By the time Gary reached Petalburg City, dusk had already settled in.
He didn't intend to challenge the Gym that evening, instead, he stopped at the entrance of Petalburg Gym to trigger the system prompt.
[Ding! New Mission Released]
1. Earn the Petalburg Gym Badge.
Reward: 6 × Mid-Grade Rare Candy, TM — Giga Impact (permanent), 1 × Premium Silk Scarf
2. Earn the Petalburg Gym Badge using only Pokémon listed in the Hoenn Pokédex.
Reward: 10 × Mid-Grade Rare Candy, TM — Normal-type move of your choice (must be a level-up move), 1 × Random Battle Item
Gary blinked in surprise. Gym missions had never offered two alternatives before. The second path was clearly more generous, but restricting him to Pokémon that appeared in the Hoenn Pokédex was a painful twist.
"System, does 'Pokémon listed in the Hoenn Pokédex' mean they have to be caught in Hoenn, or do they simply have to be Hoenn-native species?" Gary asked.
[They must be species that appear in the Hoenn Pokédex.]
Gary grimaced. "Great… I've caught nearly forty Pokémon, and apart from Latios, none of them are registered as Hoenn species. I can't solo every Gym with Latios—that's like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut."
If this rule carried forward to the Ever Grande Conference, he'd need an almost entirely new roster—Hoenn Pokémon only—just to keep doubling his mission rewards.
Back at the Pokémon Center, he sat on his bunk riffling through the Hoenn Dex and making a mental shortlist. Hoenn's Pokémon pool was stacked: the three starters (Sceptile, Blaziken, and Swampert), the pseudo-Legendaries Metagross and Salamence, plus outstanding options such as Gardevoir, Milotic, and Aggron—and nearly all of them could Mega Evolve.
The problem was availability. Ralts fled at the first hint of negative emotion, the Beldum and Bagon lines were protected species that could only be captured in the wild with extreme luck, Milotic required a Feebas and a ton of grooming effort.
"Forget it. Start with Treecko," he decided. Even if he did find rarer Pokémon, he lacked the resources to raise all of them at once.
Gary returned to Petalburg Gym and rang the bell.
The door swung open, and a young boy in glasses poked his head out. "Who is—Whoa! You're Gary Oak!"
It was Max—May's younger brother and a fellow Pokémon fanatic who followed every regional League broadcast.
"So you know me?" Gary asked, feigning ignorance.
"Of course! You won the Indigo Plateau Conference and the Silver Conference!" Max said, eyes sparkling.
"I'm here to challenge the Gym. Is your father in?" Gary asked.
Max ushered him inside and led him to the main arena—a standard, unthemed battlefield suited to Norman's Normal-type team.
"Wait here, I'll get Dad." Max dashed off.
Gary chuckled, recalling how Max once pretended to be the Gym Leader when Ash first visited. Ash, ever gullible, had fallen for it completely.
A few minutes later, Norman arrived, with May following close behind.
"You're today's challenger?" Norman asked.
"Gary Oak from Pallet Town, Kanto," Gary replied.
"How many badges have you earned in Hoenn so far?" The source of thɪs content is 𝚗𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚕·𝚏𝚒𝚛𝚎·𝚗𝚎𝚝
"I landed yesterday—I don't have any yet."
Norman shook his head. "I'm afraid Petalburg has an entry requirement: you need at least four Gym Badges before you can challenge me."
You let Ash walk in without saying a word, he grumbled inwardly, but there was no arguing the point.
"Understood. Sorry to trouble you," Gary said politely.
"No trouble at all. If you're eager for a badge, head to Rustboro City first—there's no entry limit there."
Gary thanked him and left. Max watched wistfully, he'd wanted to see how his father stacked up against a two-time League Champion.
"Time to find Treecko," Gary muttered, pedaling into the forest on his mountain bike. The morning passed uneventfully—until noon, when a flash of color in the undergrowth brought him skidding to a halt.
A beige, mushroom-like Pokémon with orange bands shuffled across the path.
[Lv. 12 Shroomish ♂ / Shiny]
"My first Shiny in Hoenn!" Gary groaned. He'd hoped to save his Shiny Charm exploit for a Treecko, but fate had other plans.
The Shroomish tilted its head at Gary's reaction, then wandered back toward the trees.
"Oh no you don't!" Gary leapt off his bike and gave chase.