During the three-day rest period, all Pokémon Trainers did their best to help their Pokémon relax. Most chose to send their Pokémon to family or friends, who found suitable places for them to unwind.
Everyone had their own method. Luther opted for a hot spring retreat.
Although Hakuya had left Whitewind Town, the gym still had staff maintaining daily operations. Through Hakuya, Luther arranged for Junna's colleagues and Nurse Joy to receive his Pokémon and take them on a two-day trip to the hot springs.
The geothermal hot springs were remarkably effective. Soaking in the hot springs in Whitewind Town had been wonderful, washing away all the fatigue from their journey.
However, after teleporting all his Pokémon away, Luther suddenly felt slightly out of sorts.
The Milcery and Espurr that usually swirled around him were gone. The Marill that had previously drooled on the floor while watching him eat snacks was now silent.
Even Larvitar, who had evolved from ambushing Espurr daily to headbutting Aggron, had chosen to leave.
Luther explained to Larvitar that it was just water from a hot spring.
Larvitar nodded frantically and declared, "I can do it!"
"Alright, if you say you can, then you can," Luther thought, instructing Darkrai to keep an eye on Larvitar.
With Cynthia's help, Mai found a part-time job at the Pokémon League cafeteria.
Luther had been swamped with preparations for the upcoming tournament, so Mai decided to step up and do something productive. After all, saving money was all about small contributions adding up over time.
Mai had always felt that she wasn't helping Luther enough. Doing something, even if it was small, would likely make her feel better. Luther didn't try to stop her.
On this much-needed rest day during the tournament, he found himself completely alone for the first time since arriving in this world.
"Oh, right! I still have Altaria," He suddenly remembered, referring to Cynthia's flying mount. He hadn't let her out to stretch her wings for days.
When she emerged from her Poké Ball, Altaria gazed at Luther with curiosity. Normally surrounded by a group of smaller Pokémon, his solitude piqued her interest.
"They've all gone to the hot springs. It's just the two of us today. Want to go out for a stroll?"
The cooped-up Altaria couldn't possibly refuse such an invitation. Just as they were about to leave, the bored Joltik scurried after them and climbed onto Luther's head.
Luther caught the Joltik and gave it a look. The restless creature's face was filled with longing, as if he feared Luther would return him to Dusknoir's side.
"Got it. You're coming too."
After saying goodbye to Mai's Dusknoir, Luther set out for the day, accompanied by Joltik and Altaria.
After treating Altaria to a satisfying meal at a restaurant, Luther decided to take a stroll through the commercial district.
The tournament had attracted hordes of tourists to Lily of the Valley Island, creating abundant business opportunities and filling the vendors with enthusiasm.
Seeing Luther wandering with Altaria, roadside vendors eagerly approached him, vying for his attention in order to promote their wares.
Initially, Luther showed little interest, but one vendor's pitch made him burst out laughing.
"This is the team lineup of Luther, the outstanding Pokémon Trainer at the tournament! Just look at how lifelike these plush toys are! Buy one as a souvenir; you won't regret it!"
The pitch was eerily similar to those he'd heard from souvenir sellers at tourist attractions.
Luther picked up a Darkrai plushie with a crooked mouth and a Marill whose eyes seemed half-closed. By no stretch of the imagination could they be considered lifelike. They looked more like ancient gods cobbled together from various parts.
It was no wonder they weren't selling.
Altaria nudged Luther with her soft wing. He turned to find her eyeing some dried berries laid out to dry on a nearby vendor's stall.
"Want some?"
Altaria nodded eagerly.
Luther let Altaria and Joltik choose their favorite flavors. After packing them up, he hesitated, then bought a little extra. Aggron and the others were staying in the Contestant Village all day, so it would be nice to bring them back a treat.
On the way back, a few people recognized Luther, but without his usual entourage of famous Pokémon, he attracted far less attention. Most tourists simply wished him luck in the Main Tournament before passing by. Only one person asked to take a photo with Altaria.
"She's not actually mine," Luther wanted to say, but Altaria, chewing contentedly on her dried berries, nodded in agreement.
After seeing the person enveloped by Altaria's cotton-like wings for the group photo, Luther decided to try using Altaria as a pillow that night.
"Hey there, guest! We've got exclusive merchandise featuring the Pokémon that excelled in today's preliminary rounds. Don't miss out!"
Luther had already walked past, but, hearing this, he couldn't help but turn back.
A short, hooded figure held a rolled-up book to his mouth and shouted the advertisement like a megaphone. Beside him, a man and a woman were displaying sample products to tourists.
Classic disguise, classic trio.
Luther sighed and approached the trio.
Business was dismal. The commercial street was packed with vendors, all of whom were hawking their wares, leaving tourists feeling impatient and overwhelmed.
Despite their sharp business acumen, Team Rocket, situated in the middle of the street, faced fierce competition.
After someone else ignored James's pitch and walked away, the trio's morale plummeted visibly.
With only three days left until the Main Tournament, securing sufficient funding was crucial. Without it, even securing good seating would yield little profit.
When he heard someone approaching, James automatically flashed his practiced sales smile. But when he saw it was Luther, his smile froze and he took a few steps back involuntarily.
Ignoring James and Jessie's reactions, Luther picked up one of the cookies stacked on their tray, took a bite, frowned slightly, then pinched off a piece and fed it to the Altaria beside him.
"Just so we're clear," James said, "We've been running an honest business here. We haven't done anything wrong."
Seeing Luther sampling their product, James boldly extended the tray towards the Altaria's mouth.
"I see you're behaving yourselves," Luther replied, crouching down to examine the small handicrafts displayed on Meowth's stall. 'If you stay out of trouble, I won't take you to see Officer Jenny.'
The presence of miniature Pikachu, Piplup, Darkrai, and Marill figurines on the stall clearly demonstrated that Team Rocket had been monitoring the competition's progress closely.
After nibbling two small biscuits, Altaria disdainfully pushed the tray away with her head.
James merely sighed, while Jessie clenched her fist and glared at Altaria. 'Hey! We spent ages making these cookies! What's with that face?'
"They taste bad; what else could it mean?" Luther retorted without looking up, continuing to scrutinize the biscuits. "The cookies are too crumbly, and they don't taste very good. They'd make terrible souvenirs. It's no wonder nobody's buying them."
(End Of This Chapter)
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