In the heart of Spikemuth, Piers gripped the microphone tightly, down to his last Pokémon. His situation looked dire.
"Come on, Piers! Don't lose!" Aye cheered, raising both hands.
Beside him, Tim adjusted his newly bought lensless glasses, grinning.
"Oh, oh! Whether it's Hop's combo of Cotton Guard and Body Slam or Piers' Malamar turning the tables with Topsy-Turvy, both are impressive strategies! Too bad he can't go all out in a Gym Challenge…"
"Nah nah, Summer, who do you think will win?" Nayo asked, turning to him.
Among them, Summer was the one who understood battles best.
"Logically speaking, Piers is going to lose."
After all, Hop trained in Sunset Forest under his guidance.
That Body Slam tactic? Summer had taught him that.
Besides, Hop was already strong, and since Piers wasn't fighting at full strength, there was no way he'd win.
As for why Summer wasn't worried about being away from Sunset Forest?
Simple.
With Misty Forest's protective barrier and everyone stronger than ever, the forest didn't need babysitting anymore.
Even Celebi had reassured him that Sunset Forest's near future was bright.
Of course, the Rocket invasion had left Celebi feeling guilty—hiding away while the forest suffered. It had heard the forest's cries.
So, Summer had comforted Celebi, reminding it that:
The bad guys were punished. No Pokémon lost their lives. It was the best possible outcome.
"And hey," Summer had said, "we saved the world. Cheer up! No one blames you."
Back at the battle, Aye looked shocked.
"Wait, Summer, you think Piers is gonna lose?!"
"Unfortunately, he's right." Tim adjusted his glasses. "Besides, don't forget—Hop still has two fresh Pokémon."
Aye groaned. "Then that means Marnie's got another rival now!"
Nayo nodded furiously.
"Exactly! And Marnie easily cleared Ballonlea Gym yesterday! She's gotten way stronger lately!"
On the battlefield, Piers sighed.
Why do these guys always bring the conversation back to Marnie?
Never mind. Might as well wrap this up.
Gripping the microphone, he threw his last Poké Ball into the air, singing as he did:
"This might be a bit much… but I think our 'audience' can handle it! Let's go, Skuntank! Sucker Punch or Toxic—guess which one~?"
Hop pumped his fists.
"It doesn't matter which move you use! Snorlax and I trained for this!"
Summer could only shake his head.
Hop's battle style could be summed up in one word—reckless. He fought purely on momentum, never thinking about counterplay, just charging ahead.
(Also, all these moves? Summer had taught him.)
"Go all out! Snorlax, High Horsepower!"
"Tch. Skuntank, Sucker Punch!"
Piers grimaced.
He already knew—
This wouldn't end well.
Skuntank vanished into the shadows, its Sucker Punch landing clean—
But against Snorlax's sheer bulk?
Not even close to a knockout.
Snorlax stomped the ground, gathering Earth's power, then—
WHAM!
It body-checked Skuntank with all its weight.
"Now! Arm Thrust!"
(Also a move Summer had taught him.)
"Bite back with Sucker Punch!"
Skuntank lunged again—but its claws barely dented Snorlax's belly armor.
The heavy punch landed square on its back—
KO.
But—
Before fainting, Skuntank left a farewell gift.
Its Aftermath ability triggered—
BOOM.
A massive explosion erupted.
Snorlax, caught in the blast, collapsed too.
Hop had won—but just barely.
Piers sighed.
"Heh… we gave it our all."
He glanced at Hop, then corrected himself.
"You're good, but not just because you're Leon's little brother."
Hop beamed.
"Well, that's all thanks to my teacher!"
"…Teacher?"
"Yeah! Summer, the Ranger of Sunset Forest!"
Hop turned, waving at him.
"Teacher! I won!"
Piers massaged his forehead.
This guy… when did he start training students?
"And now he's sending them to give me trouble?"
"Whatever. Here's your Dark Badge. Take it."
He tossed the badge, and Hop fumbled, barely catching it.
With a grin, he whispered:
"Nice. One more badge—then I can challenge my brother!"
Piers sighed.
"Do what you want. I, on the other hand, need to have a word with a certain 'self-proclaimed mentor.'"
He turned to head toward the stands—
Then—
"Brother!"
Hearing the familiar voice, Piers snapped upright.
His hands left his pockets, his posture straightened, and he adjusted his collar to look more formal.
Marnie marched over, arms crossed, Morpeko in her embrace, looking furious.
But when she spotted Hop, her expression immediately cooled—returning to her signature blank face.
Piers coughed.
"Marnie! Uh—welcome back! Congrats on beating Ballonlea Gym!"
"Mm." Marnie nodded softly.
Then, she looked at the stands—eyes locking onto Summer.
She huffed.
"Wait… you're Marnie?!"
Hop's eyes widened.
"You're the rising star challenger that my teacher supports—fierce in battle, strong-willed, and a natural fighter?!"
"…Teacher?" Marnie asked.
Morpeko, sensing the tension disappear, sighed in relief.
"Yeah! Summer, the Ranger!"
Hop blinked.
"Wait, don't you already know him?"
Marnie's smirk twitched upward.
"Oh~? That so~?"
Her grip on Morpeko tightened again.
Morpeko: (Wait, wait, wait—why is the pressure coming back?!)
Piers wiped his forehead.
Phew. She's not mad anymore.
But…
Marnie, you're too easy to cheer up.
"Then—battle me!"
Hop, riding high from his victory, challenged Marnie directly.
Marnie glanced at him.
"Battle? I don't mind. But—"
She tilted her head.
"You just fought my brother, right? Shouldn't you heal your Pokémon first?"
"Ah!" Hop froze.
"You're so right! I got excited and forgot!"
"Hold on! I'll be back!"
And with that, he sprinted off.
Marnie turned back to Piers, arms folded.
"Alright. Now that it's just us—"
"Why didn't you tell me what happened?!"
Piers winced.
Yep… she's mad.
(End of Part 1)