Bryan

The sparring partner job at Hammerlocke Stadium ran from 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM, with a 30-minute break at noon. During their shifts, trainers could freely use the intermediate training rooms within the stadium to train their Pokémon.

However, there was one strict rule—sparring partners had to remain inside the stadium at all times. Their presence ensured they could respond immediately whenever a battle request came in.

Sparring partners were also ranked based on the strength of their Pokémon. Novice and Beginner levels fell under the Silver rank, while Intermediate and Advanced were classified as Gold. Those at the Gym level or higher earned the prestigious Platinum rank.

Currently, there are no Platinum ranked sparring partners at Hammerlocke Stadium, since trainers at that level can earn far more by taking on missions or catching Pokémon.

The majority of sparring partners here are at the Beginner or Intermediate level.

With his Beginner-level Rookidee, Shiro was classified as Silver Rank, earning him a base salary of 20,000 Pokédollars. Though the bulk of his earnings come from commissions.

A one-hour session with a Silver rank sparring partner costs 1,000 Pokédollars. With a 20% commission rate, Shiro earns 200 Pokédollars per hour.

This doesn't include battle wagers. If the hiring trainer loses, they must pay at least 1,000 Pokédollars per match.

Galar's long-standing tradition of betting on battles has made the sparring partner profession highly profitable.

...

Now, inside Hammerlocke Stadium.

The match between the two Rookidee trainers had just ended, and the gathered spectators had thoroughly enjoyed the intense battle.

Although neither of the Pokémon in the battle were particularly strong or rare, Rookidee, as a representative Pokémon of the Galar region, has always been the strongest among sparring partners of the same rank.

The fight had been well-executed and entertaining and was likely to be the talk of the stadium for the next few days.

After the battle, Shiro returned to the stadium's main hall and asked Pym to book an intermediate training room for him.

He could train his Pokémon while waiting for another match. However, Rookidee couldn't be pushed too hard—if it was too exhausted, it wouldn't perform well in battles.

Pym sat at his computer, the glow of the blue screen reflected off his glasses as his fingers moved swiftly across the keyboard.

Suddenly, he stopped typing.

"Shiro, someone just requested a battle with you."

He adjusted his glasses and gave Shiro the battle location.

"Battlefield 27… It's probably one of the trainers who just watched your fight."

"Alright." Shiro had no reason to refuse. If someone was eager to hand him money, he certainly wouldn't turn them away.

...

Shiro made his way toward the designated battlefield, his sharp gaze scanning the occupied and empty arenas until he found the correct one.

Standing on one side of Battlefield 27 was an older man with grayish-white hair. His pale, aged face made it hard to tell his exact age, but he could easily pass for sixty.

This was the "old man" who had been watching from the sidelines earlier.

"Hello, Shiro. My name is Bryan, but you can call me by my nickname—Old Man." Bryan smiled as he gripped a Poké Ball. His voice was as aged as his appearance.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Shiro, a sparring partner specializing in Rookidee." Shiro kept his introduction brief and stepped onto the battlefield.

He tossed Rookidee's Poké Ball into the air with a flick of his wrist.

With a burst of red light, Rookidee emerged, flapping its wings vigorously. Its crimson eyes gleamed with fighting spirit.

The earlier battle hadn't worn it down. if anything, it had only fueled its excitement for the next fight.

"Looks like it's in great shape." Bryan studied Rookidee with interest before inserting his League Card into the arena's metal terminal.

Shiro followed suit, inserting his ID.

A soft pink psychic barrier rose around the battlefield, sealing the space for their match..

Rookidee hovered midair, waiting for its opponent.

Yet, Bryan didn't send out his Pokémon right away. Instead, he turned toward Shiro and asked,

"I remember you won a Dragon Scale from Rylan, didn't you?"

Shiro's gaze flickered.

"Yeah," he responded, already guessing where this was going. Bryan probably wanted to buy it off him.

"What are you planning to do with it?" the old man asked.

Shiro paused for a moment, then answered,

"Feed it to my Pokémon."

"Your Pokémon?" Bryan fell silent for a moment, then nodded and threw out a Poké Ball.

Shiro only had two Pokémon, Rookidee and Gastly, neither of which could bite through the Dragon Scale.

But that didn't stop him from pretending as though he had the right Pokémon for the job.

Out of Bryan's Poké Ball emerged a pure white, upright rabbit with red ears. It was Scorbunny, the Fire-type starter from the Galar region.

Scorbunny's feet were long and thick, constantly bouncing in place, with small flames occasionally flaring around it.

From its appearance, Shiro could tell that this Scorbunny was close to evolving, likely at level 16.

"Hehe, let's see if I can get it to evolve through this battle," Bryan casually remarked.

Shiro nodded slightly and confidently said, "You go first."

Bryan didn't hesitate, shouting, "Scorbunny, use Fire Kick!"

'Fire Kick?'

Shiro quickly searched his mind, but couldn't recall a Fire-type move by that name.

Even so, he swiftly issued his command, "Rookidee! Use Quick Attack to dodge!"

On the battlefield, Scorbunny kicked off the ground with great force, launching itself into the air at incredible speed, far faster than Rylan's Jangmo-o.

Pokémon like Scorbunny had a natural talent for speed, and its body was built for quick, offensive moves.

It spun mid-air and shot toward Rookidee with its flaming feet, delivering a powerful kick.

Rookidee reacted instantly.

With a sharp cry, it became a blur of gray light, narrowly avoiding the fiery strike. The moment it passed by Scorbunny, it clipped the Fire-type with its wing.

Caught off guard, Scorbunny lost balance midair, tumbling awkwardly toward the ground.

In the nick of time, Shiro had instructed Rookidee to use Quick Attack to dodge. If it had depended solely on its wings, it might have been hit.

The Fire Kick seemed to be a combination of two moves, making it incredibly strong. If Rookidee had been hit even once, it would have sustained serious damage.

"Hmph, not bad. You reacted well." Bryan nodded, impressed by Rookidee's swift dodge and counterattack.

"Rookidee, Hone Claws!" Shiro knew that Bryan's Scorbunny was strong, so he issued a hasty command once Rookidee had dodged.

Rookidee's body glowed with a white light, and it rubbed its claws together.

'Is he feinting?' Bryan narrowed his eyes.

After a brief hesitation, he commanded, "Scorbunny! Keep moving and use Growl!"

Growl was a move that lowered the opponent's attack. Bryan wasn't sure if Shiro was really going for an attack with Hone Claws or merely using it to feint. He had no choice but to issue the command.

If Rookidee was going to use Air Cutter, Scorbunny could quickly stop Growl and dodge.

But if Rookidee was really just using Hone Claws, then Growl would counteract the potential boost from Rookidee's move.

"Rooki!" Rookidee called out loudly, completing its move.

Despite being startled by the sound, Scorbunny still managed to use Growl.

"Scor!"

"Rookidee, Air Cutter!" Shiro quickly followed up with his next command.

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