibilities.
Luther hadn't been traveling for long. Though he had encountered many Pokémon, he believed that he couldn't properly train so many simultaneously. This was the limit of what he could manage.
He could confidently say that he had poured his heart and soul into each of his current Pokémon.
Dakota watched Luther quietly.
He had been pondering what he saw in Luther, Ash, Etorre, and the others that made him waver.
He had challenged the Sinnoh League because of Cynthia's legendary reputation. He aimed to win the tournament, defeat the Elite Four, and earn the chance to challenge her.
He wondered if he could still turn back from the wrong path he had taken.
Originally, he shouldn't have brought Girafarig and the unevolved Vigoroth here. He had resolved to give this competition his all, focusing solely on strength.
But after spending time with Etorre and Ash and witnessing their joy at reuniting with their other Pokémon, he fell silent for a long time and found himself walking toward the Pokémon Center, step by step.
'If someone can defeat Darkrai, then I'll try believing again…'
Dakota stroked Darkrai and whispered, "Buck up. The Lily of the Valley Conference is about to begin."
"Your opponents are no longer those Gym Leaders you could easily defeat. They're these three people standing before you."
(End of Chapter)