Upon hearing the surprised voice, the father and son in the arena exchanged a look and gave their commands at the same time.
The battling Pokémon put on a convincing show. Every move was exaggerated and flashy. In the end, Silas's Scrafty made a slight misstep, let out a dramatic cry, and fell down.
The majority of the audience watching from their TVs couldn't really follow the details. Many of them weren't experienced trainers, and without being there in person, it was hard to tell what was happening. Judging by the Pokémon's moves and reactions, it looked intense and exciting.
However, the two hosts were professionally trained. Of course they could tell this was all a performance. Skuntank had clearly chosen a camera blind spot to "hit" its opponent. But it hadn't even landed a blow. And yet, Scrafty just dropped like that?
Both hosts were full of complaints, but they couldn't say anything during such an official event. After all, most viewers were just regular townsfolk who believed the gyms, the League, and Macro Cosmos were all working together. If they exposed Spikemuth Gym for faking a match, it would damage the entire League's reputation.
So while the hosts kept quiet, the battle continued. Silas and Piers sent out their second Pokémon, then the third…
* * *
In a side hall of the gym, Marnie sat in a corner among a crowd of Team Yell members, resting her chin in her palm. She stared at the TV screen nearby, listening to the cheers.
"Master Piers is amazing! He can even command Gym-level Pokémon like that..."
"What do you know? Those are his own Pokémon!"
"He will win the championship! No one else has a chance!"
The TV in the center of the room was big and clear. Even sitting off to the side, Marnie could see everything.
Her brother had suddenly gotten three Gym-level Dark-type Pokémon, and her father hadn't told her why. She could tell the battle on screen was fake, but as long as the Pokémon weren't hurt... that was all that mattered.
That's what she told herself.
Back when she was little, kids she didn't even know would often pick on her. She used to hide at home. The only thing that gave her comfort was the Pokémon her brother gave her. It made her feel safe. That Pokémon became her best friend.
"Miss Marnie!" A Team Yell member came running over. "Master Piers is about to win. Should we go cheer him on?"
Snapping out of her thoughts, she stood up calmly, nodded, and walked out of the room first.
* * *
Back in the arena.
Piers had just sent out his final Advanced-level Pokémon. Silas's last Pokémon, Toxicroak, finally couldn't hold on anymore and collapsed.
They had both fought down to their sixth Pokémon. The battle looked fierce and left the crowd speechless.
"Uhh..." The two hosts exchanged glances, words stuck in their throats.
If they weren't mistaken, that Toxicroak had only been hit once. That too by just a simple Tackle. There weren't even any visible injuries. In fact, just moments ago, before Piers released his final Pokémon, Toxicroak looked like it could fight five more battles.
Wasn't this acting a bit too over-the-top?
On the battlefield, Silas was already smiling as he handed over the Dark Badge to his son.
Piers accepted it joyfully and pinned it to his chest.
The cameras caught their expressions perfectly. The gym leader patted his son's arm with pride and said, "I believe you'll collect all eight badges and make it to the Champion Cup."
"Yes, I will!" Piers replied loudly.
Bzzz...
Just then, the two hosts felt their comm devices buzzing slightly in their pockets.
Suppressing their urge to complain, they pulled them out. After a quick glance, their faces changed.
It was a message from Macro Cosmos. They were being urged to steer the scene back on track.
Ryan, the male host, was the first to recover. He spoke right away, "Dear viewers, what a thrilling and explosive battle we've just witnessed. With both sides using Gym-level Pokémon, we were truly left speechless. Let's give a big congratulations to Piers, the first challenger to earn a badge on this Gym Challenge!"
"Yes." The female host, Lily, quickly followed up. "I remember in previous Gym Challenges, there were challengers who couldn't even beat the first gym."
"That's because the Gym Leaders always give it their all." Ryan laughed, signaling the camera crew to pan back to the two of them.
Lily picked up the thread again. "Piers's strength is truly impressive. I heard that the genius trainer Shiro, who left Spikemuth, has arrived in town. As we all know, being challenged on the road is one of the unique parts of the Gym Challenge."
"Mhm, that's right. And this year, there's a special rule. If Shiro defeats Piers, he'll win his challenger status and his badge."
"Haha, now that's something to look forward to..."
As they chatted, they followed Piers out of Spikemuth Gym.
Outside, a bunch of Team Yell members in flashy outfits had already gathered, waving and shouting:
"Piers will win!"
"Piers will win!"
Piers forced a smile and nodded to his followers, then waved for them to step aside.
Marnie stayed close to the group, sticking near the hosts, camera crew, and the vehicles as they made their way out of the town.
* * *
Meanwhile, in Hammerlocke, at the Pokémon Center in front of the stadium.
The Gym Challenge had just begun, and the place was packed.
All three Pokémon Centers in the city had TVs installed. But due to some historical reasons, the stadium itself had none, as it was originally meant for training only.
Right now, the large screen hanging in the center of the Pokémon Center was brightly lit. Trainers filled the area, sitting, standing, or leaning wherever they could find space.
Some even stood outside, trying to catch the audio and stretch their necks for a glimpse of the screen.
The two cousins, Rylan and Raihan, were seated in the front row, having pulled over two backed chairs.
Raihan, one of the main participants this year, was scheduled to begin his journey tomorrow. So today, he had come to watch the Gym Challenge kickoff with Rylan and the local trainers. In the hearts of many Hammerlocke residents, he was on par with the undefeated Leon. He was a man who had the potential to be Champion.
The screen broadcast continued as usual. Soon, it reached the point where Piers and Silas released their Pokémon and started battling.
"Huh?" After a while, puzzled gasps came from the quiet crowd.
At this time, Scrafty was knocked out by Skuntank on the screen.
In the front row, Rylan turned to Raihan and met his gaze. Both could see the same thing in each other's eyes.
Confusion. Doubt.
'Was that... a staged match?'
**
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