Akimoto originally wanted to argue that if Machoke hadn't been caught by Machamp, the battle could have continued, but in the end, he gave up on such pointless quibbling.
The apprentice Pokémon Trainers were already wavering, and even Akimoto's own disciples were darting nervous glances around. Akimoto announced to the apprentice Trainers that they were dismissed, then decisively left with his students, completely ignoring the still-bewildered apprentices.
"In the end, they still want to keep a shred of dignity." Cynthia sighed quietly. Seeing that the matter had concluded, she patted Luther's shoulder, signaling him to leave together.
Escorted by Matsuto and Gym Leader Endou to the entrance of the Debut Gym, Cynthia suddenly recalled something and pointed at Matsuto.
"I remember, your name is Matsuto, right?"
Being called out by Cynthia made Matsuto jolt. He hurriedly nodded.
"Go take the exam."
"Huh?" Matsuto looked puzzled.
"Next year, Bertha will organize an assessment in Snowpoint City for Trainers with potential. At that time, the Gym Leader of Snowpoint City should also be confirmed. You, don't you have some unwillingness in your heart?"
"If you're unwilling, then fight for it. Just because Gym Leader Endou failed doesn't mean you will. When I battled your father, I noticed how disappointed you looked when he called for Dynamic Punch. Tell me, what was the first move that came to your mind then?"
Matsuto hesitated before finally saying: "I thought… it should've been 'Protect.'"
Cynthia raised her eyebrows. "Your father thought that to face me, he had to show momentum. Only that way could he pass the test. Why did you think Protect was better?"
Matsuto fell silent. It was clear he was weighing whether he should say what he really thought.
"Dynamic Punch was just gambling on luck. My father believed he would lose, so he tried to bet on confusing your Garchomp, hoping to create an opening for damage and maybe win your admiration. But that meant he'd already given up on victory. Protect could've blocked your initial onslaught, only if his Pokémon stayed on the field could there be even the slightest chance of defeating you!"
Matsuto clenched his fists, gritting his teeth as he forced the words out.
The apprentice Trainers leaving with Cynthia all turned to stare at Matsuto in disbelief.
'Defeat Cynthia? Him?'
That was something even the Champion League and the entire Elite Four couldn't achieve. They were bold dreams, indeed.
Luther froze for a moment, then couldn't help applauding.
Gym Leader Endou's attack had been to lose with more dignity. Matsuto's defense, however, had been to grasp for the tiniest hope of victory against Cynthia.
One man thought only of losing before the fight even began. The other thought of winning, even if it was Cynthia.
It really makes you wonder if Matsuto is truly his father's son.
Cynthia seemed quite satisfied with this answer, her expression easing into a relaxed smile.
"The outstanding Trainers I've met never carry the thought of losing when they begin a battle. They only think of how to sharpen themselves through the fight, and how to win. In that, you far surpass your father. Because you still carry the conviction to overcome others, and you don't back down simply because your opponent is stronger."
"A year isn't long, but it isn't short either. You still have time to work hard and room to improve. Since you want to protect the Gym your ancestors left behind, you'd better give it a try."
Matsuto, deeply moved by Cynthia's guidance, escorted her far down the road. Only once they reached the main street did he finally turn back toward the Gym.
The apprentice Trainers had originally wanted to follow Cynthia too, hoping she would also evaluate them. But Cynthia only responded politely to their greetings and didn't engage further in discussions about how they could improve.
There was simply no way to talk seriously, if their foundations were weak, yet they dreamed of instantly becoming master-level Trainers?
After Cynthia advised them to first strengthen their basics and nurture real bonds with their Pokémon, the apprentices left one after another.
In the end, only Cynthia, holding an ice cream, and Luther, cradling Kirlia, continued walking toward the hotel.
"Eating ice cream in winter, aren't you cold?"
Cynthia shrugged. "Winter is the perfect time. I recommend you try it. The feeling is wonderful, you'll get addicted."
Luther politely declined the half-melted ice cream she offered.
"It has been two months since I have last seen you… you've made some progress." Cynthia remarked.
Although it sounded a little forced, Luther knew that coming from someone as strict as Cynthia, this was already very high praise.
"What kind of training method is this? Any detailed notes? I'm a bit curious."
Luther pulled out a folded notebook tucked inside his clothes and handed it to Cynthia.
Cynthia bit down on her ice cream cone to free both hands and took the notebook, flipping it open.
Seeing Cynthia's way of doing things, Luther looked helpless. He reached out and grabbed the cone part of the ice cream.
"Let go of your mouth."
Obediently, Cynthia loosened her mouth, rubbed her lips that had gone a little numb from the cold, and continued flipping through Luther's notebook.
"Can't believe you actually put up with that," Luther sighed.
After skimming through the pages a few times, Cynthia asked: "This is only part of it, right? The diagrams that are harder to describe in words you've drawn in here, but the things easier to record should be in your phone?"
Her guess was right. Luther brought up the documents on his phone and handed it to Cynthia.
"Chansey: one hour of Move-dodging training every day, one hour of Move-endurance training."
"Jumpluff: one hour of close-range Stun Spore dispersal training daily, one hour of Poison Powder."
"Kirlia: two hours of Psychic Power weight-lifting training."
"Espurr: two hours of Move-release posture correction."
"Marill: twenty minutes of Ice Punch stance attempts, one hour forty minutes of Move accuracy training."
Every Pokémon had to spar with Chansey after finishing their own training tasks. When there wasn't enough time in the wild, Luther compressed the daily total training into one hour per Pokémon, making them conserve energy.
With Mai's help in keeping records, combined with information from other Pokémon Trainers' battles, Luther reviewed his own battles afterward and adjusted his plans according to the weaknesses he discovered.
Cynthia noticed that there were over thirty historical versions of the document. That meant Luther had already revised his training regimen at least thirty times.
"This is quite theoretical, but the results aren't bad. For example, Kirlia's Psychic Power weight-lifting, same weight object, in your earliest record it could only be maintained for seven minutes, now it's up to twelve."
"For Espurr, you've already tried eleven different Move-release postures. You're still encouraging it to develop new ones, looking for the fastest and most subtle form, right?"
"And Jumpluff, your notes are interesting. Why are you recording the time it takes for it to adjust its posture after being hit? Aren't you training Stun Spore and Poison Powder? Shouldn't the focus be on success rate?"
Luther explained with a smile: "The success rate of Poison Powder and Stun Spore depends on the distance between me and my opponent, the direction of the wind, and the weather. I'm temporarily ignoring wind and weather, and if I deliberately close in during battle, it becomes too obvious. What I want is counter-control."
"I set up a situation where the opponent thinks they've got an opening. At the exact moment their attack lands, that's when I unleash the double-powders. For this to work, Jumpluff has to recover its balance or positioning quickly after being struck, judge the wind direction, and immediately release its Move."
"I tested this against passersby. With this method, the accuracy of the double-powders improved significantly, so I redefined the training around it."
"Jumpluff really agrees with this style, too. She thinks it greatly boosts her Move accuracy in battle, and even suggested I add Hypnosis Powder and Leech Seed into the training events."
(End of Chapter)
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