I, Gary, Want to Become a Pokemon Master

A few dozen minutes later…

The trio arrived at the rooftop of the Devon Corporation building.

Steven had received a call from Zinnia early that morning and had been waiting for them.

As soon as he saw them arrive, he greeted them warmly.

"Hello, I'm Steven. I serve as the acting president of the Hoenn Pokémon League."

Gary was stunned. This was the first time he'd heard that Steven was the League's acting president.

Wait…

If Steven's the president, why did he ask Wallace for help during that last operation?

He pondered for a moment. Maybe it was a temporary position? Or perhaps Steven didn't want to exert his authority unnecessarily.

Whatever the case, Gary decided not to ask.

"Hello. I'm Zimi, an elder of the Draconid Tribe," said Zinnia's grandmother.

Gary mentally noted the name Zimi—this was the first time he'd heard her full name.

He couldn't help but wonder… Could Champion Cynthia from the Sinnoh League also have ties to the Draconid Tribe?

"Elder Zimi, please come with me," Steven said respectfully.

"Yes," Zimi replied with a slight nod.

Steven led Elder Zimi and Zinnia into a private room for negotiations.

Just before entering, Steven turned to Gary and said,

"Gary, I'd prefer you not to listen in on what's discussed next."

Gary blinked in surprise. Then he remembered—this was an internal League matter. It wouldn't be appropriate for an outsider to hear.

"Understood," Gary replied.

"Mr. Kennedy, would you please look after Gary?" Steven requested.

With a polite nod, Kennedy led Gary to a luxurious VIP room. Since Gary had already eaten breakfast back in Meteor Village, he just had a light snack and some juice.

About two to three hours passed.

Eventually, the door opened, and Steven, Elder Zimi, and Zinnia emerged from the room.

From their expressions, it was clear the negotiations had gone smoothly. With everything settled, they could finally move forward.

"It's almost noon—let me treat you all to lunch," Steven said, offering his usual charm.

He spared no expense, treating them to Rustboro City's finest seafood specialties. Fresh shellfish, grilled Tentacool, and Spheal sushi were among the many delicious dishes served.

After the hearty meal, Gary stood up and addressed the group.

"Now that the negotiations are finished, I think it's time for me to take my leave."

"You're leaving already? Can't you stay a little longer?" Zinnia asked, clearly reluctant to part ways.

"I still have to get to the Ever Grande Conference," Gary replied. "There's not much time left, and I can't afford to fall behind."

Zinnia understood, though she wasn't thrilled about it. There were still important matters to deal with—especially now that Elder Zimi was officially grooming her to become the next leader of the Draconid Tribe.

The alliance between the Draconid Tribe and the Hoenn League had only just begun. As the future representative of her people, Zinnia had to be involved in every step moving forward. Traveling with Gary just wasn't an option anymore.

Even though she was reluctant, she respected his determination.

"Alright… then do your best!" she said firmly. "Win the Ever Grande Conference! And whatever you do—don't lose to Brendan. If you run into him in battle, you better crush him!"

Gary grinned. "Don't worry. I won't lose. Let's go."

With that, Kennedy escorted Gary back up to the rooftop of the Devon Corporation building.

Gary called out his Latios, climbed on, and soared eastward.

Vwoooosh!

Latios flew at supersonic speed—nearing Mach 1. In under ten hours, they had crossed half the region and arrived in Mossdeep City.

Latios' flying speed was incredibly fast. At full speed, it could reach Mach 2 (about 4,900 km/h). If it Mega Evolved, it could reach Mach 4, fast enough to circle the Earth in just over two hours.

By comparison, even Dragonite—known for its speed—would take around 16 hours to fly around the planet.

"That's incredible," Gary muttered, looking at his PokéNav. "It's not even 2 p.m. yet. I might as well go for the Gym Challenge now."

Originally, Gary had planned to rest for the day and challenge the Mossdeep Gym tomorrow. But with time to spare and his team in top form, it felt like a waste to wait around.

Gary pulled a mountain bike from his backpack and pedaled off toward Mossdeep Gym.

The Gym was located near the outskirts of the city, close to the Mossdeep Space Center. As he rode, Gary admired the ocean breeze and rocky cliffs along the coast.

Then—CRACK!! A thunderous boom echoed through the sky.

Gary looked up and spotted a black silhouette zipping across the clouds.

"Wait a second… Could that be Ash?" Gary muttered.

The battle between Groudon and Kyogre had happened around the same time as the Aether Marine Platform incident. Gary remembered that Ash and his friends were headed toward Mossdeep around then. If his calculations were right, they'd have just arrived.

Gary pedaled faster.

From a distance, he saw a gold-glowing Swellow in the air—with Pikachu riding on its back.

"Alright! Swellow, use Quick Attack!" Ash's voice rang out.

"Swellowww!!"

Fwoosh!

Swellow streaked forward like a lightning bolt, glowing with golden energy. It slammed into Solrock, who tried to retaliate with Solar Beam—but the blast was completely shrugged off.

Swellow powered through the beam and smashed into Solrock head-on. It didn't stop there—without hesitation, it darted toward Lunatone, who quickly deployed Light Screen.

But Swellow was too strong. It shattered the Light Screen and kept charging, wings glowing with Aerial Ace.

Meanwhile, Pikachu leapt off Swellow's back and cried,

"Pika–chuuuu!!"

With his tail glowing silver, Pikachu used Iron Tail, striking Solrock with perfect timing.

Boom! Boom!

Both Solrock and Lunatone hit the ground hard, knocked out cold.

"Solrock and Lunatone are unable to battle! The winner is the challenger, Ash!" the female referee announced.

"I did it!" Ash shouted, pumping his fist. "Pikachu, Swellow, great job!"

"Pikachu~!"

"Swellowwww!"

Swellow swooped down with Pikachu, and Ash caught them in a celebratory hug. But he forgot Swellow was still charged with static—and got a mild shock for his efforts.

"W-Whoa—yowch!"

Just then, a familiar voice called out.

"Hey! Gary!"

It was Max, who spotted Gary riding his bike toward the battlefield.

"What?! Gary?!"

Ash's eyes widened. He spun around and confirmed it.

"It really is Gary! What are you doing here?!"

"I'm here to challenge the Mossdeep Gym, of course," Gary replied.

"What?! You haven't challenged it yet?" Ash asked in disbelief.

In Ash's mind, Gary was always one step ahead. To find out he had arrived at this Gym first was a rare surprise.

"I got held up on the road. You just happened to arrive first," Gary said plainly.

He could see what Ash was thinking. The two of them had been rivals since childhood, always trying to outdo each other. Now that Ash had beaten him here, he was clearly enjoying the moment.

"Heh… well, I'll take it!" Ash grinned proudly.

May and Max exchanged a surprised glance. It was the first time they'd ever seen Ash act that smug.

Ash normally didn't brag—but something about beating Gary, even just in timing, made him feel triumphant.