At seven fifty in the morning, more than a dozen people had already gathered outside the Cianwood Gym. Several trainers with backpacks were waiting in line for the doors to open, along with a few local residents who had come to watch.
Lin Hao stood at the front and tugged his cap lower. Pikachu crouched on his shoulder and opened its mouth in a wide yawn.
The gym doors swung open from inside. A burly bald man stood in the doorway, his arms thicker than Lin Hao's thighs. Beneath his tank top, every muscle stood out, hard as iron. "Eight o'clock slot. Challenger Lin Hao?"
"That's me."
The Gym Leader looked him up and down, his gaze settling on Pikachu. "You only brought that one?"
"I have a few more in their balls."
The Gym Leader nodded and stepped aside. "Come in. The Cianwood Gym has simple rules. Last one standing wins."
Inside was a spacious fighting arena paved with thick stone slabs. Plenty of people already occupied the stands. In a corner of the third row, May wore a hat and sunglasses, her phone resting on her knees and pointed toward the arena.
Lin Hao swept the stands with his peripheral vision. There were no gray-blue uniforms, but a man in a dark coat sat near the exit. His posture was too straight for an ordinary spectator.
Mewtwo confirmed in his mind, "One individual. Noncombatant. Carrying miniature recording equipment."
"Let him film." Lin Hao walked onto the challenger's platform.
The Gym Leader took his place opposite him and folded his arms across his chest. "My name is Kijō. I'm the Cianwood Gym Leader, and the strongest Fighting-type trainer in Johto."
Someone nearby murmured, "Kijō trained under the same master as Karen. He's got Elite Four-level strength."
"Three on three.