"Gal."
Gallade's request stunned Gary. "You… you want me to train Ralts?" he repeated, unable to hide his surprise.
Gallade nodded.
For the past week, he had watched Gary put his daughters through their paces and was more than satisfied with the results. Now, he wanted Gary to continue coaching one of them.
Gary had assumed both Ralts would eventually become Wally's partners, so the proposal caught him off guard.
"I'm willing," he said at last, "but do the Ralts agree?"
The two sisters were very fond of Wally—Gary didn't want to split them up against their wishes.
Gallade motioned for him to relax. The parents had already decided: one child would stay with Wally, while the other would travel with Gary. The twins had agreed to this arrangement.
"Which one?" Gary asked.
"Ra!!"
The shiny Ralts—the one with pale blue hair—peeked out from behind Gardevoir.
[Lv. 15 Ralts ♀ — Quasi-Elite]
A week of training had raised her level nicely. Gary could hardly believe Gallade was offering him the very Pokémon he coveted most.
"Ralts, are you sure you want to come with me?" he asked gently. "Life with a Trainer means battles and long stretches away from home."
"Ra."
Ralts teleported to his side and patted his leg, determined to prove that she could one day lift him with Confusion all by herself—something the sisters could currently manage only together.
Seeing her resolve, Gary smiled.
"Very well. Gallade, Gardevoir, I promise I'll take good care of your daughter."
The two parents exchanged a glance, nodded, and vanished with Teleport—leaving their child entirely in Gary's care.
"…That was quick," Gary muttered, equal parts amused and honored. Their confidence in him must have been absolute.
He knelt in front of Ralts and produced a Poké Ball. "Ready to join the team?"
"Ralts!"
She pressed the button herself and disappeared in a flash of light.
Data registered in Gary's Pokédex:
[Pokémon: Ralts (Shiny)]
[Type: Psychic / Fairy]
[Level: 15]
[Potential: Quasi-Elite]
[Ability: Telepathy — Instinctively reads allies' intentions, raising its evasion by 20%.]
[Moves: Growl • Teleport • Disarming Voice • Confusion • Hypnosis]
[Friendship: 125 / 255]
"Telepathy, huh? That should become even better once I enhance it," Gary mused. A boosted evasion rate could make her almost untouchable—except by sure-hit or wide-area moves.
"What just happened?" Zinnia asked, bewildered. She had seen Gallade and Gardevoir appear and disappear, and now Gary had a new Pokémon.
Gary explained the twins' relationship with Wally and their parents' decision.
"So one stays with Wally and the shiny one joins you… Wow, I never would've guessed," Zinnia said in amazement.
With that settled, the two resumed their journey.
⋯⋯⋯
Three days later, they rolled into Mauville City.
Gary didn't rush to challenge the Mauville Gym. First, he wanted to push his team a little further. After the Verdanturf-week boot camp, Grovyle and Breloom were both level 27—just shy of the point where he liked to use Rare Candies.
The Gym itself shouldn't be too difficult. Wattson, the fifty-year-old Electric-type Leader, tended to rely on gimmicky robots and under-leveled partners. When Ash battled him, Pikachu soloed his entire lineup—though that Thunderbolt had been supercharged by Wattson's own mechanical Raikou.
(For some reason, Hoenn's Electric Leaders loved their machines; even future Leaders like Clemont would build robots to greet challengers.)
After a day of rest, the pair headed for the Gym.
True to the anime, Wattson had rebuilt the entrance into a roller-coaster-style launch lane. The moment Gary pushed the door open, the floor folded down into a cart that shot forward at breakneck speed.
Gary chuckled. "For an old kid at heart, he sure knows how to make an entrance. Let's hope no rookie has a heart attack on the way in."