After returning to Lily of the Valley Island, Luther spent some time discussing the victory banquet with the Pokémon League officials. At long last, they finally settled on a date.
The organizers of the Lily of the Valley Conference and the Sinnoh League both breathed a sigh of relief. This was easily the most eventful victory banquet they had ever had to organize, though no one was complaining.
Part of it was simply because Luther was the conference champion, but the other reason was the wild rumors circulating about him lately.
The biggest one claimed that Luther, who had been missing for nearly a week, suddenly appeared at the Dandelion Hotel and rescued the Sinnoh League's top officials from a bombing. Another credited him as the key figure responsible for bringing down the Hodgepodge Organization.
The first story left the League's senior officials deeply indebted to him; saving their lives was a favor that couldn't easily be repaid. The second earned him widespread recognition from the people of Sinnoh, elevating the newly crowned champion to an even higher standing.
Luther, however, paid little attention to any of it. With Sister finally dealt with, all his thoughts were focused on his Pokémon... and on Mai.
---
After resting for the night, Luther set off for his next destination. Guided by Candice and Mira, the group crossed the snow-covered peaks and ventured deep into the heart of Snowpoint Mountain.
Even in the middle of summer, freezing winds howled through the mountain's interior. If Candice hadn't prepared warm winter gear for everyone beforehand, they probably would have frozen solid.
Candice was especially interested in what Mira had told them. For the past two or three years, she'd noticed loud disturbances erupting deep within the mountains every winter. She had always assumed they were ordinary territorial battles over food among wild Pokémon.
But looking back, it seemed far more likely that outsider Pokémon had moved in and seized territory from the locals, triggering widespread conflict.
The last time Luther visited the cave Candice had dug, a group of Swinub had been forced to wander closer to the mountain's edge because their leader, Piloswine, had been seriously injured.
Even then, Candice had found it strange. Piloswine's wounds hadn't matched the attacks of any Pokémon native to these mountains.
Mira walked at the front of the group. Watching her back, Luther asked curiously, "How did you get so familiar with them?"
Without turning around, Mira answered, "I wouldn't call us close. I just brought them food. They're still pretty wary of me. After your parents disappeared, they became very distrustful of humans... or maybe your parents deliberately taught them not to trust anyone else. That would've been safer."
She had a point. The night everything happened, Luther's parents hadn't carried their Poké Balls; they had released their Pokémon beforehand. That meant they'd sensed something was wrong and had been preparing for the worst. They had probably warned those three Pokémon well in advance.
Twenty years... How had they survived all this time?
Had they ever tried to look for him?
And... would they even recognize him anymore?
Candice quietly moved closer to Luther and whispered, "Why didn't Mai come with us?"
Luther had already explained Mira's identity to Candice earlier, so she wasn't curious about that anymore. She just wanted to know where Mai was. Even so, throughout the journey, the way Candice looked at Luther had been... oddly complicated.
Mai had gone ahead to Sun Heart City. There were legal procedures to complete before they could get the key to Luther's parents' old house, so she had gone early to sort it out.
The last time Luther passed through Sun Heart City, he'd intended to visit the house, but Evergreen's phone call had ruined everything. At the time, Mai was also dealing with her own family problems, and with everything happening at once, Luther never got the chance to go.
Now, the Hodgepodge Organization was destroyed, he'd won the Lily of the Valley Conference, and he was finally on his way to bring his parents' Pokémon home. There couldn't have been a better time.
Mira suddenly stopped walking. Trailing off, Luther and Candice followed her gaze. Standing behind a cedar tree in the middle of the snowfield was a Mawile, watching the three of them warily. Its body was tense, ready to flee at a moment's notice.
Mira took out some Pokémon food and tossed it toward Mawile from a distance. "Why are you the only one here this time? Where are Wigglytuff and Amaura?"
Mawile didn't answer, nor did it immediately pick up the food. Instead, it stared at Luther, a strange light flickering in its eyes.
As Mira watched Mawile slowly bend down and cautiously approach them, an uneasy feeling suddenly hit her. Mawile's battle stance hadn't relaxed at all.
In the blink of an eye, Mawile sprang forward and blasted Mira with Icy Wind. Although she was on guard, the sudden attack still startled her. She rolled aside just in time to avoid the freezing gust, while Gengar instantly emerged from her shadow.
Only then did everyone notice—Mawile was holding two Poké Balls inside the huge jaws on the back of its head.
With one powerful shove, Mawile knocked Luther to the ground. Using its teeth, it expertly pressed the release buttons on both Poké Balls. Wigglytuff and Amaura materialized on the snow.
At Mawile's sharp cry, Wigglytuff spun toward Luther, grabbed his hand, and tried desperately to drag him away, while Amaura launched an attack at Candice.
Luther was completely bewildered. 'What was going on? Why had they suddenly started fighting?'
Darkrai reacted even faster than Luther. Emerging from the shadows, it unleashed an overwhelming wave of psychic power that instantly immobilized all three Pokémon. Candice's Abomasnow and Mira's Gengar hadn't even had a chance to move before Darkrai brought the situation under control.
Mawile glared fiercely at Darkrai, looking ready to tear it apart. Amaura and Wigglytuff struggled desperately against the invisible restraints, still trying to attack.
"...Luther," Candice said, "your parents' Pokémon are pretty fierce. They attacked without even saying hello."
Mira frowned in confusion. "When I came here before, they were never like this. They've never attacked me. So what happened this time?"
As she spoke, she glanced at Candice, who spread her hands innocently.
"I have no idea."
Luther walked over to Mawile and crouched down. Oddly enough, the fierce expression on Mawile's face softened the instant it looked at him.
"I'll ask Darkrai to let you go," Luther said gently. "But can you promise not to attack my friends?"
Mawile froze. Seeing its reaction, Luther gave Darkrai a nod. Darkrai immediately released Mawile but drifted to the side, remaining ready in case anything happened.
Mawile stared silently into Luther's eyes. After a long moment, tears slowly welled up.
Luther's body trembled as though struck by lightning. In that instant... he understood.
Somehow, from the very beginning, Mawile had recognized him. Because of what happened to Luther's parents, the three Pokémon had always believed Luther had been captured and was being controlled by the people who killed their trainers.
The ambush just now... had been their desperate attempt to rescue him.
(End of Chapter)
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