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Cynthia hesitated for a moment before setting down the documents and asking, "Have you met Luther?"
"No," Kukui Tetsu replied.
Cynthia pressed further, "Do you know anything about Luther beyond what's in these files?"
"Isn't the information in the files sufficient?" Kukui Tetsu countered.
Looking at Kukui Tetsu's cold, impassive face, Cynthia suddenly felt compelled to speak up for Mai.
"In that case, I have another question. Do you understand Mai?"
Kukui Tetsu seemed taken aback by the question, as if wondering why Cynthia would ask such a thing.
"I'm her father. What do you think?"
This answer made Cynthia close her eyes.
It confirmed what she had suspected: this was why Mai preferred traveling the world to returning home.
Mai was a free-spirited and independent person, while Kukui Tetsu was like a heavy lock. Being around him would undoubtedly cause Mai immense suffering.
The Mai who spent her days playing with Pokémon in her villa and the Mai who traveled with Luther, constantly discovering her strengths, learning, and growing, that was the Mai who was truly alive.
Unfortunately, Kukui Tetsu didn't understand, or perhaps... he refused to understand.
Cynthia rubbed the corner of her eye, suddenly feeling exhausted.
"Regarding being a witness to the battle, I hope you'll change your mind. I'll be blunt... you're no match for Luther."
Kukui Tetsu frowned, his eyes filled with skepticism.
"I'm not lying to you because of Mai. As Champion, you wouldn't doubt my judgment, would you?" Cynthia said coldly.
"Are you saying my information is wrong?"
"No, the information is accurate, just... a bit outdated." Cynthia pushed the documents back across the table. "This is Luther from six months ago. Now, he's already collected eight Badges and he's going to participate in the Lily of the Valley Conference," Cynthia murmured.
A rare flicker of emotion crossed Kukui Tetsu's face, but it quickly subsided.
As Cynthia watched him tuck the documents back into his pocket, she assumed he was going to carefully consider Mai and Luther's relationship. However, his next words made her feel like she had wasted her breath.
"I can have someone battle him."
Cynthia finally lost her composure, her voice rising slightly. Even a blind person could sense the effort she was making to control her anger.
"Kukui Tetsu, this is your family matter, and I didn't want to interfere. But since you've asked me to be a witness, and Mai is a child I care deeply for, I'll say a few words."
Kukui Tetsu remained unmoved by Cynthia's rising anger. He settled back in his seat, gesturing for her to continue, indicating he would listen attentively.
"Mai loves Luther, and Luther has the Ability to protect her. Why are you so determined to break them up?"
"For Mai's happiness? For her own good?" Cynthia scoffed. "I asked you before—you claimed to know Mai so well. Then tell me, what does she truly want?"
Cynthia's voice startled the dozing Pokémon awake. Even Garchomp stood curiously in the courtyard, peering inside.
"Whatever she wants, she can have it all if she just comes home."
"So you mean money?" Cynthia exclaimed, shocked. "You're her father, yet you're still forcing your own idea of love on her. No wonder Mai can't stand you."
Cynthia knew the deeper reason was Kukui Tetsu's unwillingness to relinquish his exclusive rights to the formula, but she was too weary to bring it up again.
It had been a long time since Cynthia had lost her composure like this. She leaned back on the sofa, gulping down ice water, determined to ignore Kukui Tetsu.
Though she hadn't explicitly asked him to leave, her meaning was clear.
"So, will you witness the Battle?"
Cynthia's anger twisted into a bitter laugh. "Fine, fine, fine. For Mai's sake, I'll witness it. But I want to know, who are you planning to have battle Luther?"
"I've built factories in Hearthome City, so I've made some contributions to the area. Gardenia, as the core Gym Leader, is deeply connected to the local community and should give me some consideration."
Cynthia was genuinely amused this time. Deciding to give Kukui Tetsu one last chance to save face, she offered a warning.
"Luther stayed in Hearthome City for quite a while. He even worked there as a Pokémon Trainer instructor for some time. He's fairly popular there. Gardenia and Luther are also on good terms... they exchange greetings every holiday. If you ask Gardenia to break up Mai and Luther, she'll probably warn Luther first."
Kukui Tetsu pulled out his phone and swiped through it.
"The port maintenance in Snowpoint City and the construction of new factories are currently under negotiation. What about Candice?"
Cynthia let out a snort of laughter.
"That could work. Of course, she wants Luther and Mai to break up. She's completely smitten with Luther and would jump at any chance to win him over."
Kukui Tetsu was no fool. Having lived long enough, he naturally understood that Cynthia still had more to say.
"But if she heard you say that, she'd resign immediately. She genuinely wants Snowpoint City to improve and for Luther to like her, but she'd be consumed by guilt if she tried to achieve that through such means."
Kukui Tetsu quickly glanced at his phone. "I've also invested in Whitewind Town's tourism industry, and..."
Cynthia interrupted him. "Fine. You've chosen a good candidate. Hakuya is indeed a decent person, and Luther might actually lose to him."
"But Hakuya and Luther are close friends. That socially awkward guy barely has any friends, and Luther is one of them. If you ask him to interfere, he might just quit and leave. So, please, stop messing with honest people, okay?"
Cynthia continued, "I'll be blunt with you... I think very highly of Luther."
"I've been looking for someone who can give me a genuinely enjoyable battle for a long time. I've found quite a few, but either they gave up halfway through, or they weren't talented enough. They couldn't reach their full potential."
"Right now, fewer than five Pokémon Trainers truly have my respect, and Luther is one of them.
"You can ask the other Gym Leaders to step in if you want. But Luther has already defeated the core Gym Leaders. Candice fought him at full strength and lost in a six-on-six battle. When you go back, take a good look through the Pokémon League records and see for yourself what that battle was really like."
Kukui Tetsu's hand, holding his phone, trembled slightly.
"Mai is also my friend," Cynthia said softly. "Kukui Tetsu, tell me: do you want your daughter or the formula?"
"If you insist on having me witness this Battle, I will immediately consult with the Pokémon League to terminate the Kukui family's Sponsor."
"The breach of contract penalty doesn't matter. I have plenty of money to cover it. I just want Mai to not feel awkward around me in the future, and for Luther to not harbor any resentment."
Cynthia considered this. "I'm not threatening you. You know I always keep my word. You can still use the formula to infiltrate high society, and I promise to keep silent about today's events."
"The Kukui family can continue to thrive in the Sinnoh Region and expand its influence, but that's no longer my concern."
"In short, all I need now is your answer."
"Tell me: Mai or the formula?"
(End of chapter)