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Seeing Diantha playfully teasing Mismagius, Cynthia finally let out a long, relieved sigh. She then placed her still-lit Pokégear in front of Luther.
"Oleander's regional management privileges have officially been revoked."
The message was from Harold.
Luther stared blankly at the screen. Seeing his confused look, Cynthia tilted her head. "You don't know who Oleander is?"
Luther shook his head. The name meant nothing to him, and he didn't understand why Cynthia was showing him this message.
"I heard from the League that the International Police made contact with you while you were in Oreburgh City."
"That woman?" Luther suddenly remembered the cold, condescending voice that had come from Looker's communicator, an unpleasant encounter burned into memory.
"She's the one who sent the International Police to shadow you afterward."
"So those people earlier today were her people!"
Luther jumped to his feet, only to wince in pain as the sudden movement pulled at his injury. His expression twisted, but with two Champions present, he held back every curse bubbling in his throat.
"This afternoon, Diantha and I crossed paths with an officer from the International Police. At first, we thought they were just monitoring us. But after digging a bit, we found out they were keeping tabs on you. So we had the League confront their headquarters on your behalf."
"Feeling touched yet?" Cynthia asked, giving him a playful blink, clearly waiting for a reaction.
'Touched? More like too scared to breathe!'
Luther had just come to terms with the fact that Cynthia liked him enough to consider mentoring him.
But liking him enough to take on the International Police…? Come on now. Keep dreaming, just don't wake up.
More likely, Cynthia and Diantha had simply used his case as a handy excuse to challenge the International Police. Who knew what kind of old grudges these two powerhouses had with them?
The thought alone made Luther break out in a cold sweat. Why are literal Champions using me as a chess piece in their battles?
"…Touched," Luther finally said, though even he could hear the hollowness in his voice.
"Good. You should be. Oleander shouldn't bother you again," Cynthia said with a smirk. "Diantha and I put in a lot of effort for you. Of course, Diantha has money to burn and doesn't mind, but me? I do care!"
"Name your price." Luther sighed, half-resigned.
He hadn't expected Cynthia to be this crafty. But in fairness, they really had gotten the International Police off his back, so he owed them, whether he liked it or not.
"Are you thinking, 'I didn't know Cynthia could be this cunning?'"
Wait, what?! Mind reading?!
"And now you're wondering, 'Can she actually read minds?'"
"..."
Luther sneaked a glance at Gardevoir, who was still getting acquainted with Mismagius. Could she be the one feeding Cynthia thoughts through Telepathy…?
"Alright, alright, I'll stop messing with you," Cynthia said, chuckling. "I don't need anything from you. But Harold? He does. He was the one who personally confronted Oleander this afternoon for your sake."
"What does he want…? I'm basically broke." Luther scratched his head, not even trying to hide his lack of confidence.
"Photos," Cynthia said casually. "He wants pictures from your journey. Anything breathtaking, touching, or beautiful will do. Doesn't have to be professional, just real."
Luther blinked. That was it?
"I already got the gear for you."
Diantha pulled a compact camera and a few lenses from her travel bag.
"She paid for it. We passed by a department store before coming to the Cake Shop and picked it up. Sadly, the options weren't great, so you'll have to make do."
Is this how rich people operate? Just buying cameras on a whim?
What was that old saying again? "Photography ruins three generations, DSLRs ruin an entire lineage?"
In the past, I was too poor to be ruined by a camera… but now Diantha's helping make that dream a reality?
"I… don't really know how to use a camera," Luther admitted. "Honestly, I think my Pokégear's good enough…"
He tried to politely decline. He didn't know the camera models used in this world, but anything these two bought probably wasn't cheap. Using low-end tools around them felt like blasphemy.
"Then practice," Cynthia replied with a shrug. "You'll figure it out."
"No, I mean, can I ask why you're so invested in Harold's request? He doesn't seem like the type who'd take an interest in me."
"Harold is Sinnoh's long-term liaison to the Kalos Region. He's been stationed there for years and hasn't been able to return home. He was once an incredible Pokémon Trainer, a real prodigy, you could say."
"Unfortunately, he had a habit of chasing danger. Skiing off cliffs, mountain climbing without safety gear, those were just his everyday hobbies. He craved the thrill, always pushing limits with extreme sports. But in the end, those stunts cost him. A severe injury during his prime sent him to the hospital again and again."
"After a long recovery, he tried to make a comeback, gave it everything he had, but he could never get back to the level he once held. Burdened by expectations, he eventually realized it was a battle he couldn't win. So, he gave up chasing glory and drifted into the administrative side of the Pokémon League."
"He's articulate and sharp, why he's entrusted with important diplomatic duties. And since he's been away from Sinnoh so long… and has helped me many times over the years… I can't help but care. Don't overthink it, he's just hoping to relive the kind of journeys he missed out on. Nothing more."
So he wants to… vicariously travel? Is that even a thing?
Cynthia's gaze shimmered with something unreadable, part nostalgia, part melancholy.
Luther sat in thoughtful silence, gradually piecing together what Cynthia was really saying.
It felt like a cautionary tale, a story about someone with potential who ended up leading an ordinary life because of their own choices.
He wondered if Harold had risen in the same era as Cynthia, or if he'd once been her rival. Either way, Cynthia sharing this story now was no accident, it was a message.
People with talent who ended up wasting it… Cynthia and Diantha had probably seen more than a few.
Refusing now would've been pointless. Besides, getting a camera out of it wasn't a bad deal.
As Luther nodded, Diantha gave a slight smile, and Gardevoir floated over with a camera bag.
"Do you really dislike Oleander?"
Cynthia's question came out of nowhere, just as Luther was accepting the camera.
He paused, then thought it over before answering, "I don't agree with her approach, that's for sure. But… It's weird. I get mad quickly, then the anger fades just as fast. I don't exactly hate her, I just don't like how she operates."
"Harold got word from another source that what happened today should've stripped Oleander of most of her authority. But Kalos's Safety Minister, Zishan, stepped in and vouched for her. Bought her some time."
"Harold thinks it wasn't Zishan's decision, that Oleander might've pulled some strings herself."
Diantha chimed in with a faint smile, "She's probably still investigating. She must sense there's a hidden threat inside the International Police."
"There are spies within the International Police?" Luther asked, unable to hide his surprise.
"You're surprised? It's happened before," Cynthia said. "Oh, and didn't you ask Lucian privately about that group that captures Pokémon for experiments?"
That was true. Not long after the explosion incident, Luther had quietly messaged Lucian, wanting to know more about that secretive, well-hidden organization.
(End of Chapter)