Trying to buy a 37-million-Pokémon-Dollar island with just over two million in savings should have been nothing more than a pipe dream.
But Ron didn't say a word about it. He simply told Luther to read through the detailed contract carefully, left him with a "Contact me once you've made your decision," and walked away.
Blissey brought Luther and Mai some cake, but one was busy thinking about how to make money while the other was carefully reading through the contract. Neither had any interest in eating.
Which meant Azumarill and Mira got to enjoy it instead.
Paying in installments was out of the question. Cynthia shut that idea down with a single question: "Do you have a stable job and income right now?"
The Pokémon League was very practical about things like this. Even if Luther was the Conference champion, his title wasn't enough to convince them to let him pay off 35 million Pokémon Dollars in installments without a reliable source of income.
Luther looked up the previous sale prices of islands and large plots of land. He had originally expected the price to be somewhere around 10 to 12 million, but that expectation was crushed in an instant.
Still, Luther didn't think the Pokémon League was asking for an unreasonable price. Quite the opposite.
As Ron had said, Lily of the Valley East Island's location gave it enormous development potential, so the Pokémon League had already offered him a fairly generous price.
Faced with such a huge funding gap, Cynthia realized that Luther still had no intention of giving up.
"You really want that island that badly?" Cynthia rested her chin in her hands, looking at Luther and then at Mai, who was still going through the contract.
Luther actually thought giving up would probably be the sensible choice. With more than two million Pokémon Dollars, he could buy a large piece of land in many nice areas of Sinnoh and achieve what he'd originally wanted.
What he was doing now was simply making things much harder for himself. Someone as easygoing as him probably shouldn't have such ambitious goals in the first place.
"Developing an island will take a lot of work, and the construction process will be incredibly tedious. Aren't you the one who hates trouble the most?" Cynthia asked again.
She wasn't wrong. One tedious little problem after another would inevitably appear, and trouble was exactly what Luther hated dealing with.
But was it stubbornness?
Or was there simply a small flame burning inside Luther that refused to go out?
The financial problem and Cynthia's questions didn't extinguish that flame.
Instead, they made it burn even brighter.
Luther suddenly realized what was bothering him.
He simply couldn't bear to give up.
When he'd been sitting on Altaria and surveying the entire island, he'd imagined what it would be like for his Pokémon, and one day, their children, to live there.
Maybe they'd build sandcastles on the beach, lie in the sand, and let the waves roll over them again and again.
Maybe they'd wander into the dense forest, watch ripe Berries tumble from heavily laden branches, then laugh and feast together.
Maybe they'd climb into the rocky mountains and explore the underground worlds carved out by Pokémon that dug tunnels through the earth.
Or perhaps they'd simply watch the sun rise and moon appear over the ocean, losing themselves in the breathtaking scenery where the sky, sea, sun, moon, and stars seemed to merge into one.
In spring, they could watch the island come alive. After the spring rains, tender green shoots would push through the soil, and greenery would gradually spread across the island, gently embracing every living thing there.
In summer, they could grab their surfboards and charge into the sea, basking in the blazing sunlight as waves crashed around them. Cool droplets would splash against their bodies as they rode the waves straight toward the horizon.
In autumn, they could carry baskets into the forest with their Pokémon, shake the fruit trees that were already struggling under the weight of their harvest, and share delicious Berries with the wild Pokémon.
In winter, they could roll around and play in the snow with their Pokémon, have snowball fights, build snowmen, or simply watch the snowflakes drifting down from the sky before retreating into a warm home to admire the snowy scenery outside.
Was it really worth paying 37 million Pokémon Dollars, or even more, for all of that?
Did it really mean anything?
Then again, what exactly made something worth doing?
What made something meaningful?
Luther's answer was simple: don't leave yourself with regrets.
If he wanted to do something, then he should do it, while he was still young enough to get fired up over some inexplicable feeling and still had the ability to throw caution to the wind.
Cynthia's lazy expression gradually disappeared, replaced by astonishment.
Once again, she saw determination and an uncontrollable desire burning in Luther's eyes.
The last time she'd seen that look in his eyes had been at Diantha's villa.
After that night, Luther and the Hodgepodge organization became sworn enemies. He pushed himself relentlessly to become stronger, climbing higher and higher until he eventually won the Lily of the Valley Conference.
"I still want to stick with my decision." Luther looked directly into Cynthia's eyes, his voice firm.
He turned around and gently took Mai's hand.
Mai, who had still been trying to figure out how they could raise the money, froze.
"I want the woman who has traveled with me and seen all the sights along the way. The one who's always stayed by my side, quietly working hard and taking such good care of my Pokémon..."
"She has such a beautiful smile. Her hair always smells wonderful. And whenever she puts on a dress, she's so stunning that I can't take my eyes off her..."
"When she hugs Espurr, Chansey, or Gardevoir and lets them rub against her, the playful, slightly contented look on her face is incredibly charming..."
"There always seems to be an unfathomable gentleness hidden in her eyes..."
"She always murmurs my name in her sleep..."
"No matter what, she has always quietly supported every decision I've made..."
Luther hated that he'd never properly learned how to express himself. All those vivid memories in his mind could only come out in such pale, clumsy words.
He also hated how disorganized he sounded. At a moment like this, he should have been more precise and composed, expressing his feelings for her in a clear, gradual way.
Instead, this was a clumsy confession he'd never rehearsed. He simply said whatever came to mind.
It was messy and disjointed, almost like he was reading random entries from a diary.
Like a grand opera that had been thrown onto the stage at the last minute, abrupt and unprepared, without any chance to draw the audience into the performance.
"Mai, I know I've said it before, but I still want to tell you. I really, really like you."
"Once the house is finished, let's get married."
The entire room seemed to freeze.
Every Pokémon inside stood perfectly still, completely stunned.
Cynthia, who had been holding her orange soda and about to take a drink, had been frozen from the moment Luther spoke his first sentence.
She watched the expression on Mai's face change from confusion to shyness, from shyness to tears welling in her eyes, and finally to complete shock.
Then Mai threw her arms around Luther.
Luther and Mai's Pokémon immediately erupted into celebration.
Garchomp, with Pachirisu and Espurr perched on top of her head, felt the two little Pokémon bouncing around excitedly. She rolled her eyes, lazily lifted a claw, gave them a couple of casual pats, and went right back to dozing.
Gastrodon and Togekiss joined the celebration too. Blissey carried around a tray of fruit, handing it out to everyone like she was distributing wedding candy.
Cynthia suddenly felt like... was she the only outsider here?
Watching this sickeningly sweet scene, Mira had mixed feelings. She decisively opened the hallway door and went outside to enjoy the sunshine.
The happiness on Mai's face made Cynthia incredibly envious. Seeing Mira leave, she hesitated for a moment before following her outside.
But something still felt wrong.
Standing in the courtyard under the sun, Cynthia finally realized what it was.
This was her house...
So why was she the one who had been kicked outside?
(End of Chapter)
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