A week had passed since staying in Grandpa Canyon, and today, light rain was falling outside the window. Gary Oak took off his hat, revealing a faint mark on the back of his head.
"Autumn rain brings chill~" He tightened his windbreaker and sighed. With autumn approaching, it meant that the Indigo League competition was also nearing. Considering he still needed to collect two more badges, Gary felt embarrassed to continue lounging around. Although the lazy life was indeed quite enjoyable...
"Ready to set out?" Lorelei asked as she leaned against the railing, watching the rain. The research work in the canyon had already entered a routine, and there was no need for a Champion to supervise every day. The league headquarters had sent two messages inquiring when Lorelei would return. Although she was reluctant, Lorelei could only reply that she would be back in a week.
"Yeah, I talked to Grandpa yesterday. We'll leave as soon as the rain stops," Gary nodded.
"Sigh~ The league headquarters has been pushing me several times, saying that Bruno is a mess with paperwork," Lorelei sighed.
"Well, I plan to look for the incredible secret garden. I feel like I still need a sturdy shield Pokémon," Gary explained simply.
Lorelei tilted her head, her autumn water-like gaze fixed on Gary. Lowering his head, he tentatively asked, "How about... we walk together for a bit?"
A smile blossomed on Lorelei's face. "Sure! I think Bruno can hold on a bit longer."
With their minds made up, they packed their gear and set off along the damp path after the autumn rain. Heading toward the ferry to Cinnabar Island, they traversed rolling hills through Doll Town, where they could board a boat to Cinnabar Island. According to Erika's speculation, this year's location of the incredible garden was somewhere in the mountains they would pass through.
Arcanine carried a pouch around its neck with Togepi's egg safely nestled inside. Gary, holding Eevee, strolled leisurely along the mountain path with Lorelei.
"Hey! You're a Pokémon Trainer, right?" Just as they reached halfway up the mountain, a rugged voice blocked their path. A towering hiker over two meters tall and weighing about three hundred pounds stood before them with a hiking stick in hand.
"Are you looking for a Pokémon battle?" Gary asked with interest and smiled.
"Hehe~ That's right." The hiker patted his belly. "I'm Backpacker Mountain Man, challenging you with a bet for lunch! If I win, you have to give me your lunch! If I lose, I'll give you this thing I dug up!"
Looking at the white stone in the hiker's hand, Gary smiled; it seemed like an unexpected gift. "Alright, I accept. Regardless of win or lose, I can give you some food."
Lorelei smiled silently and stepped aside to an open area. Gary took out a Poké Ball and prepared for battle against Mountain Man.
"The rules are 2 vs. 2. My first Pokémon is this guy—go, Machoke!" The hiker threw out his first Poké Ball. A well-muscled Machoke appeared before them. It was common for hikers who trained in the mountains to have such power-type Pokémon; not only could they break rocks but also carry heavy loads—highly favored by laborers as fighting Pokémon.
"Gengar, it's your turn!" After thinking for a moment, Gary decided to send out his ghostly friend for some warm-up action.
"Gengar!" Excited by the prospect of battling, Gengar flew around chaotically; its bizarre speed and erratic movements made the hiker break into a cold sweat instantly.
"Go ahead; you can attack first," Gary said politely. The hiker looked flustered; "Uh..."
One minute later...
"Gengar, use Hypnosis!" Seeing that his opponent didn't move, Gary had no choice but to take action first.
"Gengar!" With a flicker, Gengar closed in and unleashed its attack! Buzz~ A red wave of hypnotic energy hit Machoke directly, causing it to fall asleep instantly.
"Just give up? If you don't surrender, I'll start Dream Eater," Gary tilted his head toward his opponent.
The hiker reluctantly recalled Machoke. "I lost the first round."
"Let's continue." Gary nodded knowingly. It was clear that Machoke had been raised solely through leveling up without learning any skills beyond normal and fighting types—both of which were immune to Gengar's attacks... Thinking about this made Gary feel somewhat awkward; it did seem like he was bullying his opponent...
"Rhydon, it's your turn!" The hiker sent out his second Pokémon. A small calf-sized Rhydon appeared before Gary's eyes.
"Tsk tsk, it's still just a kid~" Gary remarked helplessly.
"Hmph! Take this—Stomp!" The hiker confidently shouted out his command.
"You're not afraid of Normal types; how about Ground types?"
"Gengar?" Floating in mid-air, Gengar looked down at Rhydon with a puzzled expression. Was it getting anxious? It didn't seem like there was any damage...
"Uh... Even though Gengar doesn't have Levitate ability, he's flying in the air—can your ground vibrations hit him?" sighed Gary, feeling helpless about the situation.
"Damn it! Rhydon! Use Rock Blast!" The hiker blushed slightly as he quickly shifted back into attack mode.
Boom! A boulder as big as a soccer ball shot toward Gengar like a cannonball. It had significant power but lacked speed...
"Avoid it and use Ice Punch!" commanded Gary, waving his hand.
"Gengar!" Time for some flashy moves! Gengar dove down from mid-air while phasing through the rock projectile and appeared right before Rhydon.
"Gengar!" It unleashed a powerful Ice Punch! Smack! Rhydon was knocked over onto its back!
"The match is over!" Lorelei called out just in time.
"Jiehehe~" Gengar happily stuck out its tongue while clutching its belly and laughing proudly.
The hiker recalled Rhydon and rubbed his stomach resignedly. "Sigh~ I lost."
"Well then, according to our agreement, I'll take that Shiny Stone now." Accepting the stone from the hiker's hand, Gary pulled out a large bag of bread from his backpack and placed it before him.
"It may not be gourmet food but should fill your stomach."
"Really for me?" The hiker asked excitedly.
"Yep! As promised earlier—I'll leave you some food regardless of win or lose," nodded Gary, smiling.
"Thank you!" The hiker gleefully grabbed the bag of bread and turned to run away happily.
"Does he not realize that Shiny Stones are quite valuable?" Lorelei asked incredulously.
"Who knows? I stuffed some bills inside that bread bag; he shouldn't lose too much," shrugged Gary nonchalantly.
A gentle breeze blew past as shimmering pollen danced in the air around them. Suddenly, Gary's eyes lit up. "Looks like we're getting close to our destination."
Lorelei nodded; the pollen in the air must be due to some special phenomenon created by Venasaur. Following the direction of the pollen, they continued forward until they spotted a wooden Pokémon Center standing amidst nearby woods. The incredible garden was just ahead!