"Yeah," Gary said softly.
The Cyclizar looked back at him with an almost curious expression, bright golden scales glinting faintly under the sunlight.
This shiny Cyclizar had been in the shop for quite some time. It was well‑trained and extremely popular among collectors, yet few were willing to spend such a hefty amount on it. The price was, in short, steep.
Still, Gary could sense its intelligence. Even as it watched him, the creature's amber eyes carried a quiet eagerness—a longing to ride, to travel somewhere far beyond the quiet streets of Mesagoza.
In Paldea, Cyclizar were common sights on roads, yet even the average model cost nearly 200,000 PokéDollars. Racing‑grade Pokémon could easily reach one million ₽ or more at special auctions.
"Guess that makes you the luxury model," Gary teased, crouching to meet the Pokémon's gaze. "Well, if you can handle higher speeds, you'll be worth every credit."
The Cyclizar tilted its head and gave a cheerful cry, "Cy‑cli~zaar!"
Gary chuckled. "Alright then. The future's on you, partner. Let's make it count."
The Pokémon thumped its tail approvingly on the ground like an engine revving, letting out another mirthful "Cycliii!"
Gary laughed out loud. "You're ready to go already, huh? Alright—come in."
With a flash of light, the Cyclizar was drawn into its newly purchased Poké Ball. Gary pulled out his Rotom dex to check its detailed data.
Pokémon Data
Pokémon: Cyclizar (Shiny)
Type: Dragon / Normal
Level: 30
Potential: Elite
Ability: Shed Skin — When afflicted by a status condition, there's a 30% chance to heal at the end of each turn.
Known Moves: Tackle / Growl / Rapid Spin / Breaking Swipe / Quick Attack / Bite / U‑Turn
Friendship: 180 (out of 255)
"Not bad," Gary murmured. "Friendly already."
He nodded with satisfaction—180 friendship points on first contact was impressive. No need for a Soothe Bell or constant attention; this Pokémon was practically born to bond with humans.
The clerk had provided several riding accessories: reinforced seat belts, fitted harnesses, and handlebars designed for long travels. Gary thanked him, then assembled everything on Cyclizar.
Once outside, he released the Pokémon into the sunlight. "Alright, let's see how you move."
"Cyclii~zaaaar!" the Pokémon roared gleefully, crouching low to invite him aboard.
Riding through Mesagoza's main streets, Gary quickly grew accustomed to Cyclizar's rhythm. The city limit was capped at sixty kilometers per hour, but within that speed Cyclizar handled beautifully—smooth, agile, and remarkably stable.
The city's traffic parted naturally for them as people turned to watch. Flashing sunlight reflected off Cyclizar's golden scales, drawing gasps and stares. Children pointed excitedly. "Wow, is that shiny Cyclizar?!" yelled one boy.
Gary smiled as Cyclizar gave a proud "Cyy~cliii!" and pressed forward with elegance.
Compared to his old Arcanine's blazing sprint, this was far gentler. The movement felt almost meditative—steady vibrations beneath him, wind on his face, and the Pokémon's heartbeat syncing with his own.
He finally pulled up near the Pokémon Center, dismounted.
The next morning, as the sun rose over the orange rooftops, Gary packed his belongings and made his way to the airport.
At nine a.m., his flight departed Paldea for Sinnoh. By three p.m., he landed at Veilstone City Airport, the familiar skyline bringing a hint of nostalgia.
"Feels good to be back," he murmured, stretching as Cyclizar's Poké Ball rattled faintly on his belt.
"We'll challenge the gym tomorrow," he said decisively.
There wasn't enough time that day—the Veilstone Gym had likely finished its battle schedule. The owner would reschedule matches for the next morning.
As dusk fell, Gary released Cyclizar outside the airport to ride back to the Pokémon Center. Pedestrians turned their heads, surprised. In Sinnoh, Cyclizar were virtually unheard of, and even seasoned Trainers stared with interest.
Later that evening, settled in his Pokémon Center room, Gary sat by the computer to browse recent regional news.
"I've barely left for a week," he muttered, scrolling through updates, "and already there's been another big incident?"
A headline blinked at him:
"Mysterious Time‑Space Distortion Resolved in Floaroma and Eterna Areas."
"Tower of Time and Space… so that really happened." Gary leaned back, amazed.
According to a reporter, an entire town named Alamos Town had briefly vanished before re‑appearing with dimensional energy traces. The event had occurred four days ago—the same day he left Sinnoh.
"Huh. So Ash already conquered Paul's Chimchar by now," Gary mused. "If memory's right, that happened just before the Doubles Conference."
A quick search confirmed his memory. Sinnoh's Annual Double Battle Conference, held in Hearthome City, was scheduled to begin in exactly one month. Contest Trainers and Gym Leaders alike joined the event as partners—something Gary had watched with interest years ago.
Ash and his friends were preparing to challenge the Hearthome City Gym. During that time, Fantina went on a trip, entered the Double Battle Conference, and—by coincidence—ended up teaming with Paul as her partner.
"Well," he muttered, "the Shaymin incident hasn't triggered yet, so at least there's no rush."
He closed the computer and glanced out the window. The city lights shimmered brightly against the Sinnoh nightscape.
The next morning dawned crisp and clear. Gary mounted Cyclizar and rode through Veilstone's wide, stone‑paved streets toward the gym.
The Veilstone Gym, he recalled, specialized in Fighting‑type Pokémon and had a reputation for producing physically powerful Trainers. Recently, however, leadership had changed—the gym was now run by its young new leader, Maylene.
As he parked outside the gym, he thought back. She'd taken over from her father only six months prior. Her father, notorious for avoiding responsibilities and spending excessive time at the local Game Corner, had left her a difficult legacy to rebuild.
"Poor Maylene," Gary sighed. "Pretty rough start."
Still, despite her gentle demeanor, Maylene's passion for improving was widely known. After losing a match to Paul, she had reportedly struggled with self‑confidence until Ash's group inspired her to persist as Gym Leader.
Maylene was serving as a Gym Leader for the very first time. Naturally, she wanted to prove herself as a capable and qualified Leader, so she treated every match seriously and focused on improving after each battle.
However, Maylene's overall strength wasn't very high, and her father hadn't left her with many powerful Pokémon. Because of that, she lost far more battles than she won. After being defeated and criticized by Paul, she lost confidence in herself and nearly gave up her position as Gym Leader altogether.
Thinking about Maylene's situation, Gary wondered if he should delay his Gym challenge. "Maybe I should wait until she's in a better state," he thought. "If it really doesn't seem fair, I can always use one of my lower-level Pokémon to keep things balanced."
But the system's current task restricted him to using his Sinnoh-region Pokémon in official battles, so that wasn't an option.
Most of the Pokémon Gary carried were above Elite Tier, meaning that even with a single move, they could easily overpower Maylene's team.
"Still," Gary thought, "Maylene has a Lucario. Maybe I can ask her about the whereabouts of any Riolu nearby."
He smiled faintly to himself. "I've always liked Lucario. It would be a shame not to raise one of my own someday."
"Alright—let's move."
A few minutes later, Cyclizar arrived at the entrance of the Veilstone Gym, its metallic-golden scales shining under the morning sun.
"Good work, partner," Gary said, patting the Pokémon's head as he dismounted. Cyclizar let out an enthusiastic cry, "Cy‑cliii~zaaar!", curling its tail like a resting wheel.
Gary took out its Poké Ball. "You've earned a break." He extended the ball toward Cyclizar—but just as he was about to return it, a faint metallic sound echoed through the air, like the soft clink of a spoon striking glass.
Gary froze, glancing in the direction of the noise.