Inside the Oreburgh City Pokémon Center…
After reuniting with Ash and his friends, Gary went with them to rest and talk over lunch in the cozy lounge area of the center.
Ash leaned forward eagerly. "Gary, why are you here in Oreburgh City? Are you planning to challenge the Gym too?"
"I'm just traveling around Sinnoh," Gary replied casually, stirring his drink. "But yeah—I'll challenge the Gym while I'm here."
Dawn's eyes lit up. "Is the Oreburgh Gym Leader strong?"
She spoke with genuine curiosity. Though Dawn's ambition was to become a Pokémon Coordinator, not a Gym-style battler, she still liked to hear about trainers and Gym Leaders. As a rookie, everything about Gym challenges fascinated her.
Gary thought for a moment, then gave a thoughtful shrug. "Hmm… how do I put it? For a Rookie Trainer, the challenge is solid. But for someone experienced, the Gym's level isn't especially high. If Ash used Pikachu, he could probably take down all seven of Roark's Pokémon without breaking a sweat."
"Pika! Pikachuuu~!" Pikachu called proudly, cheeks sparking faintly.
Dawn blinked in amazement. "Wait—Pikachu's that powerful?"
Although she had seen Pikachu battle before, she'd never realized how strong it truly was. The idea that Pikachu could sweep an entire Gym team felt unbelievable.
Pikachu puffed out its cheeks indignantly, leaping onto the table. "Pika! Pika-pii!!"
Dawn laughed nervously. "Sorry! I didn't mean to doubt you, Pikachu!"
But Pikachu folded its small arms, glaring playfully with narrowed eyes. "Pika-chuu!"
Dawn leaned forward apologetically. "Okay, okay—it's my fault. I shouldn't have questioned your strength!"
"Pika!" Pikachu grunted, turning its head away but clearly pleased with her apology.
Gary chuckled under his breath at the familiar scene.
Ash then looked up and asked, "Gary, did you use Pokémon you caught here in Sinnoh to challenge the Gym?"
Gary shook his head. "No. I used the Pokémon from my main team—the ones I've trained from before."
Ash frowned slightly. "Huh? But with your team's strength, isn't that kind of… meaningless? Taking on a beginning-level Gym with Champion-tier Pokémon seems a little unfair."
Gary smiled faintly but didn't disagree.
"It is meaningless in some ways," he said, "but to participate in the Lily of the Valley Conference, I still need all eight badges. I can't skip Gyms just because their leaders are weaker. A Trainer earns their right to move forward by fulfilling the same rules as everyone else."
Ash thought for a moment before nodding. "Well… yeah, you've got a point."
The room quieted for a bit. The reasoning made sense; still, it felt funny imagining someone like Gary, who once battled Kanto Elites, taking on a Rookie-level Gym Leader like Roark.
Gary finally stood, straightening his jacket. "Anyway, do your best in tomorrow's Gym battle, Ash. I'll be leaving early."
"Wait, you're not going to stay and watch my match?" Dawn asked curiously.
Gary gave an amused half-smile. "The Oreburgh Gym is designed for beginners. Trust me, there's nothing there that I haven't seen a hundred times before."
With a casual wave, he turned and headed toward the door.
As Gary's footsteps faded, Dawn leaned closer to Ash and whispered, "This Gary… he's kind of arrogant, isn't he? Like he doesn't take Gym battles seriously at all."
Ash didn't respond immediately. He looked thoughtful instead, his brow furrowing slightly.
Brock, however, smiled knowingly. "Gary's not arrogant, Dawn. He just can afford to act that way. He's got the ability to back it up."
Dawn tilted her head. "You mean Gary's really that strong?"
Brock nodded slowly. "Very strong."
Dawn frowned slightly, processing that, then asked quietly, "How strong, compared to the Elite Four?"
Even though she wasn't battling competitively, she knew what that meant.
Brock exhaled, clearly mulling over how to answer. After a pause, he said thoughtfully, "Well… it depends on the situation. In a one-on-one battle, I can't say for sure—but in a three-on-three match, Gary might actually stand a chance against the Elite Four."
Dawn's eyes widened. "You mean… he might actually defeat the Elite Four?!"
Hearing that, both Ash and Pikachu exchanged serious looks. Their expressions alone confirmed that Brock's words weren't just idle flattery.
Brock crossed his arms, his tone calm and matter-of-fact. "I'm just giving an honest guess. Whether win or lose, Gary's strength is at that level."
Ash nodded firmly. "Yeah. And the only way to really know is to battle."
Brock smiled faintly. "That's the spirit."
Seeing Brock's composed expression, Dawn finally relaxed a little. Still, she couldn't quite wrap her head around it. Gary wasn't much older than she was; the idea that someone barely in his teens could take on the Elite Four was staggering.
Then, to everyone's shock, Ash added quietly, "Actually… Brock's not that far off. Gary's already beaten one of them."
Dawn blinked. "What!?"
Brock's eyes widened. "Ash, you can't be serious—Gary beat an Elite Four member?"
Ash nodded. "It's true."
He leaned back in his chair, remembering vividly. "When I came back from the Battle Frontier, I passed by the Viridian Gym. Back then, Ms. Agatha—you know, from the Kanto Elite Four—was filling in temporarily as the Gym Leader there."
Both Brock and Dawn listened intently.
"She invited me to a match first," Ash continued. "I battled her… and lost. Her Ghost-types were just too tricky for Pikachu and me to handle back then."
"Pika…" Pikachu sighed softly, remembering the experience.
"After that, Gary showed up," Ash went on. "Ms. Agatha accepted his challenge too. And in that fight—Gary won. He defeated her in a one-on-one duel."
Both Brock and Dawn were completely stunned.
"You mean to tell me," Brock began slowly, "that Gary not only substituted as Gym Leader once, but actually fought Agatha—the Kanto Elite Four member—and won?"
Ash nodded. "Exactly. Professor Oak told me the same story later too."
Dawn looked confused. "Who's Ms. Agatha?"
Brock turned to her, explaining patiently. "Agatha is one of the strongest members of the Kanto Elite Four, right below the Champion level. She's a Ghost-type master—and she's been battling since before our generation was even born."
Dawn's mouth fell slightly open. "That's unbelievable… Gary actually beat her? At his age?"
Even though the story came straight from Ash, it almost didn't sound possible. The thought of a young trainer being able to stand up to someone of Agatha's caliber was shocking.
Ash, meanwhile, tried to ease the tension. "He's always been ahead of me like that. But I'll catch up sooner or later. Right now, my goal's simple—defeat Roark and get my first badge!"
He clenched his fist in determination. Pikachu mirrored him, sparks flickering around its cheeks. "Pika-chuu!"
Brock smiled. "That's the right attitude, Ash."
Even if Ash couldn't beat Gary now, both he and Pikachu had reached Elite-level potential already. The gap between them wasn't as big as it once was—it was only a matter of time.
Meanwhile, Gary had no idea that Ash and the others were still sitting there discussing him. By the time their conversation shifted back to Gym strategy, Gary was already back in his room at the Pokémon Center, resting quietly after another long day.
The next morning…
Gary visited the Pokémon Department Store again to collect the Flying Protector that had finally been completed.
"Here you go, sir," the clerk said, handing him a neatly packaged set. "Your Flying Protector's ready!"
Gary nodded and released Garchomp right outside the storefront.
With a flash of light, the towering dragon emerged, stretching its fins. "GARCHOOOOOMP!!" it roared proudly, startling a few passersby.
Gary smiled. "Alright, big guy. Let's try it on."
He secured the custom-designed protector across Garchomp's back. The protector was a padded harness fitted with flexible leather supports along the body, designed to make flying more stable and comfortable. Even the dorsal fin was wrapped in a smooth covering so Gary could grip it easily during flight.
"Okay," Gary said, stepping back to inspect the setup. "Move around and see if it bothers you anywhere."
"GARCHOOOOOMP!!" Garchomp bellowed. It flexed its fins, swung its tail, and then lifted smoothly off the ground, circling once above the street before landing again gracefully.
Gary grinned. "Looks like it fits perfectly."
"Garchooomp!" the dragon responded confidently.
Gary nodded. "Good. Then we're set."
After making payment for the final balance, Gary climbed onto Garchomp's back. With one last wave to the clerk, he said, "Let's go."