'Let's test in advance, just to be prepared.'
Shiro glanced at Ryan beside him, quietly weighing his thoughts.
Oleana had ordered these TV crew to report his every move... but what if he tried to escape when they reached Hulbury?
He would need to get tickets through some hidden channel, then pretend to board a ship and leave. Whether he really intended to run or was only feigning it, the company would not be able to tell. They would have to take action either way.
He didn't care about vanishing halfway through the Gym Challenge. He could just take his Pokémon and the Unown with him to Kanto or somewhere else, where nobody knew his name.
Without realizing, the group had already walked past the snowy path on the southwest edge of Circhester. They descended a slope and entered a dim lit ruin tunnel.
It was an official League route, cleared long ago by designated workers. Along the way, not only were there no signs of pedestrians, but even wild Pokémon above the Intermediate-level were absent.
The dirt road at the tunnel entrance was tidy, and lamps hung neatly at three-meter intervals along the walls. Though this place was originally a ruin, it had long since been developed and now served simply as a passageway.
Once inside, the snow outside seemed to fall even heavier. Gusts of cold wind slipped in from time to time, making the crew carrying the equipment shiver.
They walked about a dozen meters and turned a corner. Crystals of discarded ore on both sides reflected faint yellow and blue light. At a small recess further in, there was a table with three low stools. Two League staff in blue uniforms stood up with cups of hot coffee in hand.
The man with stubble at the front set his cup back on the table, a little surprised.
Circhester was one of the least visited towns these days. It was freezing all year, and the gym had abandoned its once-thriving hot spring tourism. Other than the spring inside the gym itself, most public springs didn't even change their water for months. Tourists came only to leave sick and miserable after soaking.
Now, during the Gym Challenge, people were actually coming through this tunnel.
He didn't suspect they were troublemakers. They all looked tired, nothing like the hardened wild trainers who roamed the wilderness.
"My name is Morton. I'm the one in charge here. May I ask who you are?" the man inquired, scratching the stubble on his chin.
Shiro and Ryan exchanged glances. The latter stepped back a little, leaving the talking to him.
After a brief pause to gather his words, Shiro replied, "I'm a Gym Challenge challenger. They're the crew following me to film."
Morton looked taken aback. He turned toward his partner as if confirming he'd heard right.
Their work watching over the tunnel was tiring and dull. They had no television, only radios they carried to pass the time. Every day they listened to updates about the Gym Challenge.
"And you are…?" Morton asked hesitantly. He didn't know what each challenger looked like.
"Shiro. Challenger from Macro Cosmos," he said.
Ryan stepped forward, pulling out relevant documents and handing it over. Shiro also presented his ID card, swiping it on their scanner to complete the check.
The two staff smiled politely, put the device away, and returned to their seats. They resumed drinking coffee and listening to their radio.
They understood this group was only passing through. Since no cameras had been set up, there was no reason to fuss over them. They would leave soon anyway.
Shiro didn't dwell on it and pressed onward.
The crew's eyes, however, lingered on the steaming cups of coffee for sometime before they finally looked away. They wore bitter expressions, dragging themselves forward as they followed him deeper into the ruin tunnel.
From behind rocks and broken ore veins, black round heads with brown ridges peeked out, staring curiously at the travelers.
These were Roggenrola, living in the southern part of Route 8's ruin tunnel. Most were at Beginner or Intermediate-level. The stronger Boldore had long been captured.
The Roggenrola were gentle in nature. They needed only to consume minerals each day and wouldn't attack humans unprovoked.
"Khmm…" Ryan coughed lightly, stealing a glance at the Pokémon, then leaned closer to Shiro and whispered, "Shouldn't we stop for a bit and rest?"
Startled, Shiro turned back to look. The group behind him wore weary faces and grimaces.
They had just walked from Circhester to the southern part of Route 8. Was this really enough to drain them? Were they that weak?
"We've been walking too fast… In just two hours we crossed the snowy mountains from Circhester, went through Steamdrift Way, and now we're here in the ruins," Ryan muttered, sitting down against a boulder. His voice was faint. "Way too fast."
The six crew members slumped down as well, leaning against rocks and ores, dozing with half-closed eyes.
On Steamdrift Way, they had already been on the verge of collapse, but there was no way to stop in the heavy snow. They had forced themselves on until they reached the ruins.
They had thought they could rest once inside. Yet Shiro hadn't slowed down at all. He walked like he couldn't even feel tired.
"…" Shiro stood in place, looking at them. He wondered what would happen if he simply left them here.
Most likely, Oleana would immediately send other trainers to track him down.
He sighed.
It was only half past three in the afternoon.
Reluctantly, he walked a little more ahead until he found a flat clearing. Then he released Haunter.
"Haun~"
Haunter shook its head, floating about with a wide grin, its eyes gleaming as it looked around the rocky cavern with excitement.
Its strength had already reached Advanced-level peak, level 40.
Shiro had planned to consult Edgar about when it would be best for Haunter to evolve. His original thought was to let it build up enough power, then use a Linking Cord to evolve into Gengar and break through to Gym-level.
But he couldn't figure out how much "enough" was. Perhaps Haunter could reach Gym-level by sheer training without evolving?
That seemed difficult. It had been stuck at level 40 for half a month with no progress.
Growlithe and Vibrava were the same. Both were stuck at the peak of Advanced-level. No sign of change.
"Hmm…" Shiro brushed aside Haunter's playful paw and released Growlithe and Vibrava too.
According to Edgar, the key to crossing from Advanced-level to Gym-level was accumulation. Levels, training, battles, and nourishment all played a part.
"Grooowl!"
Growlithe, who hadn't come out in a while, was full of energy. It spun in circles in the small clearing, chasing its tail with cheerful yaps.
Vibrava hovered quietly in the air, barely moving.
They had been fed perfect-quality Pokéblocks every day, plus many special Berries. Their levels were already maxed out, and they had trained plenty. Yet none of them could push past this barrier.
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