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The shop owner, who had been taking photos, looked at how close the two groups were and felt as if he were experiencing the breath of youth once again.
When it was time for the group photo, everyone and all the Pokémon crowded in front of the camera. When the flash went off, their joyful, cheering expressions were frozen in time.
Looking at the developed photo, the shop owner's eyes lit up.
"Have you found a place to stay yet?"
Mao shook her head. "The Pokémon Center is completely full. As for hotels, they're too expensive. Forget it. Ettore, how about we find a park and camp?"
Mao always handled this sort of thing. Etorre had no objections. Besides, he had just kissed Mao and was still in a daze, relishing the moment, so he only nodded absentmindedly.
"Then I'll go with you guys, too," Luther said.
Seeing that Luther and the others were about to settle on that plan, the shop owner hurriedly said, "If you don't mind, you can stay overnight here with us."
Hearing this, Mao let out an "Oh?" and said with a beaming smile, "Do you think Luther and Etorre had a good chance of making it to the main tournament? Do you feel guilty about using our photos to attract customers? Are you planning to compensate us?"
The shop owner was nearly forty years old. Hearing Mao so bluntly expose his thoughts, he froze for a moment and immediately turned red.
"Although we're an old shop in Twilight Sea Town, business has been lukewarm all these years. The food is clearly quite good, but there just aren't many customers."
Someone once told me it was because of a lack of publicity, but I really don't understand promotion. My wife and I believe that if we do our work well, people will come."
"Thanks to the Lily of the Valley Conference, many Pokémon Trainers have moved in and settled here. It'll be upgraded to a city soon. When that happens, a lot of capital will definitely flow in, and the competitive pressure will become much greater."
Most of the customers in the shop had already left. The shop owner's daughter clung to the courtyard gate, looking curiously this way with a Roselia.
"My daughter wants to travel and become an excellent Trainer when she comes of age. I just hope I can keep this shop running. If she fails to make a name for herself out there, at least she'll have a trade she can take over."
Luther and Etorre exchanged a glance.
The photos behind the blackboard were the shop owner's work. Despite his lack of understanding of publicity or marketing, this man had pinned his hopes on running into an outstanding Pokémon Trainer. After that Trainer stepped onto the stage of the Lily of the Valley Conference, he hoped to ride a bit of that reflected glory.
But he stuck to his principles. He did exactly what those Trainers who failed to reach the main tournament had asked him to do. As a result, his publicity had never truly begun.
"Sure, the courtyard is pretty big anyway. Camping here wouldn't be bad."
Mai's words made Luther turn his head. She wasn't looking at the shop owner, though. Instead, her gaze was fixed on the little girl clinging to the gate and peeking over.
That little girl was happy. Everything her father was doing was for her future.
When this man, who had always clung to his principles, asked them to stay the night, he was actually letting go of his stubbornness. He was willing to try something new for his daughter's future.
Kukui Tetsu had treated Mai the same way when she was little.
As she grew older, however, that familial bond and love gradually faded.
Perhaps she couldn't understand everything her father was doing for her at the time. Perhaps she would only truly understand after she grew up.
Aside from Kukui Tetsu, what parent demands gratitude from their child? Everyone gradually realizes, as they grow up, just how deep their parents' love for them really is.
"Since Mai says so, then we'll stay too. By the way, can we work part-time here?" Mao asked. "As long as food and drinks are covered, that's enough."
Luther was stunned by Mao's emotional intelligence. Even Mai turned to look at her.
They were offering to work part-time in exchange for food and lodging, and in return, they were giving the shop owner permission to use their photos to attract customers. This was the cheapest possible compensation, yet it protected the shop owner's dignity.
Sure enough, those words immediately made the shop owner, who had been feeling guilty, light up with excitement.
"No, no, no... if you're working part-time, of course I have to pay you. I'll discuss it with my family and definitely give you a satisfactory answer."
The shop owner hugged his camera and went straight back into the restaurant, forgetting to take down the tripod.
Luther gave Mao a thumbs-up. "As expected of you."
"Ah, it's great when someone understands. Look at Etorre—he still doesn't understand why I said that."
The most painful thing was this: pulling off a brilliant move and having no one applaud or praise you for it.
"I just need a bit of time to process it."
Ettore indirectly revealed that he was slow to understand, which made Mao almost burst out laughing.
As Luther started setting up the tents, he noticed that Milcery had latched on.
The newly evolved Beautifly was very clingy with Milcery. Its slender proboscis pressed against Milcery's body as it sucked continuously.
Espurr thought this was just their usual playful interaction, so she kept her head down and helped Luther set up the tent.
Milcery, left behind, looked miserably at Beautifly teasing her. She climbed onto Luther's shoulder and stared at Beautifly warily.
Seeing that Luther was paying attention to her, Milcery held up her sugar decoration and angrily pointed at Beautifly.
The meaning was obvious: "I want to evolve, too."
Being teased by the same guy she had beaten up earlier made Milcery extremely depressed.
"Evolution needs a trigger. It's not something that happens just because you want it," Luther said.
Hearing this, Milcery's face drooped.
After a while, she started wildly waving her sugar decoration at Luther.
"Even if you want to battle, there aren't any suitable opponents right now," Luther said just as an Igglybuff walked up to him.
"There is one. My Igglybuff is really eager to evolve into a Jigglypuff. The two of them can train together and keep accumulating battle experience."
Talk about perfect timing—Milcery now had a suitable battle partner again.
After setting up the tents, Luther watched Milcery and Igglybuff wildly throw moves and wrestle, and he smiled.
Beautifly looked nostalgic. A month ago, she had been battling with Milcery like this, too, but now she could fly.
Suddenly, Luther's phone rang. He looked curiously at the lit-up screen, wondering who would contact him so late.
"Sorry to disturb you so late. Have you reached the coast of Lily of the Valley Island yet?"
It was Brock. Luther was startled.
Why was Brock calling him at this hour?
"I'm already in Twilight Sea Town. I booked an S.S. ticket for a month from now, and I'm resting here for now," Luther said, sensing something. "Did you guys finish the Olivine Conference and make it nearby already?"
"We're hesitating over which port to take a ship from. Since that's the case, there's no need to think about it anymore. Ash said he wants to go to Twilight Sea Town too. We'll probably arrive tomorrow. We'll contact you again then."
"Dawn finished her Pokémon Contest, and I got my eighth badge, too!"
Before the call ended, Ash's excited voice came through from the other end.
It looks like Ash still wants to improve before the tournament starts; otherwise, he wouldn't have asked about Luther's location.
It seemed that resting quietly for half a month wasn't realistic anymore.
(End of Chapter)