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After pulling the kicked-off blanket back over Mai, tidying up the messy table, and recalling all the Pokémon, Luther carried a bag of trash out the door with Cynthia.
Walking down the small path behind the hotel, Cynthia was in high spirits, humming a song without pause.
"Looks like Ho-Oh's feather betrayed me after all." Luther held up the Rainbow Feather with a bitter smile on his face while speaking. "Did you realize it right away?"
Cynthia shook her head. "No, I was only suspicious. One of the legends about Ho-Oh's Rainbow Feather is that it recognizes those with a pure heart and serves as a bridge to guide them toward Ho-Oh's location."
"Sure, it sounds like a fairy tale. Describing someone as 'pure-hearted' has no real standard, but I still want to believe it's true, after all, the stories about the falling feather have been proven."
With his greatest secret laid bare before Cynthia, Luther felt an unspeakable relief.
The weight on his chest was gone, and it made his words flow more freely.
"You don't suspect that maybe I really am someone with a dark heart, and that's why the Rainbow Feather refused to resonate with me?"
Cynthia stopped walking, looked at Luther seriously, and said: "At one point, yes, I did think that."
Luther's eyes showed no surprise or disappointment; he seemed to think it was only natural that Cynthia would consider that possibility.
"I remembered the time at Diantha's villa when you said you wanted to turn those useless thugs into human swine."
Luther froze, then gave a wry laugh. "That should've been a black mark against me. How did it end up becoming a point in my favor?"
"Because you were like a cornered Raticate, baring its fangs and biting back."
The strange metaphor instantly conjured an image in Luther's mind of himself as a Raticate lunging to bite someone… and he couldn't help but chuckle.
But Cynthia didn't laugh.
"You're like a sponge. When someone squeezes you, water comes out. But if no one squeezes, you just curl up in a corner like an old rag, molding away without changing yourself. I can see it clearly: if Evergreen, that mad dog, hadn't been chasing you, you wouldn't have the drive you do now."
"You're the type who goes with the flow. If you found a place that suited you, you'd put down roots, live out your earliest dreams, and just drift through life like that."
"That doesn't sound like it has much to do with whether my heart is pure or not."
Luther tossed the trash into a nearby bin and had Marill spray a Water Gun so he could wash his hands.
"You can tell a person's nature just by how they treat their Pokémon," Cynthia said, brushing aside a loose strand of hair. "On that alone, I'll always believe you're not that kind of person."
"Diantha and Lance both said you're someone who's been hurt a lot. To those you trust, you'll give your whole heart. But if there's ever a rift, it's extremely hard for you to mend it. That's why Diantha always believed you would be her most reliable friend."
"I feel the same."
Those four words were so heavy that Luther didn't know how to respond. For a moment, his body and mind seemed frozen.
To simply say thank you would be an insult to such trust. At a loss, Luther could only stand there, silently meeting Cynthia's gaze.
A cold wind blew through the trees, howling as it swept past them.
The gust tousled Cynthia's hair. She instinctively tried to fix it, then suddenly flushed red, covered her mouth with her hand, and bent over.
Luther reacted first, pulling a plastic bag from his pocket and patting her back. "Go on, just throw up. Why force yourself when you can't hold your liquor?"
Even the most beautiful person doesn't look graceful while vomiting. At first, Cynthia tried to hold it in because Luther was there, but in the end, she couldn't anymore.
After a long while, Luther tied up the bag, tossed it in the trash, and handed Cynthia a tissue to wipe her mouth.
"You always come this prepared?" Cynthia asked, embarrassed.
"You forced down way too much for someone who can't drink, then came out here in the cold wind. Of course, you'd throw up. Next time, don't try to get me drunk just to dig secrets out of me. Just ask, I'll tell you whatever you want to know."
They walked in silence for a while before Cynthia finally spoke again.
"Your world… is it something like Alola's Ultra Wormholes?"
Luther shook his head. "It's even vaster than that. The land where I grew up alone has nurtured countless extraordinary people over thousands of years. Most of the stories I've told you are just history from that place."
Cynthia smiled. "And here I thought you were just so talented you could make up endless, dazzling stories."
She then peppered him with questions, about the customs of his world, its history. Luther only shared bits and pieces with her. To tell everything was beyond his ability; no matter how great a storyteller, no one could recount all the grand dramas that had played out across that land of heroes for millennia.
Cynthia didn't ask how he had come to this world, nor why fate had tied him to her. She simply asked softly:
"Do you like this world?"
That was a question that required no thought.
"I think that's a question you don't even need to ask."
Luther laughed, and Cynthia laughed with him.
"In that case, don't dwell on that feather anymore. Next time I meet Ho-Oh, I'll be sure to ask why it refuses to acknowledge you as part of this world."
Luther burst into hearty laughter. "If I get the chance, I'll ask her myself. And if she still won't recognize me, I'll just catch her and stick her on my ranch to help hatch eggs."
Suddenly, Cynthia reached out and pinched Luther's cheek. "Mm, that's better. Now it feels like you've finally let it go. You've been through so much misfortune, at the start you had no confidence, then Evergreen and Shiran messed you up, and every time I felt like you still had secrets you weren't telling. But this time?"
Luther spread his hands. "This time, there really aren't any more. This is probably my last secret. I've never told anyone, tonight I've laid it all bare to you."
"Honestly, thank you for being so perceptive. Otherwise, I never would've gone all out and confessed everything."
Cynthia tilted her head, seeming to ponder something, before asking: "So, when are you going to tell the others?"
"I'll wait a while longer. To be honest, if you hadn't found out, I probably would've just kept it hidden forever. The biggest reason I didn't dare say anything is because I had no idea how you'd all look at me afterward."
"Don't you think you're underestimating us, treating our hearts as too narrow?"
Luther shook his head. "It's just that… it's been so long since I've been this lucky. Step by step, I've gained things I never dared to dream of, never dared to reach for. And the more I gain, the more afraid I am of losing it all. That's all there is to it."
Cynthia hesitated, then suddenly grabbed both of Luther's cheeks with her hands and pinched them hard.
"Is that strong enough? If not, I can give you a couple punches too. Stop with those foolish thoughts."
Wincing in pain, Luther quickly grabbed her hands and pulled free.
"Cynthia, battle me."
Cynthia blinked. "Wait, seriously? You actually dare say something like that to a girl?!"
Luther pressed his hand to his forehead. "A Pokémon battle! Since my team isn't complete, it'll have to be five-on-five. Ever since I came to this world, I've wanted to face you in a proper six-on-six match. Now that Mismagius isn't here, I can't bring my full lineup, but I still want to try!"
At the mention of a battle, half of Cynthia's drunkenness vanished. Luther's gaze was firm, unwavering.
"Taking advantage of me while I'm drunk, huh?"
But even as she said it, Cynthia pulled out a Poké Ball. Luther grinned and brought out his own.
"Fine. I'll take this battle."
(End of Chapter)