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With only two rounds remaining in the Ranking Tournament, Luther and Conway held the top two spots in their group. They had distanced themselves from the chaotic middle pack and now possessed the power to decide the fate of the other Pokémon Trainers.
Only nine of the seventeen trainers would advance.
Due to the closely contested scores, Group D had descended into a complete free-for-all. Apart from those who had already lost hope of reaching the main tournament, every remaining competitor still harbored genuine or theoretical chances of advancing.
Some hoped that Luther and Conway would win, thus locking down the Main Tournament slots.
Others desperately wanted Luther and Conway to lose because it was their only remaining hope.
"This dual-format system is actually a test of Pokémon Trainers' personal luck," said Diantha, wiping her mouth and setting down her knife and fork as she looked across the table at Luther.
"In a single-elimination format, victory and defeat are straightforward. But with a points system, many off-field factors can come into play."
Luther knew what Diantha meant.
This was the first time the Sinnoh League had used a double-elimination format in the preliminary rounds, and the point system was easily exploited. The preliminary rounds of this year's Lily of the Valley Conference had been nearly flawless, attracting observers from the Hoenn, Unova, and Kalos regions.
The extended schedule of the point system also allowed the Pokémon League to incorporate more commercial elements, boosting revenue.
The massive profits earned by the Pokémon League were reinvested in the tournament, Pokémon Trainer development, and event-related expenses, creating a win-win situation and virtuous cycle.
This innovative approach was adopted due to the unusually large number of participants this year, and its positive reception made it a success.
Merchants gained greater exposure, competitors enjoyed more screen time, and viewers received more content from the biennial tournament.
Although there haven't been any instances yet of Pokémon Trainers deliberately losing matches under the guise of "practice," Diantha believes it's only a matter of time before such behavior occurs.
While the Sinnoh League offers substantial prize money to incentivize victory, what if off-field benefits outweigh the monetary reward? How would Trainers prioritize?
Perhaps this generation of Trainers is driven by a strong sense of honor, with each Trainer choosing to fight for victory. But what about future generations?
After listening to their concerns, Cynthia relayed Diantha and Luther's thoughts to the Pokémon League.
The tournament's rules and formats have always evolved with the times. Maintaining the purity of the Pokémon Battle stage is not currently within Luther's scope of consideration; it's the Pokémon League's responsibility.
He met with Diantha and Cynthia tonight simply to voice his concerns.
"Atsuya, you said? What price did he offer?" Cynthia asked.
Luther chuckled. "It's several times more than the prize money for winning the Ranking Tournament. These wealthy young masters are something else. Their extravagant generosity has certainly been an eye-opener."
In the seventeenth round, Luther's opponent was Atsuya, another wealthy young master.
Atsuya was in eleventh place in Group D, so if he lost this battle against Luther, he would miss the Main Tournament for sure.
With the qualified contestants from each group confirmed, their training battles had begun. Wins and losses were often uneven, but the battles themselves were generally fought with full effort.
This was a matter of honor. Even when training with weaker Pokémon, they gave their all in every battle. It was a show of respect for the stage, their opponents, themselves, and their Pokémon.
Then Atsuya appeared.
"The prize money for the Ranking Tournament is peanuts," he sneered. "I'll give you five times that amount. Just send out some weaker Pokémon and 'try your best.' The money's yours."
Luther scoffed. He needed the money, but he refused to stoop to match-fixing.
Throughout the competition, the Pokémon League observers had diligently monitored for any signs of foul play, yet none had surfaced. Therefore, Atsuya's brazen proposition to Luther was particularly shocking.
In the chaotic battleground of Group D, every Pokémon trainer was pushing their team to the limit, training relentlessly and hoping for a miracle that would advance them to the main tournament and make their dreams come true.
Even if Luther and his Pokémon had exceptional acting skills, could they deceive the Pokémon League observers, who had years of experience watching Pokémon battles?
You can fool the world, but you can't fool your conscience.
Luther's refusal enraged Atsuya, who nearly started a fight outside the arena. However, when Darkrai's head emerged halfway from Luther's shadow, Atsuya stormed off, escorted away by security.
After finishing his meal, Luther received the Sinnoh League's verdict:
"No actual transaction occurred, and there's no concrete evidence that Atsuya said those words. Even if he did, we can only focus on educational measures."
"However, the Sinnoh League believes you are better suited to educate children with integrity as a true Pokémon Trainer."
Although the message read like an official document, it felt like a personal letter from the Sinnoh League.
"I trust the tournament's regulatory system and believe that Pokémon trainers will uphold their integrity," Cynthia concluded, ending the official communication.
Luther yawned. "Got it. I'll give Atsuya a proper scolding tomorrow. But I'm not his parent. I can only leave him with an unforgettable memory."
As Cynthia prepared to leave, she tossed Altaria's Poké Ball into Luther's hand.
"Until you capture a Pokémon that can carry you in flight, you should keep Altaria. What if an emergency arises and you need to travel quickly? You wouldn't want to be delayed."
Diantha chuckled, covering her mouth. "Oh, we've been looking into the competitors in the preliminary rounds and found an interesting piece of data."
"You're the only one here without a flying Pokémon capable of carrying people. Would you consider that a little-known fact about the tournament?" Diantha remarked, piquing Cynthia's interest.
Cynthia quickly typed a message: "The commentators have been collecting all sorts of memes, images, and references related to you for their coverage. They'll definitely love this."
Luther groaned and covered his forehead. His reputation as the "Meme King" had spread like wildfire. "This is spreading way too fast..."
He almost retorted that there couldn't possibly be any emergencies requiring Altaria's use during the Lily of the Valley Island competition. But then he remembered Ash's ordeal at the Indigo League when Team Rocket's interference forced him to...
"Forget it. Time to swallow my pride and admit Altaria's usefulness." Until he found a suitable Flying-type Pokémon, Altaria would have to endure being stuck with him, a Pokémon Trainer with a nagging feeling that he would end up failing.
Meanwhile, in another Contestant Village on Lily of the Valley Island, Atsuya, whom Luther had reported, was anxiously waiting in front of his visual communicator.
The sound of the teleportation device made Atsuya grin.
"Young Master Atsuya, these Pokémon might be a bit..."
Atsuya impatiently waved his hand, cutting off the elderly man on the video call. "I know, I know! As long as I crush Luther's Pokémon right from the start, I'll have a huge advantage."
Without letting the man finish, Atsuya abruptly ended the call and pocketed the six Pokémon that had just been teleported to him.
The elderly man sighed deeply as he stared at the dark screen, his expression conflicted.
"Those are the Pokémon Master had meticulously bred. Can he truly handle them?"
(End of This Chapter)