Inside the Pokémon Center.
After meeting Ash and his group, they went together to the Pokémon Center in Oreburgh City.
"Gary, why are you in Oreburgh City? Are you here to challenge the Gym too?" Ash suddenly asked.
"I'm here traveling, and I'll challenge the Gym while I'm at it," Gary said.
"Is the Oreburgh Gym Leader powerful?" Dawn asked curiously.
Dawn was currently a Rookie Trainer. Although she planned to become a Coordinator, she was still very curious about Gyms and often heard about them from others.
"How should I put it... For a Rookie Trainer, the challenge is more than enough. If Ash used Pikachu, he'd have no problem sweeping through all seven of the Leader's Pokémon," Gary commented.
Pikachu: "Pika!" ~*
"Pikachu's that strong?!"
Dawn was shocked. Although she had seen Pikachu's strength before, she hadn't realized just how powerful the Gym Leader was in comparison. Hearing that Pikachu could defeat three Pokémon at once felt hard to believe.
"Pikachu! Pikachu!"
Pikachu was quite dissatisfied with Dawn's doubt. If it weren't for Dawn having saved it before, it would have definitely let her taste a Thunder Shock.
"Okay, okay, it's my fault. I shouldn't have questioned your strength. I'm sorry," Dawn apologized.
"Pikachu!"
Pikachu crossed its arms, wearing an expression that said it wasn't entirely satisfied but would let it go.
Ash then asked, "Gary, did you use Pokémon you caught here in the Sinnoh Region to challenge the Gym?"
"No, I used the Pokémon I already had before coming here," Gary said.
"Ah, then what's the point?" Ash looked confused. With Gary's strength, using his previously trained Pokémon against a Gym battle would make the whole match meaningless—even a bit like bullying.
"It is meaningless, but to participate in the Lily of the Valley Conference, you need to collect eight Badges. You can't just skip challenging a Gym Leader because he's weak," Gary said.
"Well... you have a point."
Ash didn't know how to argue back for a moment. It was every Trainer's right to use whatever Pokémon they wanted for a Gym challenge. No one could dictate what Pokémon Gary should use based on how strong or weak the Gym Leader was.
"Do your best in tomorrow's Gym battle. I'll head out first," Gary said, feeling like the conversation had run its course.
"Leave? Gary, aren't you going to stay and watch Ash's Gym match?" Dawn asked.
"No, Oreburgh Gym is designed for Rookie Trainers. There's nothing particularly interesting about that kind of battle." Gary waved his hand and turned to leave.
Dawn watched Gary walk away and murmured, "Ash, this Gary seems arrogant. He doesn't take the Gym Leader seriously at all."
But Ash didn't respond to Dawn's comment right away. He wore a thoughtful expression, clearly lost in thought about something.
"Gary can come across as arrogant sometimes, but he has the skill to back it up," Brock answered on Ash's behalf.
"Is Gary really that strong?" Dawn asked curiously.
It felt unusual for the always composed Brock to give such a definitive evaluation.
"Very strong."
"How does he compare to the Elite Four?"
Even though Dawn didn't plan to become a battling Trainer, she still knew what the ceiling of Trainer strength looked like.
Hearing Dawn's question, Brock frowned and thought for a long moment before speaking. "It depends on the situation. In a full one-on-one match, I'm not entirely sure. But in a 3-on-3 battle, I think Gary has a high chance of defeating an Elite Four member."
"What?! He could beat the Elite Four?!" Dawn looked incredulous. She then noticed that both Ash and Pikachu wore serious expressions, which only added weight to Brock's words.
"This is just my guess. Whether he'd actually win is something we'd have to see in an actual battle," Brock said.
"That's a relief," Dawn said, relaxing slightly now that she realized Brock was only speculating. After all, Gary wasn't much older than she was. It seemed far too terrifying for a thirteen-year-old to actually be capable of defeating the Elite Four.
"No, Brock isn't wrong. Gary really did defeat an Elite Four member," Ash said.
"What?!"
"Ash, you're not joking, are you?"
Both Brock and Dawn were stunned.
Brock had only been speculating and hadn't actually believed Gary could genuinely beat an Elite Four member.
Seeing how shocked they both were, Ash explained. "It's true. When I was coming back from the Battle Frontier, I passed by Viridian Gym. At the time, Ms. Agatha was serving as the temporary Gym Leader there. She invited me to battle. After I lost, Gary showed up too. Then Gary had a one-on-one duel with Ms. Agatha, and Gary won."
"Are you talking about the time Gary acted as a Gym Leader?" Brock asked.
"Yes, that's the one."
When Brock had visited Professor Oak's Laboratory, he had heard from the Professor that Gary had served as a temporary Gym Leader at Viridian Gym, but he hadn't known that Gary had actually battled Ms. Agatha.
"Who is Ms. Agatha?" Dawn asked.
As someone local to Sinnoh, Dawn wasn't familiar with the Elite Four from other regions.
"Ms. Agatha is a member of the Kanto Region's Elite Four. Her strength is second only to the Champion. She's an extremely powerful veteran," Brock explained.
Dawn's throat tightened. She couldn't believe that Gary, at such a young age, had actually defeated a member of the Elite Four. It was simply too shocking.
Even hearing it directly from Ash, it still felt hard to accept.
"Let's not dwell on this anymore. I'll catch up to Gary eventually. Right now, what I need to focus on is defeating Oreburgh Gym," Ash said, quickly regaining his motivation.
Although Ash couldn't defeat Gary at his current level, his main Pokémon had already reached Elite-tier strength. He could realistically challenge the Elite Four himself now, even if his chances of winning were still relatively slim.
Meanwhile, Gary had no idea that Ash and the others were still discussing him. By that point, he had already returned to his room to rest.
The next day.
Gary went to the Pokémon Department Store to pick up his Flying Protector.
"Here you are, sir. Your Flying Protector."
The clerk brought out the custom-made gear Gary had ordered. Although it was called a "Protector," it was really a specialized harness for riding Flying-type Pokémon.
Gary released Garchomp and fitted the Flying Protector onto it. The protector mainly covered Garchomp's back, making it easier for Gary to sit securely. The shark fin on its back was also wrapped in a layer of padded material, making it easier for Gary to hold onto with both hands.
"Alright, Garchomp, try moving around a bit and see if it affects your movement," Gary said.
"Chomp!"
Garchomp stepped outside the store, swung its arms a few times, and flicked its tail. Feeling no restriction at all, it then flew up into the air and circled back down, confirming there were no issues.
"How does it feel?" Gary asked.
"Chomp."
Garchomp indicated there was no discomfort whatsoever.
"Alright, here's the rest of the payment."
Gary paid the remaining balance, then left Oreburgh City riding on Garchomp's back.