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Oleander's day off caused a bit of a stir in the International Police.
According to the person on duty last night, Oleander actually went home in the middle of the night.
This was indeed news, especially since she claimed to be unwell and wouldn't be coming to work the next day.
Many people knew that Oleander wasn't in great health, but the timing of her leave was quite delicate. After being stripped of her authority, she simply didn't show up, leading everyone to believe there was a bit of resentment involved.
However, many also breathed a sigh of relief; Oleander's presence in the Safety Department felt like a dark cloud, threatening to unleash a downpour at any moment.
"Rest well, I hope Oleander takes a longer break."
…
Not long after Oleander fell asleep, Luther lazily sat up in bed.
He initially wanted to pull Mismagius under the covers to get another ten minutes of sleep, but today Mismagius felt very heavy and wouldn't budge.
It was then that Luther remembered Mismagius was with Diantha, and now Chansey was responsible for waking him up.
Chansey tugged at Luther's hand, refusing to let him lie back down.
Mismagius had specifically instructed yesterday that Luther loved to have ten more minutes and that he shouldn't be indulged.
On the other side, the sleepy Eevee also woke up with a start.
Seeing Chansey and Luther engaged in a tug-of-war so early in the morning, Eevee wondered where they got their enthusiasm from.
Eevee jumped onto Mai's bed and rolled around on her stomach. Feeling something dancing on her abdomen, Mai slowly opened her eyes.
"Haah~~ Good morning, Luther, and you too, Chansey."
Upon hearing Mai greet her, Chansey instinctively waved at Mai and let go of the blanket in the processs.
Luther suddenly fell back down, landing heavily on the pillow. It didn't hurt, but the feeling of falling made him lose any desire to sleep.
Yawning, he greeted Mai, and the two of them mechanically headed to the bathroom to start their daily routine.
The sky was still gray, indicating that sunrise was still some time away. The two of them, ready to go, used their phones to locate a morning run route and began to familiarize themselves with the new path.
Today, their morning run included a round and plump Chansey, which excited Pachirisu and Eevee in the group.
It was unclear whether this Chansey had a special charm that attracted Pokémon and people, but they had originally planned to let the other Pokémon get to know Chansey better. Now, they didn't need to; they stuck together during the run.
There were more people jogging in Hearthome City than in Oreburgh City, and Luther and Mai encountered quite a few Pokémon Trainers out with their Pokémon. Since they needed to familiarize themselves with the route, this morning run took longer than before, and by the time they returned to the hotel, the sun had already risen.
In the spacious hotel dining room, there were only two or three people. It was still a buffet breakfast, and Diantha and Cynthia waved to them from a table in the corner.
Luther and Mai, already starving, were eating in a gradually more barbaric manner. Cynthia and Diantha had already enjoyed their meal and were now leisurely sipping coffee.
"We're leaving this afternoon. You remember the number, right? If there's anything you can't resolve, just ask Cynthia."
"For matters related to Kalos, you can also reach out to Diantha; she has a wide network. Even if you want to act in a film or TV show, she can make it happen."
"Provided you have acting skills," Diantha said, still serious about her career.
"The front desk wouldn't let me charge a month's worth for you; they only allowed half a month. But it's okay, Diantha helped you extend it."
Cynthia smiled, "If you want to work, you can't be without a place to stay. The Pokémon Center isn't as good as here."
These two... working to earn money isn't that particular. It was clear they were making arrangements for Luther and Mai according to their own lifestyle habits.
"Can't the hotel just let you stay for a month?" Luther was curious why Cynthia only got half a month's allowance.
"Oh, it's not like that. If you have the money, you can stay as long as you want. It's just that I charged the activity funds given to me by the Pokémon League. The front desk said I couldn't charge it unless I was staying there myself."
'Got it…' Cynthia was using public funds for food and travel, no wonder the front desk was hesitant to charge more.
Although the Sinnoh Pokémon League's activity funds given to Cynthia were hardly used for their intended purpose, no one criticized her.
They had seen Cynthia's bills: buying some games, comics, and dining out were all acceptable.
The person managing the finances believed that Cynthia was responsibly utilizing the activity funds. After all, Sinnoh was happy to see Cynthia out and about; keeping her cooped up at home would be a waste of resources given her influence.
"I'll call you once a week about Mismagius' situation."
Knowing that Diantha was concerned about Mismagius adjusting to the new environment, Luther felt grateful.
Suddenly, Diantha and Cynthia's expressions changed to something strange.
Joy appeared, holding a bouquet of bright red roses in one hand and a heart-patterned box in the other, guided by the front desk staff to stand behind Luther.
Luther and Mai were still focused on their breakfast and hadn't noticed someone standing behind them.
Seeing Joy, Cynthia, and Diantha, it was clear this was a special delivery service, a revenue collaboration between the Pokémon Center and its surroundings.
Roses and a heart-shaped box, was this for Luther?
"Mr. Luther, here are the Poké Balls sent to the Hearthome City Pokémon Center today, along with a letter for you. This bouquet of flowers was also ordered for you. Could you please sign to confirm receipt?"
Joy noticed Luther hadn't seen her and quietly reminded him.
Luther was taken aback, wiped his mouth, and turned to see... roses?
A postcard was stuck in the blooming roses, and the heart-patterned box likely contained the Poké Balls.
Luther was confused; his first reaction was that it was a mistake.
After confirming several times, Joy assured him that the sender had clearly specified it was for the Pokédex holder named Luther. There might be other trainers with the same name, but the odds of another Pokédex holder named Luther being in Hearthome City were slim.
Dazed, he signed for the delivery. After Joy left, Luther stood there holding the roses and the box, still feeling dizzy.
Diantha kindly pulled Luther's breakfast dishes closer to her, giving him a place to set his things down.
As he reached for the dishes, Diantha couldn't help but sniff the roses and leaned closer to the box.
"Bellossom V series number six."
"Huh?" Cynthia, sitting next to Diantha, was the first to catch her mumbling.
"It's a perfume model, Bellossom V6. I use it often; I remember I gave you quite a few. It's lighter than the Gloom model."
Now, Mai and Luther were also listening.
Although they didn't know much about this perfume, just the fact that Diantha liked it indicated it wouldn't be cheap.
Diantha never used low-quality products.
Mai, fiddling with the roses, took the postcard off and glanced at it, signaling Luther to take a look.
The postcard had only a signature, with no extra description, but those four words made Luther's head spin, filled with questions.
"Your beloved."
(End of Chapter)