There were gentler ways to handle this, methods less likely to make Team Rocket suspicious.
For example, he could have first built a closer relationship with the trio and subtly guided them into changing their way of thinking over time.
But Luther didn't have that kind of time. At most, half a month remained before the Lily of the Valley Conference would end. And whether he would even have another chance to interact with Team Rocket in the future was uncertain.
Once the conference ended, the trio would return to their old ways. Perhaps they would keep their promise not to target Luther, but they would still tirelessly go after Ash Ketchum and others.
Luther wasn't naive enough to believe that letting them ambush him, blasting them away, and continuing this childish cycle was a real solution.
He could stop them once, but not every time.
His patience was limited, so this conversation was harsh… and awkward.
Some secrets were meant to stay buried. As someone who knew the past, a transmigrator should have been mindful of his identity and position.
But aside from pain, what else could make the three of them realize how foolish their current path was?
Fortunately, he carried Darkrai with him. That made his excuse, "having seen strange things and past events through certain Legendary Pokémon", somewhat believable to them.
Each member of the trio had joined Team Rocket for different reasons. Jessie had faced repeated personal failures, Meowth had stumbled into it by coincidence, and James had joined essentially to escape an arranged marriage.
The hardest one to persuade was Jessie, so Luther chose to confront her first.
The trio treated each other exceptionally well. As long as Jessie wavered, James and Meowth would be much easier to convince.
Luther waited until Jessie snapped out of her deep thoughts and showed a look of understanding before slowly standing up, preparing to leave.
"I thought after talking to Jessie, you'd move on to me next."
James looked at Luther as he spoke.
Luther chuckled. "I've heard that over the years, you've gone through mountains and rivers trying to capture Pikachu, yet the support you received from Team Rocket headquarters has been minimal. If you weren't once considered elite within Team Rocket, you probably wouldn't even have direct contact with the higher-ups."
"And what are you trying to say with all that?"
"What I'm saying is this, you three are together because you trust and support each other. As long as even one of you still believes Team Rocket is your home, you'll keep this identity and continue down this path."
"So I'll be blunt. I did indeed learn about Miyamoto from a certain Legendary Pokémon I can't name. Whether it's true or not, you can decide for yourselves."
"And from what Ash told me, you basically ran away from an arranged marriage in pursuit of freedom, and somehow ended up in Team Rocket by chance. Frankly, I can't think of any reason you must remain loyal to Team Rocket."
"A young master willingly becoming someone else's subordinate, a loyal hound, no less? Forgive my lack of imagination, but even 'experiencing life' doesn't go that far."
"Think about it carefully. The three of you can succeed at anything together, so why insist on working under others, acting like obedient dogs at their beck and call?"
Meowth cut in, speaking up:
"You've got Darkrai with you, so I believe you might've had some strange experiences, maybe even seen things we don't know, like what happened to Jessie's mother. That, I can accept…"
"But why are you trying to get us to leave Team Rocket? I might not be smart, but I'm not stupid either. What's in it for you? I believe people don't act without benefit."
Hearing this, Luther knew Meowth had already begun to see things from Jessie's perspective.
And that… was enough.
"Two reasons. First, I don't think you're completely bad people, and you've got real ability. That kind of ability shouldn't just go to waste."
"Second, trust me, after this Lily of the Valley Conference, your situation is going to become very difficult. As for why, I'm not in a position to say."
"You're right, no one acts without benefit. If possible, I'd like to have the chance to invest in you again in the future. I genuinely think your abilities are excellent. Ideally, I'd profit from them without interfering in how you do things. It's that simple."
"You still have time to think. Give me your answer on the day the conference ends."
Luther didn't continue. He believed what he had said was more than enough for the trio to reflect on.
Would they strive for their own future… or willingly continue chasing an illusory sense of recognition, waiting for a casual word of praise from Giovanni? The choice was theirs.
Luther left, leaving the silent trio behind to think. Only when the dispersing crowd surged toward their stall did they finally push aside their tangled thoughts and return to work.
There was another reason Luther chose to speak up now.
After this tournament, he would join Cynthia and the others in a joint operation to eliminate the Hodgepodge organization.
If not for the information Cynthia shared last night, Luther would never have known that Steven Stone had appeared in Oreburgh City while searching for stones, and had encountered the long-missing Oleander and Cyrus.
Under Steven's questioning, Oleander and Cyrus finally revealed why they had disappeared:
"There's a mole within the major Pokémon Leagues, and within the International Police."
Because of this, they had no choice but to move from the open into the shadows, gathering information and acting independently.
And the primary suspect they named was so shocking that even Cynthia broke out in a cold sweat upon seeing it.
Cynthia, Steven, Lance, and Diantha contacted the recently recovered Alder and explained the situation.
This time, the issue of the Hodgepodge organization was no longer limited to Sinnoh or Kalos; it had become a true large-scale crisis.
If the information provided by Cyrus was true, then just how deeply had both the International Police and the Pokémon League been infiltrated?
Was it really only Sinnoh and Kalos?
All along, people had believed the Hodgepodge organization merely excelled at hiding, quietly developing in the shadows, hoping to rely on their research to attempt something ultimately futile.
But now, it seemed they weren't lacking ambition at all.
Their appetite was enormous, and they had been planning for a very long time.
This was exactly why Luther said Team Rocket didn't have much time left.
Once the operation to eliminate the Hodgepodge organization began, every Pokémon League would remain on high alert, cracking down intensely on any emerging evil organizations.
An organization like Team Rocket, already with a criminal record, would inevitably be targeted again and receive "special attention."
This storm was about to arrive.
In that situation, how was Luther, who might be marked by the Pokémon League, to face the trio again?
Would simply blasting them away be enough?
This was the last chance. Even if it meant exposing things that might shock Team Rocket, Luther was willing to take the risk.
He could only hope that the next time they met… it wouldn't be as enemies.
(End of Chapter)
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