Early the next morning, Cynthia went with Aaron to the Pokémon League office, where they listened to the interrogation process together with other members of the Pokémon League.
Luther had originally wanted to go along as well, but after thinking it over, he felt that it wouldn't be appropriate for him to appear on that occasion. So, he changed his plans.
Standing in front of the Sun Heart City Gym, Luther recalled Cynthia's expression when she spoke to him.
"The Gym Leader of our Sun Heart City isn't actually that strong. If you want some real training, you'd be better off heading to Lily of the Valley Island when you leave Sun Heart City. Along the way, you'll meet plenty of Pokémon trainers to spar with."
Listening to Cynthia's description, Luther felt that the roads leading to Lily of the Valley Island had a strong Champion Road vibe.
On the eve of every tournament, all Pokémon trainers gathered near the port leading to the island. By the time a conference was held, the competition had already begun.
But what Luther wanted right now wasn't training. He just wanted to get the eight Badges as early as possible so he could rest easy.
The bustle in front of the Sun Heart City Gym far exceeded Luther's expectations, though it was an unusual kind of bustle.
"Why did your Starmie use Hydro Pump?! If it weren't for you, my Onix wouldn't have been knocked out immediately!"
"You're the one at fault! My Starmie was about to attack the opponent's Moon Eevee when you rushed in.... this is all your fault!"
The two Pokémon trainers argued as they walked out of the gym.
Only then did Luther look curiously around at his surroundings.
Some people were holding signs asking to form teams.
Some Trainers released their Pokémon so that others could inspect their training level.
Others were battling right then and there to prove their strength.
Feeling a bit confused, Luther took out his phone to look up information about the Sun Heart City Gym. Just then, a boy around fifteen or sixteen years old approached him.
"Are you also a Pokémon Trainer here to challenge the Sun Heart Gym?"
Luther looked up, glanced at the boy, and nodded.
"Then where are your Pokémon? Let them out so I can take a look."
Seeing what the other Trainers were doing, Luther understood the situation. He didn't object and released all of his Pokémon.
When the nearby Trainers saw someone else releasing Pokémon, they gathered around.
"A Marill holding an Everstone?"
The boy who had struck up a conversation with Luther frowned and turned to look at the other Pokémon.
Feeling ignored, Marill was just about to argue when Luther nudged it lightly with his foot. With a huff, Marill moved closer to Luther's side.
"Kirlia? You didn't even evolve it into a Gardevoir. No good."
Kirlia rolled its eyes at the boy's comment.
Chansey hasn't evolved either.
Houndoom looks too old.
After checking the data on Espurr, they found out it was a Kalos Pokémon. Since Luther couldn't be bothered to show its strength, it was also eliminated.
Jumpluff doesn't look like it can fight well.
After going through them all, Luther realized that his team sounded like… it was completely useless?
Even if not completely useless, it was at least a severely crippled, second-rate team for the people who didn't understand them.
He wondered what Candice and Hakuya would think if they heard this. He should send them a message tonight just to tease them.
As he watched the disappointed Pokémon Trainers walk away, Luther glanced at his phone. Sure enough, the Sun Heart City Gym was a Double Battle Gym.
However, there was one hard rule for this Double Battle: two people had to form a team to participate. Pokémon Trainers could not control two Pokémon by themselves.
This rule was quite interesting. If he fought alone, at least the commands he gave could ensure that the two Pokémon wouldn't interfere with each other. But with two people...
What had just happened with that Starmie's Hydro Pump smashing its teammate's Onix was the perfect classic example of teammate sabotage at its finest.
This also turned the area outside the Sun Heart Gym into something like a marketplace, giving off the distinct feeling of recruiting party members before entering a dungeon in a game.
For people like Luther, who didn't look particularly strong at first glance, they would only take one look at his team lineup and then skip over him. After all, no one wants a deadweight teammate.
Of course, there were also Pokémon Trainers who kept praying that they could latch onto a powerful Trainer's "ride," so they could easily obtain a Badge.
Looking at these Pokémon Trainers who wanted to gamble purely on personal luck, Luther let out a soft sigh and found a spot to sit down in the park outside the Gym.
Here, Pokémon were your signboard.
If your Pokémon looked strong, people would team up with you.
Only if your Pokémon looked strong would anyone ask you to demonstrate your strength. Otherwise, they wouldn't even spare you a glance.
Luther suddenly realized that the Sun Heart City Gym had effectively created an invisible threshold. This threshold created an interview-like atmosphere that felt strangely familiar to him.
"So who's picking whom, exactly?" Watching Pokémon Trainers pass by him one after another, Luther chuckled.
The Pokémon rummaged through Luther's backpack, pulled out some snacks, and shared them among themselves.
Luther switched into "spring outing mode." At worst, he could sunbathe, take a nap, and let the Pokémon rest another day.
"Tomorrow, I'll bring Mai along, and we'll do it together."
The thought suddenly felt quite nice to Luther. Even though Mai had already decided to pursue the path of a breeder, she hadn't neglected her battle training at all. She was definitely a qualified teammate.
Darkrai had just reached out to grab some snacks from Kirlia when the sound of approaching footsteps made him hide quickly.
Luther noticed the warm sunlight bathing him was suddenly blocked. He looked up and saw a girl with long, light golden hair standing in front of him and watching the Pokémon eating snacks with great interest.
She wore a white camisole and faded jeans, and under the sunlight, her perfect body lines were clearly outlined. Her long, golden hair shimmered with tiny points of light, leaving Luther momentarily dazed.
Her outfit was casual: a camisole paired with jeans. In Luther's opinion, the combination didn't match, but when you look this good, you can wear whatever you want. This girl didn't have the slightest sense of awkwardness.
If he had to put it into words, this was probably what "charisma" meant.
The girl brushed back her hair and squatted down, rubbing Marill's belly, then gently squeezing her little hands.
Marill felt an unusually strong sense of closeness coming from the girl, so instead of dodging immediately, she allowed herself to be petted.
"Challenging the Sun Heart City Gym?"
The girl stood up and tidied her long hair, which had become messy from not being tied up.
"Team up?" Luther asked in return.
"What were the rules for their double battles again? It's been too long since I've had a formal battle, so I'm a bit rusty. Would you mind giving me a quick rundown?"
It sounded like an excuse commonly used by rookie Pokémon Trainers, but for some reason, Luther felt that she was telling the truth.
He took out his phone and checked the Sun Heart City Gym rules, which were unrestricted two-on-two battles. In other words, one battle decided everything; there was no second round with Pokémon switching.
This was also why most Pokémon trainers needed strong teammates. The margin for error was extremely low. There was no chance to make up for mistakes through rotation. Once one side lost its first Pokémon, the outcome was practically decided.
"Not bad. I haven't battled in a while, so this is a good chance to get some practice."
With this comment, the girl declared her willingness to team up with Luther. This made Luther feel uneasy since he still hadn't seen her Pokémon.
"Can I take a look at the Pokémon you'll be using?" Luther asked.
Without another word, the girl tossed out three Poké Balls.
"I came in a hurry, so I only brought these three. You can choose which Pokémon I send into battle. I'm fine with any of them. Of course, I won't have any objections to your choices either. I'll act as support; you take the lead. What do you think?"
Seeing the three Pokémon in front of him, Luther couldn't help but sigh in amazement. This was way too exemplary.
With Pokémon like these and a lineup like this, why was she so matter-of-fact about taking the support role?
Was Marill really that charming?
Scizor, Gengar, and Slowking... once this team lineup appeared, it immediately attracted the attention of the nearby Pokémon Trainers.
Before Luther could say anything, they surrounded the girl and started pitching their own Pokémon.
"Sorry, I only want to team up with him right now. You'll have to pass... your qualifications aren't enough."
(End of Chapter)
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New Novels- 1. One Piece- Maxed Out Conqueror's Haki!
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