"GARCHOOOOOMP!!!!"
Garchomp let out an excited cry as it soared through the clouds. This was its first real flight since evolution, and it couldn't contain its exhilaration. The feeling of the wind rushing past its body filled it with pure joy.
Gary Oak stood below, watching with satisfaction as his newly evolved partner sliced effortlessly through the sky. This scene reminded him of when his Salamence had first learned to fly—both Dragon-types experiencing the thrill of freedom in the air for the very first time.
In the wild, Garchomp and Salamence were known rivals, often battling fiercely over territory or prey. "Heh," Gary muttered, shading his eyes to follow Garchomp's movements. "I just hope those two will get along when I have them out together someday."
High above, Garchomp banked hard, turning through the sky in controlled loops. It had flown continuously for more than twenty minutes, its large fins cutting through the air with force and precision. Eventually, after feeling a little fatigued and slightly uneasy with the altitude, it descended in a gentle spiral before touching down with a booming thud.
Gary smiled and approached, patting Garchomp's sturdy shoulder. "Alright, that's enough for now. You did great today," he said warmly. "Let's eat later, partner. This afternoon I'll take you to the Pokémon Department Store to have a Flying Protector customized for you. In the future, you'll be the one flying me across Sinnoh."
"GARCHOOOOOMP!!!" Garchomp responded proudly, its tail fin twitching with energy.
Gary chuckled. "Good. I like that answer."
He took out his Pokédex and reviewed Garchomp's stats while the Pokémon stood beside him, still radiating power from its training.
Pokémon Data: Garchomp
Type: Dragon / Ground
Level: 50
Potential: Champion Tier
Ability: Sand Veil – Dodging ability increases by 20% during Sandstorms.
Skills: Tackle, Dig, Dragon Breath, Bulldoze, Bite, Dragon Claw, Crunch, Dual Chop.
Inherited Skill: Metal Claw.
Taught Skills:
Shadow Claw, Rest, Stone Edge, Rock Slide, Dragon Pulse, Body Slam, Fire Blast, Iron Tail, Protect, Earthquake, Stealth Rock, Hyper Beam, Waterfall.
Intimacy: 255 (Maximum Friendship).
Gary nodded in satisfaction. "Perfect stats and complete move range. You've got great potential." Still, his brow furrowed slightly. "The only thing that bugs me is the lack of a transformation skill to boost your battle output… something like Dragon Dance."
He sighed in amusement. "It makes no sense that powerful Dragon-types like you can't use Dragon Dance. What was the move designer even thinking?"
In theory, Dragon-type Pokémon should be able to boost themselves through dance-based techniques like that, but Garchomp couldn't learn it naturally. Gary shook his head. "Really, it's such an embarrassment for Dragon-types," he said half-jokingly, scratching his chin.
Fortunately, there was a similar technique that offered comparable power: Swords Dance.
"Alright, that settles it," Gary said. "We'll fix that right now."
He activated his system interface.
[Ding! Swords Dance Skill exchanged successfully.]
Gary invested one permanent TM device to acquire the new move. After teaching the skill to both Garchomp and Weavile, he ran hands-on practice drills to perfect the form. Both Pokémon moved in fluid synchronization—spinning, slashing, and releasing faint energy waves from their claws, their attack potential soaring.
By the time they finished, the sun had dipped near the horizon. Gary smiled faintly, satisfied with the results. Then he took Garchomp to the Pokémon Center for dinner before calling it a day.
In the afternoon, Gary headed straight to the Oreburgh City Pokémon Department Store, which specialized in crafting battle and travel gear. He approached the custom equipment counter.
"I'd like to order a set of Flying Protectors for my Garchomp," Gary said, handing over Garchomp's Poké Ball.
The clerk nodded, releasing Garchomp for measurement. The large Dragon-type straightened up proudly while the clerk walked around, taking notes with practiced hands.
"Let's see..." the clerk murmured. "Shoulder height, wing span, core mass. Hmm, about three to five days to construct a perfect-fitting set, and roughly a week total for delivery."
Gary nodded. "That's perfectly fine. We can use that week for more training."
"GARCHOOOOOMP!!!" Garchomp affirmed, its tail swinging eagerly.
Since it was still getting used to flying, that timeframe suited them well. While waiting for the specialized gear, Gary planned to continue polishing Garchomp's aerial control during daytime training and rotate sessions with his other Pokémon in the evenings.
Later that week, Gary fell into a steady rhythm—morning training, mid-day research, and wild Pokémon observation in the afternoons.
He wasn't capturing Pokémon lately; his interest lay in studying the local ecology near Oreburgh Gate and Route 207. The region around Oreburgh was rich with Rock- and Ground-types, such as Onix, Geodude, and Rhyhorn. What he was really hoping for, however, was something special—a Shiny Pokémon encounter.
To enhance his chances, Gary relied on his Gardevoir.
"Gar-de-voir~!" the elegant Psychic-type appeared, her eyes shimmering softly.
"Alright, Gardevoir," Gary said gently. "Use your telepathy to sense nearby Pokémon. Let's see if anything rare is hiding around."
Gardevoir closed her eyes, releasing a soothing psychic ripple. Her empathetic ability to detect emotions made her perfect for this task—wild Pokémon couldn't easily hide their presence from her, yet her gentle energy made them less likely to flee in panic.
Gary smiled slightly. "You really make scouting easier. Most of my other Sinnoh Pokémon look… well, a bit too intimidating. You're just right for the job."
"Voir~." Gardevoir responded modestly, smiling as her hair-like tendrils swayed.
Six days passed, and Gary still hadn't spotted a single Shiny. He sighed as he gazed across the familiar rocky fields near the Oreburgh Gate.
"It seems there's no Shiny Pokémon here after all," he murmured, stretching tiredly.
The truth was simple—while games portrayed infinite encounters, the real wild had limits. Pokémon populations around human settlements were stable and small, rarely exceeding a hundred individuals around a given area. Real-life exploration was not infinite grinding—it was observation and patience.
"Well…" Gary exhaled. "Guess I'll take a break. The Flying Protector should be ready tomorrow anyway."
He looked at Gardevoir. "Let's head out. We can move on once the gear arrives."
Gary gave up his Shiny search for the day and retraced his steps toward Oreburgh Gate. As he neared the stone archway, he noticed three figures walking out from the other side.
He stopped mid-stride—his eyes widened in disbelief.
"Wait a second…" he muttered.
A familiar voice echoed across the path. "Ash? Brock? What's wrong with you guys?" one of the travelers—a girl—asked.
The two boys turned, equally stunned.
"Gary!!" Ash and Brock shouted in unison.
For a moment, all four stood staring at each other. Then Ash broke into a huge grin. "Gary! I can't believe it's you!"
Gary smirked. "Ash… still trailing behind me, huh? And Brock—what are you doing here?"
Before either could answer, the girl blinked in surprise. "Wait, you guys know each other?"
Ash turned toward her. "Yeah! Gary's my childhood friend—well, rival too. We grew up together back in Pallet Town."
Gary chuckled softly. "Of course. And you must be…?"
"Uh-huh I'm Dawn!" she said brightly. "Nice to meet you, Gary."
"Same here," Gary replied with a polite nod. "You've got quite the team, traveling with these two."
Brock scratched his chin. "It's been an interesting trip so far. I came to Sinnoh to study Pokémon breeding, and I happened to run into Ash along the way. We've been traveling together ever since."
Gary smiled knowingly. "Fate, huh? You two really are destined partners on the road."
Of course Gary already knew how Brock met Ash. Brock had hitched a ride with a woman truck driver delivering goods to the Sinnoh Region. He followed her on the road for a while, but she ended up abandoning him halfway. That's when he met Ash.
Brock had even gone so far as to handle their living expenses—food, lodging, transportation—he practically funded the entire trip. He really was the unlucky one in that story.
Then again, the driver wasn't exactly fortunate either. For all Brock's hopeless flirting, he was loyal and kind-hearted when he truly cared.
Gary couldn't help but shake his head. Brock and his family were stone enthusiasts, always collecting different kinds of rocks and evolution stones. But in times like these, that hobby wasn't cheap. People who couldn't appreciate that sincerity and passion often missed out on real happiness.