Gary's eyes narrowed as he stared across the battlefield at Noland's final Pokémon, the hulking Pinsir. This wasn't how he had expected the battle to unfold.
Originally, Gary had planned to rely on Electivire and Glaceon to carry him through the match. Together, they were meant to dismantle Noland's team and secure him a decisive victory. But battles never went exactly as planned.
Due to a careless command, Electivire had been caught off guard and defeated by Venusaur's devastating Earthquake. Then, when Glaceon faced off against Pinsir, it quickly became clear that the Ice-type had little hope against such a physically overwhelming opponent. Gary had been forced to recall it before things turned worse.
Now, only one Pokémon remained. His backup. His ace. The one he had held in reserve for just such a moment.
If he was going to win this battle, this Pokémon had to claim victory the instant it appeared.
Gary took a deep breath. Noland… you've pushed me this far. That alone proves your strength.
"Mr. Noland," Gary called across the field, his voice sharp with determination, "I'm going to win this match."
Noland folded his arms, unfazed. "That's not necessarily true," he countered. His eyes burned with confidence. He wasn't about to admit defeat just yet.
Among the spectators, only one man truly understood what was about to happen—Scott, the Battle Frontier's overseer. He had seen Gary's power firsthand. In particular, he remembered the ferocity of Gary's Blastoise, a Pokémon strong enough to topple Agatha of the Elite Four.
Scott thought to himself: If Gary had opened with Blastoise, this battle might have been over in three moves.
But Gary had saved something even more fearsome for the finale.
"Charizard," Gary said firmly, unclipping a Poké Ball from his belt, "I'm counting on you!"
The ball burst open in a flare of light.
"Charizaaaard!!"
A roar like thunder shook the battlefield as Charizard appeared, wings flaring wide, flames burning brightly at the tip of its tail.
Pinsir instinctively took a step back, its claws twitching uneasily. Despite its confidence in battle, it knew the truth: against a Fire- and Flying-type like Charizard, the odds were stacked heavily against it. And Charizard's mere presence radiated overwhelming strength.
"Even with the type advantage, that doesn't mean you'll win!" Noland barked, refusing to be intimidated. "Pinsir, Dig!"
"Pinsirrr!"
The Bug-type slammed its claws into the earth, burrowing underground with startling speed. If it couldn't face Charizard directly, then it would strike from below.
Gary, however, remained perfectly still. He didn't call out a command. He just crossed his arms and watched.
Noland frowned. He's not giving orders? Dig is extremely effective against Fire-types on the ground… is he planning to just take the hit?
He clenched his fists. "Pinsir, attack!"
The battlefield erupted.
"Pinsirrr!!"
With a fierce cry, Pinsir burst out of the earth directly beneath Charizard, its body wreathed in ground energy as it shot upward in a powerful strike.
Gary's voice cut through the dust. "Catch it, Charizard!"
"Roooaaar!!"
Charizard didn't dodge. Instead, it extended both arms and braced itself. The ground-powered impact slammed into its chest—but Charizard held firm, seizing Pinsir in its grasp before the Bug-type could retreat.
"P-Pinsir?!" Noland gasped.
"Take off, Charizard!" Gary commanded.
Charizard's massive wings unfurled with a thunderous flap, and in an instant, both Pokémon were airborne. Pinsir thrashed wildly, but Charizard's grip was unbreakable. Its horns slashed at the air, but they couldn't reach its opponent's body.
"Pinsir, Hyper Beam—now!" Noland shouted desperately.
Gary's response was immediate. "Charizard, Flare Blitz!"
"CHAAARIZAAAARD!!"
Charizard roared as its entire body erupted in flames. With Pinsir still clutched tightly, it transformed into a blazing comet streaking across the sky.
"P-Pinsir!!"
The flames scorched Pinsir's body mercilessly. The Bug-type tried to summon energy for a Hyper Beam, but the searing pain broke its concentration. The attack fizzled before it could even form.
High above the Battle Factory, the fiery silhouette of Charizard shone against the clouds. The heat distorted the air, blue flames licking across its scales as the intensity of the blaze reached its peak.
"Now finish it!" Gary shouted.
Charizard let out another deafening roar, then tucked its wings and dove.
Like a meteor crashing down from the heavens, the dragon plummeted toward the battlefield, dragging Pinsir with it.
BOOM!!
The impact was catastrophic. The ground split apart, the shockwave knocking dust and debris high into the air. A mushroom cloud rose from the point of impact, rattling the very foundation of the arena.
For a moment, the battlefield was obscured by smoke. Then, as it slowly cleared, the scene became visible.
At the center of a massive crater stood Charizard, wings flared wide, flames still burning across its body. Its expression was cold, proud, utterly dominant.
At its feet, Pinsir lay motionless, its body charred and battered. It had no strength left to continue.
"Pinsir is unable to battle!" the referee declared. "Charizard wins! All of Factory Head Noland's Pokémon have been defeated—the victor is Gary Oak!"
Gary exhaled, his tension finally releasing. He looked at Charizard and gave a small nod. "You did it."
"Charizaaaard!!" the dragon roared triumphantly, flames flaring brighter in acknowledgment.
The first of Gary's Battle Frontier challenges had ended in victory.
Noland returned his fainted Pinsir, gazing at the Poké Ball with a mixture of respect and regret. Then he looked up at Gary with a small smile. "I truly lost to you today. Your Charizard is incredible. As expected of a trainer who once stood against Elite Four Agatha."
Gary chuckled softly. "You give me too much credit. That Gengar of hers… I doubt she ever truly fought me at full power. If she had used Destiny Bond, things could have ended very differently."
Still, praise from a Frontier Brain was not something he took lightly. "You're strong too, Mr. Noland. You pushed me harder than I expected."
Noland shook his head. "Strong? Not compared to you. Seeing that Charizard of yours, I feel like I've just been washed away by a tidal wave. But…" He reached into his coat pocket. "I still have something to give you."
He held up a shining object, shaped like a badge but larger, more ornate. A stylized letter K gleamed at its center.
"This is the Knowledge Symbol," Noland declared proudly. "The proof that you've conquered the Battle Factory."
Gary stepped forward and accepted it.
It was surprisingly heavy in his hand.
"Wait… is this real gold?" Gary asked, blinking in surprise.
Scott stepped closer, smiling knowingly. "Yes. The Symbols are made of pure gold. Each one weighs at least a dozen grams. Quite different from ordinary badges, wouldn't you say?"
Gary raised an eyebrow. "That's… at least worth a month's wages for the average worker. You're really giving these away?"
Scott chuckled. "Indeed. And not just gold. For challengers who don't win but still perform exceptionally well, we also award a silver version of the Symbol, crafted from pure silver."
Gary shook his head in disbelief. "Mr. Scott, you must be rich beyond reason to afford this."
Scott waved a hand dismissively. "It's not as expensive as it sounds. The facilities already belonged to the Frontier Brains. All I do is provide funding, manage logistics, and commission the Symbols. In truth, it's a small price to pay to push trainers like you toward their limits."