"It seems that I was careless," Tucker admitted, brushing his long hair back with a dramatic flourish.
"Of course," Gary replied firmly, his tone calm but sharp. "The Trainers invited by Scott are all strong. I don't think you can afford to let your guard down."
"Haha!" Tucker laughed, though there was no joy in it. "I was lectured… but what you said makes sense. This kind of battle was boring for me. After fighting with you today, I've decided I won't rely on sending out two Flying-type Pokémon anymore."
Every defeat teaches you something.
And Tucker's match, being broadcast publicly, would expose his weaknesses. Many Trainers would notice that as long as Tucker fielded two Flying Pokémon, he could easily be countered by someone using Gravity or similar tactics. It was a glaring flaw.
"This is the Tactics Symbol. Take it," Tucker said with a flourish, handing Gary the shining emblem of the Battle Dome.
[Ding! Mission completed. The reward has been sent to the space backpack.]
"Thanks," Gary said, slipping the symbol into his case. "I'll be going."
Gary didn't linger. After all, this was Tucker's territory—his personality, his flamboyant colors, his stage. Tucker could take a loss, but his fans… not so much. The less time Gary spent in the spotlight of Tucker's crowd, the better.
To avoid unnecessary attention, Gary slipped outside, released his Charizard, and took off into the sky.
"Char! Roooar!" the powerful flame Pokémon roared as its wings carried them away from the Battle Dome.
Back at the Pokémon Center, Gary sat on the bed in his room, tapping thoughtfully at his PokéNav.
"System, exchange for the Protect TM," he commanded.
Protect was one of the most useful moves in high-level battles. It created an impenetrable shield, allowing a Pokémon to resist any attack—at least for a turn. Perfect for stalling, scouting, or buying a critical moment. Almost all Pokémon could learn it, except a few oddities like Wobbuffet or Unown.
[Ding! Skill exchange successful.]
Gary smiled. He went outside, released his Pokémon one by one, and taught them Protect.
"Blastoise, let's go!"
"Blas-toise!" the big turtle bellowed, pounding its cannons together.
"Electivire, you too."
"Viiire!" sparks danced around Electivire's arms as it pumped its fists.
"Charizard!"
"Char! Roar!" the flame Pokémon growled proudly.
Each of them practiced the shimmering green barrier of Protect until Gary was satisfied. This move would save them in the heat of battle.
"The next battle facility is the Battle Pike… Lucy," Gary muttered to himself, eyes narrowing.
Lucy, the Pike Queen, was unlike the other Frontier Brains. Her serpentine beauty and calm demeanor masked a ruthless tactical mind. Gary remembered her clearly from stories—how she had been momentarily charmed by Brock's ridiculous persistence. Lucy had a soft spot for men with "squinty eyes," which explained her fondness for Brock's antics.
But Gary wasn't planning to rely on Brock's interference. He intended to win with skill.
Later that evening, Scott arrived at the Pokémon Center in his usual bright Hawaiian shirt, looking as cheerful as ever.
"Gary, today's match was solid," Scott said, though his smile faded slightly. "But… it wasn't exactly thrilling. Too one-sided."
Scott loved battles with back-and-forth momentum, matches that entertained audiences. Tucker, however, had been completely outplayed. There had been no drama, no chance for a comeback. For viewers, it was dull.
"That's not my fault," Gary countered, crossing his arms. "Tucker was overconfident. He's always trying to show off, performing flashy combos instead of focusing on winning. That arrogance made him predictable. He deserved to be targeted."
Gary shook his head. "If you want to be a Coordinator, then coordinate. But in a battle, the only goal is to win. Who cares about fancy tricks? Except for Ash, maybe," he added with a smirk. "That idiot always insists on fighting uphill battles just to prove something."
Scott chuckled. "Fair enough. Still, let's schedule your next battle for next Monday."
"Why Monday?" Gary frowned. "I was planning to challenge the Battle Pike tomorrow."
Scott shrugged. "Because tomorrow is Saturday, then Sunday. The facilities close for the weekend."
"Can't you bend the rules?" Gary asked hopefully.
"This time, no," Scott admitted. "You'd have to convince Lucy yourself."
Gary sighed. Lucy only agreed to special requests because of Brock. If Gary asked, she'd likely refuse. Better to wait.
Besides, he thought, Ash must be close to the Battle Pyramid by now. Gary needed to collect the remaining Frontier Symbols quickly before Ash finished. He had no intention of falling behind.
"By the way," Gary asked, "has Ash finished the Frontier Challenge yet?"
"Not yet," Scott replied. "Ash has six Symbols. The only one left is the Battle Pyramid. He challenged Brandon once already but lost. He'll probably try again soon."
Gary smirked. "Took him two months already… if I remember right, he needed three tries before finally beating Brandon."
"Well then, I'll work harder. Mr. Scott, I'm heading to Fuchsia City," Gary declared.
"Alright, I'll meet you there," Scott said, climbing into his flashy sports car and driving off.
Gary ate a hearty meal at the Pokémon Center, then mounted Charizard again.
"Charizard, to Fuchsia City!"
"Char! Roaaar!" With a powerful thrust of its wings, Charizard took to the skies, the city lights of Fuchsia glowing faintly in the distance.
The Battle Pike was located on the outskirts of Fuchsia. Unlike a Gym, the city didn't assign prime real estate for it. Frontier facilities were technically private enterprises, run by Scott. Each Brain was handpicked by him. The League tolerated the Frontier, but it wasn't part of their official structure.
For three days, Gary traveled, training his team during breaks. Blastoise practiced controlling water pressure. Electivire fine-tuned its Thunderbolt for precision. Charizard perfected aerial dodges with Protect barriers. His team grew sharper with every passing day.
Finally, Gary arrived. The building stood out starkly against the suburban landscape—a massive Seviper sculpture coiled around its roof, fangs bared menacingly. Anyone afraid of snakes or poison would give it a wide berth.
Gary pushed open the heavy doors. Inside, he could see through the glass walls: the interior was decorated with snake motifs, serpentine pillars, and velvet curtains. Several young women, attendants dressed in sharp uniforms, lounged inside.
Scott was already waiting.
"Gary, there you are!" Scott waved.
"Mr. Scott, good morning. I'm here to challenge the Battle Pike," Gary said firmly.
But before Scott could answer, a sharp voice cut through the air.
"What did you just say, kid?"
A girl with short blonde hair stormed over. She wore a white coat that looked like a mix between a lab jacket and biker gear, and in her hands she swung a baseball bat threateningly. Her expression screamed defiance.
Gary blinked, completely taken aback. "Uh… did I say something wrong?"