I, Gary, Want to Become a Pokemon Master

"Alright, let's battle tomorrow. I'll meet you at 10 a.m. Is that okay?" Brendan asked.

"Of course. I was hoping to test my strength anyway," Zinnia replied confidently.

Watching the two rivals talk, Gary couldn't help but marvel at fate's curious twists—how two people who had no connection before could become rivals through Pokémon battles.

But this time, Gary was a little concerned that Zinnia might lose.

Even though her Pokémon had leveled up a lot, none of them had evolved yet.

On the other hand, Brendan's Pokémon had not only leveled up but had also evolved where they should have.

Brendan's Aron was likely a Lairon by now, and his Grovyle might have evolved as well. With Zinnia's Pokémon still in earlier stages, it was hard to predict who would win this battle.

"Gary, after I beat Zinnia, I'll challenge you next!" Brendan declared suddenly.

Gary smiled slightly. Brendan's true goal had always been him.

Zinnia was just a stepping stone. Brendan knew it himself—defeat Zinnia first, and then challenge Gary.

"Sure, I'll be waiting for your challenge," Gary said calmly. He welcomed the chance to give his Pokémon more real battle experience.

After all, Brendan wasn't much of a threat with Gary's current team. Taking Brendan down would be easy.

After parting ways with Brendan, Gary and Zinnia continued riding north, hoping to reach Fortree City by noon.

Fortree City was a unique place. All of its houses were built atop enormous trees. Thanks to the fertile land and humid climate, the trees grew tall and thick, with wide, hollowed-out trunks where people lived.

"The houses here are so strange..." Zinnia said, wide-eyed. She had grown up in the wild and had never seen people living inside trees before.

Gary wasn't surprised at all. He had seen something similar in Johto's Ilex Forest, where villagers lived in tree houses.

"Yeah, the trees here are special. They grow huge and strong, and people build their homes inside them," Gary explained.

"So, Gary, how are you planning to battle at the Fortree Gym? Brendan said the battlefield is high up in the sky. Other than Latios, you don't have any Flying Pokémon," Zinnia asked.

"Then I'll just use Latios," Gary said casually.

He didn't like relying on Latios for everything, but realistically, his other Pokémon couldn't fly.

Attribute-wise, Lairon could counter Flying-types, but Lairon couldn't even reach them in an aerial battle.

"If you use Latios, isn't it kind of overkill?"

Zinnia knew just how strong Gary's Latios was—it was on the same level as his Eevee. Normal Gym Trainers didn't stand a chance against it.

"What choice do I have? The opponent has the terrain advantage. If they stay airborne and use long-range attacks, what am I supposed to do? I have to fight smart," Gary explained.

He didn't want to rely on Latios either. But if Winona stayed in the sky launching ranged attacks, he'd have no choice.

"Too bad I've got my battle with Brendan tomorrow. Otherwise, I'd love to watch your match." Zinnia pouted.

Though she knew Latios was strong, she had never seen it battle seriously.

"You should focus on your match with Brendan. He's probably gotten much stronger. His Pokémon are in a phase of rapid growth. You might not win tomorrow," Gary warned.

"Tch, he's just someone I've already beaten. If I defeated him once, I'll beat him again," Zinnia said proudly.

"Then good luck."

Gary didn't argue. Zinnia's confidence was a little too high lately. Maybe a defeat would humble her.

After a night's rest at the Pokémon Center, Gary set off for the Fortree Gym after breakfast, walking there to help digest his food.

"It's built like an altar... wow."

Gary stood at the base of the Gym, looking up.

The Fortree Gym was designed like a sacred shrine, with steep stairs reaching nearly 100 meters high. The battlefield itself was located on the rooftop.

No wonder Brendan had needed a Flying Pokémon. A place like this was built entirely for airborne battles.

Falling from this height during a match wouldn't just hurt—you'd be lucky to survive.

Gary glanced at the towering staircase but didn't climb it. He knew there was an elevator inside and a hidden entrance behind the stairs.

"Typical Winona," Gary muttered.

She hid the real Gym entrance behind the stairs. Any careless challenger who didn't notice would end up climbing all the way to the top on foot.

Gary simply walked around the stairs and found the gym door in the back.

[Ding! Quest Unlocked:

1. Win the Fortree Gym Badge / Rewards: 6x Mid-Grade Rare Candy, Aerial Ace TM (permanent), 1x Top-Tier Sharp Beak.]

2. Win using only Hoenn Region Pokémon / Rewards: 6x Mid-Grade Rare Candy, Choice of Permanent Flying-type TM, 1x Random Battle Item.]

"Aerial Ace..."

Gary liked Aerial Ace, but the second mission was more important. More than Aerial Ace, what he really needed was Defog.

Defog not only cleared stage hazards like Spikes and Stealth Rock but could also neutralize certain battlefield conditions—critical in Gym challenges and contests.

He rang the doorbell, and soon a Gym assistant opened the door.

"You didn't take the stairs?" she asked in surprise.

Most Trainers took the stairs, since there was an entrance hall halfway up. That climb was part of the Gym's training.

But Gary had simply walked to the back door.

"Isn't there a door right here? Why wouldn't I use it?" Gary replied.

"Well, yes, but most Trainers take the stairs. Anyway, are you here to challenge the Gym?"

"Exactly. Can I challenge now?"

"Follow me, please."

The girl led Gary inside.

After confirming his identity, she immediately contacted Winona.

Recently, Winona had been staying at the Gym more often due to the surge in challengers. She came down quickly.

"So you're today's challenger?" Winona asked as she descended the stairs, observing Gary carefully. He looked like an ordinary teenager—not someone particularly powerful.

"Yes. My name's Gary. I'm here to challenge the Fortree Gym."

Gary also studied Winona. She was a striking beauty, but carried an air of discipline and heroism about her. It made sense she was Wallace's girlfriend.

Wallace himself had an elegant, somewhat androgynous appearance, while Winona had a tomboyish boldness. In a way, they made a fitting pair.