Steven's villa is in line with the stereotypical image of a wealthy individual. The decor features a simple black and white theme, with a touch of metallic silver on the walls. The room is adorned with showcases displaying a wide array of stones and collections.
"Acquiring a house to store stones... Is this how the wealthy live?" Luke mused, scratching his chin.
Haunter was busy, carrying luggage in and out of the villa, while Growlithe expressed its excitement with joyful tail-wagging.
Just as the luggage was settled, there came a knock at the door. When Luke opened it, he was met with the sight of a blonde and slender beauty standing in the doorway.
"Weren't you supposed to go back?" Luke exclaimed in surprise.
Cynthia, with a cheerful demeanor, jiggled the doorknob. "It's a bit late for that now."
Luke chuckled, took a step back, and warmly welcomed the internet-addicted girl.
"Get some rest; we have a presentation tomorrow."
"No worries; let's play for a bit."
This was Cynthia's first time visiting Steven's villa, and she glanced around the room, nodding in recognition of the decor's resemblance to Steven's style.
"Take a seat and relax."
Luke, in a playful housekeeper fashion, donned an apron and inquired, "Haven't had dinner yet? If you set the table, I can whip something up."
Cynthia looked a bit taken aback but then smiled. "In that case, I'd appreciate it."
Luke strolled to the kitchen and jokingly asked, "What's our conversation topic?"
Cynthia refocused her attention, lowered her head, and replied, "We can take a break for now."
A red light filled the room as Cynthia's Pokémon materialized one by one in the living room. Glaceon surveyed the area, locking eyes on Sylveon, who was napping on her belly.
With stealthy intent, Glaceon extended her frigid appendage toward Sylveon, who, like a playful trickster, reached out and caught it.
"Vui~!" Suddenly, Sylveon awakened and gave Glaceon a playful nibble, refusing to let go.
"Glaceon?!" Glaceon protested, but Sylveon held firm, responding with a cheerful "Vui~!"
At last, Glaceon seized the chance, her cheeks flushed as she playfully dislodged the crystal icicles.
Meanwhile, the atmosphere in the living room was lively. Cynthia had connected the console to an LCD screen, and her Pokémon gathered around with curiosity.
Sylveon, having released her grip on the cherry-colored ribbon adorning Glaceon's slender body, playfully continued to watch the screen.
"Fu..." Glaceon let out a soft sigh.
Sylveon leaped onto Cynthia's lap and found a comfortable spot to rest on her belly, saying, "Vui~! o(´^｀)o"
Cynthia smiled as she stroked Sylveon's pristine fur.
In the kitchen, Teacher Luke was in the process of preparing dinner. The aromatic and vibrantly colored curry filled the air with a spicy and enticing fragrance.
The benefits of [Cooking Lv4] were evident in the mouthwatering dish. Luke nodded in satisfaction, carrying the saucepan out of the kitchen, and suddenly, he froze.
In the living room, Cynthia sat with her legs crossed, her complete focus immersed in the game on the screen, and her black silk-clad toe playfully dangling a black high-heeled shoe.
Upon seeing Luke, Cynthia's pupils lit up, and she extended the other half of the controller to him.
"Play?" Cynthia inquired.
This kind of invitation is hard for anyone to resist!
"Play!" Teacher Luke declared with determination.
...
"Is it coming soon?"
"Any moment now!"
Cynthia said gravely, "This is the final boss - the toughest one!"
"Vui~..." Sylveon, who appeared drowsy, let out a yawn.
Right at a crucial juncture, a knock on the door interrupted the game.
Luke could see a slight twitch of Cynthia's forehead.
"It's Teacher Luke!" a deep voice exclaimed. "Aaron and I are here for a visit!"
"Teacher Luke, we've come with questions!" chimed in another slightly nervous voice.
Cynthia frowned, her gameplay faltering, and her character met a tragic end at the hands of the boss.
"Heh..." Cynthia uttered under her breath.
Luke's brow creased, and he felt the growing waves of anger emanating from beside him.
"Aaron and Flint...those two shouldn't be..." Luke cautiously noted.
"Bug-Type Elite and Fire-Element Elite, those two fellows," Cynthia remarked with a hint of irony.
Cynthia tried to keep calm, put down the handle, and got up to say with a slight smile:
"I'll open the door."
Luke looked weird.
In the monitoring screen, Aaron and Flint, who are laughing at hehe, have a big "Danger" on their foreheads!
At the entrance.
"It should be Teacher Luke, right?" Flint scratched his fiery explosive head, "I just saw the silhouette clearly."
"No one seems to be… "Before the voice fell, the door suddenly opened.
Looking at the tall silhouette, Aaron stammered: "Hey, Cynthia?!"
"Why are you here?" Flint astonished.
"Same as you." Cynthia icily said, "Come and ask Teacher Luke."
To avoid making the game too long, she felt they could have asked earlier!
Aaron and Flint, however, were dumbfounded for a moment, their eyes widening involuntarily.
Is Teacher Luke truly strong enough to take on the Champion?
"How's it going?" Aaron stammered.
"I was close to victory," Cynthia sighed.
She nearly cleared the level!
"I blame you both!" A drop of cold sweat passed across Flint's forehead in an instant.
Flint had challenged Cynthia several times during her Champion tenure. The results were all the same—defeat. At worst, he almost received a score of zero from her powerful Garchomp.
Flint, the Fire-Element Elite, knew the true power of Cynthia. That Dragon-type Pokémon Garchomp made her nearly unbeatable.
"I was almost there," Flint said, eyes wide with astonishment. "So, does that mean...?"
Cynthia, lost to Teacher Luke?!
Forget the game; this was a direct real-life challenge!
Could Teacher Luke defeat Cynthia in a real Pokémon battle?!
Flint and Aaron shared a knowing look, and their smiles were tinged with irony.
"I know why Lucian didn't join us," Aaron whispered.
"That Lucian probably got wind of it in advance," Flint said, grinding his teeth.
Cynthia watched the two whispering, her arms crossed and her gaze cold.
"If you want to challenge Luke," she said sternly, "why not let me battle you first?"
The two Elite Trainers exchanged uneasy glances.
Challenge Cynthia? It was like looking for trouble.
It wasn't a matter of strength—having Garchomp in her arsenal made her practically unbeatable.
But apparently, Sinnoh's Champion had lost to Teacher Luke...
Flint, his fiery hair tousled, gave a wry chuckle. "No, there's no need!"
A Liu vigorously shook his head. "We came... to ask Teacher Luke for an autograph!"
"Yes,if it's a challenge, it's too much for us!" Flint laughed nervously.
Cynthia pursed her lips.
In the end, Luke moved to the hallway. He glanced left and right at the two Elite Trainers, who were on high alert.
"Do you two want to come in and sit for a bit?" he suggested.
Suddenly, two Elite Trainers were invited inside. Luke couldn't help but feel a little conflicted.
He was merely a newcomer, yet he now had these two in addition to a certain tiger-like challenger waiting in the wings.
This was turning out to be quite a challenging visit!
Flint and Aaron were a little surprised by the invitation. After signing autographs, they both heaved sighs of relief.
Flint absentmindedly slipped his hand into his pocket and chuckled, "Haha, it's getting late, Teacher Luke. You should get some rest!"
With the night falling, the two Elite Trainers hurriedly left.
Flint ruffled his fiery hair, laughing heartily, "Oh, it's late, Teacher Luke. Get some rest!"
Cynthia's eyes contained a sly glint as she listened to their hasty retreat.
As the two Elites departed, Luke's curiosity got the best of him. "Are all of Sinnoh's Elite Trainers this peculiar?"
Cynthia pondered briefly and then replied with a hint of humor, "It's possible they learned it from me."
Sinnoh's Champion could even jest. This was something new for Luke.
"Haha, you really do have a sense of humor," he remarked.
Cynthia responded with a gentle nod, her arms crossed, her golden hair tousled by the night breeze.
With a hint of a smile suppressed, the corners of her mouth gradually curved upwards.
"Alright, let's continue." Luke waved his hand. "I'm determined to beat that last level."
Cynthia's eyes glittered. "Let's do it!"
...
Lucian had just finished calling the Pokémon Center when he saw the two Elite Trainers return in haste.
"Are you two okay?" he asked.
"We nearly..." Aaron panted.
Remembering Cynthia's warning, Flint shivered, "Teacher Luke... is incredibly strong!"
Lucian, who had half-expected this, poured two glasses of water for the two Elite Trainers.
"Too bad I already arranged an ambulance for you guys."
Flint and Aaron exchanged puzzled glances.
"In other words, since you disturbed someone else, do you have any intention of battling?" Lucian leaned against the window while reading a book.
The two Elite Trainers were reminded of their intentions.
In other words, offering Teacher Luke an experience in teaching them tactics would be a great gift.
Flint scratched his chin and thought, "What could we give Teacher Luke?"
"Money seems too commonplace," Aaron mumbled, knocking his head, "Teacher Luke still hasn't tamed any Bug-type Pokémon. We can offer our knowledge!"
"I just remembered that Teacher Luke used to raise Growlithe," Flint added, scratching his head. "So, I'm confident in teaching him starting moves for Fire-type Pokémon!"
Everyone had their own areas of expertise. Cynthia wouldn't surpass Flint in the field of Fire-Types, for instance.
Flint rubbed his chin, lost in thought.
Why not provide an experience for Teacher Luke to teach him Flamethrower?
Lucian nodded slightly after hearing Flint's suggestion. "I believe Teacher Luke would be quite pleased with that."
...
The night grew dark, and the crescent moon hung high in Canalave City's clear night sky.
Cynthia stifled a yawn, lying on Glaceon's fur, her blond hair partially covering her face as it cascaded down.
"What time is the conference tomorrow?" Luke, also reclining on Sylveon, gazed toward Cynthia.
"It's at 7 o'clock in the morning," she replied.
"I'm afraid I won't be able to wake up," Cynthia said with a yawn.
"Set an alarm."
"But I still have a lot of games to play..."
"In that case, spend the night here," Luke suggested. "By the way, I've recently discovered a new game... and to be honest, it's quite enjoyable."
A spark appeared in Cynthia's deep gray eyes.
"Then, will you be staying over tonight?" Luke inquired.
Cynthia smiled and nodded without hesitation.
"Yes."