Silas slowly paced around a thick stone pillar and stopped in front of a small door in the back of the hall.
Calmly, he said, "Piers, did you know you have an uncle? He's my younger brother."
"An uncle?" Piers seemed confused and shook his head. He had never heard anything about one. For as long as he could remember, his father never mentioned having a brother.
Silas lowered his head slightly, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "His name is Felix. He's also one of Galar's Wild Area Elite Four."
As he spoke, the small door before him creaked open. A man dressed entirely in black slowly stepped out, his body completely wrapped in cloth.
Felix lifted his head, revealing a pale face eerily similar to Piers's. He said, "Hello, Piers."
Piers froze for a moment and looked at his father.
Silas extended his hand toward both of them and introduced. "This is your uncle, Felix. And this is my son, Piers."
From his uncle, Piers felt an oppressive aura that made his heart race. He instinctively lowered his head and mumbled a greeting.
Felix stared at his nephew, frowning at the pale complexion, thin frame, and the odd outfit: tight shirt and short shorts. He glanced sideways at his older brother with a strange expression, unsure how he'd raised a child like this.
'Why does this kid look so frail... and why is he dressed like that?' he wondered.
In the Wild Area, there were certain chaotic places where skinny men wore skin-tight outfits like this to lure in big guys with unusual tastes.
Seemingly unaware of his brother's odd look, Silas went on, "Sigh… the pressure from Macro Cosmos just keeps building. And now they've thrown in some stray kid trying to steal Piers's spot in the Gym Challenge... I've thought about you a lot over the years. I still can't believe what our father did back then..."
Felix forced a smile but kept sizing Piers up from head to toe. He quietly shook his head in disappointment.
'This kid doesn't look anything like a proper trainer. If he were dumped into the Wild Area, he probably wouldn't last a few days before someone stole his Pokémon and sold him off to who-knows-where.'
Then again, maybe that was a good thing. If Piers were actually competent, his visit here would've been pointless.
After seeing his brother's public embarrassment on TV, Felix had rushed up from the southern Wild Area. As the Gym Leader's brother, he too had a rightful claim to inherit the gym. The Gym Challenge might be the perfect opportunity... If the current Gym Leader were to suddenly die before the Champion Cup, and his only son Piers was too busy competing, the League would have no choice but to let Felix "temporarily" take over...
He looked at his hypocritical brother again. The decision was already made in his heart. Then, wearing a warm expression, he turned to his nephew and said, "Come on. I'll help you get used to these Pokémon. And take this tiny earpiece, if things get rough out there, I'll guide you through the battle."
"Thanks, Uncle!" Piers beamed, taking the device and following him into the training room.
* * *
Two hours later.
At the top floor of Rose Tower in Wyndon, Rose sat alone in his office. He turned on the television, which rose smoothly from the center of his desk.
Today marked the beginning of Galar's grand event. Any media outlet involved in covering the Gym Challenge, whether TV or radio, had switched over to the broadcast. No tuning was needed. The screens all played the official League and Macro Cosmos channel.
In Hammerlocke, Motostoke, Circhester... every Pokémon Center aired the event. In homes across the region, anyone with a television had already settled onto their couch to watch.
Even out in the Wild Area, black market merchants were roaming around, urgently selling radios and portable TVs.
* * *
Meanwhile, in Spikemuth.
Three black-and-green off-road vehicles from Macro Cosmos' exclusive TV network rolled into town. On either side of the street, Team Yell members stood in formation, their eyes locked forward as the cars headed straight toward the Spikemuth Gym.
The team members, dressed in matching black and red uniforms, formed human barricades. Their goal was to make sure the vehicles followed the designated route. Because if the cars so much as veered into another street or alley, Spikemuth's mountains of trash would be exposed for all to see.
When the vehicles arrived at the gym, a well-known male and female host stepped out, microphones in hand. Several muscular cameramen followed behind with shoulder-mounted equipment.
Following the lead director's signal, the cameras powered on. The two hosts immediately turned to the camera with practiced smiles.
"Good morning, everyone. I'm Lily."
"And I'm Ryan. You're watching the official live coverage from the Galar League. Today, we bring you the first challenger of the Gym Challenge, Piers from Spikemuth. He's a trainer known for his love of rock music and also happens to be the son of the local Gym Leader."
"Which means... his first match is against his own father?"
"That's right. Don't miss this dramatic father-versus-son showdown."
Just as they finished speaking, two Team Yell members pushed the massive gym doors wide open from both sides, revealing Piers waiting in the center of the hall as the camera shifted focus from the hosts to him.
He wore a stern expression, staring directly at his father.
This was the first official battle of the Gym Challenge, and he was also the first challenger. The TV network wouldn't follow him around for the whole journey. If Spikemuth was going to shine, this was its only chance.
'Good thing I've got Uncle Felix...' Piers thought, tightening his grip on the Poké Ball Felix had loaned him. Then he followed his father into the battlefield.
The camera crew and hosts trailed behind.
Once both of them stood at opposite ends of the field, a gray-clad Team Yell member stepped into the referee's position.
Silas spoke in a serious tone, "Challenger. Battle rules are…"
He quickly laid them out. Piers nodded in agreement.
On-screen, portraits of Silas and Piers appeared on two sides. Below each face, six Poké Ball icons lit up.
Ryan's voice resumed, "Unlike traditional gyms that feature themed trials, Spikemuth jumps straight into battle. No fluff, just action. The format is 6-on-6. The match ends when one side's team is completely unable to battle or surrenders. Can Piers defeat his own father and earn the badge? Let's find out."
As the words left his mouth, both trainers threw out their Poké Balls at the same time.
"Scrafty!"
"Skuntank!"
The moment the two Pokémon hit the field, they started snarling at each other, trading threats.
"Both of them are Gym-level Pokémon!" Lily exclaimed, unable to contain her surprise. "In past Gym Challenges, since most challengers were rookies, the Gym Leaders usually used Pokémon at the Advanced-level. But this time, both sides are using top-tier, Gym-level Pokémon!"
**
**
**
Thank you for reading! If you'd like access to extra chapters and want to support my work, you can visit my P@treon:
P@treon/SilverShark769
Vote with Power Stones for Bonus Chapters!
Your support means a lot, thank you!