"Don't worry about that. Ash is currently challenging the Battle Pyramid. Brandon's been staying near Fennel Valley for quite some time. Ash plans to face him for the third time soon. I can take you straight there," Scott said with a confident grin.

"Oh, then let's stop by the Pokémon Center first. My team needs healing before we go," Gary replied.

"No problem," Scott agreed easily.

Once Scott finished speaking, he pressed his foot down on the accelerator. The engine of his sports car roared to life, the sound deepening as the car surged forward. The sleek vehicle sped along the road, covering the distance to Celadon City in just over ten minutes.

They rested in Celadon City until the afternoon before continuing onward. Fennel Valley lay between Fuchsia City and Celadon City—a broad, rocky region known for its rugged cliffs and ancient ruins.

The drive took nearly two hours. As the sun began its slow descent, they finally reached Fennel Valley and stopped in front of a newly built Pokémon Center on the outskirts.

Gary stepped out of the car, blinking in surprise. "Huh? When did they build a Pokémon Center here?"

The facility stood small but sturdy, its roof painted in the familiar red and white pattern. The surrounding area was quiet except for the sound of wild Pokémon echoing from the valley walls.

"When I came here before," Gary murmured, "there wasn't any Pokémon Center at all."

Scott chuckled. "It's said that ancient Pokémon fossils were discovered in Fennel Valley not long ago. Since this road connects Celadon and Fuchsia, the Kanto League decided to build a Pokémon Center nearby—to care for both injured trainers and Pokémon, and to give travelers a resting place before they head into the digs."

Gary nodded. "I see. That explains it."

Gary recalled that he had reported the discovery of the fossils here himself. He hadn't expected the Kanto League to act so quickly in setting up a research outpost.

"Vee!" a small voice chirped suddenly.

Gary's Eevee stood up on his shoulder, ears twitching. It pointed with its paw toward the Pokémon Center ahead before leaping down and dashing toward it.

"Wait for me!" Gary called, sprinting after it.

He knew that when Eevee acted like that, it had noticed something important.

The automatic doors parted as they entered the Pokémon Center. Eevee scanned the room keenly, then turned and darted left toward the rest area. Gary followed close behind, weaving through the clean, bright corridors.

Because the Fennel Valley Pokémon Center also served as a rest stop for explorers and trainers, the rest area was unusually large—more like a small café than a waiting room.

There, near a window, sat a group of familiar faces chatting around a table. Gary's eyes widened in recognition even before Eevee dashed ahead.

"Vee! Vee!" Eevee yipped excitedly.

The group turned toward the sound. Then, almost in unison, voices shouted, "Gary!"

"Hey! Gary!" another called out.

Gary blinked in surprise. "Really? You guys are here too?"

Gathered at the table were Ash's traveling companions—May, her younger brother Max, and Brock. Sitting with them, to Gary's mild astonishment, was none other than Professor Oak.

But Ash himself was nowhere to be seen.

"Grandpa? Why are you here?" Gary asked, still catching his breath.

He wasn't surprised to see Brock, May, and Max. But his grandfather being there was unexpected—especially since Professor Oak had just given him Eevee the night before! How had he gotten to Fennel Valley so quickly?

Professor Oak chuckled warmly. "I came to bring encouragement! Ash is about to face his next big challenge, and I thought his Pokémon would want to send their cheers as well." He held up a rolled parchment covered in paw prints and smudges—handprints from Ash's Pokémon, a token of motivation meant to inspire him to overcome Brandon's challenge.

May leaned forward curiously. "Gary, what about you? Why are you here?"

Scott walked over, hands in his pockets. "Gary came to challenge the Battle Pyramid himself," he explained before Gary could answer.

Max's eyes widened. "Whoa, that was fast! I heard Gary only cleared the Battle Palace a few days ago!"

When Ash had challenged Brandon the second time, Scott had informed everyone about Gary's progress through the Battle Frontier. Now, only a few days later, Gary stood before the group, already preparing for the final facility.

Gary gave a small, confident grin. "Yeah, I'm in full speed run mode. One facility after another—no breaks. I ride my Pokémon between each site. Makes traveling and challenging fast."

The group laughed, though Professor Oak looked faintly exasperated. "You really don't like to rest, do you, Gary?"

Gary smirked. "Guess I take after you, Grandpa."

Then something occurred to him. "Wait, Grandpa—you're here, so what about Eevee?"

"Don't worry," Oak assured him. "I teleported the Eevee I gave you yesterday to Cinnabar Island Laboratory. Professor Blaine agreed to run some special research tests."

Gary blinked. "Blaine? Already?" He couldn't hide his surprise. He'd expected Professor Oak to personally study Eevee's adaptability before involving others.

If Gary didn't already know that the Blaine from the anime version never worked with Team Rocket, he might have been uneasy about leaving Eevee in someone else's care. Still, the thought lingered in his mind.

"What Eevee are you talking about?" Max asked in confusion. "Isn't Eevee right here with you?" He pointed to the small, fluffy Pokémon sitting proudly at Gary's heel.

Gary smiled. "It's complicated—part of some research Grandpa's working on."

Professor Oak immediately steered the conversation away. "Ahem! Anyway, Gary, I assume you're challenging the Battle Pyramid next?"

"Yes," Gary said. "Mr. Scott mentioned that the Pyramid's stationed nearby. I plan to take on Brandon tomorrow."

Just then, the distant sound of someone humming could be faintly heard from the Center's speakers, but it was cut short by Scott's voice.

"Tomorrow might not work, Gary. Brandon already agreed to battle Ash first, so you'll need to wait."

Gary shrugged. "No problem, I can wait. Where's Ash now?"

"He's spending the day out in the wilderness with his Pokémon," Max explained. "He wanted to reconnect with them before facing Brandon tomorrow."

Gary frowned thoughtfully. "Doesn't he already know his Pokémon inside out?"

"This time," said Max, grinning, "Ash wants to use the same Pokémon he caught at the very beginning—Pikachu, Charizard, Squirtle, and Venusaur."

Understanding dawned on Gary. Ash planned to fight Brandon with his original four partners. But Gary also realized what that meant—those Pokémon hadn't battled seriously in years. While Charizard had stayed active, Squirtle and Venusaur had been largely inactive, looked after by their respective teams and caretakers.

"So it's a four-on-four, huh?" Gary said slowly. "Then Ash doesn't stand much of a chance."

May frowned. "Hey! Gary! Why would you say that?"

Gary folded his arms. "Because I've seen Brandon's power firsthand. His strongest Pokémon—Regirock and Registeel—are monsters. Even with my experience, I struggled against them."

The group fell silent. Even Brock's confident demeanor faltered slightly at that reminder.

Gary continued solemnly. "Mr. Brandon's mastery over his Pokémon is flawless. Those two—Regirock and Registeel—can overwhelm almost any opponent. I had to face them myself, and Tyranitar barely held out. Ash's team doesn't have the right counter yet."

Gary said, "A four-on-four battle, huh? With Brandon using those two Pokémon, Ash's chances of winning aren't great."

May looked down. "But Ash has heart—he always pulls through somehow!"

"Heart's powerful, sure," Gary said gently, "but even heart can't always break through steel and stone."

Max fidgeted. "Is Ash really in that much trouble?"

Gary nodded.

"In Ash's second battle," Gary thought, "Brandon used Registeel, and Ash sent out Torkoal to fight it. Torkoal tried its hardest—it launched attack after attack—but Registeel's endurance was unshakable. Even after all that effort, Torkoal went down to two clean Zap Cannons."