[LV15 Butterfree ♂ / Gym-tier]
After evolving, Butterfree's level had jumped to 15—an unusually large increase. Gary suspected this was a trait unique to Pokémon like Butterfree and Beedrill. The metamorphosis from their pupal stage often triggered a sudden growth spurt.
He opened the Eye of Insight to check Butterfree's full data.
[Pokémon: Butterfree (Shiny) ♂]
[Type: Bug / Flying]
[Level: 15]
[Potential: Gym-tier]
[Ability: Compound Eyes (Increases the accuracy of moves by 20%.)]
[Moves: String Shot, Bug Bite, Gust, Supersonic, Confusion, Poison Powder, Stun Spore, Sleep Powder]
[Intimacy: 255 (maximum 255)]
Gary's eyes widened slightly.
"Not bad. It awakened quite a few moves. Basically every move Butterfree can learn at this stage has already been unlocked."
Pokémon naturally awakened racial moves once they reached certain growth thresholds. However, not every Pokémon could unlock all of them. Even those with Champion-tier potential often failed to master their entire move pool.
The determining factor wasn't potential, but comprehension. The higher a Pokémon's understanding of its own power, the more racial moves it could awaken.
Gary recalled Ash's Butterfree. Even after evolution, it had only managed to awaken three moves: Gust, Sleep Powder, and Stun Spore.
His own Butterfree had unlocked six.
That level of comprehension was impressive.
"I didn't expect you to have such high talent," Gary murmured, gently stroking the soft fur on Butterfree's head.
Originally, Gary had planned to treat Butterfree as a temporary team member—something to use in the early stages before replacing it later. But now, with this level of talent, discarding it would be a waste.
He decided to train it for the time being. After all, he didn't plan to capture too many Pokémon in the near future. Keeping Butterfree around wouldn't hurt.
"Come back in. We're heading back."
Gary returned all his Pokémon except Squirtle. Having one Pokémon out during travel served two purposes: it provided company on long rides and acted as a reliable bodyguard.
The Next Morning
After spending the night at the Pokémon Center, Gary rode his bicycle to the Pewter Gym.
The building was exactly as he remembered—half-carved from a massive boulder, with a crude, ancient appearance. Compared to the modern facilities in other regions, it looked rather shabby.
"Gyms from this era really are rough," Gary muttered.
Most Kanto Gyms were still in their original, unrenovated state. It wouldn't be until a few years later that the League finally allocated funds to upgrade them.
The Pewter Gym itself was ancient—older than even Professor Oak. It was said to have been founded by Brock's grandfather.
[Ding! Mission Issued: Obtain the Pewter Gym Badge]
[Reward: Low-level Rare Candy ×10, Stone Edge Permanent TM Device, Top-Grade Hard Stone (Increases the power of Rock-type moves by 50%) ×1]
Gary's eyes lit up at the rewards.
TM Devices were extremely valuable. In reality, teaching a Pokémon a new move was a long and expensive process.
Most Trainers had to find specialized move tutors and spend days—sometimes weeks—training a single technique. Even then, there was no guarantee of success.
Even the current League Champions and Elite Four only had a handful of taught moves on their main Pokémon. The difficulty of expanding a move pool was one of the biggest bottlenecks for Trainers.
A permanent TM Device that could instantly teach Stone Edge was an incredible reward.
The Top-Grade Hard Stone was equally valuable. A normal Hard Stone increased Rock-type move power by 20%. This version boosted it by 50%. For a Rock-type specialist like Brock, it would be a significant power spike.
Gary parked his bike and walked up to the gym entrance. There was no bell, so he simply pushed open the heavy stone door.
The interior was dim. Several large stone pillars lined the path, and at the far end of the hall, a boy with narrowed eyes sat on a stone platform.
Brock.
Gary frowned slightly. The gym was clearly equipped with lights, yet Brock had chosen to sit in the dark. It was an obvious attempt at intimidation.
Gary knew how busy Brock usually was—managing the gym, taking care of nine younger siblings, and looking after the Gym's Pokémon. There was no way he had been sitting here waiting in the dark all morning. He had almost certainly seen Gary approaching through the security cameras and rushed here to create this dramatic entrance.
Gary decided not to call him out on it.
"Are you Brock?" he asked, his voice echoing through the hall.
A spotlight suddenly illuminated Brock's figure.
"Who are you?" Brock asked in a calm, measured tone.
"My name is Gary. I'm from Pallet Town, and I'm here to challenge the Gym."
"Is this your first Gym challenge?"
"Yes."
"Gym battles are different from casual matches on the roadside," Brock warned. "These are official League-sanctioned battles. There are rules."
As the Pewter Gym Leader, Brock had seen countless rookie Trainers arrive full of confidence, only to be crushed. He felt it was his duty to remind them of the difference between play-fighting and real competition.
"Gym Leader Brock, I understand the rules," Gary replied confidently. "I'm not like those other rookies."
Brock studied him for a moment. Gary's calm demeanor and steady gaze told him this wasn't an ordinary challenger. He decided further warnings were pointless.
"You may only use two Pokémon. Is that clear?"
"Understood."
Brock snapped his fingers.
The ceiling lights flared to life, revealing the battlefield. Two large rock platforms slid out from the sides and connected in the center, forming a proper arena.
Brock leapt down from the platform and grabbed a Poké Ball from his belt.
"Since you understand the rules, then let's begin."
He threw the Poké Ball forward with force.
"Go—Geodude!"
A round, stone-like Pokémon with a face and two muscular arms appeared on the field.