At the Pokémon Center, Icarus decided to call Uncle Sam just to be safe.
In this world, only Pokémon Centers were equipped with communication devices capable of contacting nearby towns.
"Hello, Uncle Sam! Long time no see!"
This time, when the call connected, Icarus was relieved not to hear any strange noises in the background.
"Oh! If it isn't our runaway groom! What, are you planning to come back and get married after all, little Icarus?"
Seeing who was calling, Uncle Sam, who was sitting comfortably in his office, immediately began teasing him.
"Hahaha, Uncle Sam, don't make fun of me. I just wanted to ask if there's been any movement from the Third Branch."
Hearing the joking tone, Icarus knew the middle-aged man was only teasing him, so he got straight to the point.
"What movement could there be? The Gym Leader would never help his former enemies. They searched in secret for two days, then pretended nothing happened.
It's a good thing they never made the marriage reward public. Otherwise, the entire town would know by now. Still, most of the larger families already know you ran away from the marriage. The Third Branch has become a complete laughingstock. Hahaha!"
Uncle Sam openly shared everything he knew. When he mentioned the Third Branch losing face, he burst out laughing.
After all, the Gym Leader was the most powerful person in town. Since he disliked the Third Branch, anyone who knew the history naturally looked down on them as well.
The only reason the Third Branch had survived this long was probably because the Gym Leader didn't want the reputation of persecuting his own blood relatives—or perhaps he simply enjoyed watching them slowly suffer.
"I see. That's exactly what I expected. Then I can finally relax. I won't keep you from your work, Uncle Sam."
The answer made Icarus visibly happier.
"Hey, wait! You always use me and then disappear. I have something important to tell you."
Hearing that Icarus was about to hang up, Uncle Sam immediately raised his voice.
"No, no, Uncle. Aren't you busy? Just tell me what it is."
A trace of embarrassment appeared on Icarus's face. The accusation wasn't exactly wrong.
"Ahem. Well, you know my daughter was born two years ago, right? She's already over two years old now, and she takes after her mother. She's going to grow into a real beauty. By the time she grows up, you'll be in your thirties, right? So I've decided to arrange a child marriage between the two of you. Alright, it's settled. Bye!"
The moment Icarus responded, Uncle Sam rattled everything off at lightning speed.
"Hello? Hello? Uncle Sam!"
Beep… Beep… Beep…
Although the speech was incredibly fast, Icarus still heard every word.
The image of himself in his thirties marrying someone much younger instantly made him feel awkward. He hurriedly tried to call back, but all he got was a busy signal.
"Hehehe. You brat. Did you really think moving away from Aoki Town would let you escape your Uncle Sam? An Elite-level son-in-law is a bargain!"
Sitting in his chair, Uncle Sam looked at the constantly vibrating phone and let out a smug laugh.
The smartest decision he had ever made was saving that little boy who had once been tied up by a Caterpie.
"Ahem… Never mind. Uncle Sam said everything's fine, and the Third Branch has given up. Let's go challenge the Gym."
After several failed attempts to reconnect, Icarus cleared his throat awkwardly and turned toward the others.
"Hehe~"
Since they had been standing nearby, the entire conversation had been overheard.
Airi and Luna immediately burst into laughter. The idea of a two-year-old girl already being promised to Icarus was simply too funny.
Even Stone, normally expressionless, couldn't help chuckling.
"What are you laughing at? We're about to challenge a Gym. Be serious!"
Icarus protested helplessly.
"Alright, alright, we'll stop."
Airi laughed so hard she had to rub her stomach.
She certainly wasn't jealous of a two-year-old child.
⸻
Gyms were generally located in the very center of a city, and the Rock Gym was no exception.
Soon, the group arrived before the massive building.
The structure was several hundred meters wide and roughly fifty meters tall, resembling a giant meteorite carved from silver-gray stone. It reminded Icarus of the Bird's Nest Stadium from his previous life.
"Welcome to the Rock Gym."
A beautiful receptionist greeted them as they entered.
"Hello. We're traveling Trainers here to challenge the Rock Gym."
Not wanting to be mistaken for tourists, Icarus immediately stated their purpose.
"Oh, Trainers. Please come this way. I'll arrange your Gym challenges."
The receptionist's attitude became noticeably more respectful as she guided them toward a registration counter.
"Please present your League ID cards."
She placed a machine on the counter.
Icarus was first.
Beep!
"Icarus, welcome to the Rock Gym."
Since his records were completely clean, he passed without issue.
Beep!
"Airi, welcome to the Rock Gym."
Beep!
"Stone, welcome to the Rock Gym."
Naturally, there were no problems with either of them.
"Miss, please swipe your ID card as well."
The receptionist looked toward Luna.
"Huh? I'm not challenging the Gym. Do I still need to?"
Luna asked in confusion.
"Yes. For security reasons, everyone entering the Gym must undergo identity verification."
The receptionist patiently explained.
Many ancient Gyms also functioned as tourist attractions. Visitors paid admission fees, bought souvenirs, and toured the facilities.
"Alright."
Luna swiped her card.
Beep!
"Luna, welcome to the Rock Gym."
With that, all four identities were verified.
"Now I'll explain the Gym's challenge modes and fees."
The receptionist took out a form.
"The first is the Standard Challenge. It costs 50,000 per attempt and uses a 2-on-2 format. The Gym provides Ordinary Mid-Level apprentices. The Gym cannot switch Pokémon, but challengers may switch freely. Passing earns you the Rock Badge.
"The second is the Advanced Challenge. It costs 200,000 per attempt and is also 2-on-2. The Gym uses Ordinary High-Level apprentices. The challenger receives battle priority. The winner determines whether Pokémon may be switched. Passing earns both the Rock Badge and a Rock Smash TM.
"The final option is the Elite Challenge. It costs 1,000,000 per attempt and is a 1-on-1 battle. You may face either the Gym Leader's personal disciple or, on rare occasions, the Gym Leader himself. Passing earns the Rock Badge and a Stone Edge TM."
She smiled politely.
"Which challenge mode would the three of you like?"
⸻
Icarus immediately began complaining internally.
I have to pay to challenge a Gym? And I might not even get to see the Gym Leader?
Then he thought about it more carefully.
This wasn't an anime or a game.
Running a Gym required enormous resources. Why would a Gym Leader spend his days raising weak Pokémon just to serve as free sparring partners for traveling Trainers?
The reality was far more practical.
The Gym made money.
The apprentices gained battle experience.
The Gym Leader saved time.
Everybody won.
Meanwhile, Trainers still received valuable experience and rewards.
After understanding the logic, Icarus quickly made his choice.
"I'll take the Advanced Challenge."
With Weepinbell's type advantage and recovery abilities, he believed he had a solid chance.
"I'll take the Standard Challenge."
Although Airi's team had a strong type advantage, she preferred playing it safe.
"I'll take the Standard Challenge as well."
Stone certainly wasn't going to spend an extra 150,000 Poké Dollars when he was already broke from raising Kangaskhan.
"Very well. Please pay your challenge fees."
Icarus immediately swiped his bank card.
Beep!
"Current balance: 4.87 million."
After processing all three payments, the receptionist quickly handed them challenge tickets.
"Your matches have been scheduled on Field 6.
"Miss Airi will battle first in approximately twenty minutes.
"Mr. Icarus will battle second.
"Mr. Stone will battle third."
"Thank you."
After storing the tickets, Icarus prepared to leave before suddenly realizing something.
"Um… where exactly is Field 6?"
The receptionist blinked.
Then she immediately apologized.
"My apologies. You can follow the directional signs on the walls."
Only then did Icarus notice the giant arrows and labels.
"…Right. Thank you."
Feeling slightly embarrassed, he led the others deeper into the Gym.
⸻
As they approached Field 6, loud cheers echoed through the corridors.
"Why aren't they here yet?"
"They said the match starts at 9:15!"
"Look! The challengers are here!"
"Good luck!"
"Go, challenger!"
Airi stared in surprise.
"Why are there so many spectators?"
"They probably sold tickets."
Icarus noticed several people holding freshly printed admission tickets.
The ancient Gym families truly knew how to make money.
They had somehow managed to turn Gym challenges—originally part of their official duties—into a profitable spectator event.
He suspected many of these people had originally purchased ordinary sightseeing tickets before deciding to pay extra to watch the live battles.
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