Fifth Elite of the Pokemon World

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Mai, holding her clothes, had arrived at the entrance to the glass walkway, just about to step onto it. The glass bridge was only twenty meters long; it wouldn't take long to cross. From the moment Mai stepped onto the bridge, Evergreen fixed his gaze tightly on Luther.

Luther was tossing the communicator in his hand, smiling faintly as he looked back at Evergreen.

Mai had already reached the middle of the glass bridge, yet Luther's expression remained unchanged.

Just a few breaths later, the cheerful, bouncing Mai was nearly across the bridge.

Still, Luther's expression didn't change. And then, Mai crossed the bridge and walked up to Luther.

Evergreen noticed something, there was a trace of regret on Luther's face.

He hadn't seen it wrong. It really was regret.

Evergreen's scalp tingled. He was now certain that Luther had meant every word he'd said earlier. If there really were a trolley problem, he would absolutely let those people die just to witness a flashy, cool flip from the train.

If he wanted to, he would sacrifice Mai in exchange for Diantha and Cynthia's guilt.

And if he ever got the chance... that look of intoxicated pleasure on his face when discussing killing methods, Evergreen was certain Luther would jump at the opportunity to test them out.

"Where are your Salamence and Electrode?" Luther tossed the communicator to Evergreen, visibly disappointed with how things had turned out.

Luther's gaze made Evergreen's whole body tense up… like he was sizing up which limb to start with, what size collar would fit his neck, what dimensions the spiked iron canister should be to hold him...

"I… I was just… joking with you."

Luther let out a low chuckle. "No good, Evergreen. That's what we call a con with no buy-in, you tried to walk away with my Mismagius in exchange for a joke. That's not sincerity."

Luther stood up. Evergreen quickly dragged his chair backward, putting distance between them.

"Mai, back so soon?"

Mai smiled and held up a pale blue dress. "Is it pretty?"

"Hard to say. I can't judge unless you're wearing it."

"Good answer. Don't just sit there, come with me and help me decide once I put it on."

As she turned to go, Mai noticed Evergreen staring blankly at Luther.

"You two know each other?"

"We just met," Luther replied with a smile, "but we hit it off pretty well. Could you give us a few minutes? I'll join you right after I finish chatting with him. Oh, and grab me a lemon water, will you?"

After Mai left, Luther sat back down.

Evergreen felt like his brain had exploded.

'Damn that idiot Shiran! The Luther described in his report and the Luther sitting before him were not the same person!'

That brainless fool had been completely fooled!

Hidden beneath that calm, easygoing face was a terrifying, twisted devil. He was the real devil. He had deceived Cynthia, deceived Diantha, and deceived everyone around him. They all thought he was harmless. Evergreen had believed it too, before today.

But he was nothing of the sort.

He was more ruthless than Evergreen himself when it came to achieving his goals. Evergreen enjoyed watching people struggle in pain, but was deeply resistant to killing with his own hands.

He had trid to kill Oleander out of necessity. Most of the time, he preferred psychological warfare, breaking someone's will until they delivered what he wanted straight into his hands. Then he'd casually reveal that it had all been a joke. That cruel contrast could drive the weak-minded into madness.

Even someone as strong as Oleander had fallen this way.

Today was supposed to be no different. The same tactics are always effective.

But this time, the nonexistent explosion had instead ripped off Luther's mask, revealing something so suffocatingly dark that Evergreen felt physically ill. He always thought staying clean, far from the blood and screams of the battlefield, merely directing things from above, was the smartest path.

But Luther… was different.

He could feel it; Luther would gladly get his hands dirty.

If the Pokémon League allowed the death penalty, Luther would absolutely encourage them to adopt those terrifying methods he had described, methods whose origins no one knew.

It now seemed clear that Shiran truly hadn't been killed by Oleander.

Thinking about it, that made sense, Oleander cared so much about the rabble. If she'd had the chance to capture a key member alive, how could she have let it go?

Only a truly deranged madman could've done something like that.

"Evergreen."

Hearing Luther call his name made Evergreen flinch.

"What do you want to say?" Evergreen forced himself to stay calm.

"I'm just wondering… if I acted here and now, would it force you to respond in a way I'm hoping for?"

Evergreen's eyes widened. He abruptly stood up, stepped back, and placed a hand behind his waist while scanning the surroundings.

Luther also stood, placing a hand on his belt and casually pulling out a Poké Ball.

Cold sweat streamed down Evergreen's back. "If you move again, I'll take you down with me!"

Luther frowned slightly, a subtle expression, but one that gave Evergreen a sliver of relief.

If Luther truly had so many deranged desires he wanted to fulfill, then he must highly value his own life. The threat of mutual destruction seemed to be working.

Evergreen wasn't even sure why his goals had suddenly shrunk so low. He just wanted to get out of this alive. The man in front of him was an extremely selfish lunatic.

"Let's compromise. I'll leave, and you can continue your little masquerade. We stay out of each other's way."

Luther repeated the phrase "stay out of each other's way" with a playful tone, then smiled and asked, "Temporarily, or permanently?"

"Permanently," Evergreen replied without hesitation. "Since you're interested in Cynthia and Diantha, we're more than happy to let you pursue them."

Luther shook his head, then suddenly took a step forward.

Panicking, Evergreen stumbled backward, pulling out three Poké Balls to shield himself.

"How do I know you're telling the truth? I don't think you people are trustworthy at all," Luther said.

"You're helping us take down the Pokémon League Champions. Why would I ever make a move against you?"

Evergreen's reply came instantly, he had seen Luther's thumb pressing down on the Poké Ball, preparing for battle.

If caught by the International Police, at worst he'd be beaten up and spend the rest of his life in prison.

Oleander hated him with a passion, probably wanted him dead, but compared to Luther, death sounded like a mercy.

Evergreen didn't want to gamble on Luther's mercy. If there was even the slightest chance he ended up in Luther's hands, Luther would treat him like a precious new toy, eager to test out all the sinister knowledge he possessed.

Luther wore a thoughtful expression. Amid the suffocating tension, Evergreen was ready to flee at any second.

"My game is complicated. I've worked hard to get to this point, to infiltrate their circle. If anything goes wrong because of you people, and I miss out on the enjoyment I've earned... do you know what I'll do?"

Evergreen shook his head.

"Every time I encounter a member of the Rabble," Luther said softly, "I'll take the chance to test whether my techniques are getting rusty. I wouldn't mind if you all came at me at once. In fact… I need a lot of materials. If you die, the Pokémon League probably wouldn't say much about it. Right?"

Evergreen swallowed hard and tossed a small silver pendant into Luther's hand, engraved with two broken wings.

"One of the Rabble's beacons. It's a token of goodwill. As long as they see this symbol, they absolutely won't bother you."

Luther inspected it. "There's nothing lethal hidden in here, is there? No tracking devices?"

"If there were a tracker, and since we're working together, wouldn't it make sense for me to know more about you?"

Luther thought for a moment, then slipped the Rabble's pendant into his pocket.

"Same thing I said before, don't ruin my game," Luther said. "Or else, I might not be able to control myself. If I find the prey at my fingertips suddenly flies away… trust me, I'd be more than happy to…"

"One for one." Luther said those three words with a wide grin.

"As a core member of the Rabble," Evergreen declared, "I, Evergreen, promise not to interfere with your game."

Luther nodded, glancing at Evergreen, who was still on guard.

"What now? Want me to invite you to stay for dinner? Or disappear, maybe?"

"I'll disappear immediately, alright? You're ruining my shopping trip with Mai!"

Evergreen turned around, shoved through the crowd, and ran off without looking back.

He didn't take the elevator, it was too slow. He bounded down the stairs, his speed astonishing.

He no longer cared about twisting an ankle or taking a fall. He just wanted to get as far away as possible from this person who didn't even feel like a living being.

That guy looked at everyone like they were meat.

Shortly after Evergreen left, Mai returned holding a cup of lemonade, finding Luther still standing in the same spot.

She handed the lemonade to Luther, only to realize he didn't take it right away, he was staring at her instead.

Mai blushed slightly and was about to avert her gaze when Luther finally took the lemonade and started chugging it down.

Isn't that too sour?

Mai looked at Luther's sweat-drenched face and thought he must have been really thirsty. She scolded playfully: "You're a grown man, can't even go buy a drink when you're thirsty? If I didn't get this for you, were you going to die of dehydration?"

Maybe it really was too sour. Luther's eyes teared up from the tartness, but then he suddenly grabbed Mai's hand, pushed through the crowd, and found Cynthia just finishing her spa session. He pushed her next door to shop for clothes.

Every time Mai stepped out of the changing room, Luther would find new ways to compliment her. It was the first time Mai had seen how extensive Luther's vocabulary for praise really was.

Even Cynthia blushed listening to it. She couldn't understand how Luther suddenly changed so drastically. Wasn't he the same guy who earlier complained that shopping with girls was a pain?

Cynthia also entered the fitting room, but Luther's compliments to her clearly started to include suggestions.

"This pattern doesn't suit you."

"That dress style is off."

"That hemline's awful…"

"Such a double standard," Cynthia muttered, curling her lip as she checked herself in the mirror. She eventually picked out a long black dress that looked decent and bought it on the spot.

Luther talked a lot, so much that it felt like a flood of words. Mai was practically melting from all the flattery, dizzily wandering the mall hand-in-hand with him.

By the time they left, Mai had bought so many things that it filled a small car. They had to call someone from Diantha's staff to come and transport it all.

Luther also bought brand-new accessories for each of his Pokémon, hugging them tightly for a long time before letting go.

Cynthia drove the car. The evening breeze swept in as the sun set. Luther looked at the fiery clouds glowing in the west and suddenly laughed.

"Send someone for Evergreen. You seem like the suspicious type, right? Just don't… don't let me down."

(End of Chapter)