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Luther didn't rush to leave after his match.
Since he gained fame during the preliminary round, the number of people clamoring for hugs and photos with him and his Pokémon had surged.
Initially, he and his Pokémon had been thrilled. After all, it was proof that they were loved by others, and they had thoroughly enjoyed interacting with the audience.
After each photo session, Marill would receive a day's worth of snacks and would even share some with the other Pokémon, which was an absurdly generous arrangement.
However, as the crowds grew larger, Luther began to feel overwhelmed.
He decided to stay in the Battle Arena and find a quiet corner in the rest area to take a nap. After his final preliminary round match that afternoon, he planned to return directly to the Contestant Village to check on his Pokémon.
After ordering takeaway from the Contestant Village restaurant, Luther finished his meal and found a secluded spot to doze off.
By this stage, few competitors were still in the lounge, allowing Luther to sleep soundly. Had Mai not woken him, he might have woken up drowsily only when the matches were about to begin.
"Where are Etorre and the others?" Luther asked, stretching languidly.
"The qualification format is already set," Mai replied. "Your opponent this afternoon probably lacks the will to fight, so they didn't bother watching and went back to the Contestant Village to rest."
"Candice seems to be taking part in the Pokémon League's new Elite Four assessment, so she left after seeing you resting."
Luther took a sip of the ice water that Mai had offered him, which dispelled his lingering drowsiness. He sighed deeply.
The week-long Ranking Tournament had been a grueling ordeal. As his lead Pokémon, the stamina of both Marill and Mismagius had been constantly taxed, but their exceptional strength had masked the issue.
Conway had already bluntly warned Luther that his current battling style would probably not withstand a direct clash of strength in the Main Tournament stages.
There was only one day of rest between matches in the rounds of 64 to 32, 32 to 16, and 16 to 8.
Based on Luther's assessment of his Pokémon's current stamina, one day was hardly enough for them to fully recover.
Nevertheless, these earlier rounds were manageable, as they were 3-on-3 battles.
However, starting with the quarter-finals, all matches would be six-on-six.
Although the quarter-finals would grant all competitors two days of rest, the intensity of a full-team battle would be on a completely different level to 3-on-3 matches.
With three days of rest following this afternoon's match before the Round of 64 in the Main Tournament, Luther needed to use this time wisely to ensure his Pokémon were fully recovered and free from fatigue.
The nine trainers who had qualified from Group D had already been determined, meaning that Luther's opponent in this afternoon's match was clearly treating it as a training exercise.
For Luther, the group leader, winning was crucial, but it wasn't worth risking his main team members. As a result, he fielded Pokémon that hadn't seen much action in previous matches.
His lineup was similar, with a bodyguard formation of Kirlia and Darkrai, two veteran powerhouses, flanking the newcomer Larvitar.
He sent Larvitar into battle first to help him get used to Battle Rhythm, while the two veterans unleashed Quick Attack.
The audience was familiar with this kindergarten principal's battle strategy and cheered enthusiastically for Larvitar, hoping that it could break its losing streak and secure its first victory.
However, Larvitar was clearly outmatched by Tropius, a dual-type Pokémon that could fly and had a type advantage.
What Luther had noticed most about Larvitar during his matches was his extraordinary perseverance.
Having endured Tropius's Energy Ball and a barrage of Magical Leaves, Larvitar was left reeling from Tropius's relentless dive attacks. Yet he stubbornly clung to the battle, waiting for Luther's command.
That was enough. Every Pokémon must endure hardship and relentless training to grow stronger.
Larvitar had already demonstrated his fierce desire to win and his indomitable will. This fiery resolve needed protecting; successive defeats must not crush his spirit and make him timid.
Luther needed a Larvitar who would fight with all his might.
Instead of calling Larvitar back, Luther left him out. Instead, he stood him by his side so he could observe how Kirlia and Darkrai handled various battle situations.
As he issued commands to Kirlia and Darkrai, Luther occasionally took time to explain his strategies to Larvitar.
In this instructive atmosphere, Kirlia swiftly defeated the Tropius that had given Larvitar so much trouble, while Darkrai effortlessly overcame the remaining two Pokémon.
The audience had long grown accustomed to this.
After all, one of the most popular memes on the forum featured Larvitar standing in front of Luther's menacing Pokémon with the caption: 'Who's bullying my Larvitar?'
After answering a few hastily asked questions from reporters surrounding the arena, Luther and Mai rushed back to the Contestant Village.
On the way, Luther calculated how much more money he needed to realise his dream of owning land and a house after adding in the prize money from his eighteen consecutive victories.
Upon arriving at the courtyard, Luther observed Mai's Aggron greedily stuffing berries into its mouth while Larvitar and Marill devoured a mountain of snacks. He decided that the main purpose of the prize money would be to allow these creatures to eat to their hearts' content, without having to restrain their appetites or make do with mediocre, high-calorie berry mixtures.
Mai's father had previously sent representatives to Lily of the Valley Island to discuss potential collaborations.
He had never been optimistic about his former sponsor's chances of success and had long wanted to partner with Luther instead, effectively sponsoring him.
"This is purely a business collaboration," the representative explained. "It has nothing to do with external matters or Mai's family ties."
However, after consulting with Mai, Luther declined the offer.
Mai felt that accepting the offer would be tantamount to compromising with Kukui Tetsu, so she refused.
In her view, she wouldn't accept any potential assistance from her family until she and Luther had successfully achieved their dreams.
Above all, Mai didn't want Kukui Tetsu to mistakenly believe that she had forgiven him just because the misunderstanding had been resolved.
She wanted him to reflect on his actions and consider their consequences.
While the misunderstanding had finally been resolved, it was absurd that it had remained unresolved for so long, escalating to this point between father and daughter.
"Perhaps this is a bit harsh on him, but..." Mai sighed deeply. "Rebuilding trust isn't something that can be achieved overnight."
Luther knew that Mai was explaining her decision to reject the Sponsor. After all, consuming the Sponsor would have accelerated Luther's progress.
"You don't need to explain anything. I understand. I'm on your side anyway," Luther said, patting Mai on the head. "Well, if that's the case, we'll just have to earn it slowly."
(End of Chapter)