Pawniard: "Oh, go!! Yā!!"
Power surged through Pawniard's body like a bolt of lightning. For a heartbeat his mind went blank—no thoughts, only the wild rush of new strength flooding every limb. Then the sensation settled into his blades, making them tingle, itch, almost beg to be swung.
Under Gary's patient but rigorous coaching, Pawniard had just mastered seven moves in one stretch. Seven. For any ordinary Pokémon that would have been overwhelming, but for Pawniard it felt like the door to a wider world had just been kicked open. When he finally evolved into Bisharp, he knew he'd be able to learn even more devastating techniques.
"Don't look so stunned," Gary said with a small smile. "This is just the beginning. There are far more powerful Pokémon techniques waiting for you in the future. For now, these are all I can teach you."
Pawniard stared at him, red eyes flickering with a mix of disbelief and burning excitement. No Trainer had ever spoken to him like that—calm, confident, as if Pawniard's potential were something obvious and natural.
He gave a firm nod. From this moment on, he decided, he would follow Gary.
Pawniard had once lived in the Unova region. Because of his unusual body color, however, he had never truly belonged. Other Pawniard kept their distance, some openly mocking him, others eyeing him with suspicion. The constant rejection left a cold, jagged scar in his heart.
One day Pokémon hunters appeared. To them, his strange coloration meant "rare" and "valuable." They captured him and sold him off to the Sinnoh region, where a wealthy collector bought him without a second thought.
To that rich man, Pawniard was little more than an ornament—another trophy to display. The man gave him food and kept him in good condition, but in his eyes Pawniard was just "one of my rarities."
Pawniard's nature, though, was anything but decorative. He was born aggressive, driven, unable to sit still. Whenever he was alone, he would practice. He scraped his blades along the stone walls of the mansion until sparks flew, honing them over and over. Each harsh grind echoed through the halls. Over time, his steel edges became frighteningly sharp.
The noise irritated the rich man. The gouges in his pristine walls displeased him even more. He began to hate having Pawniard around. Yet, because he had paid a considerable price, he couldn't bring himself to simply release or discard him.
In the end, the man found another use. He hired Pokémon hunters again and had them capture more Pokémon. Pawniard would serve as his bargaining chip—a dangerous, expendable "demolition team" that could intimidate others during negotiations. That way, he wouldn't lose any money, and he might even profit from Pawniard's strength.
Through all of this, Pawniard never once truly submitted. He listened to orders only when they didn't interfere with his training. Whenever someone barked commands at him, he would stare back coldly, blades humming, as if to say, You're not worthy.
Then Gary appeared.
Compared with the collector's arrogant tone and the hunters' crude shouting, Gary's voice was quiet, even gentle. He didn't threaten or coax; he simply spoke to Pawniard as an equal. In a few short sentences, he acknowledged Pawniard's strength—and his loneliness.
Those simple words pierced deeper than any blade.
After a long, tense silence, Pawniard bowed his head. From that day on, he decided, he would walk behind this human and see where that path led.
For the next stretch of his journey, Gary chose to remain in Floaroma Town.
Because Pawniard had officially joined the team, Gary took time to talk him through a battle style that suited his temperament—swift, ruthless, but controlled. Then he sent Pawniard to train alongside the rest of his Pokémon. Watching them spar in the flower-scented fields outside town, Gary felt quietly satisfied. With so many Elite-level partners to learn from, Pawniard's growth would be explosive.
Later, Gary and Gardevoir began searching for Shaymin around Floaroma's gardens. The air there was thick with the scent of blossoms; petals drifted by on every breeze. It was exactly the kind of place Shaymin was said to be drawn to.
"If Shaymin shows up anywhere, it should be in a place like this," Gary murmured, scanning the sea of color.
But three days slipped by. Gardevoir glided silently at his side, her eyes glowing now and then as she sensed for nearby life. They combed the flower fields, the hills, and the town's outskirts. Not once did they see so much as a stray tuft of Shaymin's fur.
They did, however, encounter plenty of other Grass-type Pokémon: shy Oddish peeking from under leaves, curious Foongus bobbing in the grass like tiny mushrooms with eyes, and clusters of Bellsprout swaying lazily in the sunlight.
"Did that group of Shaymin really pass through Floaroma Town?" Gary wondered aloud, frowning. He thought back to the movie he had seen. In it, the Shaymin didn't migrate from south to north at all—they moved from the southeast toward the northwest.
If that was accurate, his current search area was probably wrong.
He recalled the story Ash had told. When Ash and his friends met Shaymin, Ash already had Chimchar. Gary knew Chimchar had joined Ash's team after he'd earned two badges, which meant that encounter must have happened relatively early in Ash's Sinnoh journey.
Ash's route was clear in his memory: first badge at the Oreburgh City Gym, then on to Floaroma Town for Dawn's Pokémon Contest. From there, Ash went to Eterna City to challenge its Gym before heading east. On the way to Veilstone City, he captured Chimchar.
If Ash had met Shaymin around that same period, then the location of the encounter had to be somewhere in the eastern part of Sinnoh—most likely near Veilstone City.
"Which means I might be looking in the completely wrong place," Gary sighed, rubbing his forehead.
The more he thought about it, the more it seemed that Shaymin tended to appear somewhere in the southeastern region. Finding one near Floaroma Town, while not impossible, would be extremely unlikely.
Even so, Gary continued to ask the locals about Shaymin. Rumors floated around like pollen: stories that when the Gracidea Flowers blossomed, Shaymin might occasionally pass by Veilstone City. But everyone said the same thing in the end—meeting Shaymin was pure luck. You couldn't plan for it.
Gary gazed out over the endless waves of flowers. A part of him itched to keep searching; another part reminded him of his broader goal.
"Let's focus on the next Gym first," he finally decided. "Staying here any longer is just wasting time. I can hunt for Legendary Pokémon after I've collected all the Badges."
Once he'd made up his mind, he moved quickly. The very next morning, he left Floaroma Town with Garchomp flying at his side, slicing through the clouds like a living jet.
He didn't intend to retrace Ash's steps exactly. Instead, he planned his own efficient route, choosing paths that let him challenge strong Trainers along the way. The Sinnoh League left Gym schedules flexible—any Trainer could walk in and request a battle at almost any time.
"That freedom's a double-edged sword," Gary commented as Garchomp banked in the sky. "It keeps things exciting—but it's also why Gym Leaders like Volkner, the strongest in Sunyshore City, eventually burned out."
He could picture it: day after day of challengers, some strong, some painfully weak, arriving in an endless stream. Because there were no entry limits, even total rookies could challenge a top-tier Leader. As a Gym Leader, Volkner had no right to refuse anyone.
Over time, the thrill of real battles had been drowned in monotony. Passion cooled into boredom.
Within an hour, the towers and streets of Hearthome City came into view below. Garchomp let out a triumphant roar as they descended, wind tearing past Gary's face.
After landing, Gary took Garchomp straight to the Pokémon Center. Nurse Joy received them with her usual gentle smile, and once he'd entrusted Garchomp to her care, Gary headed for the Hearthome Gym.
The sight that greeted him there caught him off guard.
The building didn't look like a typical Gym at all. Instead of a harsh, battle-scarred arena, it resembled an elegant villa. Graceful lines, tall windows, and detailed stonework made it seem almost aristocratic. Floating above the roof, a massive Drifblim-shaped ornament swayed slowly in the breeze, casting a faint shadow over the entrance.
"So this is the Hearthome Gym…" Gary murmured, a little impressed despite himself. "Feels more like walking into someone's mansion."
The Gym Leader here was Fantina—a woman known for her striking appearance and mastery of Ghost-type Pokémon. She came from the Unova region, a foreigner in Sinnoh who somehow fit perfectly into Hearthome's glamorous atmosphere.
Gary reached for the decorative Drifblim-style cord by the door and gave it a firm tug.
A low, haunting chime echoed from within the building. The sound was soft yet chilling, like a bell ringing through a foggy graveyard. Gary's lips quirked. Of course the Ghost-type specialist would choose a doorbell that sounded like that.
A moment later, the door swung open. A young man in a neat suit and polished shoes stood there, posture straight and expression professional.
"Hello," he greeted kindly. "I'm the Gym assistant. What can I do for you today?"
"My name is Gary, from the Kanto region," Gary replied. "I'm here to challenge your Gym Leader."
"Ah, I see. Please come in." The assistant stepped aside with a courteous gesture. "The Leader will be with you shortly."
He led Gary down a quiet corridor that smelled faintly of incense. After asking him to wait in the main hall, the assistant slipped away to summon Fantina.
Gary stood alone in the center of the Gym, taking in his surroundings. The interior was unexpectedly simple—no gaudy decorations, no flashy lights. Just broad, shadowed walls and a high ceiling that made every footstep echo.
It felt like standing at the mouth of a cave… or a tunnel leading underground. A subtle chill crept up his spine.
"Is there a challenger?"
The voice drifted across the hall like music—smooth, lilting, and unmistakably feminine.
Gary looked up.
A tall, mature woman stepped gracefully into view. Under the dim lighting, her purple evening gown shimmered with a soft, almost ethereal glow. The dress hugged her figure and flared elegantly at the hem, clearly designed more for a ballroom than a battlefield. Her hair and makeup were perfectly styled, every movement radiating poise.
For a second, Gary simply blinked.
Isn't that… really inconvenient for battling? he thought, stunned. Why wear a full evening dress for an ordinary Gym match? How does she even dodge attacks in that thing?
Fantina's eyes met his, and they immediately brightened.
"Well… handsome boy," she said in a gently teasing tone, her accent lacing the words with charm, "are you the challenger today?"
Her voice was softer than Gary expected, almost affectionate. In his mind, Fantina had always been a confident, flamboyant figure from the Contest stage—decisive, dramatic, larger than life. Seeing her like this, speaking gently and without a trace of arrogance, threw him off balance.
Could it be…?
Gary looked at the young man behind Fantina, and immediately realized that Fantina in front of him was a big sister who liked to milk dogs, and probably loved to listen to her sister..