"I should have been gentler…"
Gary muttered under his breath as he stared at the massive hole in the Viridian Gym's wall.
The jagged edges of stone and concrete looked almost like the aftermath of a small explosion. Dust still lingered in the air, swirling faintly in the dim lights of the battlefield. He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.
This was going to cost a fortune to repair.
The Pokémon League always covered structural damage to the gym building itself, but the battlefield was another matter entirely. As the newly appointed Gym Leader—even if only temporarily—Gary would have to shoulder those costs.
The title of Gym Leader sounded glamorous, but looking at the broken battlefield now, Gary realized it came with responsibilities that weren't quite so glorious.
Ash leaned casually against the railing, Pikachu perched on his shoulder. He glanced at the damaged wall, then at Gary. "Well, looks like you've got your hands full here. Since everything's settled, I should head back home."
Gary turned to him, his expression softening. "Yeah, you should. Aunt Delia's been asking about you constantly. She misses you."
Ash blinked, caught off guard. "Mom…?"
Gary nodded. "While I was in Pallet Town, she dropped by my grandpa's lab every few days. She kept asking if you'd returned. Every time she saw me, she was reminded of you. I guess seeing me made her feel like she was seeing her own son in a way."
Ash's eyes softened. "I see…" He looked down for a moment, then smiled faintly. "Alright then. Pikachu, let's go home."
"Pika!" Pikachu chirped, raising a paw in farewell.
Gary smirked. "Take care, Ash. Don't slack off."
"Same to you! Later!" Ash called back, waving as he headed toward the exit.
The gym doors closed behind him, and silence settled once again.
Scott, who had been leaning against the far wall this entire time, adjusted his sunglasses with a grin. "Gary, don't forget our agreement. You promised me you'd challenge the Battle Frontier."
Gary crossed his arms. "Relax. I'll go in two months. I just need to get this gym running first."
"Good." Scott's grin widened. "I'll hold you to that. The Frontier Brains aren't opponents you can take lightly."
"I wouldn't have it any other way."
Satisfied, Scott gave a casual wave and made his way out of the gym.
Gary exhaled once Scott disappeared. In truth, he didn't need Scott's reminder. The Battle Frontier was already on his mind—not because of Scott's invitation, but because of his own ambitions. And… because of the strange "system" guiding his steps. The rewards it promised were far too tempting to ignore.
Besides, there was still plenty of time before the Lily of the Valley Conference in Sinnoh. If he wanted, he could sweep through the Frontier Brains and then head to Sinnoh to collect badges—all in just a few months.
But for now… the immediate problem was this wrecked battlefield.
"Alright. Let's clean this place up."
Gary unclipped his Poké Balls, summoning several of his Pokémon onto the ruined arena floor. "Blastoise, Arcanine, Electivire—help me clear the rubble."
The Pokémon growled in acknowledgment. Blastoise stomped forward, blasting stray chunks of debris into the corner with precise Water Guns. Arcanine used bursts of flame to burn away splintered wood, while Electivire carefully hauled broken beams aside with its muscular arms.
Gary also contacted Tracey at Professor Oak's lab to transfer over a few more of his partners. Soon, the shimmering light of the transfer system deposited Kabutops and Omastar onto the field.
Actually, two Kabutops and two Omastar. Fossil Pokémon weren't his strongest battlers, but they were perfect for this role. And conveniently, they fit the Rock-type specialization he had decided for Viridian Gym.
He leaned on the railing, watching his Pokémon work, and couldn't help but chuckle. "Full circle, huh? After everything, I still ended up tied to Viridian Gym. Guess it's destiny."
In the games and comics, Green—known as Blue in Kanto—had become the Viridian Gym Leader. Gary never expected to take that same path. Yet here he was, following in a strangely parallel fate.
Once the battlefield was cleared, Gary took the chance to explore the gym properly.
The Viridian Gym wasn't as imposing as some others, like Saffron's sprawling dojo or Cerulean's massive aquatic arena. It was relatively compact. The battlefield occupied most of the central chamber, surrounded by high spectator stands.
Behind the arena were several rooms: a training hall for Pokémon, a small kitchen, bathrooms, and five residential rooms, each about sixty square meters—large enough to live comfortably.
Not bad for a temporary posting.
Still, there were things to take care of. He couldn't run gym battles alone—official regulations required a certified referee. So Gary called one.
"Hello, Gym Leader Gary. I didn't expect you to arrive so quickly."
The voice belonged to a young woman, stepping into the gym with confident strides. She extended a hand.
Gary shook it firmly. "You must be Hannah. Nice to meet you. I'll be relying on you for the gym matches."
"Likewise." Hannah smiled. She looked no older than twenty, but she was already a professional referee certified by the Trainer Association.
Gary had expected someone older, but youth was no disadvantage—if anything, it meant she was sharp and ambitious.
They walked along the battlefield as they talked. "So, Hannah," Gary asked, "how often do trainers come here to challenge?"
"Not very often," Hannah admitted. "The Viridian Gym has stricter requirements than most. A trainer needs at least seven Kanto badges before they can even qualify. So regular challenges are rare. At most, three matches a week when the Indigo Plateau Conference is near. During the off-season, sometimes not even one a week."
Gary raised an eyebrow. "That's it? Just three matches a week?"
Hannah nodded.
Gary smirked. "Sounds like the easiest government job in Kanto."
Hannah laughed lightly. "Don't get too comfortable. You never know what kind of challengers will walk through that door."
Fair point.
Gary thought about it carefully. The Viridian Gym had a notorious reputation. Giovanni once ruled here with his crushing Ground-types. Then Agatha temporarily filled the role, intimidating challengers with her Ghost-types.
According to Hannah, Agatha had only been Gym Leader for a couple of months. And during that short time, she had been so strong that most challengers couldn't even defeat her Gengar. In fact, she'd often handed out badges not based on victory, but on how well the trainer fought.
Gary frowned. That sounded unfair. Why was Agatha allowed to use her strongest Pokémon while he was restricted by the League's regulations?
He shook his head. "No matter. If those are the rules, I'll just make my team fit them."
Later that evening, Gary sat in his temporary office, going over potential rosters. He already decided the Viridian Gym would specialize in Rock-types—his revived fossil Pokémon were perfect for that.
The rules he set would be three-on-three matches. Kabutops and Omastar would form the frontline, while the third slot would rotate between Aerodactyl and Rhyperior.
Of course, it wasn't that he couldn't afford to lose. But as a Gym Leader, being forced into a fixed lineup felt restrictive. Trainers could study his roster, counter-pick, and turn the battle into an unfair guessing game.
Still… Gary Oak wasn't one to back down. Even with restrictions, he would show challengers why he was a three-time League Conference champion.