Piers' voice rang out clearly.
But Skuntank on the ground only cast him a disdainful glance over its shoulder. If not for the crowd watching, it would have gladly let out a fart for the kid to smell.
"Sk... Skuntank?" He tried again cautiously. "Use Venoshock!"
The Pokémon ignored him completely, lying down and narrowing its eyes.
'Why isn't it obeying?!'
Panic rose in his chest. The earlier loss with Obstagoon could still be brushed off as an accident or some sort of strategy. But if the Pokémon itself refused to listen… then the fact that he had borrowed it would be exposed.
He resorted to calling out each word separately.
"Skuntank! Ve-no-shock! Ve! No! Sho—"
The creature suddenly raised its hindquarters, its large fluffy tail, striped with cream and purple, sticking straight up. Beneath the fur, its butt aimed squarely outward as it released a puff of pale purple, foul-smelling gas.
Pffft!
The sound of gas gushing out cut off his words.
An indescribable stench hit the air. It was as if rotten, brined fish left to spoil had been mixed with the musty reek of damp, unwashed feet. It was enough to make someone empty their stomach on the spot.
Piers clamped a hand over his mouth and nose, unable to say another word.
Skuntank was known to store its foul liquid inside its belly. The longer it fermented, the worse the smell became. This batch had to be brewing for at least three days.
"Piers'... Skuntank... ugh..." Referee Ryan gagged mid-sentence as the stench drifted toward him.
But he was the commentator. It was his job to keep the battle going and narrate events, and more importantly, this was an opportunity far too good to waste.
The previous match could still be explained away as deliberate sabotage. But now? Skuntank wasn't following orders. The problem was solved.
Why had he fixed the match at Spikemuth Gym? Because his Pokémon wouldn't obey.
Why hadn't he given orders to Obstagoon? Because his Pokémon wouldn't obey.
This Piers was nothing but a spoiled brat pretending to be a gifted trainer. He'd joined the Gym Challenge under false pretenses when, in truth, he couldn't even control his own Pokémon.
Ryan's excitement grew, his face flushing both from holding his breath and from the rush of a perfect story. Throwing caution aside, he raised the microphone and shouted, "Piers' Skuntank is outright refusing his command! Everyone, remember, the Gym Challenge is for the most outstanding young trainers from the entire region to show their skills. This is not a place for rookies who've just received their first Pokémon!"
Piers lowered his arm from his face and tried to shout back, "No! Skuntank, it—"
He couldn't finish. Standing in the center of the stench, he was forced to cover his mouth once more, his eyes watering from the foul air.
Ryan's eyes lit up. This was perfect. His media spin would go flawlessly. He trembled from head to toe, swaying toward the microphone as he declared, "The League has already released the relevant files! That battle at Spikemuth was a staged performance between father and son! Why? Because Piers can't control his Pokémon! That's why he gave no orders to Obstagoon… speaking would only expose him!"
He took a quick breath and continued, his face twisted with intensity.
"Sure, father and son can put on a show. But now he's up against the true prodigy of Spikemuth, Shiro! And silence is the most honest display of his real abilities. He simply can't command them!"
"You son of a—" Piers charged at the damned host. But his tight trousers and shoes that dragged at his steps made running hard. On top of that, his body was already weak, and he'd breathed in too much toxic gas. He could barely move a few steps before gasping for air, which just made him inhale more of the stench, trapping him in a vicious cycle.
Seeing his approach, Ryan immediately bolted toward Shiro.
Piers didn't chase far, but the sight of his wild hair sticking out in strange tufts and his crazed expression was unsettling enough.
Reaching Shiro's side and catching his breath, Ryan raised his voice again, "Did you all see that? Piers flew into a rage and tried to harm the referee! He just tried to attack me!"
Shiro quietly raised an arm to cover his mouth and nose, watching the whole scene in silence. Honestly, he was still trying to piece things together.
Piers staying silent at first and letting Obstagoon get defeated was one thing. But the moment he sent out Skuntank, it didn't even obey? And the TV host wouldn't let it go, as if he'd been waiting for this exact thing and had finally found the key point to exploit.
And now there was talk about him throwing a match back at Spikemuth Gym?
Shiro hadn't seen that battle himself, so he wasn't certain. Still, if this turned into branding Piers as a cheater who relied on connections, that would save him the trouble of battling.
Meanwhile, Ryan kept his commentary going, "Looks like Piers has come to his senses! He's taken out a Poké Ball and recalled his Skuntank, maybe realizing that all this stench is his fault. But wait… he's sending out another Pokémon?! Why not just forfeit?"
Giving the man a sideways glance, Shiro turned his focus to the newcomer on the battlefield, a Liepard.
[Name: Liepard
Type: Dark
Level: 42 (Gym)
Ability: Limber
Held Item: None
Moves: Scratch, Growl, Fake Out, Sand Attack, Fury Swipes, Torment, Assurance, Hone Claws, Sucker Punch, Nasty Plot...]
The feline had solid strength. Yet it didn't look like it wanted to fight.
On the field, Corviknight stood calmly in place. Liepard, however, didn't even glance at it. Instead, it turned to stare straight at Piers.
Noticing the hostility in its eyes, he instinctively stepped back and stammered, "Fake… Fake Out, Liepard… use Fake Out…"
At that order, the Pokémon moved instantly, its body turning into a blur of shadow as it lunged at him.
"Ah!" Piers screamed, flailing his arms and legs in panic. But Liepard didn't maul him, it just bit something off him before sprinting away in another direction.
He patted himself down in alarm. Only the fabric around his waist and his belt had been torn.
The Pokémon was fast. Within seconds, it had vanished from sight.
Ryan, stunned by the scene, turned to Shiro with a blank look. He shook his head, equally baffled.
What on earth was going on with Piers?
His own Pokémon had just betrayed him in front of everyone, stolen something, and fled the battlefield.
**
**
**
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!