After thoroughly enjoying the hot springs and trying every last service the hotel had to offer, Luther and Mai finally departed from Whitewind Town.
Before they left, Junna hugged Mai tightly and whispered in her ear for a long time. Meanwhile, Luther received a detailed map from Hakuya showing the distribution of wild Pokémon species around the Whitewind region.
To this day, Luther still doesn't have a single Flying-type Pokémon, which would be the most convenient mode of travel. For some reason, though, he just never encountered one that felt right.
That was exactly why Hakuya gave him the map. He'd marked every Flying-type Pokémon capable of carrying a person in the area, all from memory, so Luther could try his luck.
After a firm handshake, Luther set out with Mai, heading toward the Duckweed Town.
The town was close, only about a day's walk from Whitewind, and it had a Gym.
More importantly, Hakuya had once encountered a Swablu along that route.
Swablu can evolve into Altaria, the so-called "Dragon-type traitor." They have wings that look like soft tufts of cotton candy. Luther had always wanted to touch their wings and maybe even use one as a pillow.
Following Hakuya's directions, Luther reached the marked forest path before noon.
He hoped to meet a Swablu, but, as always, reality was cruel.
He camped there for two days. Trainer after trainer passed through the area while Luther searched the forest again and again. The Pokémon he saw most often were Butterfree and Pineco. As for Swablu? He couldn't even spot a feather of it.
Each time he ventured into the woods, Luther brought Milcery along and let it release its sweet fragrance in hopes of luring a Swablu out.
But things didn't go quite as planned.
Before him now lay a battlefield littered with fainted Ledian, Surskit, Wurmple, Caterpie, Oddish, and more.
Instead of Swablu, he attracted a horde of sweet-toothed Pokémon. And of course, Luther couldn't just let them slobber all over his Milcery, if anyone was going to do the licking, it'd be him! So, without hesitation, he had his team knock them all out cold.
A few rookie Trainers who had been camping nearby finally worked up the courage to approach. They nervously asked if they could capture some of the downed Pokémon.
"As long as you promise to take good care of them, I don't mind," Luther said.
Seeing the excitement sparkling in their eyes, Luther thought that maybe these gluttonous wild Pokémon were in luck; they might end up with kindhearted Trainers after all.
The rookies crowded around to check on the unconscious Pokémon.
"Don't touch that one!"
At Luther's shout, Marill sprang forward and punched a Bellsprout right in the head just as it was about to wake, knocking it out again, and shoved the startled Trainer away.
The boy flinched and stared up at Luther in confusion.
"Who told you to stick your finger in a Bellsprout's mouth?" The fluid inside is highly corrosive! Don't handle wild Pokémon you don't know well, got it?"
As he spoke, Luther pulled out his Pokédex and showed the boy the data entry for Bellsprout.
Then, he sighed and glanced at the fainted Bellsprout. "When did I become everyone's babysitter?"
Meanwhile, Mai was busy stopping another kid from touching a Weedle's poisonous horn.
Under their watchful eyes, each of the rookie Trainers successfully captured a Pokémon of their own and ran back to thank Luther and Mai enthusiastically.
As for the rest of the wild Pokémon, once they regained consciousness, they bolted without looking back, no matter how sweet Milcery's aroma grew.
Luther ventured deeper into the forest, and although he saw a few new species, most were still Bug- or Grass-type.
He returned to camp disappointed by evening.
"No luck?" Mai asked, handing him a bowl of food.
Luther sighed. "I swear, every time I go out of my way to look for a specific Pokémon, it's guaranteed not to show up."
The same thing happened with Heracross at the beginning of his journey. There were supposed to be plenty near Oreburgh City, but when he rushed there, he didn't find any. And since then, after all his travels, he still hadn't encountered one.
Milcery was utterly exhausted. To maintain its scent all day, it had to keep up intense focus for hours. Luther noticed this and decided to give Milcery an extra-large helping of food for dinner as a reward.
He tossed three pieces of caramel candy into Milcery's mouth; they were gone in an instant. He added a bit of fruit jam next, and only then did Milcery let out a soft, satisfied sigh.
A group of rookie Pokémon Trainers had set up their tents close to Luther's camp. After all, they were kids who had only recently started their journeys. When they met someone who seemed reliable, it was only natural that they'd want to stay nearby.
If he could make them feel a little safer, Luther didn't mind at all.
He'd walked a lot that day, so after quickly rinsing off in the nearby stream, he went to bed early.
In the middle of the night, Luther, still half-asleep, began to hear strange sounds.
Crying.
Confused muttering.
Suppressed moans.
The noises echoed throughout the camp.
His eyelids felt impossibly heavy. A fog of drowsiness clouded his mind. He forced his hand up and pinched his cheek hard until he snapped awake. Even then, his head throbbed and the world swayed slightly.
He didn't unzip the tent right away. Instead, he sat in the darkness and listened carefully.
The sounds hadn't stopped. Judging from the direction, they were coming from the area where the rookie Trainers had pitched their tents.
Occasionally, Mai's faint, restless voice drifted over as well.
Luther's heartbeat quickened. What was going on?
He'd assigned Pokémon to keep watch every night. Tonight's rotation was Marill, Eevee, and Corsola. Hadn't they heard anything?
He forced himself to stay calm and turned toward Chansey, who was resting outside her Poké Ball as usual. He nudged her twice.
Her brows furrowed tightly as if she were trapped in a terrible nightmare.
Jumpluff and Milcery, who were sleeping nearby, were the same: faces tense and bodies twitching.
Luther carefully released Kirlia, Espurr, and Houndoom. The tent instantly felt crowded. He gestured for silence.
Then, that eerie, low rumbling sound came again.
Kirlia's gaze flickered toward a dim glow in Luther's backpack. She tugged his sleeve urgently and pointed at it.
Luther froze for a moment. The only things in his pack capable of glowing were his phone and one other thing.
The Rainbow Wing?
Why was it glowing now?
That item was supposed to be useless in his hands.
Sure enough, the moment he held it, the glow faded. However, when he placed it near his Pokémon, it regained a faint shimmer.
Luther frowned. A warning?
In the information Cynthia had gathered for him about Ho-Oh, there was a note that said, "When danger approaches, the Rainbow Wing will shine, alerting its holder to an impending crisis."
Luther carefully wrapped the feather back up and tucked it into his bag. His expression grew grim.
He unzipped the tent as quietly as possible.
Then, stepping out with his Pokémon, Luther froze.
Under the bright moonlight, a dark, misty silhouette loomed over the rookies' campsite.
The figure turned slowly, as if sensing their gaze.
Two brilliant blue eyes glowed faintly, cold and bottomless, freezing Luther in place.
Why here?
Why now?
Where had a wild Darkrai come from?
(End of Chapter)
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