Gary stepped through the long metallic corridor of Sunyshore Gym, his footsteps echoing softly against the polished floor.
The air inside felt different—charged, almost humming with latent electricity. Thin blue currents occasionally flickered along the walls, running through transparent conduits that pulsed like veins carrying power through the structure.
So they really upgraded everything, Gary thought, glancing around.
As he moved forward, the corridor opened into a waiting area just outside the main battlefield. A neat arrangement of tables and chairs sat along the side, clearly prepared for challengers.
Beside them hovered a small floating machine—sleek, spherical, and quietly emitting a faint mechanical hum.
The moment Gary entered its detection range, it drifted toward him.
"The Gym Leader will arrive shortly. Please rest here. Refreshments and communication devices are available. Feel free to make use of them."
Its tone was smooth and emotionless, yet far more advanced than the previous systems Gary remembered.
He walked over and sat down.
Sure enough, a steaming cup of tea had already been prepared, alongside a small plate of snacks. Everything was arranged with almost hotel-like precision.
Gary picked up the cup, letting the warmth seep into his fingers.
"This place really has changed."
In the past, Sunyshore Gym had a reputation for being… unpredictable, even chaotic at times—largely due to its Gym Leader's erratic motivation. But now?
It felt refined. Organized.
Welcoming, even.
That alone told him something important.
Volkner must have gotten his drive back.
Gary didn't touch the snacks. Instead, he took a slow sip of tea and waited quietly, his expression calm but his thoughts already turning toward the upcoming battle.
Roughly ten minutes later, footsteps echoed from the entrance.
Gary set his cup down.
Two figures walked in.
The first was a tall, handsome man with spiky blonde hair and sharp, focused eyes—Volkner, the Sunyshore Gym Leader.
The second—
Gary's eyes flickered with surprise.
"Flint?"
Behind Volkner stood a man with wild, flame-red hair and an easy grin—the Elite Four member Flint, one of Sinnoh's strongest Trainers.
Flint raised a hand casually. "Oh? Didn't expect to see you here."
Gary narrowed his eyes slightly, studying him.
Flint's reputation spoke for itself. Ranked among the top of the Sinnoh Elite Four, his strength rivaled even Lucian's. But more than that, Flint was known for his relentless passion for battle—especially his long-standing desire to challenge Cynthia.
Which he did.
Frequently.
And unsuccessfully.
Volkner stepped forward.
"Hello. I'm Volkner, the Gym Leader of Sunyshore Gym."
"Gary Oak. From Kanto," Gary replied simply.
Flint tilted his head, clearly intrigued. "Kanto, huh? Another one."
Gary glanced at him. "Another?"
Volkner gave a small nod. "A Trainer from Kanto challenged me not long ago. Strong kid."
Gary allowed himself a faint smile. "Ash."
Flint's eyes widened. "Wait—you know him?"
"We grew up in the same town," Gary said. "Pallet Town."
That seemed to click instantly.
Flint let out a low whistle. "No kidding… small world."
Volkner's expression sharpened, interest flaring in his gaze.
"In that case… I'm looking forward to this battle even more."
Gary met his eyes evenly.
"Then don't hold back."
Volkner blinked. "I wasn't planning to."
"No," Gary said, shaking his head slightly. "I mean your real strength. Not Gym battle restrictions."
Silence fell for a brief moment.
Even Flint raised an eyebrow.
Volkner studied Gary carefully, as if reassessing him from scratch.
"You're asking me to go all out?" he said slowly.
"If you don't," Gary replied calmly, "this won't be worth either of our time."
There was no arrogance in his tone.
Just simple, unshakable confidence.
Flint suddenly laughed, dropping into one of the nearby seats like he'd just found front-row tickets to a show.
"Oh, this is gonna be good."
Volkner exhaled slowly.
Then, a grin spread across his face.
"Alright."
Electricity crackled faintly around him, as if responding to his rising excitement.
"I accept."
The two Trainers walked onto the battlefield.
The arena was massive, with multiple elevation platforms and conductive surfaces designed to amplify Electric-type combat. Overhead, large panels flickered with stored energy, casting a faint glow across the field.
Gary and Volkner took their positions on opposite sides.
The floating machine drifted to the center, acting as referee.
"The following is a Gym battle between Sunyshore Gym Leader Volkner and challenger Gary Oak. Each side may use three Pokémon. The battle ends when all Pokémon on one side are unable to continue. Only the challenger may switch Pokémon."
Gary's eyes flickered briefly as the system interface appeared.
[Ding! Mission Released:
Obtain the Sunyshore Gym Badge
Reward: Advanced Rare Candy ×3, TM (Electroweb), Premium Magnet ×1]
[2. Use Sinnoh-region Pokémon to obtain the Badge
Reward: Advanced Rare Candy ×3, Electric-type TM (Choice), Random Held Item ×1]
Gary's lips curled faintly.
Three Advanced Rare Candies… not bad.
Based on the reward scale, Volkner's team likely averaged around level 50 to 60. Strong—but not enough to truly threaten him.
Still, three rewards for a single Gym battle was efficient.
"I'm ready," Gary said.
"Same here," Volkner replied.
The referee machine hovered upward.
"Both Trainers, send out your first Pokémon!"
Volkner moved first.
"Go—Luxray!"
A flash of light burst onto the field.
"Luxray!"
The black-and-blue Electric-type landed with a low growl, golden eyes gleaming sharply. Its mane crackled faintly with electricity, and its stance was aggressive from the start.
[Luxray — Level 54
Tier: Elite-tier]
Gary glanced at it once and immediately understood.
So he's really not holding back.
This wasn't a standard Gym Leader opener. This Luxray had clearly been trained beyond ordinary Gym-level expectations.
Gary didn't hesitate.
"Electivire. You're up."
His Poké Ball burst open.
"Electivire!"
The massive Electric-type slammed onto the field, its twin tails twitching like live wires. Power surged through its body, the faint hum of its internal generator echoing across the arena.
[Electivire — Level 63
Tier: Champion-tier]
Flint leaned forward instantly, eyes lighting up.
"Oh, now this is interesting…"
Volkner's expression sharpened.
Electivire.
His own signature Pokémon.
And one with the Motor Drive Ability—completely immune to Electric-type attacks while gaining speed from them.
A direct counter, Volkner thought.
Gary crossed his arms.
"Begin."
"Battle start!"
Volkner acted first.
"Luxray—Fire Fang!"
Luxray lunged forward in a blur, fangs igniting with blazing heat as it closed the distance in an instant.
Gary didn't move.
"Take it. Then counter."
Volkner's eyes widened slightly.
Take it?
Luxray's jaws clamped down on Electivire's left arm.
Flames flared.
"Lux—!"
The impact landed cleanly.
But—
Electivire didn't even flinch.
The flames licked across its fur, but the damage was negligible. Its arm barely shifted under the force of the bite.
For a split second, the entire arena seemed to freeze.
Then—
Electivire's eyes narrowed.
"Electivire!"
With a sharp roar, it clenched its right fist and drove it forward.
Boom!
The punch connected squarely with Luxray's head.
The sound cracked like thunder.
"Lux—!"
Luxray's grip broke instantly as its body was sent flying backward, skidding across the battlefield before barely managing to regain its footing.