Marvin felt a headache coming on.
What was he supposed to say here? He truly had no idea what was going on.
But since Shiro was standing here, he must have won. Beating Melony in just ten minutes or so… was it one Pokémon down per move? That was way too fast.
He even forgot the questions Ryan had asked earlier.
Seeing his dazed look, the air grew stiff. Shiro stepped in at the right time and said, "Gym Leader Melony and Gordie are his relatives. He probably doesn't want to comment on them."
"Oh... then it was my fault for being too blunt," Ryan said with relief.
Normally in the live broadcast, when things got stuck like this, the co-host Lily would step in to smooth things over. But the restaurant space was too small, and the cameramen had to squeeze inside. Lily was left blocked at the doorway. Luckily, Shiro filled the gap at just the right moment.
Ryan had already realized that Marvin really didn't know anything. He had been inside this little restaurant to avoid the cold. The middle-aged owner himself had been watching the Gym Challenge broadcast on television, while Marvin had honestly been asleep.
"Then..." Ryan quickly changed gears, walking over to the half-bald man who had been staring off at the counter table. He raised the microphone and asked, "After watching the Gym Challenge battle just now, what do you think about the current Gym Leader, Melony?"
The restaurant owner, Patrick, tilted his head slightly and only after a pause answered, "Uh... I don't acknowledge Melony as the Gym Leader of Circhester."
"Why not!" Ryan's eyes lit up.
"Because... I suspect she was behind the old Gym Leader's death. That Gordie probably isn't even his real child... The old Gym Leader was so handsome, so refined. How could he have a kid that stupid?" Patrick said flatly.
Ryan's face brightened into a wide smile, and he pressed on, "So then, Marvin was right? Everything Gym Leader Melony said was just lies?"
Patrick nodded repeatedly. "Of course. And another thing, can't your program let the battles go on longer? Both matches ended before I could even get a good look. Two battles! And they were both over before anything even starte—"
Ryan cut him off, "Thank you. I'm sure the Dragon Tamer family of Hammerlocke, with their long legacy, won't let you down. Please stay tuned for the next Gym Challenge battle..."
* * *
Hammerlocke.
In front of the massive stadium, two barricades guarded by the police divided the space. The roads on either side leading to the Pokémon Centers were completely sealed off, leaving only one main path. From the stairway below, it led straight into the stadium.
Crowds of citizens and trainers packed both sides of the street, the city nearly emptied out as everyone gathered.
The buzzing of hushed conversations filled the air, mixing with the slow approach of five convoy off-road vehicles driving into Hammerlocke. The noise was restless and loud.
"The League already sent their people? Isn't the Circhester event still going on?"
"Who cares about those interviews… battles are what I want. What's the point if no one's fighting?"
"Circhester is such a bizarre place, even worse than Spikemuth."
"Don't worry. Nothing like that will happen here. Raihan and Rylan get along very well."
"As long as the League doesn't pull any tricks halfway through..."
The chatter carried all the way to the steps of the Hammerlocke Stadium, where Raihan was already waiting. Dressed in full gear, he stood tall in front of the bronze gates, ready for his Gym Challenge to begin.
Soon, a male and female host climbed the stairs, striding confidently toward him.
Seven cameramen followed close behind, never letting the lens stray from Raihan's strikingly handsome face.
"All eyes are on us! Today the Gym Challenge has finally reached Hammerlocke. Our most famous Dragon trainer, Raihan, is right here! This is his hometown, and this will be his first Gym Challenge battle! What kind of obstacles await him?"
The male host rattled off the line in one go, his voice full of energy, before stepping right up to Raihan.
After a brief exchange of greetings, the cameras followed him into Hammerlocke Gym, also known as Hammerlocke Stadium.
Inside, the area had already been cleared of unrelated trainers. Only staff and workers remained. Four trainers in white uniforms stood at attention on both sides, silently saluting as they welcomed him in.
When Raihan reached the end of the passage, a broad strap barred the way. A strong-looking Gym Trainer respectfully pulled it aside, gesturing for him and the company staff to proceed.
On the other side of the battlefield, Rylan was fully dressed and prepared to face him.
"I wonder what the Hammerlocke Gym's trial will be this time," the female host said with interest. "Will it be like Spikemuth, where the test was removed altogether? Or like Circhester, where trainers were forced to fight in harsh conditions?"
As she spoke, the cameramen positioned near Rylan moved closer for a better angle.
He calmly explained, "Hammerlocke's trial this time is sumo wrestling. Each side's strongest Pokémon will clash in a shoving match on one end of the field. Simultaneously, the battle will continue as a 2v2. If during the fight, one side's Pokémon manages to push its opponent out of the designated area first, then no matter the state of the ongoing match, the side with the victorious wrestler wins the entire battle."
The male host chimed in, looking enlightened. "Oh, so if the 2v2 battle ends and both wrestlers are still in play, then the result will depend on the outcome of the 2v2, right?"
"Yes." Rylan confirmed with a nod.
The host smiled. "That makes this a very interesting 3v3 battle. I see a metallic lane built along the edge of the battlefield; it must be for the sumo wrestling. Hammerlocke Gym's trial is certainly unique."
After he stopped speaking, the referee stepped up to his position. Raihan and Rylan threw out their Poké Balls at the same time.
"Duuraaaaludon!"
"Koommoooo!"
Two dragons appeared at opposite ends of the lane, stomping toward each other with heavy steps.
"Gym Leader Rylan and challenger Raihan have sent out their Pokémon. The match begins!"
The referee's announcement had barely finished when both trainers tossed out another pair of Poké Balls.
"Tuuuurtonaaatooor!"
"Haaaxoooruuuus!"
Turtonator, a Fire and Dragon-type resembling a turtle, landed with a heavy thud. Haxorus, a pure Dragon type, followed, its bladed tusks glinting dangerously. Their typing gave them natural checks against each other.
The cameras observed Turtonator and Haxorus closely. Meanwhile, Kommo-o and Duraludon crashed into one another along the metallic lane. The ground shook as their bodies collided.
No flashy long-range moves. The two dragons slammed into each other head-on.
The impact echoed through the stadium, and in the very next moment, flames burst violently from Turtonator's shell.
**
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