Following his memory, Luther returned to the island where Lugia was staying.
Flygon handled it well enough. Having traveled with someone as experienced as Bertha for years, he'd seen plenty of extraordinary things. The appearance of Lugia barely surprised him; instead, he watched the legendary Pokémon with quiet curiosity.
The Skarmory Luther had borrowed from the Pokémon League was another story. The moment it landed, it started trembling uncontrollably, and a single glance from Lugia sent it scurrying behind Flygon for cover.
Mai couldn't take her eyes off Lugia's massive body rising from the sea. For her, seeing a legendary Pokémon in the wild was an unforgettable experience.
On the way here, she'd secretly hoped she might get to pet Lugia, but now, looking at the sharp, imposing features on Lugia's face, she decided that dream probably wasn't going to happen.
Lugia looked Mai over as well.
"You brought someone else with you?"
Mai flinched. A moment later, she realized the voice had come through Lugia's telepathy.
"This is Mai," Luther introduced. "My girlfriend. When she heard you were here, she wanted to come see you."
Lugia didn't really mind that Luther had brought someone along; she had only asked out of curiosity.
"Mira's awake. She's on the island doing rehabilitation training."
Luther paused before letting out a long sigh of relief. His biggest fear had been that Mira would remain trapped in her dream forever, unable to wake up. The fact that she had awakened on her own was better than anything he could have hoped for.
---
As they approached the cave, Silver suddenly came into view, headfirst, planted upside down in the ground.
It looked like she'd been hit with Stun Spore before Jumpluff rammed into her and sent her tumbling.
Chansey hurried over, expertly checked her over, then cracked open a Nutrient Egg and held it so Silver could drink from it herself.
Lately, Chansey had become Silver's favorite Pokémon. Only when training with Chansey did she avoid getting showered with strange powders that left her dizzy.
Only Chansey didn't take the opportunity to beat her up afterward. And only Chansey willingly acted as a punching bag, letting Silver practice her moves as much as she wanted.
The culprit, Jumpluff, floated back onto Luther's shoulder and immediately began chattering away.
Strangely enough, Luther had started to vaguely understand what his Pokémon were saying these days.
Like right now: Jumpluff was complaining that Silver's battling instincts were terrible and that training her was exhausting.
Got it. She wanted praise.
Luther gave Jumpluff a few compliments, and she proudly lifted her chin, looking thoroughly satisfied.
Watching Silver quietly sip her Nutrient Egg, Mai trembled with excitement. She turned toward Luther, her eyes practically glowing.
"C-Can I... pet her?"
It was exactly the look of someone visiting a cat café for the first time, desperately wanting to pet every cat in sight, but politely asking permission first.
"Silver probably won't mind," Luther said. "You can ask her."
Petting Lugia had never really been an option, but with Silver's affectionate personality, it was fine. Sure enough, after spotting Luther, Silver nudged his hand with her head while still drinking her Nutrient Egg, then happily rubbed herself against Mai as well.
Watching from a distance, Lugia couldn't help feeling a little proud. Seeing her child so well loved naturally made her happy as a mother.
---
Not long afterward, Gengar and Mira returned carrying armfuls of Berries.
The moment they saw Luther and Mai, both of them froze.
Mai glanced at Mira for a moment... then immediately turned her attention back to Silver.
By now, Silver had spread her wings, trying to hug Mai the same way Mai was hugging her.
"Chansey, come on. Let's take Silver down to the beach," Mai said.
Rubbing Silver's head, she led her and Chansey away.
Luther watched them go before turning back to Mira. "That's Mai, my girlfriend. She wanted to come meet Lugia."
Perhaps because she'd spent so many years in the Hodgepodge Organization, Mira had to think for a moment before figuring out what to say.
"...She's beautiful."
Luther smiled. "Thanks. So, when did you wake up?"
"Not... that long ago."
Noticing how uncomfortable she looked, Luther gestured for her to walk with him. Without a word, Mira quietly followed behind him.
The two strolled along the shore as the salty sea breeze drifted past. Luther stretched lazily, looking out over the endless ocean.
Mira had been stealing glances at him the entire time. Finally, she couldn't stay silent anymore.
"Why did you save me?"
It was the question she wanted answered more than anything. She didn't think Luther had any reason to save her. Yet he had.
"There wasn't really a reason," Luther answered honestly. "In that situation... I acted on impulse. I got caught up in the moment and saved you."
That was the honest truth. And afterward, he had never regretted it for a single second.
Luther spoke casually, but for some reason, it only made Mira angrier.
"That was Ho-Oh's blessing!" She burst out. "If Ho-Oh had taken the Rainbow Wing back after saving me, you would've lost everything! Throwing away something so precious just because you got carried away trying to save a Hodgepodge Organization member..."
She lowered her eyes. "...Someone like me, someone who came from the mud... all I'd do is make Ho-Oh look down on you."
Luther laughed.
"I saved your life, and now you're telling me I shouldn't have?"
"That I should've just let you die?"
"The letter you wrote to me didn't sound like this at all. Didn't you say you were just unlucky?"
Mira opened her mouth, only to find herself speechless.
"So what if you came from the mud?" Luther continued. "Then wash yourself clean."
"So what if you were part of the Hodgepodge Organization? From today onward, that organization is history. If you think you've committed sins, spend your life making up for them."
"Stop tying yourself in knots."
His words struck straight at the heart of her conflict. She hadn't known how to face the kindness he'd shown her, and that was why she'd been suffering so much.
"If it makes you feel any better," Luther said, "do you really think Ho-Oh would share her light with someone she believed was beyond saving? She was betrayed once before by foolish humans who truly couldn't be saved."
Mira's body trembled. As Luther kept walking ahead, she hurriedly wiped away the tears she could no longer hold back.
"In three years, Ho-Oh will appear before both of us again," Luther said. "I hope you won't disappoint her. It'll be the first time in three hundred years that she's chosen to trust humans this deeply again. The flame she left within you is her goodwill toward humanity."
"Now that you're awake, I don't have anything left to worry about. I'll be leaving soon. As for your identity, don't worry about it. The Hodgepodge Organization has been completely wiped out. I'll speak with the Pokémon League and clear your record."
"From now on, you can walk openly in the sun. If you want to go to Alola, go to Alola. If you want to go to Hoenn, go to Hoenn. Just make sure you live in a way that's worthy of the flame Ho-Oh entrusted to you... and of the effort I made to save you."
"The world has given you a second chance. Don't waste it."
Luther smiled as he watched Mai and Silver laughing together in the distance, splashing seawater at each other. He glanced once at the dazed Mira, then turned to leave.
"Wait!" Mira called after him. "What about the debt I owe you?"
"Do whatever you want," Luther replied without looking back, casually waving a hand. "Here's one piece of advice."
"Just keep doing good deeds. Don't worry about what lies ahead."
Mai came running over, completely soaked, with Silver happily nestled in her arms. Seeing only Luther, she asked with a smile, "Finished talking?"
"Yeah. We settled everything."
"Let's go home."
The moment Silver heard the words 'go home', she stiffened. She looked up at Luther in surprise, her eyes full of reluctance to see him leave.
Luther turned toward Lugia and gave her a grateful nod. "Thank you for taking care of me all this time. I really appreciate everything you've done."
Lugia had secretly listened to the entire conversation between Luther and Mira, and found herself deeply impressed. At last, she understood why Ho-Oh had chosen Luther as her reason to believe in humanity once more.
(End of Chapter)
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