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After the dinner party, Luther and Mai thanked the shop owner and his wife before heading to the hotel at Cynthia's enthusiastic invitation.
But at the front desk, Cynthia was met with some unwelcome news: all the single rooms were fully booked, and only doubles remained.
"No problem, we'll take a double," Cynthia said casually, handing over her Trainer ID.
"Hold on," Luther quickly stopped the receptionist and turned to her. "I'll just stay at the Pokémon Center."
"Diantha and I always share doubles when we travel. The service here's great," Cynthia replied with a shrug.
'Yeah, this obviously had nothing to do with the service. Considering how close you and Diantha are, no one would even blink if you two shared a bed.'
"I don't mind," Mai said, landing the final blow as she passed her Pokédex over for registration.
With a resigned sigh, Luther hesitated for a moment, then handed over his own Pokédex.
"Room 609. Perfect, we're right next door," Cynthia said with a quick glance at Luther's keycard.
When they reached the room, Diantha swiped her card and leaned toward Luther with a mischievous smirk. "Good luck."
Cynthia was about to invite Luther and Mai to hang out for a few games, but before she could speak, Diantha grabbed her by the collar and pulled her inside, slamming and locking the door behind them.
Luther turned to find Mai already sprawled across one of the beds, bouncing slightly on the plush mattress. Thankfully, she hadn't caught Diantha's teasing comment. Still, Luther felt a headache creeping in.
He plugged his Pokégear into the charger and collapsed onto the bed.
The bed felt amazing, soft like clouds, a clear upgrade from the temporary cots at the Pokémon Center.
Best of all? He didn't have to pay for it.
He turned on the TV, hoping to wind down before sleep.
There were trainer interviews, ads for PokéPuffs and battle accessories, deep dives into wild habitats, and behind-the-scenes features on Gym Leaders' daily routines…
Everything felt fresh and exciting.
Meanwhile, Mai was rustling through her backpack. Out of the corner of his eye, Luther spotted her pulling out some crumpled undergarments along with a change of clothes. Just like that, the TV lost all interest.
"If you're not showering, I'll go first," Mai said, looking over.
"Sure, go ahead," Luther nodded quickly.
Mai grabbed her clothes and headed into the bathroom, and soon, the sound of water echoed through the room, and Luther stared at the ceiling, thoughts drifting aimlessly.
He picked up a Poké Ball from the bedside table, walked to the door, hesitated, then knocked lightly on the bathroom door.
The water stopped.
"I'm heading to the hotel's training field for a bit," He said, then slipped out.
A cool breeze greeted him as he stepped onto the open-air training grounds. It was nearly 11 PM, and the place was empty, just Luther and the dim glow of the field lights.
He released Chansey.
Looking around, he moved to a corner out of view of the surveillance cameras, hidden in the shadows.
Chansey tilted her head, confused by Luther's sneaky behavior.
Once he was sure no one was watching, Luther knelt and hugged Chansey tightly.
It felt incredible.
Earlier, he'd watched Mai comfortably petting Chansey with envy. But with so many people around, he couldn't do the same.
Now, with the night so quiet, he could finally let loose.
He ran his hands through the soft, feathery tufts on either side of Chansey's head. It felt just like scratching behind a Meowth's ears, utterly satisfying.
Even the tail was fair game. Unlike cats, who always flicked him away, Chansey let him touch her without a fuss.
He even pressed his cheek against hers, soaking in the softness.
Chansey blinked at him, then looked past his shoulder, her cheerful hum abruptly cutting off. Her eyes said she wanted to speak, but didn't know how.
Curious, Luther turned to follow her gaze and froze.
Diantha stood a few feet away in jogging clothes, Gardevoir by her side, arms crossed and clearly unimpressed.
"I was just out for a jog and happened to pass by," Diantha said smoothly. "A bit warm in the hotel. But don't mind me, keep doing whatever that was."
Luther stood like a statue, face burning. "I… I just wanted to bond with Chansey," he said awkwardly.
Diantha raised an eyebrow, eyes darting between Chansey and Luther.
"Well, now I'm curious. Does Chansey really feel that nice to touch?"
"It's normal," She continued. "When Gardevoir first evolved, I was the same. Ralts and Kirlia are soft, so of course I wondered what Gardevoir felt like."
Then, casually, she reached for Gardevoir's skirt.
But Gardevoir, clearly expecting it, snapped it down with one hand and gave Diantha a firm 'no way' glare.
Whether Diantha had said it to give Luther a graceful exit or she really did jog alone at night, it still seemed a little risky. After thinking it over, Luther decided to tag along.
"I don't usually run in the mornings," Diantha said while keeping a steady pace. "I tend to feel groggy and sluggish right after waking up, so I prefer nighttime runs. When work piles up and things get stressful, running at night helps clear my head. A good sweat really does wonders."
She spoke casually, her words flowing with the rhythm of her stride.
"I only started morning runs because my old routine was a mess. My health took a hit, and I wanted to build some consistency into my life."
Luther knew the feeling well. Too many late nights, erratic schedules, and long hours had left him anxious and unmotivated. It was a hard lesson he had learned firsthand.
"Mai mentioned that you two met during your morning runs," Diantha added. "I guess morning exercise really does help form good habits."
She picked up her pace, making her words slightly more breathless.
And there it was, back to Mai again.
"I honestly didn't expect you to choose cuddling with Chansey over spending quality time with her," Diantha said with a teasing tone.
No matter how Luther tried to respond, the conversation felt like a trap. So, he just breathed a little louder, pretending to be too winded to answer.
Chansey, who had been jogging alongside Luther, perked up when she heard her name. She picked up speed to catch up with Diantha.
Diantha reached out and gave her a gentle pat, and Chansey obligingly adjusted her stride to avoid bumping into her.
"Have you seriously thought about what you want to do with your life?" Diantha asked, clearly moving on from the earlier teasing.
This jog wasn't intense enough to fog Luther's thoughts, so he took a moment to think it over.
"I guess… my goal is to compete in the Lily of the Valley Conference to chase a dream. And then maybe find a quiet place to relax, eat good food, and do nothing for the rest of my life. Does that count?"
Ahead of them, the path sloped uphill, but Diantha showed no interest in climbing further. Instead, she slowed down and turned to head back the way they came.
"You're still young. You should explore more, push your limits. That's what makes life exciting," She said. "You're clearly around my age, shouldn't you have bigger dreams?"
Luther couldn't really explain it to someone like Diantha. She was a top-tier Trainer, practically raised in the spotlight, always surrounded by opportunities and encouragement to explore new paths.
He didn't have that kind of environment growing up. His goals were simple. The reason he worked hard now was so he could afford to be lazy later.
(End of Chapter)