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When Luther arrived near the spectator tunnel, Infernape's Mach Punch had just slammed into Aggron's forehead, sending Paul's Aggron out of the match.
"Senior Brother is amazing. Things are progressing really fast."
Luther sighed in admiration and quickly followed the signs toward Mai's seat.
The trio's figures flashed past Luther's vision. After thinking for a moment, he walked over beside James.
"Get me a bottle of orange soda. I didn't bring cash, deduct it from the profits."
The Team Rocket trio, who had been celebrating Infernape's victory with great excitement, all turned toward Luther at the same time when they heard his voice.
"Here, take it, take it. Your orange soda. The match is getting to the exciting part, so stop coming over here to supervise us."
James handed the drink to Luther and waved him away, signaling that he could leave now.
Their previous showdown hadn't affected Luther's future cooperation with the trio. When they met, things weren't awkward between them either.
One clear answer the trio had given him was that they needed more time to think things over anyway. There were still several days before the conference ended.
Seeing how focused they were on Infernape's performance, Luther decided to just let them be.
"Don't get too excited and end up consuming the merchandise you're supposed to sell yourselves."
Luther's reminder made James complain, "We're professionals. How could we possibly do something like that?"
"Hopefully…"
Luther smiled and found Mai and Brock's seats, only to discover that Barry and Conway were there too.
Barry, who had just lost his match, didn't look disappointed at all. He was loudly cheering for Ash at the top of his lungs, making Luther's ears hurt.
Luther had no idea how Conway, who was sitting right beside him, managed to tolerate Barry.
Ash was determined to use the six Pokémon from the Lake Acuity disaster to get his revenge, and he truly intended to follow through with it.
The second Pokémon he sent out was Staraptor, while Paul chose Gastrodon. Just like in the anime, there was almost no difference in how the battle unfolded.
It seemed this match would ultimately develop just like it had in the anime.
When it came to learning from other people's battle styles and strategies, Paul was an expert as well. For example, the Counter Shield Gastrodon was displaying right now, using Muddy Water to form a defensive barrier that sealed off Staraptor's aerial attack routes.
Paul seemed to possess the same obsession Ash did.
This tournament had already been completely thrown into chaos because of Luther's appearance, not to mention how many storylines had changed because of him.
When Paul researched information on other Pokémon Trainers, he would definitely have seen the battle styles of Luther, Misaki, and Etorre.
He must have learned many new tactics from them, yet he hadn't used any of them.
Perhaps it was because he hadn't had enough time to train with them and worried he couldn't produce good results yet, so he temporarily set them aside.
But Luther believed even more strongly that this was an adjustment Paul had made because he viewed Ash as an opponent he absolutely had to defeat.
He wanted to defeat Ash to prove himself, so he would use Ash's style and create strategies specifically aimed at countering Ash's methods.
Both of them were idiots…
Ash had clearly gained new resolve and had brought his powerful old Pokémon onto this stage, yet stubbornly refused to use others.
Paul, meanwhile, wanted to defeat Ash the same way he had at Lake Acuity, using his own methods of calculation and strategy.
The butterfly effect stopped in front of these two fools. It had changed the course of this Lily of the Valley Conference, yet it could not change the clash between these two.
"So this is what it feels like to watch Ash's battle live…"
Luther sat in his seat, watching Gastrodon fall, watching Drapion come onto the field and scatter Toxic Spikes, watching Ash's advantage slowly slip away as Paul gradually took control of the battle's tempo…
Feeling the uproar of the stadium and hearing the commentator's passionate shouting…
It felt like one of the greatest wishes shared by those kids who had watched Ash set out from Pallet Town, to sit in the best seats possible and personally experience this hot-blooded Rival Battle.
Throughout this intensely infectious match, Luther remained silent the entire time, simply appreciating the battle in silence.
Dawn and Barry repeatedly tried to drag Luther into the conversation, hoping he would comment on the match and predict how things would develop.
After seeing Torterra fall, their anxiety and nervousness reached a peak. Since Luther continued saying nothing, they thought he had already lost faith in Ash's chances.
Dawn and Piplup cheered even harder for Ash, and even the usually calm Mai couldn't help taking one of Dawn's cheering props to support Ash as well.
The reason Luther stayed silent was simply because he had completely immersed himself in the battle. In truth, he could hear all of their discussions clearly.
But what could Luther even say?
"Trust me, Ash is definitely going to win?"
Luther couldn't say that.
The brilliance of this battle far exceeded anyone's imagination. Just as Cynthia had said, this was a shocking clash between two intertwined lives standing on the same stage to prove themselves.
Even Luther, a transmigrator who already knew the original story, had long forgotten the exact outcome of the battle. Just judging by the battle itself, he didn't dare guarantee Ash's victory.
On the stands across from them, Dakota and Etorre stood together.
At first, Dakota hadn't thought much of the battle. In his eyes, Ash was simply throwing away all the growth and progress he had accumulated recently, making a foolish decision by abandoning his huge advantages and stubbornly confronting Paul head-on.
Proving himself?
Wouldn't winning the match already prove everything?
What could prove a Pokémon Trainer and his Pokémon more than victory?
Infernape burned through the battlefield, cleared away the Toxic Spikes, and turned the tide against Ninjask through sheer perseverance.
Pikachu used Volt Tackle to forcefully take down Froslass.
Gliscor weaved back and forth through Pin Missile attacks, desperately trying to eliminate Drapion, who had been disrupting the flow of the entire match.
The emotional impact never stopped.
Many Pokémon Trainers gradually lose the fiery passion they had in their youth as time passes. Whether that's good or bad is hard to say. Calmness makes them steadier, better able to judge situations on the battlefield, and more likely to achieve victory.
Sometimes, when watching Ash loudly shout out move names and passionately swing his fists from the sidelines, Dakota even felt the urge to laugh.
During a private conversation, Luther once told him that sometimes they found such behavior embarrassing or ridiculous only because they themselves had once been just as cringeworthy and passionate.
And because they remembered their younger selves, mocking the current generation became a way to erase their own embarrassment.
Infernape and Electivire collided fiercely, the two Pokémon fighting with everything they had, as if each one wanted to slam the other into the ground through sheer force alone.
Dakota believed this battle possessed the power to make hearts that had gradually dried up and cooled with age begin beating passionately once again.
Luther had said this battle might become proof that Ash had stepped into an entirely new stage of growth.
Dakota believed him now.
The scorching aura of Blaze nearly blew away the Aegislash protecting the referee, and even the audience seated close to the battlefield could feel the searing heat rushing toward them.
Within the towering flames, Dakota and Etorre widened their eyes.
Just moments earlier, when Electivire had restrained Infernape's Mach Punch, both of them had thought the battle was already decided.
But now, everything had changed once again.
"So this is the bond Ash and his Pokémon share…" Etorre muttered softly.
"In that regard, the two of us really are inferior to him." Dakota's eyes reflected the blazing flames before him.
(End of Chapter)