"Impressive... Shiro, this Dragon Badge is yours."
Rylan placed one hand to his waist, smiling with genuine sincerity.
He had watched Shiro step by step, growing from an unknown trainer with no official recognition to a challenger in the Gym Challenge. Three times they had battled, and three times he had been utterly defeated. His skills simply fell short, and there was nothing more to say.
Shiro returned the smile, nodding as he accepted the badge and studied it.
The Dragon Badge of Hammerlocke was a thin, half-circle fragment. The inner edge was uneven, and on its surface was drawn the upper half of a black dragon.
By right, this was supposed to be his third badge. In reality, though, the Dark Badge from Piers and the Ice Badge from Circhester were not in his possession.
Piers and Melony had both been taken away by the company for so-called "treatment."
He had asked Ryan about it before. The host explained that badges were just a formality. The audience couldn't even see them, and there was no need to present them during the Champion Cup. If necessary, replacements could be issued later.
This Dragon Badge, too, was made of simple copper. With Macro Cosmos' technology, such a thing was easy to reproduce. It was nothing more than a symbol.
He tucked the badge away and greeted Ryan, who jogged up to him. Under the cameras, they exchanged a few casual words before he turned to leave the Hammerlocke Stadium.
* * *
Outside, the stadium was still decorated with banners and streamers, with police stationed all around.
From the western side, Route 6 led out of Hammerlocke, reaching Stow-on-Side and Ballonlea. Heading south, one could reach Motostoke, Turffield, and Hulbury.
Their group pressed on, continuing on foot.
Walking along the marble bridge west of the city, Ryan's portable radio was still playing the Gym Challenge broadcast.
"Today marks the departure of the genius fighting girl from Stow-on-Side, Bea! As usual, her first opponent is her own father! The Stow-on-Side Gym Leader... and waiting outside is Macro Cosmos' roadblocker, Allister!"
"A Machamp has toppled another Machamp! Bea claimed victory in quick fashion... and now comes her showdown with Allister..."
* * *
Wyndon.
Deep beneath the Macro Cosmos headquarters, in a hidden floor below ground, an unknown sector stretched out.
A dim alloy corridor glowed faintly blue, the sharp click of high heels echoing against the metal floor. Oleana held a communicator tightly as she made her way forward.
At the corridor's end, a blinding pink light flared so intensely it could nearly rob a person of sight.
Oleana shielded her eyes with practiced ease, bowing slightly as she stepped into the lab ahead.
Within moments, the dazzling glow faded, revealing a massive machine. Its base was a sealed half-dome. Rising above it was a cylindrical glass chamber filled with fluid, bubbles occasionally floating upward.
Inside curled a small Pokémon with a pink head and a gray-white body. Its legs were drawn close to its chest, as though it were asleep.
It was Mesprit.
"Heh... the devices they provided are truly top of the line. Even after more than ten years, it still functions perfectly, no faults whatsoever," Rose's calm voice echoed.
Dressed in a gray suit, his hands in his pockets, he stood before the machine, eyes fixed on Mesprit.
"Chairman..." Oleana did not engage in pleasantries. Instead, she reported, "The current Gym Challenge match is Allister against Bea. Stow-on-Side has been completely taken over. Should we..."
"Call it a draw. Let them both advance," Rose answered casually, brushing back his dark hair.
Allister was a member of the company. Eldon had also pledged allegiance to them, and Bea too could be considered half theirs as well. There was no need to fight over who would inherit the gym.
"No..." He paused, his fingers halting mid-motion as he recalled the nearby town north of Stow-on-Side, Ballonlea. "That old woman must be monitored... establish a gym near the northern edge of the town, close to Ballonlea. A Ghost-type gym... what do you think?"
"Very fitting." Oleana nodded in agreement, though her eyes lingered on Mesprit like she wished to speak further but stopped herself.
Rose turned toward her, urging, "Go quickly. Once the Dynamax equipment is complete, we won't need those people anymore."
"Yes." She bowed her head slightly and hurried out.
Rose narrowed his eyes, gazing once more at Mesprit.
"Dynamax... it will become Galar's signature. And as for those parasites living off ancestral glory..." His voice trailed into a cold mutter.
* * *
"Roadblocker Allister versus Challenger Bea! One, the hero who once saved Stow-on-Side! The other, the daughter of the current Gym Leader! Who will truly..."
"Allister, citing a type advantage, has voluntarily forfeited one Pokémon... the battle ends in a tie! Both sides are formidable! We are contacting League officials right now..."
"Both are granted challenger status! At the same time, the League has announced that another gym will be built in Stow-on-Side! In the next Gym Challenge, registered trainers will be allowed to participate as long as they receive a recommendation from either a Gym Leader or a Pokémon Professor! Chairman Rose has confirmed the number of participants will be increased!"
"... "
On Route 6, Shiro's group walked on in silence, listening to the radio, each lost in thought.
'Rose is cunning... if this Gym Challenge and Champion Cup transition smoothly, the whole of Galar will fall into his hands.'
Shiro stared at the thickening woods ahead, a sense of urgency stirring in his chest.
Of all the roadblockers, only Nessa had yet to appear. The others were already in play. Even Leon had begun his journey, departing from Turffield to challenge gyms.
He couldn't shake the feeling that the company had adjusted both timing and placement of challengers, accelerating the pace of the Gym Challenge and the Champion Cup.
For example, Lina, the daughter of Gym Leader Nathan, had not begun from her town. Instead, she had started with Leon in Turffield, making Hulbury only their fourth stop.
This overlap meant most challengers would converge on the same routes. Combined with Nessa's roadblock battle, Hulbury would host many matches at once.
As he considered the company's intentions, he called back to his companions, "Move faster! We must reach the gym on time."
Their pace quickened.
* * *
The Gym Challenge pressed on at remarkable speed.
The Gym Leaders followed a standard pattern in their battles with challengers. Pretty much all of them sent out three Gym-level Pokémon. In full six-on-six matches, they used three Gym-level and three at the Advanced-level.
With this structure, competent challengers progressed without major setbacks. Nothing appeared out of place for the audience.
Meanwhile, Shiro trained his Pokémon as he continued his journey from gym to gym.
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