Gary Oak stood calm and steady amid the roaring heat of the battlefield. His confidence had not wavered once. The move he had taught Tyranitar—the fusion technique blending physical and special attack power—had finally borne fruit.

This wasn't difficult for him now. It was the mastery of years of study, success born from a trainer who truly understood both strength and control.

According to original plot. Back then, Gary had used a Magmar in a match against Ash. Magmar had perfected a similar form of Fire Blast fusion, ensuring unparalleled precision and power—the move struck with absolute accuracy. Now, Tyranitar, Gary's most formidable partner, replicated and surpassed that feat.

However, the great technique came with a price. Even Tyranitar, for all his resilience, had to endure the fury of his own flames. The burning aura licked over his armor every time he launched the Fire Blast Tackle—a technique so intense it could melt normal steel. But Tyranitar's thick hide, forged like mountain stone, allowed him to press forward through the inferno unscathed.

"Raaaargh!!" Tyranitar roared, his entire body still ablaze, the echoes reverberating through the entire Battle Pyramid.

Brandon's eyes narrowed. "I see… remarkable. But this is the end for both of us."

Raising his hand, he gave his final command. "Registeel, use Heavy Slam! Let's finish this strong!"

"Reg!"

The Iron Pokémon flared with pale silver light. The energy of its body condensed into a shining, steel-encased storm as it hurled itself toward Tyranitar with all remaining power.

"Raaaargh!!" Tyranitar responded in kind, his flames surging brighter—it was as if molten magma itself swallowed the battlefield.

Boom!!!

Two forces—one silver and one crimson—collided in the center of the arena.

A storm of energy erupted outward like a hurricane, swirling between fire and metal. The very air trembled under the unbearable pressure, and cracks webbed across the battle floor. Then came the explosion—fierce, blinding, and deafening.

A massive mushroom cloud unfurled into the sky of the Battle Pyramid, and the blinding smoke engulfed everything.

Ash, May, Brock, Professor Oak, and Max shielded their faces as dust filled the air.

"Ahem! What happened?!" Brock coughed, trying to peer through the gray haze.

"Ahem—has the winner been decided?" May gasped.

Max squinted into the smoke. "I can't see anything!"

The spectators looked anxiously toward the field. Even Samuel, the referee, hesitated—his flag half-raised but uncertain where to point.

Slowly, the drifting smoke began to settle.

Everyone fell silent.

When visibility finally returned, the two colossal figures were revealed amid the battered battlefield.

Registeel lay on the ground, face-first, its once-glowing red indicator lights now dim and lifeless. Its metallic armor was dented and cracked, steam hissing faintly from its joints.

Opposite it, Tyranitar still stood—barely. His armor was charred and worn, his breathing labored, but his head was held high. His crimson eyes burned with defiant pride, even as scorch marks covered his frame.

He gave a low, growling snarl—neither victory's roar nor arrogance, but sheer endurance and refusal to yield.

Samuel adjusted his glasses, visibly startled by what he saw. "Registeel… has lost its ability to battle." He paused, then raised his voice over the stunned crowd.

"The winner of this match—and the victor of the Battle Pyramid challenge—is the challenger, Gary Oak!"

Max let out a stunned whistle. "Too strong… Gary's Tyranitar actually defeated both Regirock and Registeel!"

May nodded. "Tyranitar's strength is terrifying. I can't believe how much power he controlled in that fight."

Even Brock looked impressed. "It's no wonder Gary's known worldwide. Tyranitar's ferocity reminds me of Ash's Charizard—but taken even further."

Professor Oak smiled faintly, a rare pride flickering in his expression. "Tyranitar represents the pinnacle of Rock-type endurance and might. Even the rock habitat I designed for Rock Pokémon might tremble against this one. His bond with Gary is… remarkable."

Despite the loss, Brandon's composed demeanor didn't falter. He walked across the scorched battlefield, his tone resolute but calm. "Gary, you are extraordinary. You are the first challenger who has ever pushed me—and my team—this far."

He unclipped a shining emblem from his belt, its gold and crimson surface gleaming under the fractured light of the arena. "This is the Symbol of Bravery. You've earned it. Take it with pride."

He held it out to Gary.

Gary accepted it respectfully, bowing his head slightly. "Thank you."

As soon as he took the emblem, the familiar chime of the system rang faintly in his inner consciousness:

[Ding! Mission Completed. Reward has been distributed to your storage system.]

Afterward, the group stepped out of the Battle Pyramid, where the evening light cast orange across the horizon of Fennel Valley. The Pyramid gleamed like gold as its levitation systems activated, rising slowly into the air for relocation. Everyone watched in awe.

Scott turned to Ash. "Ash, now that you've conquered the Battle Frontier, what's next for you?"

"Well…" Ash rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "I haven't really thought about it."

Scott smiled. "Then let me make an offer. Ash, would you consider taking up the position of Frontier Brain?"

"What?!" Ash exclaimed, caught off guard.

"Yes," Scott said with a laugh. "You've battled all seven facilities. You've shown courage, instinct, and creativity. You'd make a leader unlike any other."

The whole group went quiet.

Max's jaw nearly hit the floor. "You're inviting Ash to join the Brains? That's incredible!"

May's eyes sparkled. "Ash, you have to do it!"

But Ash hesitated, looking genuinely torn. "I appreciate it, but… I'm not sure. I want to keep discovering new Pokémon and regions. Staying in one place—it just doesn't feel like me."

Professor Oak gave a reassuring nod. "That's more in line with your nature, Ash. You were never meant to sit still. You're an explorer at heart."

Scott sighed but smiled. "That's true." After a thoughtful pause, he turned toward Gary. "Then what about you, Gary? Would you be interested in taking a Frontier Brain position?"

Gary smirked slightly. "Sorry. My goal is different—I plan to become the world's greatest Pokémon researcher and trainer. Maybe even surpass the ranks of every Champion one day. Becoming a fixed Frontier Brain would just pin me down."

Scott blinked, faintly exasperated. "Figures—the Oak family never chooses the easy road."

Professor Oak laughed warmly. "Just as I thought. He's truly my grandson."

Eventually, the group parted ways. Oak needed to return home to check on Eevee's situation at the lab, while Ash and his friends prepared to travel back to their hometowns together.

Gary, however, stayed one more night in Fennel Valley, resting at the Pokémon Center. The next morning, he set course for Pallet Town, bringing Charizard back to Professor Oak's Laboratory.

Back home among familiar grounds, Gary wasted no time. He gathered his Pokémon for reorganization and training. Blastoise, Scizor, Arcanine, Electivire, and Tyranitar were rotated for rest and growth. He also began teaching all his Pokémon the Protect technique he had perfected during the Battle Pyramid matches—an invaluable defensive skill.

After regrouping, Gary refocused his training efforts on two of his newest Pokémon: Gabite and Nidorino. Though both showed promise, they were still considered his weakest link at the moment. He was determined to build their strength to match his main team before the next major league challenge.

Three days later, Ash finally returned to Pallet Town as well. Without even unpacking, he sprinted to Professor Oak's Lab and found Gary standing near the training field, clipboard in hand.

"Gary!" Ash called, breathless with excitement. "Let's have a battle! I've been waiting for this!"

Gary blinked in surprise, lowering the clipboard. "A battle?"

Ash grinned. "Yeah! Ever since the Battle Frontier ended, I've been preparing for our match!"

Gary paused for a moment and then gave a small, awkward smile. "Sorry, Ash. Not right now. I don't have any plans for another match yet."

"What? Why not?" Ash looked puzzled, ears almost twitching at the unexpected reply.

Gary shrugged lightly. "Because there's no reason to fight right now." The system hasn't activated a new challenge. Gary thought

"And besides, our power gap right now isn't close. You'd definitely lose."

Ash blinked in disbelief, then frowned. "You're that confident?"

Gary crossed his arms, smiling knowingly. "It's not about confidence. It's just fact. The Pokémon I'm training now—Gabite and Nidorino—they're in early development. You using Pikachu against them wouldn't mean a fair fight. Let's wait until I've raised them to their peak."