Steam from the hot spring filled the air, drifting in heavy clouds. The rear doors suddenly creaked open, and a Gym Trainer in a white Circhester uniform poked his head in.
Spotting Gordie soaking in the bath with his back turned, the trainer called out, "Master Gordie, the TV crew has arrived. In ten minutes the Gym Challenge will begin, Lady Melony asked me to fetch you."
"Got it," Gordie grunted through his nose, clearly annoyed that his nap had been interrupted.
As he rose from the pool, his heavy body dripping with water, the trainer let out a relieved breath and slipped back out through the crack of the door.
* * *
Within the Circhester Stadium.
The tall walls, built from brownish cream marble, kept the cold at bay. Heat and steam from the hot springs seeped out, coating the stone with a misty sheen that forced the cameramen at the edges to shuffle closer for a clearer view.
At one side of the central field stood Melony, her light gray hair visible under a heavy white down jacket and thick outer coat.
Beside her were two professional hosts from Macro Cosmos, the same pair who had previously interviewed Piers in Spikemuth, Lily and Ryan. Seizing the moment before the match, they peppered her with questions.
"Gym Leader Melony, is it true your son Gordie is taking part in the Gym Challenge for a second time? Many people claim they saw him before, but that he lost in the second gym and faded from memory without leaving much of an impression."
"Absurd! Complete lies!" Melony snapped, her answer sharp and immediate. Then she added, "That was Marvin. He and Gordie are brothers."
The hosts exchanged puzzled glances, then pressed further.
"So what you mean is..."
"The one who entered last time was actually Marvin!" she said firmly. "The two of them looked almost identical back then. But after losing his match, Marvin went on a crazy diet. He slimmed down and then tried to steal Gordie's spot in the Gym Challenge."
Both hosts looked startled.
"Marvin tried to steal Gordie's spot?"
Melony nodded. "Of course! And that wasn't all. Later, when things became difficult for me, he even stole his father's Pokémon. My husband was so furious, it killed him."
At this point, her face showed grief, then it twisted into anger.
"That wretched boy should have been treated as a criminal from the start! Yet somehow he clung to Macro Cosmos and now dares to try and steal his brother's place again!"
"Uh..." Lily cast a doubtful look at her partner.
Ryan quickly reacted, raising his voice, "In that case, it's Marvin's word against Gordie's. Once the roadblock battle begins, we'll see for ourselves. Their appearance and their strength will reveal the truth!"
* * *
Hammerlocke, outside the stadium.
The day before, watching the Gym Challenge in the Pokémon Center had been unbearable. So Raihan had ordered a massive screen to be temporarily set up above the stadium's bronze gates instead.
Except for a handful of trainers who disliked crowds and stayed home or at the Pokémon Center, the others trainers, including the local police team, had gathered before the gate to watch the Gym Challenge with the two representatives of the Dragon Tamer family.
Raihan stood with his hands in his pockets at the front. Behind him stretched a packed mass of trainers.
He squinted at the giant screen, silently observing Melony accuse Marvin of being the one to steal Gordie's Gym Challenge qualification.
Months ago, when Circhester officials first issued a wanted notice for Marvin, they had used the exact same story.
As for the truth...
The trainers in the crowd behind Raihan were noisy and skeptical.
"What nonsense about losing weight. Marvin and Gordie don't even have the same face or hair color. What's she gonna say next, that he dyed his hair?"
"Tch... wouldn't put it past Macro Cosmos to spin it that way..."
"You didn't watch the last Gym Challenge? Right from the start he was strong enough to fight his own mother! That was obviously Gordie. And those ridiculous glasses he put on to show off. What, take them off and suddenly he's unrecognizable?"
"I didn't see it."
"I just got to Hammerlocke myself... whatever. We will see in the roadblock battle soon enough. Whoever wins, that's the one who's right."
Raihan rubbed his fingers together absentmindedly, deep in thought about how Macro Cosmos would handle Circhester.
Everyone already knew that this Gym Challenge was being used as a purge of entrenched Gym Leaders across the region. Just yesterday, Spikemuth had seemingly been replaced with a new leader.
Rose's methods were ruthless and efficient, and the flow of information was sealed tight.
Today's news cycle was completely drowned out by Circhester's Gym Challenge. No one even cared anymore what chaos Spikemuth had descended into.
Silas had vanished, and his son Piers had been arrested…
The thought sparked sudden unease in Raihan's chest.
Leon was his equal in strength. But what if Rose resorted to dirty tricks? Would he rig the finals of the Champion Cup, just to guarantee Leon the title?
The louder the trainers behind him chattered, the heavier Raihan's mood became.
* * *
Circhester. At the stadium battlefield.
From the far edge of the arena, a huge cream-colored door carved with delicate patterns swung open.
Gordie stepped out, chest bare, wearing only shorts and a white bathrobe. He shoved up the triangle sunglasses on his face and strode forward in exaggerated confidence.
Fresh out of the hot spring, he didn't feel the least bit cold despite the snowy weather outside. With a swagger, he made his way to the opposite end of the battlefield.
Standing across from him, Melony clenched her jaw and cursed inwardly. 'This idiot...'
He had clearly run straight from the bath, skipping proper clothes out of laziness.
A smug smile spread across his round face as he waved enthusiastically at the cameras and the two hosts, even striking a pose he thought looked stylish.
"Well... our challenger Gordie certainly looks confident," Lily said with a forced smile to her partner. "It almost seems like he believes victory is already his."
Ryan gave a helpless laugh. "And in such freezing weather too. Look at him, braving the battlefield in nothing but a bathrobe. His physique must be remarkable."
Listening to their commentary, Gordie nodded proudly and waved at Ryan.
The man grimaced and quickly hurried things along.
"Now then, with both participants ready, the Circhester Gym Challenge officially begins! Today's match is between Gym Leader Melony and her son, Gordie! Stay tuned for the upcoming battle!"
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