Three days later.
Gary traveled through several towns and cities and finally arrived at Canalave City.
Along the way, he deliberately slowed his pace and carefully observed the expressions of the people on the streets. Every passerby looked energetic, their faces relaxed, with no dark circles under their eyes or signs of insomnia.
"That's good," Gary muttered to himself. "Everyone looks lively. That means Team Rocket hasn't arrived here yet."
If Darkrai had already appeared in Canalave City, the situation would be completely different. Nightmares would spread throughout the city, people would suffer from exhaustion, and the atmosphere would feel heavy and oppressive.
But right now, Canalave City was calm.
"Looks like I still have time," Gary thought. "I don't know when Ash and the others will arrive."
Gary knew the future events clearly.
Darkrai would eventually appear in Canalave City, drawn here by Team Rocket's nightmare-inducing device. That Darkrai was unable to control its Ability properly, which caused the citizens of Canalave City to fall into constant nightmares.
From Gary's judgment, that Darkrai was not particularly strong.
It probably hadn't reached Champion level. At most, it would be around Elite Four level—or even slightly lower.
If Gary acted first, he could subdue Darkrai cleanly, without letting the situation spiral out of control.
However, there was no need to rush.
Ash and his group were still on the road. Based on their pace, they would take at least a week to arrive—maybe even half a month if they encountered detours or battles.
That gave Gary a comfortable window of time.
"Since I have time," Gary said to himself, "I might as well challenge the Sinnoh Battle Frontier."
The Sinnoh Region had officially established its own Battle Frontier on August 17. Although it didn't have as many facilities as the Hoenn Battle Frontier, it was still extremely prestigious.
There were five Battle Facilities in Sinnoh.
More importantly, the Frontier Brains here were exceptionally strong.
The mission rewards for challenging them were also extremely generous—especially the Ability Enhancement Stone, which Gary urgently needed.
"Call Scott," Gary said.
Scott was the founder and administrator of the Battle Frontier. He had a keen eye for Trainers with potential and loved watching strong Trainers challenge difficult battle facilities.
Beep—beep—beep…
The call connected quickly.
"Hello! Hello! Is that Gary?" Scott's energetic voice came through the phone.
"Mr. Scott, it's me," Gary replied.
"Gary! Why are you calling me all of a sudden?" Scott laughed. "Don't tell me—you want to become a Frontier Brain already?"
"No," Gary said calmly. "I'm currently in the Sinnoh Region. I heard that Sinnoh has its own Battle Frontier, and I want to challenge it."
"…What?!"
Scott was stunned.
"Sinnoh Battle Frontier? You want to challenge that?"
"Yes," Gary said matter-of-factly. "Is there a problem?"
Scott fell silent for a moment before speaking seriously.
"The Frontier Brains in Sinnoh are no joke," Scott warned. "Every single one of them has strength comparable to the Elite Four. Some are even stronger."
"I know," Gary replied. "That's exactly why it's interesting."
Scott couldn't help but laugh.
"Haha! That's just like you, Gary."
Indeed, the Sinnoh Frontier Brains were terrifyingly strong.
For example, Palmer, the Frontier Brain of the Battle Tower, was widely acknowledged as having power on par with the Elite Four—and could even exchange blows with Champion Cynthia.
The stronger the opponent, the more meaningful the challenge.
And the better the rewards.
"Alright," Scott said. "Where are you right now?"
"I'm in Canalave City," Gary answered.
"Canalave City…" Scott muttered. "That's convenient. The Battle Factory and Battle Tower are both nearby."
"I'll send you the coordinates. You can challenge them directly."
"Are you not coming to watch?" Gary asked.
In the past, whenever Gary challenged the Battle Frontier, Scott would always show up personally to spectate.
"I'd love to," Scott said regretfully, "but I'm in the Kanto Region right now. Sinnoh is too far away. I won't make it in time. You'll have to challenge them on your own."
Scott truly loved watching Pokémon battles—but there was a condition.
The Trainer had to be a first-time challenger.
Gary had already conquered the Hoenn Battle Frontier. By Scott's standards, Gary was already qualified to become a Frontier Brain himself. There was no need for Scott to personally supervise him anymore.
Besides, traveling from Kanto to Sinnoh would take more than a full day.
"I understand," Gary said. "Then please send me all the locations of Sinnoh's Battle Facilities."
"No problem."
The call ended.
About ten minutes later, Gary's device received a full set of coordinates.
Sinnoh's Battle Frontier consisted of five facilities:
Battle TowerBattle FactoryBattle ArcadeBattle CastleBattle Hall
Among them, Battle Factory and Battle Tower were closest to Canalave City.
"Let's start with the Battle Factory," Gary decided.
The Battle Tower, guarded by Palmer, was undoubtedly the most difficult facility. It would be better to save that challenge for later.
Gary didn't rush into battle immediately.
Instead, he contacted Professor Oak and transferred three additional teams of Pokémon over, ensuring that his lineup was flexible enough to handle any situation.
That night, Gary rested at the Pokémon Center.
The next day.
Early in the morning, Gary released Garchomp and rode it north of Canalave City.
Following the coordinates Scott had sent, he quickly located the Battle Factory.
The Battle Factory in Sinnoh was very similar to the one in Hoenn. From the outside, it looked exactly like a massive industrial plant.
It wasn't just a battle facility—it also functioned as a real factory and even appeared on television programs as a symbol of Sinnoh's advanced technology.
In the official rules, the Battle Factory was known as one of the most difficult facilities.
Challengers were not allowed to use their own Pokémon.
Instead, the facility would randomly provide six Pokémon at the start of each round. The challenger had to choose three from them to battle.
Winning seven consecutive battles was required to clear the challenge.
"If they really enforce those rules strictly," Gary thought, "this might be the hardest facility of all."
Using unfamiliar Pokémon, without knowing their full movepools or battle habits, put the challenger at a severe disadvantage.
"Garchomp."
Garchomp landed smoothly at the entrance, letting Gary dismount.
"Thanks," Gary said, recalling it into its Poké Ball.
He walked toward the entrance and entered the factory.
The lobby was quiet.
At the counter stood a young female receptionist.
When she saw Gary walk in, she asked politely, "Hello. Is there something you need at the Battle Factory?"
Gary approached the counter.
"My name is Gary," he said. "Mr. Scott recommended that I come here."
"Mr. Scott?!"
The receptionist's expression changed instantly.
She quickly typed something into her computer and pulled up Gary's information.
"…Found it," she said, her tone becoming noticeably more respectful.
"Mr. Gary, are you here to challenge the Battle Factory?"
"Yes," Gary nodded.
"Please wait a moment. I'll notify the Frontier Brain."
She picked up a communicator and spoke into it.
"Sir Thorton, a Trainer recommended by Mr. Scott has arrived to challenge the Battle Factory."
"I understand," a calm voice replied. "I'll be there shortly."
After ending the call, the receptionist gestured for Gary to take a seat.
Only a few minutes passed before footsteps echoed from the inner corridor.
A young man stepped out.
He wore green bell-bottom pants, a black vest, and had a calm, analytical expression. His eyes carried a sharp, mechanical focus, as if he were constantly calculating something.
This was Thorton, the Frontier Brain of the Battle Factory.
Thorton was known for his exceptional intelligence and deep understanding of machines and battle systems. Many people believed his strategic thinking was closer to that of a computer than a human.
"Hello," Thorton said, stopping in front of Gary. "I'm Thorton, Frontier Brain of the Battle Factory. You're the challenger recommended by Mr. Scott?"
"Yes," Gary replied. "My name is Gary."
Thorton looked Gary up and down.
At first glance, Gary didn't look particularly special—just a calm young Trainer with steady eyes and relaxed posture.