With the discussion about Mega Evolution concluded and dinner winding down, the conversation turned to travel plans. Ash, Dawn, and Brock had originally been heading to Sunyshore City for Ash's final Gym Badge when Team Galactic's capture of the Lake Trio had derailed everything. Now that the crisis was resolved, they were eager to get back on track.
"We're heading out first thing tomorrow," Ash said, his eyes already burning with renewed determination. "Sunyshore Gym—I'm coming for that last Badge!"
"Pika pika!" Pikachu pumped a tiny fist.
Gary nodded. "Good luck. You'll need it—Volkner isn't a pushover."
They exchanged brief farewells that night, and the following morning, the two groups parted ways at the edge of the Pokémon Center's grounds. Ash, Dawn, and Brock headed east toward Sunyshore City with their usual noisy enthusiasm. Gary watched them disappear down the road, then turned in the opposite direction.
He had his own plans.
After dinner the previous evening, Gary had used the Pokémon Center's PC transfer system to send several of his Pokémon back to Professor Oak's Laboratory—the heavy hitters who'd been through the Team Galactic battle and needed extended rest and recovery. In their place, he'd transferred over a team specifically selected for what came next.
Gary wasn't done with Sinnoh's Gyms.
He'd already collected the eight Badges required to qualify for the Lily of the Valley Conference, but the Sinnoh Region had more than eight officially recognized Gyms. The ones he hadn't challenged yet were scattered across smaller towns—less famous than the major circuit Gyms, but still sanctioned by the Sinnoh League and still offering valuable rewards for victory.
The primary motivation wasn't Badges. Gary's team had reached a point where raw level progression had slowed considerably. High-grade Rare Candies were increasingly difficult to acquire, and his Pokémon's base stats were already strong. What they lacked was versatility—a deeper pool of moves to draw from in high-level battles. Every Gym challenge came with the opportunity to earn TMs, and that was exactly what Gary needed.
Expanding the move pool is the most efficient way to strengthen the team right now, he thought as he climbed onto Garchomp's back. More coverage moves, more options in battle, more ways to adapt to unexpected situations. The Lily of the Valley Conference is going to demand that kind of flexibility.
Rather than seeking out the Lake Trio—which he'd reluctantly accepted was a lost opportunity for now—Gary set his sights on a small town situated near the western shore of Lake Verity.
Sunshine Town.
The flight took just over an hour. Garchomp cut through the morning air with effortless speed, its fin-like wings barely moving as it rode the thermal currents rising from the sun-warmed terrain below. The landscape gradually shifted from the rugged mountain passes around Mt. Coronet to rolling green hills dotted with wildflowers and clusters of deciduous trees.
Sunshine Town appeared in the distance—a modest settlement of perhaps a few hundred buildings, nestled in a shallow valley where the sunlight seemed to pool like liquid gold. The town earned its name honestly: the climate here was unusually mild and sunny year-round, sheltered from harsh weather patterns by the surrounding hills. Even from altitude, Gary could see the warm glow blanketing the rooftops.
Garchomp descended in a smooth spiral and landed at the town's edge with a muted thud. Gary dismounted, recalled Garchomp, and headed straight for the Gym without bothering to stop at the Pokémon Center. There was no point—he wasn't planning to stay long.
The Sunshine Gym's exterior was unassuming. A standard-looking building with the Pokémon League's official Gym insignia mounted above the entrance—nothing that would distinguish it from any other small-town Gym at first glance. But the moment Gary stepped through the front doors, the difference became apparent.
The ceiling was constructed almost entirely of glass panels—thick, tempered panes fitted together in a seamless mosaic that allowed natural sunlight to flood the interior unimpeded. The result was striking: the entire Gym was bathed in warm, brilliant light, as if the building itself had been designed as a greenhouse for battle. Every surface glowed. The air inside was noticeably warmer than outside, heated by the concentrated solar energy.
Clever design, Gary noted, studying the architecture with a tactical eye. Fire-type Pokémon can draw power from solar energy in conditions like this. Moves like Solar Beam would charge instantly. Sunny Day wouldn't even be necessary—the field essentially provides the same benefit naturally. And any Pokémon with abilities that activate in sunlight would have a constant advantage.
It was a battlefield that heavily favored Fire-types—which, given that this was a Fire-type Gym, was entirely the point.
Gary approached the reception counter. A young woman with short auburn hair looked up from her desk and offered a polite smile.
"Good morning. Welcome to the Sunshine Gym. How can I help you?"
"My name is Gary, from the Kanto Region. I'm here to challenge the Gym," Gary said.
"Certainly! Please wait one moment while I notify the Gym Leader."
She pressed an intercom button and spoke briefly into it. Less than a minute later, heavy footsteps echoed from the corridor behind the counter, and a man emerged who looked less like a Gym Leader and more like a competitive bodybuilder who'd wandered into the wrong building.
He was massive. Well over six feet tall, with shoulders broad enough to fill a doorframe and arms that belonged on a construction crane. His biceps were genuinely larger than Gary's head—not an exaggeration, but a simple statement of anatomical fact. He had a mane of bright red hair swept back from a broad, tanned face, and his sleeveless training vest did absolutely nothing to conceal the mountain range of muscle beneath it.
"Gym Leader, this is the challenger. His name is Gary," the receptionist informed him.
The muscular man crossed his arms—each one thicker than a Machoke's—and looked Gary up and down with a critical eye. His expression was equal parts amusement and dismissal.
"Listen, kid," he said, his voice a deep rumble that seemed to vibrate in Gary's chest. "The Sunshine Gym isn't some roadside attraction. We're serious here. Rookie trainers don't last long against my Pokémon."
Gary said nothing. He simply opened his Badge case and held it up.
Seven Gym Badges gleamed inside, each one polished and perfectly arranged—the Coal Badge, Forest Badge, Cobble Badge, Fen Badge, Relic Badge, Mine Badge, and Icicle Badge. The collected proof of seven hard-fought victories across the Sinnoh region.
The Gym Leader's thick eyebrows rose. He leaned forward to examine the case more closely, and a flicker of genuine surprise crossed his face.
"Well, well," he murmured. "Seven Badges already. You're planning to use my Gym as the final stepping stone to qualify for the Lily of the Valley Conference, is that it?"
He straightened up and cracked his neck, a grin spreading across his broad face. "Unfortunately for you, you picked the wrong Gym to underestimate. The Sunshine Gym is the strongest Gym in all of Sinnoh."
Gary stared at him.
The strongest Gym in Sinnoh. He let that claim hang in the air for a moment, mentally comparing it against the Gyms he'd already faced—Volkner's Sunyshore Gym with its Elite-tier Electric-types, Candice's team in Snowpoint City, Maylene's Fighting-type specialists in Veilstone. The idea that this small-town Fire Gym topped all of them was… bold.
He decided not to dignify it with a response.
"As the Gym Leader, I can't refuse an official challenge," the man continued, drawing himself up to his full intimidating height. "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Ignis. I'm the master of this Gym and the flames that burn within it."
"Can we start?" Gary asked.
Ignis blinked at the bluntness, then let out a bark of laughter. "Ha! Eager, aren't you? Fine—follow me."
He led Gary through a corridor into the Gym's battle arena—a regulation-sized field with standard markings and boundary lines. The glass ceiling continued here, flooding the entire arena with intense, unfiltered sunlight. The warmth was almost oppressive, like stepping into a sauna. Gary could feel the heat prickling against his skin the moment he stepped onto the challenger's platform.
Constant sunlight conditions across the entire field, he confirmed. Solar Beam charges instantly. Fire-type moves receive a passive boost. Water-type moves are weakened. Any Pokémon with Chlorophyll or Drought-related abilities would thrive here.
A referee took his position at the sideline—a young man in the standard League official's uniform, though his sleeves were rolled up and sweat was already beading on his forehead from the heat.
"The official Gym Challenge between Gym Leader Ignis and the challenger Gary will now begin!" the referee announced. "This will be a three-on-three battle. The match continues until all Pokémon on one side are unable to battle. Only the challenger may substitute Pokémon. Gym Leader Ignis—please send out your first Pokémon!"
Gary's system pinged silently in his mind:
[Ding! Mission Released:
Obtain the Sunshine Gym Badge — Reward: Intermediate Rare Candy ×6, Fire Punch TM, Top-quality Charcoal ×1 Win using only Sinnoh Region Pokémon — Reward: Intermediate Rare Candy ×6, Fire-type TM (trainer's choice), Random Pokémon Item ×1]
The bonus objective requires Sinnoh Pokémon only, Gary noted. That works. Electivire is originally from Sinnoh. This should be straightforward.
"My vanguard of flame!" Ignis roared, hurling a Poké Ball with the force of a baseball pitch. "Let's go, Blaziken!"
The ball burst open, and a tall, avian Fighting/Fire-type materialized in a blaze of crimson light. Blaziken landed in a combat crouch, its powerful legs coiled beneath it, wrist-flames flickering with eager intensity. It was a well-built specimen—lean muscle wrapped in sleek feathers, its sharp eyes scanning the field with trained alertness.
[LV42 Blaziken — Gym-tier]
Blaziken, Gary thought, appraising it. Not a native Sinnoh species—it's from Hoenn originally. But it's a solid choice for a Fire-type Gym Leader. Fast, powerful, versatile. Blaze Kick, Sky Uppercut, Flare Blitz—strong physical movepool.
But Level 42.
Gary's expression didn't change. Blaziken was a capable Pokémon, and in the right hands, it could be genuinely dangerous. But the level gap between Ignis's team and Gary's was an abyss. Every Sinnoh Region Pokémon Gary currently carried was above Level 50—most were well into the 60s. This wasn't going to be a close fight.
It was going to be a demonstration.
"Electivire—you're up." Gary tossed his Poké Ball with a casual flick of the wrist.
The ball cracked open, and Electivire materialized with a crackling surge of electricity. The Thunderbolt Pokémon landed heavily, its massive frame planted on the arena floor, twin cable-tails lashing behind it and sparking with voltage. It beat its chest once and let out a low, rumbling growl—not aggressive, but confident. The sound of a predator that knew its prey posed no threat.
[LV63 Electivire — Champion-tier]
The level disparity was immediately visible in the way the two Pokémon carried themselves. Blaziken shifted into its fighting stance with focused intensity—the posture of a warrior preparing for a hard battle. Electivire simply stood there, arms at its sides, watching with the relaxed patience of something that had fought Legendary Pokémon and walked away victorious.
"Gym Leader Ignis has the first move! Battle—begin!" the referee announced.
Ignis didn't waste a second. "Show this Electivire what your legs can do, Blaziken! Blaze Kick!"
"BLAZI!"
Blaziken exploded forward. Its legs were its greatest weapon—powerful, spring-loaded limbs that could launch it across a battlefield in the blink of an eye. Flames erupted from its ankles and wrists as it closed the distance, and it launched into a soaring roundhouse kick aimed directly at Electivire's face. The burning foot cut through the air with a sharp whistle, trailing an arc of fire behind it.
"Block it," Gary said.
Electivire didn't dodge. It didn't need to. It simply raised its left arm—thick, muscular, wrapped in yellow-and-black fur—and caught Blaziken's flaming leg mid-swing.
The impact rang out across the arena like a bell being struck. Flames licked harmlessly against Electivire's forearm. The Electric-type hadn't used a move, hadn't activated any technique. It had stopped Blaziken's signature attack with nothing but raw physical strength.
"What—?!" Ignis's eyes went wide.
"Blazi—?!" Blaziken's own shock was written across its face. Its leg was pinned in Electivire's grip, the flames on its ankle guttering and dying against the larger Pokémon's unyielding hold.
"Too slow," Gary said. "Thunder Punch."
Electivire's right fist erupted with golden lightning. The electrical energy condensed around its knuckles in a blinding corona of crackling voltage—and then it drove the punch straight into Blaziken's exposed midsection.
BOOM!!
The impact was devastating. Thunder Punch connected with the force of a freight train, and the electrical discharge that followed was even worse. Lightning coursed through Blaziken's body, locking its muscles, overloading its nervous system. The Fire/Fighting-type was launched off its feet, sent hurtling backward across the arena in a spray of sparks and residual flame.
Blaziken hit the ground hard, bounced once, and skidded to a stop near Ignis's feet. Residual electricity crackled across its feathers. Its eyes were glazed. Its limbs twitched once—then went still.
One hit. One move. Over.
The referee stared for a beat longer than necessary, then snapped to attention. "Blaziken is unable to battle! Electivire wins!"
Ignis's jaw hung open. His prized vanguard—the Pokémon he'd introduced with such bombastic confidence—had been dispatched in a single exchange. The Blaze Kick hadn't even made Electivire flinch. The counterattack had been instantaneous and absolute.
"This… this is…!" he stammered.
"Gym Leader Ignis," Gary called from across the arena, his voice polite but utterly devoid of sympathy. "Please don't waste time. Send out your next Pokémon."
Ignis's tanned face flushed a deep crimson—from embarrassment, from anger, or from the stifling heat of his own arena, it was impossible to tell. His bold claim of running the strongest Gym in Sinnoh rang hollow now, echoing mockingly in the sunlit silence.
He clenched his jaw, swallowed his pride, and reached for his next Poké Ball.
"I'll admit you're strong, kid," he said, his voice tighter now, stripped of its earlier bluster. "But the battle isn't over yet. It's dangerous to celebrate before the final whistle."
"Then I hope your next Pokémon gives me a reason to worry," Gary replied evenly.
Ignis's eyes narrowed. He drew back his arm and hurled the Poké Ball with all the force his considerable muscles could muster.
"Infernape—teach this kid a lesson!"
The ball burst open in a flash of brilliant red light.