Fifth Elite of the Pokemon World

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Luther's journey to Lumiose City didn't go as smoothly as he'd hoped, the time zone difference was his first hurdle.

After an eight-hour flight from Sinnoh, the plane touched down just as the sun was setting. When he adjusted his PokéGear's clock, he realized the local time was nearly identical to when he'd left Sinnoh.

Though he'd managed to sleep well during the flight, Luther was still unsure if he could settle in and sleep again that night.

The second problem revealed itself when Cynthia casually tossed a pair of sunglasses and a cap to both Luther and Lance.

"I'm heading out with Diantha first. A driver will contact you soon. The League's regional coordinator reserved a private room at a restaurant, we'll meet them there," Cynthia said, slipping on her shades before glancing at Lance. "If you don't want reporters mobbing you, I suggest you throw those on."

"Do I have to?" Luther asked, holding up the sunglasses uncertainly.

"Up to you."

With a wave, Cynthia disappeared into the immigration channel alongside a well-disguised Diantha.

Once Luther exited immigration, he finally understood why Diantha had made a quiet exit ahead of them.

There were cameras. Dozens of them. Tripods lined up. Reporters everywhere.

Lance, clearly more experienced with this kind of ambush, grabbed Luther's arm and guided him swiftly down a side path to dodge the media swarm.

Unfortunately, the sunglasses weren't much help. The paparazzi still sniffed out something unusual and began tailing them, speculating about Luther's identity with every step.

That's when Oleander stepped in.

Chewing gum and looking thoroughly unimpressed, she walked straight into the crowd of tailing reporters, letting her International Police badge "accidentally" drop to the floor.

Once she casually picked it up again and caught up with Luther and Lance, the press vanished as if they'd never been there.

"Smooth," Luther said with a nod of appreciation.

"Get used to it," Oleander replied, cracking her gum. "This is Lumiose City, celebrity central. With Champions and movie stars walking around, you get nosy fans and even nosier reporters. It's not always this bad, though. Probably just fallout from Cynthia and Diantha's location leaking."

When they met their driver, Oleander rolled her eyes and nudged Luther toward the front seat, ignoring his instinct to sit in the back.

"Guess I'm not the popular choice," the driver said with a chuckle, catching Oleander's glare through the rearview mirror.

"Why should I be polite to someone who's caused me trouble?" she shot back. "Harold, I still don't understand how you didn't break your neck skiing."

"That was years ago. These days, I'm into parkour," Harold replied with mock pride. "You really need to keep your info on me updated."

Luther, watching their banter, spoke up. "I haven't taken many photos lately… so…"

It was a vague comment, but Harold immediately caught on.

"Oh! You're Luther! Almost didn't recognize you. Don't worry about the photos, I'm happy as long as I get plenty eventually. Say, you ever think about learning parkour? It's a thrill ride!"

His sales pitch was quickly shut down by Oleander.

"Just a warning, if you get Luther hurt even a little, the Champions might personally train you. With their fists."

"Come on, Cynthia and Diantha wouldn't overreact like that."

"They usually wouldn't," Oleander conceded. "But Luther's Diantha's boyfriend."

Oleander and Mai both glanced at Lance, who had his sunglasses on and was leaning back as if asleep.

Oleander had intended to let the joke die after a chat with Diantha the previous night. She didn't want to step on any toes, especially if she'd be working with the Kalos Champion more in the future. But apparently, Lance didn't get the memo.

When no one else chimed in, Lance removed his sunglasses. Noticing everyone staring, Luther, Mai, Oleander, and even Harold through the mirror, he raised both hands in defense.

"Wait, wait! Oleander said it first. I just repeated it."

Harold stomped on the gas. It was as if this tidbit had awakened the gossip-loving teenager that still lived inside the sharp-dressed middle-aged man. His curiosity burned so hot it translated into speed.

He completely forgot there was an International Police officer in the car.

"I swear, I'll make sure you get ticketed so hard they revoke your license. You'll be banned from touching a steering wheel again!"

"Who said I even have a license?"

"You don't?!" Luther exclaimed, wide-eyed.

"Tsk, tsk. Luther, your composure's lacking. As Diantha's boyfriend, you've gotta keep cool. Look at Lance, not even phased. And my speed? Come on, it's not even close to a Dragonite's."

"I'm not, ! I'm not her boyfriend! Quit spreading rumors!" Luther groaned, unsure if he should be annoyed at Oleander for starting the joke or at Lance for giving it wings. It felt like this bit was going to haunt him forever.

"To be fair, I've already got a Poké Ball in hand," Lance said, holding up the one with his Dragonite. "Keep this up, and I will jump out."

Reluctantly, Harold eased off the accelerator, grumbling under his breath.

"Why even drive slow if no one appreciates the thrill…"

Oleander pressed a hand to her forehead, visibly exasperated. With so many reasonable options available, Diantha just had to call in someone who treated extreme stunts like a lifestyle. It was giving her a serious headache.

When they finally pulled up at the restaurant, everyone practically bolted from the car, doors slamming behind them.

"I'm changing my wish, hope you break a leg doing parkour so you'll never need to drive again."

Compared to Harold, Oleander was starting to feel like the sane one in the group.

As Luther tried to quietly slip away, Harold reached out and stopped him with a hand on his shoulder, leaning in to whisper, "So... is it true? I've gotta know."

"I'll tell you once you do break that leg," Luther shot back, slipping away before Harold could press further.

Tonight, the Tulip Espurr restaurant had been booked entirely for them. As Luther stepped inside, the wide-open dining hall was completely empty.

Though it was labeled a restaurant, the place reminded Luther more of a Pokémon-themed café he'd once seen, specifically, a cat café.

Several Persian, Delcatty, and Glameow roamed the lounge area, gracefully glancing over as the group entered. The feline Pokémon took the lead, casually guiding them upstairs.

Mai immediately scooped up a Glameow and began petting it with a delighted squeal.

"This place is… a Pokémon cat café?" Luther asked.

"Basically," Oleander replied. "Guests eat and get to hang out with these little stars. The two Espurr here are a huge hit, wait till you see what they can do."

She gave a passing Persian a gentle pat as it rubbed against her leg, then walked on ahead.

Inside the spacious private room, Cynthia and Diantha were already seated at the long table, talking to the waiter.

Cynthia noticed them and waved, saying, "We were just wondering how you'd order without us here. Perfect timing, check out the menu and order whatever you like."

Luther took the menu, still a bit puzzled.

"Wait, wasn't it the event supervisor who brought us here? Where are they?"

"In the next room," Diantha said, sipping her juice. "They figured we'd enjoy dinner more if we weren't being all formal. Thought it might feel awkward otherwise."

It was a thoughtful gesture. The supervisors probably realized that their presence might make things stiff, especially if they wanted to chat with Diantha or Cynthia alone.

As Luther browsed the menu, he noticed something amusing: Tauros and Magikarp really did dominate half of the dishes. At least a dozen meals were based around those two.

Then his eyes caught a second menu, mostly untouched. Curious, he picked it up.

"Primitive animals."

His eyes lit up. These so-called 'primitive animals' were the cows, pigs, and sheep from ancient records, species he'd only read about in books or seen in documentaries.

Due to their rarity and the high cost of raising them, primitive animal products were considered luxury items. Not something he could afford normally, but tonight, someone else was footing the bill.

He picked two dishes with appetizing names and handed his choices to the waiter. Lance leaned over to peek at what Luther ordered, clearly intrigued.

Since the food would take some time, Diantha and Cynthia decided to head to a side room to play a few rounds of some Pokémon-themed party game.

Luther had no interest in the small KTV setup inside the private room, but Lance was clearly drawn to it, he headed straight in and sang a couple of upbeat songs.

He was singing, although he later asked Luther to rate his performance. Luther responded diplomatically, suggesting his singing style was "not something everyone could pull off."

Lance actually appreciated the critique.

Meanwhile, Oleander and Mai, ears already suffering, had retreated to the doorway, petting the feline Pokémon lounging nearby. Seeing Lance ready to start another number, Luther made a tactical exit.

Because the restaurant was exclusively booked tonight, the Pokémon usually working as servers were enjoying their free time. When Mai pulled out some Poké Puffs and Berries she'd bought at the front desk, a stampede of cat-like Pokémon bounded up the stairs in a surprisingly orderly fashion.

Luther, curious, tossed a berry into the crowd to see what would happen. He expected chaos, like the scrambles his dogs back home had when he threw them treats.

But here? It was totally different. The berry bounced off a Delcatty's head, who calmly picked it up, trotted to the side to eat, and then returned to the back of the line.

Just then, two small gray shapes floated into view, surrounded by plates of steaming food.

The Espurr had arrived, gliding through the air with practiced grace. They looked down at their playful companions sprawled across the floor and let out a soft, resigned sigh.

When the Espurr took over the service, Luther and the others returned to the room.

It was only then that Luther truly understood what Oleander meant by a "performance."

The waiter from earlier never returned, the Espurr handled everything from here on out.

Plates floated over and settled neatly on the table. Sauces and spices were levitated in little clouds, hovering near each guest's plate for easy access.

Just as Luther reached for the juice pitcher, a floating container gently glided over and poured his drink for him.

Even before tasting the food, he was completely sold.

And he wasn't the only one. Mai, absolutely enchanted, waved at an Espurr like she was summoning a butler.

The Espurr responded immediately, floating to her side. But instead of serving, Mai reached out and started petting it gently.

Apparently, this wasn't unusual. Espurr were used to affectionate guests. This one curled up in her arms, humming contentedly as Mai stroked its soft fur.

Watching the scene unfold, Luther finally understood why Diantha had praised the place so much.

Even if the food turned out average, the experience alone was worth a solid seven out of ten.

"Man, I want one of these," Luther sighed.

"Same here," Lance echoed beside him.

(End of Chapter)