Diantha felt like she had never truly seen through Luther.
Her strongest impression of him had always been that, despite having considerable talent, he was content to idle away his days, doing the bare minimum to get by.
If everything had gone smoothly, with his abilities, Luther could've easily collected all eight badges, made a name for himself at the Lily of the Valley Conference, and then entered the second stage of his life, to enjoy it.
Luther had once told Cynthia about what exactly "enjoying life" meant to him.
He wanted to travel around all the regions, catch all the Pokémon he liked, buy a huge ranch with the money he earned, not too big, just enough for him to live comfortably. He'd throw all his Pokémon in there, catch a few Mareep to let loose on the ranch, hatch eggs when he had them, and tend berries when he didn't.
It sounded like a perfect retirement plan... at least, that's what Cynthia thought.
Unfortunately, the entanglements between his parents and that chaotic group dragged Luther down before his time. His first plan was brutally interrupted.
After settling things with Shiran and releasing the burden in his heart, he should've been able to move forward unencumbered. However, during his trip to Lumiose City, Evergreen, who had long hidden in the background of the chaotic group, rarely made an appearance.
Luther described his confrontation with Evergreen very casually, but everyone could hear the suppressed resentment and anger in his words. Evergreen's strength had always been his mind. He manipulated people, using any method necessary to achieve his goals.
And yet, this wise Evergreen had been deceived, something Diantha found incredible.
Not because she looked down on Luther, but based on his usual demeanor, he truly didn't seem like someone who could outmatch Evergreen.
If you think about it, the confrontation between Luther and Evergreen was essentially a high-stakes poker game.
Evergreen had already figured out all of Luther's cards, while Luther knew nothing about Evergreen's. Evergreen could keep raising the stakes at the table, while Luther had nothing left to bet.
How does someone with nothing pull off a comeback?
And yet... Luther did it.
That night, lying in bed, Diantha thought for a long time: if it had been her facing Evergreen in that situation, how would she have broken through?
Luther's method was almost impossible to imitate. He had used some terrifying, incredibly detailed knowledge from who-knows-where to chip away at Evergreen's psychological defenses. Then, through subtle cues and behavioral suggestions, he made Evergreen believe they were the same kind of person.
Luther even joked, saying it was lucky there was a glass of lemonade on the table, otherwise, he wouldn't have known what to use instead.
In the end, it was Luther's performance that tied everything together, crafting a chilling, intricate web that frightened Evergreen into retreat.
Luther had never acted before. Yet in this high-stakes, error-free scenario, he gave an unbelievably perfect performance. Diantha could almost picture Evergreen's panicked figure fleeing.
But that still wasn't enough. He'd only managed to make Evergreen feel afraid. Once Evergreen regained his composure, he would definitely retaliate.
Luther, this guy who usually only moved when pushed, and otherwise lived lazily and leisurely, had finally been backed into a corner.
People often change when external forces push them. Evergreen's pressure finally made Luther realize he had nowhere left to retreat. Either he eliminated Evergreen, or he would be the one eliminated.
Oleander told Diantha about an unexpected incident from that night.
While removing Shizukumo's arm, she suddenly felt dizzy and leaned to the side to rest.
Luther quietly picked up the tools she had set aside. Shizukumo, semi-conscious from the pain, quickly passed out from the agony.
Luther made the cut in one swift motion. Blood splattered onto him, but he remained indifferent, picked up a red-hot iron plate, and pressed it hard onto the wound to cauterize it.
That night, when Diantha saw Luther, much of the blood on him wasn't even his.
When Oleander recounted all this, the three Champions sank into the couch, glancing at each other, with their hands cold, mouths dry.
Diantha remembered someone once teasing her, saying that the stronger someone appears on the outside, the softer they are on the inside.
To protect that softness, they are forced to build a tough, solid shell that looks and feels unbreakable.
That person had said it jokingly, and Diantha hadn't thought much of it at the time… but now, she couldn't help but think of Luther.
Lance believed that every time Luther fought someone, it was a massive emotional release.
Luther hit Alon because of encountering an abandoned Pokémon and empathizing with Mismagius. The suppressed emotions finally reached a breaking point when Alon threw out that Poké Ball he never should have.
It was the same with Bocci. Part of it was standing up for Diantha, but more than that, it was likely the unresolved frustration from being betrayed by Shiran and witnessing Shiran's death.
Cynthia felt that during this time, Luther seemed perfectly normal. He loved Pokémon, took good care of them, and, aside from what she considered some rather silly training methods, he was undoubtedly a qualified Pokémon Trainer, and a normal person.
"Because he knew those things would make the people around him uncomfortable, he bottled them up. Because he loved his Pokémon, he tried hard to always show his best side. Didn't you notice that when we were discussing Shizukumo that day, he directly asked Mai to leave? It was obvious using Pokémon would've been faster in dealing with Shizukumo, yet he forbade Oleander and his own Pokémon from coming out."
That was Lance's exact wording. From his perspective, Luther was like a walking bomb, constantly absorbing the negative energy around him.
Luther's performance was so vivid and convincing that even Diantha began to wonder if he was truly just "acting."
Sipping her tea, Diantha held her cup as her thoughts wandered wildly.
Then the doors to the hall were pushed open by Luther, his arm still bandaged. He was tossing a very familiar charm in his still-mobile left hand, clearly in a very good mood.
"Looks like your plan worked."
As expected, the Misfits had returned the charm, just as Luther had predicted.
Luther had previously said that the benefits he threw out would definitely lure Evergreen into cooperating with him again.
The chance to quietly tie down two Champions was simply too tempting of a deal.
Cutting people down only made the Misfits fear him, they would stop targeting him for a while, but the moment they saw another opportunity, they'd pounce and tear him apart.
At this stage, Luther didn't yet have the strength to take on the entire group alone, so this deal was just right.
After using Swagger, he followed up with a sweet date—classic carrot-and-stick. Even if Evergreen felt unhappy about it, for the sake of the bigger picture, he would swallow his pride. After all, this was exactly how the Misfits operated.
With both threats and kindness combined, the moment Luther received the charm, he knew that this crisis had passed.
"Did Evergreen come to meet you personally?"
"Nope. Just a small fry. Bumped into me, shoved the charm into my pocket, then tried to escape on a Fearow. I just shouted, 'Run again, and you'll end up like Shizukumo.' He immediately jumped off the Fearow. It was honestly hilarious."
That reaction was exactly what Luther wanted: a psychological strike, a blow to the heart.
"Did you ask him to deliver a message to Evergreen?"
"Yeah. I told him: 'This won't happen again.' Also, this time, the charm didn't have a listening device or even a tracking chip."
After having Oleander check it, Luther understood that it was Evergreen's compromise, a token of surrender.
Diantha gently put down her teacup and softly asked, "Are you leaving?"
Luther was silent for a moment, then nodded.
"I need to rush back to Sinnoh. I've got too much to do… I need to grow up fast. I hate this feeling of helplessness. I hate that when I'm on the grill, the only thing I can do is act and gamble with my life for a sliver of survival."
"I want to get stronger, together with my Pokémon, until the day I can personally bring down Evergreen and the Misfits."
Diantha saw the resolve in Luther's eyes. It was completely different from the idle, carefree version of him on that night jog.
Diantha smiled and took another sip of tea.
"So in the end, growth always comes from being forced into it. Now you can go tell people that you're someone approved by Diantha."
"Wait, so I wasn't before?"
"I've always admired people with ambition and ideals. Back then, you carried this air of decay around you. I honestly thought some 80-year-old geezer had been reincarnated."
"You used your strange knowledge and a human life to snatch your fate back from Evergreen. Then run," Diantha stood up and placed her hand on Luther's shoulder. "Run faster than Evergreen. Grow faster than he can imagine. In the time when they think they've tied you down with interests under the illusion of safety... become someone they no longer dare to underestimate. By then, you'll be able to come and go from my villa like Lance, openly and honorably, without needing to sneak through the back door to avoid suspicion."
"Reporters will dedicate entire columns just to your name. Pokémon Trainers will make long journeys just to seek your expertise in Pokémon cultivation. And you'll be able to solve problems without even lifting a finger yourself..."
"By the way, the rabble isn't just your concern alone. Next time we fight side by side, I don't want to see just the talented Luther I admire. I want to see a Pokémon Trainer who can hold his own."
Luther bowed slightly in gratitude. After exchanging a few more thoughts with Diantha about Pokémon training and experience management, he left the hall.
As soon as Luther left, Lance and Cynthia slipped out from behind a door.
"No wonder she's a famous actress, that speech almost moved me to tears. You?" Cynthia asked.
Lance nodded. "That's so you."
Gardevoir brought over two drinks and filled the glasses for Lance and Cynthia.
"He's been through a tough time lately. Evergreen's been pressing him, and for the sake of the future, he's been pressuring himself too. One wrong step, and he could lose everything. That kind of tension can snap the strings in his mind. I was just trying to help him decompress. Pressure can spark temporary potential, but people still need to be encouraged."
Cynthia twirled a lock of hair and asked, "I'm heading back to Sinnoh with them tomorrow. Anything I should be aware of?"
Diantha said she had already told Luther everything he needed to hear, but Lance hesitated.
"What's wrong, Lance? That's not like you. Aren't you usually the blunt one?"
Lance sighed. "Then I'll get straight to the point. Cynthia, keep an eye on Luther in Sinnoh."
Diantha turned to look at Lance. Cynthia froze for a moment. They could both tell that this "keep an eye on" didn't refer to Luther's safety.
"What are you worried about?" Diantha asked.
"His performance... Diantha, you're an actress, you should understand. A good actor, once in character, merges with their role."
Diantha's mouth parted slightly. She understood Lance's concern.
When an actor plays a role, they sometimes begin to become the character.
Even after the director yells "cut," that feeling lingers in the actor's body for a while.
Luther had taken on the role of a mad, obsessive, bloodthirsty demon and once he entered that state, there was no doubt that he became that character. How else could he have successfully trapped Evergreen unless his performance was utterly convincing?
But while life may be like a stage, truly playing such a character in real life risks forming a dangerous resonance between Luther and the role he embodies.
Luther was sacrificing his reason.
"He's always done well. I can tell he's been trying to purge that hostility by bonding with his Pokémon," Diantha said, though even she sounded unsure.
After a long silence, Cynthia stood up with a firm voice.
"I don't believe that guy's so fragile. If he were, Evergreen would've crushed his mental defenses at the Moonring Mall incident long ago."
Lance rubbed his brow and let out a long sigh. "So be it, let's believe in him. He's proven himself to be an outstanding actor, someone who can explode with incredible strength when pushed to the brink. Now, it's time for him to prove he's also a powerful Pokémon Trainer, one with tremendous self-control."
"Go prove it, Luther."
(End of Chapter)
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