Brendan strode up confidently and issued a challenge.
Gary didn't accept immediately.
"Brendan, how many badges do you have so far?" he asked.
"Two," Brendan replied. "I came to Mauville City to battle the Gym, but I haven't taken it on yet."
Brendan also planned to enter this year's Ever Grande Conference, so he was collecting the eight Hoenn League badges. With two already in hand, he was making good progress.
Gary considered this.
If Brendan had earned two badges, he should be strong enough to give Gary's newly caught Hoenn Pokémon a decent workout.
"How many Pokémon are on your team now?" Gary went on.
"Four," Brendan answered.
Catching four Pokémon in roughly two months was a solid pace—clearly, Brendan was selective about who he added to his roster.
"In that case, how about a three-on-three match?" Gary suggested.
He was genuinely curious about Brendan's strength the boy was the male protagonist of the Ruby & Sapphire arc, and likely no weaker than Ash.
"Sounds perfect," Brendan agreed. "A 3-on-3 will show how strong we really are."
"Let's start at two o'clock. I just finished battling the Mauville Gym Leader, so my Pokémon need a short rest," Gary said.
"Oh, you already fought Wattson? Is he tough?" Brendan asked, eager for any insight.
"The old man's solid—definitely Gym Leader standard," Gary replied.
"You say that like you're an expert on Gym Leaders," Brendan teased.
"I've challenged plenty, so I have a feel for their average level," Gary answered.
"How many Gyms have you beaten?" Brendan pressed.
"Not that many—twenty or thirty, maybe."
Brendan gaped. He had only two Gym badges so far. Then again, Gary was a veteran Trainer and a two-time League Conference Champion, so the difference made sense.
"Hold on," Brendan said suddenly, pointing at the Eevee at Gary's feet. "You're not going to use Eevee this afternoon, are you?"
"Relax," Gary laughed. "I'm only using my new Hoenn Pokémon today."
Last time Brendan had challenged him—back in Littleroot Town—Gary had used Eevee, and the gap had been overwhelming. This time, he wanted to train and gain experience for his newer partners.
Since the battle was scheduled for the afternoon, Brendan followed Gary back to the Pokémon Center for lunch and a short break—it was faster than meeting again later. That's when he ran into Zinnia.
"You have a traveling companion?" Brendan said, surprised—and more than a little envious.
"Yes. This is Zinnia," Gary said, introducing them.
Zinnia looked Brendan up and down. For reasons she couldn't explain, she found him vaguely irritating.
"And you are…?"
"Brendan. I'm a Trainer from Littleroot Town," he said politely.
"A rookie, then?" Zinnia asked bluntly.
"I've been on the road for almost two months—and I already have two badges," Brendan replied, opening his case to prove it.
"Two badges? Let's battle later," Zinnia declared.
"Uh—what?" Brendan blinked. He hadn't expected her to challenge him.
Gary was startled but not shocked. Since leaving Meteor Village, Zinnia had battled a few Trainers—but most had been too weak to satisfy her. A Trainer with two badges? That was her speed.
Brendan scratched his head.
"I already promised to fight Gary this afternoon. Can we do it some other time?"
"That's fine," Zinnia said coolly. "Beat me first, then you can battle Gary."
Brendan hesitated. He really wanted to battle Gary—but it felt rude to refuse Zinnia outright.
"Then face Zinnia first," Gary suggested.
"She only uses two Pokémon, so our match can follow right after."
"Alright," Brendan agreed. As long as he could still battle Gary, he didn't mind the extra round.
The new arrangement was set: Brendan would fight Zinnia in a two-on-two, followed by the planned three-on-three against Gary.
Gary quietly assessed the matchup. Zinnia's Tyrunt was only level 16, and her Shelgon, though level 33, was slow.
Brendan's Treecko had almost certainly evolved into Grovyle by now. With that speed, Grovyle could give Shelgon real trouble.
Still, Zinnia had trained under Gary long enough to develop solid tactics—she might just pull off a surprise.
After a good lunch and plenty of water, everyone rested until 2 p.m. Then they headed to the battle yard behind the Pokémon Center.
Brendan and Zinnia took their places at opposite ends of the field, while Gary found a shady spot to watch.
The rules were simple:
Two Pokémon per TrainerNo switching during battleThe first side to defeat both of the opponent's Pokémon wins