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When Electivire collapsed, the entire stadium fell silent. Everyone had been captivated by the intense battle and were too awestruck to utter a single word.
Then, like tidal waves crashing from all directions, thunderous cheers swept across the arena. As Ash entered the field and hugged Infernape, Luther smiled faintly and stood up from his seat.
"There's still another match later. Where are you going?" Mai asked curiously.
"I'm planning to watch from near the Battle Arena. The view's better there," He replied. "Want to come?"
Mai hesitated for a moment before shaking her head.
"I'll stay with Dawn and the others."
These days, Mai always interpreted Luther's actions as 'preparing for the upcoming matches', and she did her best not to interfere with him in any way.
Although Luther himself didn't think she was bothering him, Mai remained stubborn about it.
As he passed the trio, they still had some merchandise left, and James was preparing to restock.
As he walked through the spectator stands, James could no longer hold back his worries.
"Even if we leave Team Rocket, our identities are still stained. Moving around freely would still be a huge problem."
Clearly, the Trio had already started to think seriously about life after leaving Team Rocket. Luther's words that day had clearly shaken them deeply.
"You can find a place to settle down first. As for your identities... I'll think of something later."
After pondering for a moment, that was the only promise Luther could make. Right now, he couldn't guarantee anything. It wasn't a very convincing answer, but James froze for a moment before pressing further.
"What makes you think we can believe you're capable of doing that?"
"If you're truly determined to leave, then I'm willing to discuss this matter with Cynthia personally."
"We trust you, not Cynthia. If we leave, we won't be coming back to help you deal with Team Rocket. Make sure you understand that."
"So what exactly do you want?" Luther turned around and looked straight at James.
James stared back at him.
"Win the championship. Winning the Lily of the Valley Conference carries enormous weight in the eyes of the Sinnoh League. Use your own ability to clear our names, without relying on anyone else's influence."
Luther laughed.
"You want guarantees from me, but can you guarantee you'll keep your word? What are you offering as collateral?"
James fell silent. He truly had nothing he could use as collateral.
Trust?
They were members of Team Rocket. Although Luther trusted them enough to do business with them, that trust only extended to business matters.
Using assets as collateral...
Not only would Luther never accept them, but the three of them were practically broke anyway.
James was sweating nervously and couldn't think of any response.
"How about this? If you go back on your word, I'll inform the Pokémon League and have them investigate your family business."
It was a completely naked threat.
Despite James and Jessie being wanted criminals all these years, the Pokémon League had never connected the dots well enough to target them or their family.
However, if a competitor who had reached the top four of the tournament submitted information personally, the situation would be entirely different.
James wasn't like Jessie or Meowth. He still had family.
He had run away from home partly to escape his fiancée, Rumika, and partly because his family had been too controlling. It was only after joining Team Rocket that he finally experienced a sense of freedom.
No matter how much James resisted going home, hearing Luther threaten his family made him look at him nervously.
Seeing this, Luther waved his hand and walked away.
"Think it over carefully. I'm not forcing you. You made the request, and if I'm going to put in all this effort, I need something to hold over you, too. Otherwise, it would be far too unfair to me."
Upon arriving at the competitors' passageway on the other side, Luther found Lucian sitting on a nearby bench with a book in his hands.
Seeing Luther approach, Lucian put down his book and waved at him.
This guy always showed up looking for entertainment or trying to stir things up. Today was probably no exception.
"I'm just here to watch the match."
This answer caused Luther to look up and glance sideways at Lucian, clearly expressing his disbelief.
"Alright, fine. I admit there's an element of enjoying the spectacle involved too. After all, Etorre and Dakota are fairly close friends, so I'm curious to see what kind of battle they'll put on. That's why I came to watch in person."
This answer finally satisfied Luther.
After resting for about thirty minutes, he browsed the forums while Lucian read his book. The two passed the waiting time in their own quiet ways. Only when the commentator began testing the microphone and clearing his throat again did they stand up together and head towards the Battle Arena.
With Lucian leading the way, Luther didn't need to waste time explaining himself to the Pokémon League staff. They followed Lucian all the way to the guardrail area near the field and arrived at a spot where they could clearly see everything happening in the arena.
As he watched Etorre and Dakota enter the field, Lucian calmly put away his book.
"From your perspective as a friend, who do you think will win: Dakota or Etorre?"
This was a question that Luther had already been asked countless times before the match. Honestly, he truly didn't have an answer.
Seeing Luther remain silent, Lucian gave him an understanding smile.
"Want to hear my opinion?"
Intrigued, Luther turned his head and gestured for him to continue.
"Dakota exposed a major weakness during his match against Conway. His Darkrai is extremely powerful, as are his Metagross and Salamence. A lot of people are blinded by the sheer strength of his Pokémon and fail to notice that weakness."
"Trick Room?" Luther immediately understood.
Lucian nodded, and the corners of his mouth turned up slightly.
"After that match, many people started proclaiming Dakota's line-up to be unbeatable, saying that Conway and his strategies had been toyed with completely."
"But what I saw was the exact opposite. Conway only lost because his Pokémon were weaker. His battle strategy itself was completely correct. Dakota's entire lineup places enormous emphasis on speed. Since you've spent so much time around Conway, he must've mentioned his views on battling at some point, right?"
Luther suddenly remembered the discussions they had shared at Kihara Restaurant. Dakota had indeed talked at length about the use of high-speed teams.
And, thinking further, even the Latios that Dakota failed to catch was renowned for its speed.
"A low-speed Trick Room team?" Luther frowned. "But does Etorre's team actually have enough raw strength to withstand Dakota's offence?"
Even after making it this far, Luther still lacked confidence in his ability to face Dakota.
Back in the courtyard, the two Darkrais had sparred several times, and Dakota had openly admitted that Luther's Darkrai was slightly inferior in terms of both training and overall development.
The fact that he had been able to capture Darkrai, and even attempt to capture Latios...
Even if it had been through a group battle, the rest of Dakota's team definitely wouldn't be weak either.
Judging from Metagross and Salamence's performance in the previous round, the only Pokémon on Luther's side that could compare were probably Azumarill and Mismagius.
But what about Etorre?
Among that massive army of Pokémon he had gathered from different regions, did he truly possess anything capable of standing against the three giants; Darkrai, Metagross, and Salamence?
(End of Chapter)