Early the next morning, Ash and his group left Veilstone City, hurrying toward Asagi Town to participate in the Asagi Conference.
Before leaving, Luther leaned close to Ash and said something quietly, immediately piquing Brock and Dawn's curiosity.
They both felt that Luther was a very mysterious person.
Brock thought that Luther seemed to know his past extremely well. During their conversations, Luther would occasionally bring up things that made Brock pause and search his memory.
Dawn, on the other hand, felt that Luther had an almost excessive level of confidence in her abilities. She was inspired by him, but she still wondered how he could be so certain that she would succeed at the Asagi Conference.
Only Ash, as he walked along, kept replaying the words Luther had said before parting, along with everything that had happened during this period.
In the end, he shook his head. Since Luther said he would tell him everything after winning the Lily of the Valley Conference, there was no point in overthinking it now.
After Ash left, Maylene finally got to meet Luther.
When Luther had left earlier, she hadn't exchanged contact information with him. She also felt awkward about asking Candice to inquire about him. After not seeing him for so many days, she had even thought that he'd forgotten their agreement.
But Luther still came.
She didn't bother asking how "special" the "special reason" he mentioned for being late really was.
Teaching one person was the same as teaching two. Just like with Ash, there was no difference in what Maylene heard.
However, Maylene's abilities as a Pokémon trainer were clearly weaker than Ash's. Lucario had already found its rhythm, while Maylene was still trying to regulate her breathing, stabilize her emotions, and empty her mind so she could better understand Luther.
Feeling mischievous, Luther decided to have Maylene practice her breathing while simultaneously dodging Lucario's 'Aura Spheres'. After all, she needed to focus her energy anyway, and this external pressure would force her to concentrate even more intensely.
Of course, this also allowed Luther to continue enjoying a certain "famous scene."
The trainees at Veilstone Gym witnessed a peculiar sight: whenever Luther was about to explain a crucial point, Maylene would close her eyes in deep concentration while Lucario fired 'Aura Spheres' at her.
'Is this Luther's unique teaching method?' they wondered. 'As expected, truly skilled individuals have such eccentric and distinctive teaching styles...'
Although the sessions were long, Maylene never neglected her Gym Battles. As an effective way to evaluate her progress, Luther always watched the battles in full.
Soon, challengers who had heard rumors that the new Gym Leader of Veilstone City was weak came in droves, only to be used as practice targets.
For a time, the official forums were once again filled with posts angrily denouncing the false information.
Naturally, Luther knew nothing about this. He was simply observing how much strength Maylene could bring out when using Pokémon comparable to the challengers'. This was the most direct way to gauge her current abilities.
Nearly a month after the last challenge, Evan and Zhi returned to Veilstone Gym, ready to challenge Maylene once more.
This time, Evan was brimming with confidence, having completely revamped his team lineup.
However, unlike their previous encounter, Maylene didn't even need to use Lucario to achieve a clean sweep of three consecutive victories, leaving Evan utterly stunned.
Naomi, who had been watching the battle while snacking, glared at Luther and stormed over to him. "You're behind this, aren't you? Maylene didn't have this kind of strength when my brother challenged her last time!"
"Gym Leaders need to improve too," Luther replied calmly. "I simply offered some guidance to a friend. Her ability to learn and adapt is her own ability."
Naomi gritted her teeth in frustration. "This isn't fair to the challengers!"
Luther stroked the Jumpluff beside him and sighed. Naomi's genuine love for Pokémon compelled him to offer a few more words.
"Challengers and Gym Leaders grow together. Obtaining a Badge isn't just about defeating the Gym Leader. If that were the only way, no one would ever challenge the Elite Gyms; they'd all flock to the weaker ones."
"Do you know why so many Pokémon Trainers, despite getting thoroughly beaten, keep devising all sorts of elaborate strategies to try and clear the Elite Gyms, even when there are weaker Gyms nearby that they completely ignore?"
Naomi shook her head.
"Because in the Elite Gyms, even losing is a form of training. You learn so much more there. The weaker Gyms, on the other hand, teach you very little. That's why ambitious Pokémon Trainers would rather endure brutal defeats than settle for the easy route."
Naomi muttered, "But Maylene's level... it doesn't feel like an Elite Gym at all."
Luther couldn't help but laugh out loud. His laughter caught Maylene's attention. She had just finished a battle and was wiping sweat from her brow.
It was true, Maylene indeed lacked the Strength of an Elite Gym Leader. If she failed to prove herself during the next Gym evaluation, the Veilstone Gym's ranking might actually decline.
That was also why her close friend, Candice, had wanted to guide her so badly and had asked Luther to stay in Veilstone City for a while.
However, given Maylene's current rate of improvement, Candice's worries should be easing considerably.
Maylene might be a bit airheaded and have some comprehension issues, but her battle instincts were excellent.
"She may not have Elite Gym strength, but she's still stronger than your brother," Luther said with a smile. "I bet your brother will want to challenge her again later."
Naomi pouted. "With you here, I'm not letting my brother get beaten up again. I'll take him to challenge other places."
Luther didn't respond, just picked up Espurr, and gently smoothed its fur.
After Pikachu left, Milcery nestled into Espurr's arms once again. The two little ones were always together, just like a Kangaskhan and its baby.
When Maylene saw Evan off at the Gym entrance, Luther followed them out.
Watching Naomi constantly urging Evan, Luther nearly burst out laughing.
"I'll challenge you again next time," Evan said, composing himself. He gently pressed a hand against Naomi, who was about to whisper something to him, instantly deflating her mood.
Seeing Luther's smug grin, his "See? I told you so," expression practically begging for a punch, Naomi gritted her teeth.
After Evan left, Maylene suddenly became determined. She threw several punches in quick succession, struck a few poses, and let out a loud shout.
After watching this entire sequence, Luther thought Maylene might be having a kind of hidden condition flare up.
Marill, who had been munching on little biscuits, stared at Maylene with its mouth wide open. The biscuit slipped right out of its hands and fell to the ground.
'What was this… a suddenly overexcited patient?'
After completing her routine, Maylene lowered her stance, closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and then called out to Luther with renewed energy.
Startled out of his daze, Luther instinctively snapped to attention, replying with a crisp "Yes, ma'am!"
The response carried a hint of the nervous tension he'd felt during military training when the drill sergeant called his name.
When Maylene realized what had happened, she burst out laughing. After a while, she scratched her head awkwardly and said, "Sorry, I got a bit too excited. I don't get to experience that kind of overwhelming victory often."
Luther rubbed his forehead. "You need to study the Gym Leader's Code with Candice. Pay attention to how she acknowledges Challengers and determines when they've earned a Badge. You have to be careful about that."
This time, Maylene responded seriously, "Yes."
After speaking, she suddenly remembered something.
"Oh, right. Are your plans set?"
Luther thought about it. He had been staying in Veilstone City for nearly a month, and the Lily of the Valley Conference was still two months away. The distance from here to the coastal port on Lily of the Valley Island wasn't particularly far.
Considering he wanted to gather information about other conference participants along the port and challenge some Pokémon Trainers, two months should be more than enough.
"I've still got time. What's up?"
Maylene took out her phone, searched for something, and turned the screen toward Luther.
"Veilstone City Music Festival?"
"You know Veilstone City is quite developed in terms of entertainment, so they always hold a celebration before the Lily of the Valley Conference. This time, it's a music festival."
"It's going to be so lively! Weren't you looking for an Everstone but couldn't find one? The music festival starts next week, maybe you can trade with other Pokémon Trainers there."
A music festival...
What would a music festival in this world be like? He was genuinely curious.
Would Pokémon themselves go on stage to perform or sing, besides humans?
"Since I'm not in a rush, I'll just leave after the festival," Luther decided.
Luther's reply made Lucario clench his fist. Maylene had secured at least another week, and he was determined to continue working with Luther to mold her into a qualified Elite Gym Leader.
As night approached, Mai returned from the Breeders' Association.
This time, she had gone to register her complete information. The association also held a networking event for the new batch of rookie breeders, allowing them to share their experiences.
She looked very happy; who knew what new knowledge she had picked up during the exchange?
When she heard about the upcoming Veilstone City Music Festival, she seemed particularly excited.
"Of course Pokémon will be performing! Didn't you know some Pokémon Trainers specifically select Pokémon with musical talent to form bands?"
"Back when large-scale music festivals were held, famous composers participated as well. I heard that some of them exchanged ideas with traveling Pokémon Trainers at the festivals for creative inspiration. If they liked it, they might compose music based on inspiration from a Pokémon Trainer!"
A spark of realization flashed through Luther's mind.
A melody suddenly surfaced in his thoughts, and he hummed a fragment of it without realizing it.
Mai, who was walking with Luther, listened for a while. There were no lyrics, yet the melody carried an indescribable sense of solemnity and majesty.
It was the second time Mai had heard an unfamiliar melody from Luther. She memorized it and began humming along. The more she hummed, the more captivating it felt.
She wasn't mistaken, there was an intense pressure woven throughout the entire piece, as if one were face-to-face with a powerful god.
This was Necrozma's battle theme.
In Luther's mind, this melody perfectly captured the sacredness and overwhelming pressure one felt when confronting a divine Pokémon.
Using it as a hype-up track while preparing for the Lily of the Valley Conference felt absolutely fitting. If he could get someone to recreate it, Luther would essentially be a man with his own background music.
And since Necrozma was still sleeping in the Ultra World and had no idea this piece originally belonged to it, taking it for a Pokémon Trainer's use…
That couldn't be called stealing.
It had to be called borrowing.
And since Luther was just borrowing it for a bit, there was no way Necrozma could object anyway.
(End of Chapter)
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