This wasn't paranoia. Rather, it was a hidden anxiety buried deep within his heart.
The more one possesses, the more one fears losing it. This saying perfectly described Luther.
Back when he had nothing, he didn't care that the Legendary Pokémon had classified him as an "Otherworldly Visitor."
Now, however, he had entered the Pokémon League's field of vision, integrated into this world, and gained precious things. His identity had become a problem he could no longer avoid.
Perhaps the Legendary Pokémon were all too busy. They viewed the world differently from humans, navigating timelines where decades or even centuries passed in the blink of an eye. Even if they noticed a tiny visitor like Luther, they might unconsciously overlook him.
But who would dare gamble on the mood of a Legendary Pokémon?
What if they happened to discover Luther's existence one day and encountered him while in a bad mood?
"I have contributed to the safety and well-being of the Pokémon in this world."
That was the answer Luther intended to give to Ho-Oh and the other Legendary Pokémon who remained close to humanity.
It was also the answer he gave himself.
Evergreen was a problem Luther had to solve. He had never forgotten the humiliation inflicted by Moonbow Commerce.
Back then, he hadn't had the ability to protect himself or the people around him.
Now he did.
As long as Evergreen remained alive, Luther's heart would never be at peace.
Luther and Cynthia simply stared at one another.
"Ahhhh!"
The panicked cries of Chikorita and Joltik shattered the silence between them.
Chikorita rubbed frantically against Luther's leg while Joltik scrambled onto his head, clinging to his hair.
Two Quagsire came charging toward Luther in a huff, their heavy footsteps thudding against the grass.
For Pokémon as gentle-tempered as Quagsire to become this angry, it seemed Chikorita and Joltik's fish-zapping antics had been remarkably effective.
Cynthia's Gastrodon stepped in and blocked the two Quagsire. The furious Pokémon pointed at Joltik and tearfully complained about what had happened.
Being Ground-types, they were practically immune to Electric-type attacks.
But it was still incredibly annoying!
"Go apologize." Luther pulled Joltik off his head and crouched down to pat Chikorita's leaf.
"You two have been getting completely out of hand lately. Hurry up and apologize."
Realizing they had indeed gone too far, Joltik and Chikorita lowered their heads, shuffling over behind Gastrodon to apologize to the aggrieved Quagsire.
Darkrai, standing beside Luther, returned to Mai and brought back some Pokémon food as compensation for the two harassed Quagsire.
After the two troublemakers had caused such a commotion, it took quite a while before Cynthia brought the conversation back on track.
"I never really expected to persuade you in the first place. Steven's the one who doesn't know you well enough. He insisted that I give it a try."
Cynthia yawned lazily.
"I have no idea how someone who spends all day avoiding proper work suddenly developed such a strong sense of responsibility."
"Leave right after the award ceremony. At full speed, it'll only take a few hours to reach Oreburgh City. Before tomorrow's match, remember to tell the Pokémon League officials that you're showing signs of a cold… fatigued, exhausted, worn out. It'll make it much easier for you to avoid the other League activities afterward."
After memorizing Cynthia's advice, Luther didn't discuss his preparations for tomorrow's battle. Cynthia merely checked on the condition of the Altaria she had lent him. Satisfied, she waved goodbye and left.
Since he was already out, Luther decided to take a walk before returning.
Team Rocket was still camped in a small forest outside Contestant Village. When Luther arrived, the trio were methodically working on making dolls.
Every one of Luther's and Ash's commonly used Pokémon had their own merchandise.
The finals represented Team Rocket's last opportunity in this tournament to set a new sales record, so they were putting extraordinary care into their work and had prepared ample inventory. To save time, even Carnivine, Seviper, and Wobbuffet were helping with some of the simpler tasks.
When Luther arrived, James merely glanced up at him before lowering his head and continuing his stitching.
Jessie, however, couldn't help asking:
"Shouldn't you be preparing for the match? We've worked together for so long, surely you don't still think we'd slack off?"
Luther looked at a Gardevoir body pillow nearby, then at the life-sized Gardevoir plush doll beside it.
Whoever came up with that idea, whether it was James or Jessie, was a true genius. They always seemed able to predict market demand.
In a casual tone, Luther said:
"I'm just here to remind you that after tomorrow's match, I may have some urgent business to deal with. I'll be disappearing for a while. Have you decided whether you'll give me your answer after I return, or right after the tournament?"
"Something urgent?" Jessie asked.
"Very urgent. I'll be leaving immediately after the award ceremony."
The trio exchanged glances, their hands slowing as they worked on the plushies.
Almost simultaneously, all three let out a heavy breath before answering decisively:
"As long as you win the Championship, we'll wait for you on Lily of the Valley Island. When you return, we'll definitely give you an answer."
While Luther wandered around to relax, Ash sat down with Dawn and Brock to finalize his lineup for the finals.
Luther's team composition was already an open secret, making it relatively easy to build a lineup specifically designed to counter him.
Pikachu was guaranteed a spot.
As for the rest of the team, Ash was still undecided.
"Are you sure you don't want to use Heracross?" Dawn asked, arms crossed and brows furrowed. "A Bug- and Fighting-type like Heracross is a huge threat to Darkrai."
Even Piplup copied Dawn's pose, closing its eyes and nodding with an air of deep thought.
Ash glanced at Heracross, who was currently being smacked by Bulbasaur's Vine Whip after trying to suck nectar from Bulbasaur's bulb, and nodded.
"Both Conway and Barry used Heracross as their weapon against Darkrai. Conway succeeded, but after seeing that, Barry suffered a huge loss."
Brock pondered for a moment before agreeing.
"That's true. Both Dakota and Luther adjusted after discovering weaknesses. After the battle with Misaki, Darkrai became capable of launching Dark Void faster and more discreetly, and they even developed tactics specifically for dealing with reckless close-range attackers. Using Heracross now might actually backfire."
Resting her chin on her hand, Dawn helplessly pointed out another concern.
"Forget Darkrai for a second. How are you planning to deal with that Azumarill? And that Machamp is no joke either. Even Paul came by earlier just to remind you to be especially careful of Azumarill and Jumpluff. Do you have a plan?"
Ash replied confidently:
"I've already found the perfect counters for Azumarill. With those two Pokémon, I can limit its effectiveness."
Seeing how certain Ash sounded, Dawn felt much more reassured.
It was a shame that the six Pokémon Ash had used against Paul still hadn't fully recovered. Otherwise, he'd have even more options available.
During Ash's previous sparring match with Luther, he had relied almost entirely on Pikachu's outstanding performance just to barely take down a few of Luther's already-injured Pokémon.
After studying both Dakota's and Luther's matches, Ash selected the Pokémon best suited for an all-out offensive strategy.
He had already made up his mind:
He wouldn't allow Luther to establish his usual pace-controlling style.
Instead, he would tear open a hole in Luther's formation and overwhelm him with relentless pressure.
As long as one of Luther's rhythm-controlling Pokémon entered the field, Ash was willing to trade one-for-one if it meant removing that Pokémon from the battle.
If he could force Luther into a straightforward head-on brawl, then Ash's objective would be achieved.
(End of Chapter)
You can read ahead up to 30 chapters on my Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/darkshadow6395