"Yahoo! Let's battle outside!"
Brendan was so excited that, before Professor Birch could say a word, he dragged Gary out of the lab.
"Ah… It looks like Brendan's first battle may end in defeat," Professor Birch sighed, hurrying after them. Brendan was still a rookie—hardly a match for Gary.
Since Brendan was a novice, Birch suggested they fight on the open grassland behind the laboratory.
"Eevee, this one's yours," Gary said.
"Vee!"
Eevee trotted forward, already relishing the chance to spar with a beginner.
Brendan recognized Eevee and assumed it was one of Gary's less-trained partners.
Birch reached the same conclusion and watched with mild curiosity.
"Okay—here's my partner. Go, Treecko!" Brendan cried.
FWIP!
A small, upright green lizard appeared.
"Moo!"
Treecko's snake-like eyes gave it a cool, focused look, but its power left something to be desired.
[Lv. 5 Treecko ♂ / Elite]
The three starters supplied by Professor Birch always had solid potential; Elite was more than enough for most new Trainers.
Seeing that, Gary wondered how the other two starters compared. If their potential was equally good, he might purchase one himself—Hoenn's starters all possessed Mega Evolution forms and made excellent core Pokémon.
"You can have the first move," Gary offered.
"All right—Treecko, use Pound!"
Treecko sprinted at Eevee and swung its thick tail in a wide arc.
Eevee met the blow with its own tail, blocked the strike effortlessly, and—adding just a hint of force—shoved Treecko backward. The gecko tumbled, landing hard on the turf.
"T-The gap in strength is huge!" Brendan gasped. Eevee hadn't even tried.
"Your Treecko is several levels lower than my Eevee," Gary explained calmly.
"We'll see about that. Treecko, use Leafage!"
Treecko clapped its hands; green energy coalesced into whirling leaves that shot toward Eevee.
"Quick Attack!" Gary commanded.
WHOOSH!
A white blur cut straight through the incoming leaves, then barreled into Treecko and sent it skidding several meters.
BANG!
Treecko hit the ground, eyes swirling—knocked out in a single hit.
"…!"
Brendan was stunned. He'd expected a gap, but not a one-move knockout.
"Thanks for the match," Gary said.
Eevee hadn't gone all out; otherwise, Treecko would have flown much farther.
"Brendan, get Treecko to the treatment bay in the lab—now," Professor Birch urged.
Brendan nodded and rushed inside with his partner. For all his recklessness, he clearly cared about his Pokémon.
"Sorry to trouble you," Birch said to Gary. He had seen at a glance that Gary had gone easy on Brendan.
"It's fine. Rookie Trainers are usually like that." Gary smiled. "By the way, Professor, may I look at the other starter Pokémon you've prepared this year?"
"Of course—this way."
Birch led him to a side room where two Poké Balls lay on a table; the third was, of course, Brendan's Treecko.
"These are the Pokémon we give to new Hoenn Trainers." He opened the capsules.
FWIP! FWIP!
[Lv. 5 Mudkip ♂ / Quasi-Elite]
[Lv. 5 Torchic ♀ / Elite]
"This one is Mudkip, and this is Torchic," Birch said. "Treecko, as you saw, has already been chosen."
"They're both adorable."
Gary crouched to inspect them. Torchic shyly hid behind Mudkip, while Mudkip stared up at him, fearless and curious. The timid Torchic was probably destined for May.
"Were these raised at an official Day Care?" Gary asked.
"Yes. The League commissions reputable breeders to raise them for rookies," Birch replied. "Why—planning to train a Mudkip yourself?"
"I'd like to, if I can find one for sale. Could you tell me which Day Care they came from?"
"Sorry—starters are distributed only to newcomers; they aren't sold. You'd have to look on the open market."
"I see—no worries," Gary said. Wild captures were always an option. A grove of wild Treecko lived near Petalburg Woods; he could catch one there.
Just then, Birch's aide returned with Gary's Pokédex. "Your registration's complete—you're cleared to enter the Hoenn League."
"Thanks." Gary tucked the device away. "Professor, I won't take up any more of your time."
Birch asked the aide to see Gary out.
Leaving the lab, Gary stopped at the Poké Mart in Oldale Town for supplies, then set off on his mountain bike toward Petalburg City. The ride was short, and he looked forward to testing himself against Norman—widely regarded as Hoenn's toughest Gym Leader and a future Elite Four member.
If Norman fought without holding back, the system's mission reward should be generous indeed.