You can read ahead up to 30 chapters on my Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/darkshadow6395
On the day of the music festival, Candice checked in with Luther to see how Maylene had been doing lately.
After hearing Luther's honest account, Candice was finally able to put her mind at ease.
The most challenging and stressful time for any Gym Leader is when they first take on the role, especially when inheriting the heavy responsibility of a Core Gym. Many leaders question whether they have the ability to keep the Gym running.
Now that Maylene had made it through this difficult phase, things would be much easier for her in the future.
The music festival was held near the Meteor-strewn park in the heart of Veilstone City.
Although Team Galactic had destroyed the area in their quest to obtain the power to activate the restraints on Palkia and Dialga, Veilstone City had swiftly repaired the damage, leaving no visible traces of the destruction.
The festival was similar to others Luther had attended, crowded and lively, but with one key difference: the music was deafeningly loud.
The booming sound system on the main stage forced Luther to pull Mai away. Although Mai worried they wouldn't be able to see the performances up close from farther back, Luther insisted that protecting their hearing was more important.
This kind of open-air music festival was all about getting hyped. Even the stall owners selling snacks nearby looked like they might start dancing at any moment while preparing food.
Jumpluff bounced around on Luther's shoulder. If Luther hadn't been walking slowly, he would have suspected she might flip off his shoulder at any second.
Meanwhile, the Espurr in his arms nodded rhythmically to the music, and Milcery mimicked its movements.
Even the opening prelude of the festival had this kind of infectious power.
Marill was probably the least affected out of all of them. She had no interest in the music; for her, these celebrations were all about eating as much as possible.
Every time Luther and Mai passed a food stall, Marill pointed at the snacks on display, signaling that she wanted some. By now, Luther had made his way from near the main stage to the edge of the crowd. His feet were already tired, yet Marill still looked full of energy, clearly wanting to dive back in for another round.
After being squeezed around for so long, Luther and Mai, sitting at the edge of the crowd and listening to the cheers and music drifting over from afar, both chose to sit down on a bench to rest for a while.
"I haven't seen anyone selling Everstones," Mai sighed.
One of the reasons they had been wandering around was to find an Everstone. They had hoped that a celebration of this scale would attract vendors selling rare items, but it seemed their expectations were wishful thinking.
The restless crowd piqued Mai's curiosity. She pulled a sheet of paper from her backpack, spread it on the bench, and stood on the bench herself, stretching on tiptoes to peer toward the main stage.
"Look, Luther! A Gallade is using Psychic power to control a cello!"
The scene was beautiful. Luther glanced at the size of the paper on the bench, carefully stepped onto it, and leaned in beside Mai to look.
It wasn't just the cello; the entire orchestra was composed of Gallade. Their Pokémon Trainer played a Steel-type instrument, while the other Gallade provided accompaniment.
Bellossom and Sunflora danced as backup performers. At first, Luther found the scene somewhat comical, but as the melody spread through the crowd, he became completely absorbed in it.
The music was exquisitely beautiful. The moment it began, the noisy celebration fell silent, leaving only the enchanting melody.
Luther wondered how much Energy the Gallade's Pokémon Trainer had spent to assemble such a team and how much more Energy it had taken to train them to this level of perfection.
Judging by the performance's impact and the audience's reaction, his efforts had been truly meaningful. The thunderous applause that erupted after the final note was more convincing than any argument. Even Mai couldn't resist clapping.
As Luther remained entranced by the melody, a boy around ten years old squeezed through the crowd and shouted loudly when he spotted Luther.
Luther looked over and recognized the child as one of the organizers of the Pokémon Trainer's item exchange he had met earlier.
At celebrations like this one, there was often a temporary organization responsible for facilitating trades between Pokémon trainers. Trainers could pay a small fee, post their requests on a notice board, and wait for others to negotiate with them.
Luther picked up his phone and found several missed calls. The noise had been so loud earlier that he hadn't noticed any incoming calls.
"Mr. Luther, we've been looking for you everywhere," The boy said breathlessly. "Someone has the Everstone you need."
"What does he want in return?" Luther asked.
"He wants to discuss it with you in person. He says it's too complicated to explain over the phone."
Since it was the other party's condition, Luther had no choice but to follow the staff member through the crowd toward the trading area.
But the closer they got, the more uneasy Luther felt.
The deafening music grew louder, and he realized they were heading toward the backstage lounge area of the music festival.
The staff member led Luther to the door of a spacious lounge, knocked twice lightly, and a deep, powerful voice came from inside.
"Come in."
A distinguished elderly man with snow-white hair, impeccably dressed in a tailored suit, sat regally on the sofa facing the door. As Luther entered, the man studied him with curiosity before glancing at Mai and nodding slightly.
The boy quietly closed the door, leaving the three of them alone.
"Let's cut to the chase," Luther said decisively. "What do you want to exchange?"
The old man chuckled, picked up his cane, and stood up with its support.
"Young people are so impatient and so wary," He remarked. "I am Matsuyama. The girl beside you seems to know who I am."
"He's a very famous music composer from the Kalos Region and one of Diantha's collaborators," Mai said excitedly, tugging at Luther's sleeve.
"Your Mismagius was under my son's care," Matsuyama continued. "When I visited Diantha, it even played a prank on me."
Luther released Mismagius. The moment she came out of her Poké Ball and saw Matsuyama, she burst into laughter.
"What a mischievous little thing," The old man said, smiling. "She poured me a drink, pretended to lose her balance, and then used her Psychic powers to control the drink, catching it just before it spilled on me. She poured it back into the cup."
Hearing this, Luther hurriedly pressed Mismagius down, preparing to apologize.
"No need to apologize. I didn't suffer any losses," Matsuyama waved it off. "Come, let's sit down and talk."
After they settled in, Mai asked curiously, "Matsuyama-senpai, are you here to perform too?"
Listening to the booming music outside, Matsuyama took a sip of tea and chuckled. "Do I look like someone who would bring Pokémon on stage to sing and dance? I'm just traveling and happened to pass through Veilstone City. An old friend dragged me here to watch the spectacle."
The door slid open, and a Malamar used Psychic Power to guide a tray, placing two drinks in front of Luther and Mai before taking its place behind Matsuyama.
Mai borrowed Luther's upgraded Pokédex and scanned the Malamar.
"Malamar: Possesses the strongest Hypnosis among Pokémon, allowing it to manipulate opponents at will."
Noticing Mai scanning its data, the Malamar raised its head, radiating an air of haughty pride.
(End of chapter)