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Shōhei didn't look directly at Ralts; he just mumbled a quiet apology before leaving the battle arena.
Luther didn't care whether his apology was sincere; he just wanted him to apologize.
After Shōhei left the arena, Luther won eleven consecutive battles, using no more than three moves in each one, always targeting the weaknesses that his opponent's Pokémon exposed when they used their moves.
At first, people had thought that Luther's Pokémon would be exhausted and easier to defeat after the battles, but instead, they were all quickly overwhelmed, becoming mere stepping stones for Luther to demonstrate the knowledge and experience he had gained.
Some challengers tried to get under his skin with trash talk, but Luther didn't engage. He remained silent, merely giving instructions to his Pokémon to keep attacking.
As the battle time wore on, Luther began to struggle to remember the challengers' names.
The stands had turned completely silent, resembling a library, with more and more people taking photos and videos.
A new wave of posts about Luther started flooding the community forums.
"Hearthome Gym's danger level is rising; leave while you can."
"Go to another Gym. Luther doesn't hold back anymore. He's now beating challengers with type advantages."
"I'm out of here; what kind of assessment challenge is this? He doesn't deserve to be the acting Gym Leader."
Luther skipped over several challengers before finding one willing to step up.
Now, when Pokémon Trainers heard Luther say "next," their hearts raced.
The twelfth challenger successfully took the Hearthome Badge from Luther.
Though his Magmar had been hit by Exeggutor's Psychic attack, it still managed to unleash Fire Blast just before going down. While it didn't defeat Exeggutor, he was the only one that day to put up a prolonged fight with Luther.
Defeating the Gym Leader wasn't required to earn a Badge; what mattered was having the Gym Leader acknowledge your skill as a Pokémon Trainer.
Luther's actions reignited the interest of the challengers who had been hesitating.
During the lunch break, Basil and Mai enjoyed the green pepper beef Luther had prepared. Since Basil wasn't great with spicy food, Luther had made sure not to add any extra peppers.
Throughout lunch, Luther and Mai asked Basil about her home situation multiple times, but Basil blushed, apologizing and shaking her head each time.
Luther didn't press her further.
"Next up, Yota from Celestic Town." After lunch, Luther began the first battle of the afternoon.
This was likely the oldest challenger of the day, with the registration form indicating he was seventeen.
"I request a double battle, 2V2."
Yota's words made Luther look up.
The tall, slender boy had a confident, almost smug expression.
"The next Trainer on the registration form is also my friend," Yota said with a bright smile. "You said we could set the rules ourselves, you're not going to back out now, are you?"
Luther gave a brief "oh," flipped to the next page, and asked, "You want me to battle both of you at the same time?"
"No, I want Gym Leader Luther to team up with us for the double battle."
Luther grinned. "So if I can't team up, are you going to accuse me of not keeping my word?"
"I'm just exploiting a loophole in the rules," Yota said with a wink. "I thought you wouldn't mind. Integrity is important, Gym Leader Luther."
Luther applauded, impressed by Yota's cleverness and his own foresight.
"Basil, come here."
Basil, who had been quietly watching from behind Luther, was startled when he called her name. She trembled slightly as she walked toward him, moving as if in a daze.
"This is my partner."
Luther's words left Basil stunned.
She didn't take as long to think this time. Her words came out quickly.
"I can't do it. I can't battle. I don't have the strength. This is a Gym battle, and I'll just drag you down."
"Have you even tried? How do you know you don't have the strength if you haven't tried?"
Basil shook her head vigorously. "Miltank and Jigglypuff often battle each other, but my family... my friends say my level is really low..."
"So you really believe you can't do it?"
Basil hesitated. "But that's the truth..."
Luther finally understood how disappointing and frustrating he must have seemed to others back then.
If you believe you can't do something and have no confidence, you've already given up before even trying.
Once someone resigns themselves, it's like they've already lost.
He saw in Basil the same reluctance he had once felt, keeping others at arm's length, avoiding connections, pushing away the kindness offered to them, and accumulating negative energy.
Carrying that negative energy with him, Luther had once thought that the environment was what had harmed him.
Nonsense; it was always his own mindset that had been his downfall.
If only he had been more proactive back then, if he had tried a little harder, if he had been more open to feeling the warmth of others instead of always passively trying to fit in with groups...
This realization took Luther two months in this world to grasp, while in his previous life, he never understood it at all.
Too many "ifs" had intertwined, creating Luther's miserable life.
He hated "ifs"; he even despised the version of himself that had come to this world, weakly whining and dragging along the bad habits from his past life.
He could see the hidden desire beneath Basil's timid and fragile spirit.
Whenever the trainee Pokémon Trainers began their practice battles, she would sit on the sidelines, lost in thought, propping her chin up.
Whenever Luther demonstrated battle techniques with Jumpluff and Marill to the trainee Trainers, he could see the spark of curiosity in Basil's eyes, though she never dared to step into the crowd.
Clearly eager to learn and improve, yet always lingering on the outside.
It was uncanny how similar it was...
It reminded him of the time when he wanted things, but couldn't voice it, watching his siblings joyfully play with their presents while he had nothing.
Why couldn't he just express that he wanted something too? What was he so afraid of?
"Give me your hand."
Basil flinched; it seemed those words had struck a chord with her. After a moment, she hesitantly extended her hand to Luther.
Luther gently grasped Basil's cold hand and slowly crouched down, locking eyes with her as she avoided his gaze.
"Try it. If you give up on yourself, then no one can help you."
Basil bit her lip, instinctively wanting to apologize, but then she saw Luther's warm, encouraging smile.
"What's your dream?"
This time, Basil didn't shy away from Luther's gaze. After a brief moment of thought, she finally spoke.
"I want to catch cute Pokémon and open a Day Care with them."
"That's a wonderful dream. Have you tried taking the first step?"
"I don't have the confidence..."
Ralts gently hugged Basil's leg.
"Just practicing and reading won't give you the experience and confidence you need. You know the hardest part is always the beginning."
"But this is a Gym battle."
"This is merely a stage to test the small techniques I've taught you. At most, consider it a midterm exam."
Basil's hand gradually warmed up and stopped trembling.
"My battling Pokémon is Ralts. She, like you, needs experience. You've seen her tirelessly practicing her Psychic Power in the backyard, right?"
Basil nodded.
"Your Miltank and Jigglypuff have always believed in you, followed you, and trained by your side. Now, it's time to respond to their trust and make their training worthwhile."
Basil's eyes widened. This time, she didn't immediately refuse, nor did she doubt whether she could do it.
Luther ignored Yota's shout about keeping track of time, waiting patiently for Basil's response.
Basil took a deep breath, looked down at Ralts standing by her side, and nodded firmly.
"Luther and Basil, Yota and Kazuya's 2V2 Limit Four battle, begin!"
(End of Chapter)