The colossal Toxapex was shrinking rapidly. Its massive frame deflated like a tide receding from the shore, and as its size dwindled to only a few times that of Corviknight, the sharp silhouette of the steel bird inside gradually became visible.
Had Corviknight lost its ability to fight? That question lingered in almost everyone's mind.
Even the referee Ryan, along with the staff surrounding the battlefield, quietly leaned closer to get a better look at the situation.
"Dynamax really doesn't last long. It seems to be ending now. Toxapex is returning to its normal size..." Ryan said, his tone uncertain as he asked, "Gym Leader Nathan hasn't thought about recalling it yet? If he doesn't, it looks like Toxapex might get ripped apart from the inside by Corviknight..."
Nathan tensed at the field's edge. He had been wavering, but after hearing Ryan's words, he quickly pulled out the Poké Ball and withdrew Toxapex.
A flash of red light streaked across the field. When the light faded, Corviknight stood in the open air, its wings wrapped around its body, smeared with blood. A moment later, it slowly spread them open.
"Corviknight... is it hurt?" Ryan called out, his voice echoing through the stadium. Every eye in the audience locked onto the steel bird.
Toxapex had been huge, its presence overwhelming. Corviknight had driven itself straight into its opponent's writhing tentacles, piercing deep within. Had it suffered any injuries? Could it still keep fighting?
"Corv!"
With a low cry, Corviknight beat its wings lightly and rose into the air. Blood dripped from its iron feathers, revealing their original deep black sheen.
Ryan raised his microphone and shouted loudly, "Corviknight is still able to fight! Ladies and gentlemen, Corviknight has defeated Dynamaxed Toxapex... and it's still standing strong! Now, Gym Leader Nathan, please send out your next Pokémon!"
"...."
Nathan instinctively took a half step back. Looking at the bird calmly circling the field, a cold heaviness settled in his chest.
His Dynamaxed Toxapex was down and couldn't keep going. Corviknight, on the other hand, looked almost unharmed.
Despite Dynamax having its flaws, the power boost it gave a Pokémon during battle was undeniable. It was like fighting against someone from an entirely higher tier.
Toxapex had lost.
No, Corviknight had come out of it unscathed.
Nathan's head throbbed as if dozens of needles were poking at his mind. He didn't even know what to do anymore.
Send out another Pokémon? What a joke. The gym battle had essentially ended here.
His agreement with Macro Cosmos would naturally be void. His only hope now lay with his daughter, Lina... but he had already handed over all of her Pokémon's data to that researcher from the company. There was no way they hadn't prepared something for this. He would never believe that.
Right then, Ryan's voice echoed from above once more. "Gym Leader Nathan, please send out your next Pokémon immediately!"
His expression darkened as his thoughts gradually became clear. After Shiro's match, the next one was scheduled between his daughter and himself. Around noon, the broadcast would switch outside to Lina's match against Nessa. That would give the other trainers, staff, and Nathan a short break at midday.
Shiro was also set to leave Galar today. The company was keeping a close eye on him. Nathan didn't need to guess. Once the battle was over, he would definitely start preparing to leave and find a way to slip out of their sight.
He had to use that chance to help Lina defeat Nessa later.
There was no point wasting time or his Pokémon's strength on a fight he couldn't win.
With that thought in mind, he raised his hand high and shouted to Ryan and the crowd, "I forfeit!"
"...."
His words stunned everyone. For two full seconds, not a single sound was heard. Then Ryan's incredulous voice broke through. "Gym Leader Nathan is forfeiting? Gym Leader Nathan, are you sure?"
There were more than a dozen cameras pointed at him. Nathan had just used Dynamax and was under the spotlight of Galar's entire audience. And yet, he chose to give up now?
What time was it now? Nine thirty? Maybe.
There were three battles scheduled for the morning: Shiro's gym challenge, Lina's gym challenge, and then Nessa's roadblock battle against Lina.
If Nathan forfeited now, then just went through the motions with his daughter, the morning segment would end far too quickly. The program's schedule had been set in advance. What would they do now?
Would they move the afternoon matches forward, or stick to the original plan and end the filming early?
Ryan's mind was a mess of doubts and frustration. Should he accept the forfeit or reject it? Wait, did he even have the right to reject it?
Time was running out. He had to respond within five seconds.
He swept his gaze across the stands and saw Sonia give him a slight nod. That gave him his answer. He tightened his grip on the microphone and announced, "Ladies and gentlemen, Gym Leader Nathan has chosen to forfeit! Challenger Shiro's strength is simply overwhelming..."
As expected, before he could even finish, the staff watching from the sidelines started whispering among themselves.
"Gym Leader Nathan gave up already? That was fast..."
"He just used Dynamax. I thought he'd be strong, but that's it?"
"Looks like the company's plan didn't work either."
"Hehe, Shiro's Corviknight is even stronger than a Dynamax Pokémon. I might as well go catch a Rookidee later."
"...."
These workers weren't part of the filming team. They were more like support staff who moved wherever they were needed. They counted as internal spectators, but their chatter grew so loud that Ryan had to cut them off.
"Dear audience, that concludes the first Gym Challenge of the day. In five minutes, the next challenger will step onto the battlefield."
Shiro had already recalled his Pokémon by now. He was not the least bit surprised at Nathan's sudden decision to give up the match.
A good trainer should know when to stop their Pokémon from unnecessary suffering. Forcing them to fight when defeat was certain was just a huge waste of time and energy. Worse, if the Pokémon happened to be a young one, not mentally mature, a crushing defeat could leave a lasting psychological scar, making it fearful of battle for life.
With the match over, Shiro didn't linger. He turned and walked down the tunnel he had entered from at the start of the challenge. The light dimmed as he stepped into the shadowed passage, and there, away from the cameras, he quietly pulled out his communication device.
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