I, Gary, Want to Become a Pokemon Master

"My Pokémon didn't take much damage in the battle with Zinnia, so they've rested well by now," Brendan said confidently.

"Alright then. Let's battle this afternoon," Gary agreed.

They settled on 2 p.m. for their match.

All three headed to the Pokémon Center's cafeteria for lunch.

Each Pokémon Center served local cuisine based on the region or city. It was always a treat to sample new flavors at each stop—a tradition for traveling Trainers.

"Gary, make sure you give it your all. Don't lose to Brendan. That guy's definitely gotten stronger," Zinnia muttered while Brendan was away grabbing food.

Gary gave her a sideways glance. She reminded him not to lose—but the way she said it almost made it sound like he was the underdog.

"Don't worry. I won't lose," Gary said confidently.

Zinnia was concerned because Gary was currently using Pokémon he'd caught in the Hoenn region. That meant his team might not be at full strength.

Brendan, after all, was the protagonist of Hoenn in this world. While he might not be on Ash's level in the anime, his strength was nothing to scoff at. When fully matured, Brendan was considered a top-50 Trainer worldwide.

And in the opening of one movie, Brendan was even shown challenging the Frontier Brains in the Sinnoh region.

After lunch, and a short rest, 2 p.m. arrived. Gary and Brendan headed to the open battlefield outside the Pokémon Center.

Zinnia came along to spectate.

"Come on, Gary! Teach Brendan a lesson!" Zinnia cheered loudly.

Gary had a feeling she'd lost pretty badly to Brendan earlier in the day—her enthusiasm made that much clear.

"So, Brendan—what kind of match do you want?" Gary asked.

"How about a 4-on-4 battle?" Brendan suggested.

Gary blinked. "4-on-4?"

It was an unusual format. Most casual or exhibition matches were either 1-on-1 or 3-on-3. Still, it wasn't a problem.

Apparently, Brendan had raised quite a few Pokémon recently—enough to propose a mid-length battle, even after fighting Zinnia earlier.

"Alright. Four-on-four it is. Let's release at the same time," Gary said, reaching for a Poké Ball at his waist.

"Okay!"

Brendan also grabbed one from his belt. There was no rule about who sent out their Pokémon first.

"Combusken, let's go!" Gary shouted, tossing his Poké Ball.

"Com-busken!"

A fiery orange and yellow Pokémon appeared, bursting with energy.

[Lv. 32 Combusken ♂ | Elite Potential]

Gary had chosen Combusken—he'd been leveling up fast and was now strong enough to face Brendan's team.

"Combusken?!" Brendan exclaimed, surprised. "You're raising one too?"

"My lead Pokémon will be… go, Shiftry!" Brendan declared, throwing his Poké Ball.

"Shiiif!"

A Shiftry appeared with its signature long, pointed nose and fan-like leafy hands.

[Lv. 33 Shiftry ♂ | Quasi-Elite Potential]

Shiftry had evolved from Nuzleaf using a Leaf Stone. Agile and cunning, it was a force to be reckoned with in forest terrain—similar to Sceptile in style.

"Shiftry, use Air Cutter!" Brendan commanded.

Shiftry whipped its leafy hands, sending slicing wind blades flying toward Combusken.

But Combusken wasn't fazed. He moved swiftly, kicking at an astonishing speed—ten times per second—shattering the incoming wind blades before they could land.

"What?!" Brendan was shocked. "It broke through all of them?!"

"Fire Blast!" Gary ordered.

"Busken!!"

Combusken puffed out his chest, inhaled, and then exhaled a massive burst of fire. The flames formed into a kanji-shaped explosion as they flew—nowhere for Shiftry to run.

"Use Air Cutter to block it!" Brendan called out.

Hearing Brendan's command, Gary immediately realized Shiftry lacked powerful special moves—otherwise, Brendan wouldn't have tried using Air Cutter to counter a high-damage move like Fire Blast.

BOOM!!

The flames exploded on contact. When the smoke cleared, Shiftry was left standing, but with visible burn marks.

"Combusken, Flame Charge!" Gary ordered.

Combusken's body ignited, flames bursting outward as he charged toward Shiftry.

"Leaf Blade!" Brendan countered.

Shiftry's leafy arms glowed with a vibrant green aura as it swung at the incoming Combusken. The flaming charge and leafy blade clashed—the flames scattered into embers, several of which struck Shiftry, causing additional burn damage.

Combusken was briefly pushed back, giving Shiftry a reprieve.

"Once more—Flame Charge! Go all out!" Gary shouted.

Combusken flared up with even stronger fire. Because the previous charge had failed to connect, the power of the move increased.

"Com-busken!!"

He dashed forward, cloaked in blazing flames.

"Quick, Leaf Blade, defend yourself!" Brendan yelled, slightly panicked by the overwhelming firepower.

Shiftry swung its Leaf Blade—but the moment it connected, the searing heat incinerated the green energy. The firestorm engulfed Shiftry as Combusken rammed into it.

BOOM!!

A cloud of black smoke erupted. Shiftry was thrown backward and landed with a thud—unconscious.

"Shiftry…" Brendan looked stunned. He hadn't expected such a fast knockout. The sheer force of Combusken's attack overwhelmed Shiftry's defenses.

Although Shiftry was a fully evolved Pokémon and not low-level, Brendan hadn't yet figured out a combat style that suited it. That was the real reason for its defeat.

Shiftry had the potential for nasty, trick-based tactics—battlefield manipulation, evasion, stalling. But Brendan was still treating it like a straightforward attacker.

"Shiftry, return. Take a rest." Brendan recalled his Pokémon.

"Combusken, good job. You come back too," Gary said, also withdrawing his Pokémon. He reached for another Poké Ball.

This was just a friendly battle, after all. It was only fair to give all his Pokémon a chance to fight.

"Go, Lairon!" Brendan said, throwing his next Poké Ball.

"Laaii!"

A sturdy, steel-plated Pokémon landed with a thud.

[Lv. 35 Lairon ♂ | Elite Potential]

So Brendan's Aron had evolved into Lairon. It was progressing quickly.

"Sceptile, it's your turn!" Gary called.

"Scep-tile!"

The sleek, green, forest dragon-like Pokémon appeared with a flick of its tail.

[Lv. 39 Sceptile ♂ | Elite Potential]

"Sceptile's evolved too, huh?" Brendan said with a grin. He had seen Gary's Grovyle before, so he wasn't surprised.

"Lairon, use Rock Slide!" Brendan commanded.

"Raaah!!"

Lairon slammed its forelegs into the ground. Boulders erupted from the earth, flying toward Sceptile.