"You two, I'll take good care of Nidoran♂ and help him start a family out there. Goodbye."
After saying farewell to Nidorino and Nidorina, Gary flew out of the forest on Charizard and arrived at the Pokémon Center.
"Nidoran♂, come out."
Gary released Nidoran♂ in the Pokémon Center and began introducing him to the place.
After all, Nidoran♂ was a wild Pokémon who knew nothing about life in human society, so a little orientation was necessary.
"The Pokémon Center is basically a rescue and support facility for Trainers' Pokémon," Gary explained. "If you ever get lost in the city or run into trouble, come here for shelter."
He went on to describe how Trainers who lost their Pokémon would typically check with the police or the Pokémon Center, and how lost Pokémon often came here for help once they learned of such places.
"Nido!"
Nidoran♂ nodded earnestly, signaling that he would behave and accept treatment from Nurse Joy without resistance.
"Good. Now, let's grab something to eat."
After finishing the brief introduction, Gary took Nidoran♂ to the cafeteria for dinner.
"Gary!"
"Mr. Scott!"
As soon as Gary walked in, he spotted Scott—easily recognizable by his trademark sunglasses—and they greeted each other in unison.
After collecting their food, Gary shared a table with Scott. He also got a portion of Pokémon feed for Nidoran♂ so the little one could get used to the flavor of human-provided Pokémon food.
"Oh! A shiny Nidoran♂!"
Scott hadn't noticed at first, but as soon as Gary started feeding him, the difference in coloration became obvious. Nidoran♂ gleamed faintly under the lights.
"Yeah, I caught him on the island," Gary said casually.
"You're so lucky! You found him on the island? Didn't you also have a shiny Magnezone?" Scott asked, leaning forward with interest.
Gary nodded. "That's right."
Scott was amazed. Two shiny Pokémon—it was the kind of luck that could make even a seasoned collector faint on the spot. The odds of finding a shiny were about one in four thousand, after all.
And if Scott knew Gary actually owned six shiny Pokémon, he would probably collapse right there in disbelief.
"Gary, when are you planning to challenge the Battle Palace tomorrow?" Scott asked, switching back to business.
"Would morning be alright?" Gary replied.
The Frontier Brain of the Battle Palace, Spenser, was an elderly man.
Old men, as Gary knew, often rose with the dawn and didn't sleep much. A morning battle seemed perfectly reasonable.
"Then let's set it for nine o'clock tomorrow morning."
"No problem."
The next day
Gary woke up early and made his way toward the Battle Palace. Scott, predictably, had already gone ahead—she said she wanted to both observe Gary's performance firsthand and warn Spenser to give Gary a proper challenge.
Riding his mountain bike, Gary pedaled up to the foot of the long stone staircase leading to the Palace. He dismounted, climbed step by step, and soon reached the upper platform, where both Scott and Spenser were waiting.
Spenser was hunched slightly, his long white beard trailing down to his chest. He leaned on a cane marked with an ancient α-shaped symbol.
Gary had always been curious about that mark. It resembled the emblem associated with Kyogre. Was it coincidence, or did Spenser have some mysterious connection to the ancient legend?
"Oh! So this is the Gary you mentioned, Scott?" Spenser said, his voice deep but cheerful.
"Yes, this is Gary," Scott confirmed, grinning. "A very strong young Trainer—better watch yourself, Senior Spenser."
Gary was still a distance away and couldn't hear their conversation clearly, but he quickened his pace and called out, "Hello, Senior Spenser! I'm Gary. I'm here to challenge the Battle Palace."
"I know, I know," Spenser chuckled. "Scott told me all about you. The weather's fine today, so why don't we battle outside? What do you think?"
Gary remembered how Spenser had battled Ash in the past—outdoors, moving freely, taking advantage of nature itself. His tactics drew heavily from the wilderness, testing not only his Pokémon's strength but also the Trainer's adaptability and physical endurance.
"What do you mean exactly? A running battle?" Gary asked carefully.
Spenser laughed, shaking his head. "Not this time. I'm getting old. Let's fight by the beach—the field will be the shoreline and the ocean."
Gary blinked. He had half expected another running match through the forest, but instead Spenser directly chose the location. Perhaps the old man had accepted that his sprinting days were behind him.
"That's fine by me," Gary said with a smile.
Truth be told, he wasn't a huge fan of running while commanding either—it was messy and exhausting, especially when the terrain favored Pokémon like Shiftry.
A forest fight would have been a nightmare; both Shiftry and Sceptile excelled in wooded terrain, darting among the trees like ghosts. Unless he destroyed the forest, it would be nearly impossible to flush them out.
Still, Gary had planned accordingly. His main strategy was to let Charizard use wide-range attacks to suppress Spenser's Shiftry. Good thing the fight would now be on open ground.
"Alright then," Spenser said, nodding. He pulled a Poké Ball from his belt and released it.
A brilliant flash of light revealed a magnificent Arcanine.
[Lv. 63 Arcanine ♂ / Elite Rank]
The proud, flame-maned Pokémon stood tall and regal. Gary compared it mentally to his own Arcanine—it was roughly the same size, though slightly higher in level and bearing a fierce aura earned from years of experience.
Spenser affectionately ran a hand along Arcanine's neck, then applied light pressure with his legs. With a surprising burst of agility, the elderly Frontier Brain vaulted onto Arcanine's back in one smooth motion.
"Come, both of you," he called. "Arcanine will take us to the beach."
Gary stared in awe for a heartbeat—those movements were way too athletic for someone Spenser's age. Honestly, Gary half-expected him to pull a muscle mid-jump. In his past life, he'd seen enough elderly daredevils get themselves hurt to be a little anxious at sights like this.
"Gary, hop on," Scott said cheerfully, climbing up behind Spenser.
Gary followed, settling in carefully.
"Arcanine—let's go!"
"Arroooh!"
With a mighty bark, Arcanine leapt down the hillside, bounding effortlessly over the terrain. The wind whooshed past them, carrying sand and the salty tang of the sea. In barely two minutes, they reached the sprawling, sunlit coastline.
"Here we are," Spenser announced. "This will be our battlefield."
Gary and Scott dismounted, and Spenser slid down lightly before recalling Arcanine to its Poké Ball. Despite his age, he moved as though decades younger.
As they took their positions, a small drone resembling a Poké Ball buzzed over their heads, glowing faintly blue. It projected a holographic interface and began scanning the field.
This was the League's newest innovation—the Automated Referee Drone, designed for precision officiating in major competitions, including the upcoming National World Championship.