Following the direction Dakota pointed out, Luther quickly walked out of the forest and reached a place with signal reception.
As long as there was a signal, things became much easier. Luther immediately used his map to locate the main road and hurried toward the nearest town along it.
By noon, a dusty and tired Luther and Mai finally arrived at Shiyin Town, the town closest to Sun Heart City.
Though it was called a "town," its size was much closer to that of a small city. As a native of Sun Heart, Mai clearly knew the reason behind this and patiently explained it to Luther.
Sun Heart City was the most prosperous and developed city in the region. Because of this, it kept expanding outward, influencing an enormous surrounding area.
Shiyin Town, which was right next to Sun Heart and possessed the qualification to be upgraded to city-level, could only remain stuck as a "town" because of Sun Heart City's overwhelming presence.
However, in recent years, Sun Heart City has become more and more crowded, driving many people to move to nearby towns.
As Luther listened, he felt an uncanny sense of familiarity. Once development reached a certain scale, some things were always similar.
Since they had finally arrived, they naturally needed to rest. Mai and Luther once again split up, with Darkrai, as usual, following Mai.
Shiyin Town didn't have a Gym, so Luther planned to let his Pokémon relax a bit. Training every single day was simply too monotonous; it was time for a healthy balance of work and rest.
There was no shortage of delicious food at the market, and Marill had been drooling nonstop ever since they entered.
Unable to tolerate Marill's ridiculous expression any longer, Kirlia pulled out a handkerchief from Luther's backpack and stuffed it directly into her mouth, finally making her behave.
Bertha's card couldn't be used at the market, so Luther had to spend the last of his cash.
Each Pokémon got a small bottle of freshly squeezed Berry juice and a box of dried Berries, distributed evenly, without favoritism.
After gulping hers down in one go, Marill looked expectantly at Milcery.
Milcery sniffed her own portion for a long time without taking a sip. Then she noticed Marill's burning gaze, waved her hand, and signaled that Marill could have it.
Milcery's tastes were picky, something Marill had long known. But that was fine. She wasn't picky! Anything Milcery didn't eat, she would gladly take!
Holding a bottle of soda, Luther sat on a bench by the roadside, watching the bustling crowd in the marketplace. Pokémon busily carried ingredients and goods for their owners' stalls. Luther let out a long, comfortable sigh.
The weather today was truly wonderful, clear skies and bright sunshine. No wonder Candice said that despite Snowpoint City being a core Gym, its lack of popularity was completely reasonable.
The southern Sinnoh climate was so pleasant, once spring thawed, everything turned warm and cozy.
With weather like this, Luther could stretch, bask in the sun, and daydream on a bench for an entire afternoon.
But Milcery suffered for it. She had been sitting comfortably on Luther's shoulder, but when he stretched lazily, he forgot about her. She slid down onto his back, and if she hadn't clung tightly to his clothes, she would've rolled right off.
Luther quickly picked Milcery up and set her in his hand. Just as he was thinking about how to comfort her, a paper ball smacked him in the face, rolled twice, and landed in Milcery's hands.
Seeing the figure walking away with arms crossed, Luther wanted to curse about their lack of manners, but Milcery had already opened the paper ball.
The handwriting on the unfolded paper made Luther feel that something was very wrong.
He rubbed Milcery gently and took the opened note from her hands, reading it carefully.
"Pokémon Center beside the market, Video Call Machine No. C7."
The sentence itself was simple enough, but Luther felt his breathing grow heavy.
The signature was a circle with the character "Qing" inside it.
Unbelievable, there were Hoodlums in Shiyin Town too?
Had they been tailing him all along, or did they just happen to have people stationed here?
Luther didn't check his surroundings. He simply waited for his Pokémon to finish eating, recalled them, and then strolled unhurriedly toward the Pokémon Center mentioned on the note.
Because it was lunchtime, the Pokémon Center lobby was quiet. After Luther walked in, Nurse Joy even came up to offer assistance.
Luther declined her help and headed straight for the communication area, locating Machine C7 by following the numbers.
He sat there for quite a while, and things were nothing like what he had imagined, no sudden ringing, no one stepping out of the shadows to speak with him.
Instinctively, Luther thought about Mai's safety, but with Darkrai at her side, it shouldn't be a problem.
Espurr was clinging to his chest; if there were any disturbance nearby, Espurr would sense it immediately.
But nothing happened.
After thinking for a moment, Luther fiddled with the decorations on the video call machine's desk. A paper ball rolled out from under a small potted plant in the corner.
How perfectly in line with the Hoodlums' usual methods, cautious to the extreme.
Using the number written on the note, Luther dialed.
As the beeping tone echoed from the receiver, Luther held his breath, emptied his mind, and tried to return to the persona he had taken on back during the Moon Loop Commercial District incident.
The long wait before the call connected gave him plenty of time to adjust himself.
Then, without warning, the call was answered. Maintaining his breathing rhythm, Luther nearly lost control of it in that instant.
The video screen was dark; the other party hadn't enabled their camera, and Luther had also turned his off.
He could hear the breathing on the other end, yet the person said nothing.
Taking another deep breath to confirm he was fully "in character," Luther spoke with a mocking lilt.
"What's wrong? You have something to say to me but don't know how to start? Evergreen, you're not mute. Why are you just breathing and not talking?"
"I was only debating what attitude I should use. Back in the Moon Loop Commercial District, we were at each other's throats. But afterward… in a sense, we became collaborators."
The moment Evergreen's voice sounded, Luther's hand tightened around the receiver.
"Maybe it'd be fitting to use a 'reunion between old friends' tone?" Luther suppressed the irritation welling up and replied with a smile.
"But I don't think we're that close. Even a simple greeting between us feels extravagant."
Evergreen's words were as barbed as Luther's.
Since you're not going to get to the point, then I'll circle around with you.
"Seems like you went to great trouble to contact me just for a chat. Feeling lonely?" Luther suddenly remembered something and added, "How about I give you another 'gift'?"
Evergreen's steady breathing abruptly faltered, followed by the sound of him quickly moving away from the microphone.
Luther confirmed at least one thing: his "gift" from last time still had its effect.
"I apologized, and you returned the favor with your 'gift.' We're even. I don't intend to argue with you, so let's keep this short."
"I need you to do something for me."
Luther's smile gradually froze.
(End of Chapter)
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