The moment Rylan gave the order, the officers, who had been gritting their teeth and holding back, seemed to find an outlet for their frustration. They immediately turned around and started shoving and kicking the crowd of nosy trainers, yelling curses and threats the whole time.
The onlookers, already uneasy around the police, scattered in panic. Some bold ones still lingered nearby, hiding behind corners to continue to see what was going on. But at least the chaos from earlier had died down.
"Hmph." Rylan shot a glance at Raihan's smiling face but said nothing more.
Him becoming famous and being chosen to join the Gym Challenge was something the family had agreed on. He was stronger, more charismatic, and better looking—he was simply more suitable.
Rylan himself didn't have Raihan's fame. He'd never taken part in the Gym Challenge, and few local trainers even recognized him as the acting Gym Leader.
A moment later, Shiro also stepped out of the Pokémon Center.
Though he had removed his hood and face mask, the black cloak and his distinct presence still made him easily recognizable.
Whispers began to spread among the trainers watching from a distance.
"That's him, right? The guy from the TV... from Spikemuth."
"I heard he used to be a prodigy, then got framed or something…"
"Come on, you really believe what they show on TV? He just joined Macro Cosmos and became Rose's little dog, that's all."
Their murmurs were faint, barely reaching the ears of nearby officers. But they all watched TV too. They knew exactly who Shiro was.
"So it was that guy..." muttered Woods, having just jogged over from the stadium entrance. With a bootlicking smile, he walked over to greet Raihan and Rylan as they headed toward the facility.
When it came time for Shiro to pass by, he still kept the same flattering posture and grin. To him, it didn't matter whether someone worked for Macro Cosmos or the Dragon Tamer family. They were all above him.
However, knowing Shiro's identity did clear up a few things in his mind. Like how someone so young could raise such a powerful Corviknight, or why he carried himself with such arrogance.
He was once the top prodigy in Spikemuth. Even after being framed by the Gym Leader, he managed to escape and save everyone in Stow-on-Side... Woods paid close attention to the TV. He could list the background stories of nearly every genius trainer pushed by the major groups.
Shiro gave Woods a slight nod and a polite smile in return.
Startled, the man quickly lowered his head and nodded repeatedly. After Shiro had passed, he waved to his subordinates to close off the perimeter and lock down the stadium.
Once the three men finally disappeared into the Hammerlocke Stadium, about twenty officers formed two defensive layers at the gate. No matter how much the onlookers begged or tried to argue, they didn't move an inch.
Woods stood at the front, his eyes sharp as he scanned the crowd. Anyone who looked like they might try slipping through was met with a deadly glare.
"Come on, man, cut us some slack!" Two trainers stepped up together, pleading as they tried to squeeze through a gap in the line.
Expression turning harsh, Woods stomped forward to block them, and roared.
"Who the hell do you think you are, trying to get into the stadium?!"
The two were shoved to the ground, but didn't even dare protest. They scrambled to their feet and ran off without looking back.
The rest of the crowd burst into complaints.
"Isn't the Hammerlocke Stadium public property? Why won't they let anyone in?"
"Yeah! What, do they think we wouldn't pay or something?"
"If they keep blocking the entrance... what if we all just rush in together?"
The crowd buzzed with chatter, everyone talking over one another. Woods simply glared at them and barked louder.
"This is an order from the acting Gym Leader! If any of you brainless lot want to test your luck, go ahead! Let's see if I won't have my Pokémon drag you into a cell and feed you to a Muk!"
His vicious tone and stance scared off a good portion of the crowd. Most of the bystanders dispersed.
Still, a few stubborn ones stayed close, unwilling to give up. They wanted to see with their own eyes what was happening inside. After all, while the stadium was sealed, some trainers had entered earlier and hadn't been kicked out. That gave others the idea that things weren't really that strict.
Just then, a scrawny old man shuffled over from the edge of the crowd. Everyone knew him: an old Advanced-level trainer who'd spent decades in Hammerlocke.
Woods recognized him too and narrowed his eyes. "Bryan. What are you doing here? Can't tell the difference at your age? You wanna test how tough those bones still are, huh?"
"Heh... Sir Woods..." Bryan chuckled and reached into his pocket, pulling out a small object tightly clenched in his hand. He pressed it into Woods' hand, then tucked it smoothly into the man's coat.
Woods didn't need to look. One touch and he knew it was an evolution stone. A basic-quality one, sure, but still worth a hundred thousand Pokédollars.
Smiling, Bryan quietly slipped through a gap between two officers.
Woods stayed where he was, and the others acted like nothing happened.
Seeing this, the remaining spectators exchanged glances. Another chunk of them gave up and walked off, but a few who had spare cash moved closer to Woods.
* * *
Inside the Hammerlocke Stadium.
The public battle area.
The instant Raihan walked in, the entire rowdy arena fell silent. Every pair of eyes turned toward him, the most well-known figure of the Dragon Tamer family's current generation. Even trainers in the middle of battles stopped what they were doing and pulled out their ID cards.
Normally—no, never had Raihan set foot in the public battle area.
This was his first time here. Which meant something big was about to happen. Even if he were just here for a random match, it would be something these people could brag about for years.
Most of the trainers inside hadn't left the stadium all day, so they had no idea what had happened outside. Those few who did kept silent, not willing to be the one to explain it all.
Besides, it was obvious this would be resolved through a battle. The only question was whether Raihan himself would take part.
When Rylan and Shiro walked in behind him, the tension in the air broke. Conversations started up again.
"Hey… is that Shiro? The one from the news?"
"Oh, that genius trainer who got framed? I swear I saw him here at the stadium once."
"Yeah, he stayed here for a while after escaping from Spikemuth."
"That explains it. But who's the big guy next to him, though? Never seen him before."
"It's one thing for Shiro to show up with Raihan, but why's that guy standing there like he owns the place?"
To the average trainer, Rylan was just a vaguely familiar face. Maybe they'd seen him once or twice, but that was it. Shiro, on the other hand, was a different story. Thanks to media coverage and televised drama, his name was far more recognizable than Rylan's.
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