Host Ryan walked up to Piers.
"After forfeiting the match and losing your challenger status, how do you feel? Do you think you deserved this?"
"I..." Piers' lips moved, but no words came out.
From behind them, TV station staff rushed over. Several long camera rigs nearly poked right into his face.
This was a once-in-a-lifetime scoop.
They already had the headline ready in their minds: the cheating trainer who failed in the Gym Challenge.
By tomorrow morning, they could pair it with this face and have writers churn out countless sensational dirty stories. Tales of shady deals and underhanded tactics, all undone by sheer stupidity… followed by the glorious, righteous League stepping in.
And, of course, the genius trainer reclaiming the honor that was rightfully his.
Perfect.
The thought alone made the TV crew giddy.
Some of them also carried their cameras toward Shiro. The female host, Lily, put on her best sweet smile and began the standard interview, "What's your view on Piers' behavior?"
Shiro's face was stern, his expression heavy with a trace of sadness. He spoke slowly, "It is certainly a shame. We couldn't have the thrilling battle I'd been expecting..."
He rambled on about his own feelings, weaving them into the "fallen genius" narrative the media had built for him. He padded out the story with whatever came to mind, and Lily seemed satisfied enough with the interview.
Inside, though, he was urging these annoying reporters to hurry up and leave. He still had unfinished business here.
If the cameras didn't clear out, how was he supposed to get on with his revenge?
He glanced at the group of uniformed Yell Team members standing stiffly in formation. Many faces looked familiar, but he still didn't know which ones were connected to the original owner's late father.
There was no rush, however. He'd already waited months for this; a little longer wouldn't hurt.
Finally breaking free of the TV crew's questions, Shiro saw the reporters moving toward Piers instead. He made his way to the corner of Spikemuth's main street, standing at the edge of where Team Yell had gathered.
He could clearly sense that some of them were tense, like they were afraid of him.
"You're not leaving?" Marnie walked over, arms crossed. Her simple pink dress and black jacket made her look casual, but her expression wasn't pleasant.
Considering her brother had just made a public fool of himself, it was no wonder she wasn't in a good mood.
Shiro just gave her a glance before fixing his eyes back on the nervous Yell Team members. "My job here is done. So I figured I'd look around a bit."
She followed his gaze and asked thoughtfully, "That Corviknight..."
"Yeah, it used to be that little Rookidee," he replied plainly.
She hesitated, then said, "Can I see it? I wonder if it still remembers me..."
'Remembers you? Wasn't it injured because of your Pokémon's training?' Shiro raised an eyebrow. This girl from Spikemuth was strange… soft-hearted even. Growing up in this place, yet still caring for weaker Pokémon.
Or maybe she was one of those people who valued Pokémon's lives over human ones.
Sensing his skeptical look, she lowered her head slightly and explained softly, "Of the three injured Pokémon… I've been visiting the other two often. Only Rookidee was taken away by you."
"Huh?" Shiro found it odd. "You feel that guilty over three injured Pokémon? When I left Spikemuth, quite a few people died, you know. By the way, what happened to Rabby's body?"
"What body...?" Marnie frowned, mumbling as she thought. Then she recalled the dead fat man she had asked her Toxicroak to deal with. She answered matter-of-factly, "I got rid of it for you. Otherwise, if my dad found out and sent someone after you, Rookidee might have almost died again because of me."
Shiro fell silent. 'Pokémon lives matter, human lives don't…'
He hadn't noticed it during their brief first meeting, but now he was certain; this Spikemuth princess had a screw loose.
Marnie didn't care what happened to the Team Yell grunts. To her, they weren't as important as a baby Pokémon.
Still thinking it over, he saw the eager look in her eyes. After a pause, he nodded. "I can't promise Corviknight will not attack you."
"Alright." She smiled with genuine delight. She had always trained her own Pokémon herself, except that one time when she let her father handle it, which had left three Pokémon injured.
Sometimes, she valued them more than herself.
Shiro looked toward the TV crew. It seemed like they couldn't get anything out of the dazed Piers anymore. They pushed him back and had the two hosts give closing remarks.
Soon, the staff boarded the same off-road vehicles they'd arrived in and left, heading for the next city and challenger.
The Team Yell members at the street's edge also quietly slipped back into Spikemuth.
He wasn't worried that they would run. Their lives were tied to this town; their families and everything they owned were here. They had nowhere else to go but the Spikemuth Gym.
A few of the more helpful grunts came out to carry the near-collapsed Piers inside. Their eyes darted toward Shiro, then quickly away as they hurried off.
"Shiro?" Marnie called, her face full of expectation.
He knew she wanted to see Corviknight. With most of the people here now gone, he let the Pokémon out.
"Coooorv!"
A deep cry rang out as the bird appeared at his side. It stood tall with its head held high, almost twice his height. Its black feathers shimmered with a dull sheen, and its crimson eyes radiated menace.
Compared to the small-framed Marnie, it looked like it could take half her body in one bite.
She hopped forward, waving both hands excitedly. "Corviknight!"
The bird lowered its gaze to her, showing no real change in expression or its posture.
Naturally, it remembered this human girl. Back when it was still a Rookidee, it had been locked in that room. Every time it was exhausted, she would come with food. But that didn't mean it felt any gratitude. It understood she had been part of the same group that captured it.
Marnie froze at the cold look in its eyes. She waved harder, but the bird just lifted its gaze again, scanning the surroundings out of habit to check for danger.
Hands in his pockets, Shiro saw the last Team Yell grunt at the street corner. At the sight of Corviknight, the man panicked and fled back into town.
"Corviknight, let's go," he called out, stepping away.
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