"Zinnia had just started traveling and was in a rush to leave. I was planning to set it up for her later," Gary explained.
Since Zinnia had been following Gary everywhere, he hadn't paid much attention to whether she had a phone or not.
Brendan's casual comment reminded him—he really should get Zinnia a phone, just in case they ever got separated.
"What are we waiting for, then? Let's go!" Zinnia said excitedly.
Though she didn't fully understand what a mobile phone was used for, she figured it must be something important.
And since she didn't have to spend any money herself, she saw no reason to say no.
So the three of them returned to the Pokémon Center.
After Zinnia handed her Pokémon to Nurse Joy for healing, she and Gary headed off to buy a phone.
Because Zinnia wasn't a registered citizen, Gary had to use his Trainer ID to apply for her SIM card.
Thankfully, in this world, phone balances couldn't be used for in-app purchases or to recharge other services.
Otherwise, Gary would never have dared to link his ID to her account.
He still remembered all too well how, in his previous life, a single phone number could be tied to so many things—if Zinnia ever missed a payment, the company might chase him for the debt.
"You'll need to recharge the account every month," Gary said after purchasing the device. "You can't make calls for free."
"What?! You have to pay every month?" Zinnia looked stunned. She had thought once she had a phone, she could make endless calls.
"Yup. Calling costs money. I signed you up for a basic monthly plan. You can call me for free, but other calls cost extra—free for the first minute, then 10 cents per minute after that."
"If it's an international call, it can cost more than ten Poké Dollars per minute. The farther the distance, the higher the rate."
Gary grumbled a bit about how expensive communication still was. Only when tech improved would calls become truly affordable.
"So expensive..."
Zinnia had been on the road long enough to understand the value of money.
Ten Poké Dollars per minute? That was a whole meal!
"There's no helping it. That's just how the system works. I'll cover your bills for now, but after the Ever Grande Conference, I'll be leaving—you'll have to handle it yourself," Gary warned.
"I know. I've been saving money," Zinnia replied seriously.
Ever since realizing how important money was, Zinnia had been careful with her spending.
She stashed away her gambling winnings and relied on Gary's funds for food and lodging.
Gary didn't mind—he considered it repaying a favor.
Besides, he knew the Meteor Tribe's Rainbow Meteorite had the potential to create Mega Stones.
Gary had several Pokémon capable of Mega Evolution, and he recalled that in the Pokémon Adventures manga, Zinnia's grandmother had gifted Mega Stones for both Gardevoir and Gallade.
That meant Meteor Village likely had Rainbow Meteorite fragments—and possibly even Mega Stones—on hand.
Drake, the Hoenn Elite Four member, had once visited Meteor Village as a child.
His Salamencite probably came from there, too.
If I take good care of Zinnia, Gary thought, maybe her grandmother will give me a Mega Stone as thanks.
After a day of rest in Mauville City, Gary and Zinnia set off for Lavaridge Town. To get there, they had to cross Mt. Chimney.
Mt. Chimney
Mt. Chimney was an active volcano—alive, but not currently erupting.
It was home to many Fire-type Pokémon.
Gary realized that his team still lacked a strong Fire-type from Hoenn. His target? Torchic.
It just so happened that wild Torchic could be found near Mt. Chimney. Gary wanted to see if he could find one with high potential.
He had already used his last Bronze Crown on Ralts, so if he caught another Torchic, it would need to have at least Elite-level potential to be worth training.
Lavaridge Town was home to Fire-type Elite Moore—Flannery's grandfather.
Most of Moore's Fire-types had been caught right here on Mt. Chimney.
Gary's plan was simple:
First, search for wild Torchic.If none met his standards, he would visit the Torchic Breeding Center near Lavaridge Town.
That breeding house regularly provided Torchic to new Trainers, and any extras were sold to the public.
Honestly, starter Pokémon from official League breeding centers were known for their excellent potential.
Gary's own Blastoise was proof of that.
Even Ash's Charizard came from a League Breeding House—though its original Trainer had been so negligent that poor Charmander was abandoned.
Zinnia, meanwhile, remained focused solely on Dragon-types. Her attention was completely on Shelgon and Tyrunt.
But Gary noticed something odd—Zinnia's Dragon-types were leveling up fast.
Three days ago, her Shelgon had been Level 37. Now it was already Level 38.
Meanwhile, his own Lairon was still stuck at Level 36.
Even though Whismur didn't level up quickly, the difference was clear.
Zinnia seemed to have a natural affinity that helped Dragon-types around her gain EXP more quickly.
At this rate, her Shelgon would likely reach Level 40 within the month.
And Tyrunt could soon reach Level 39—the minimum required to evolve.
"Gary, how long are we staying out here?" Zinnia asked.
They had already spent three days at the foot of Mt. Chimney searching for wild Torchic.
Gary had found some, but none with high potential—and so he hadn't caught any.
"Just give me three more days," Gary replied. "If I still don't find one, we'll move on."
He really wanted a strong Fire-type from Hoenn and wasn't ready to give up just yet.
"Okay. You've got three more days," Zinnia agreed.
She didn't mind—after all, Gary was covering all the travel expenses.
Without him, she wouldn't even have money for the cable car.
After nearly a week of searching…
Gary finally discovered a small nest: a female Combusken watching over three Torchic.
But none of the Torchic had more than Elite potential, and Combusken herself was only Gym-level—not what Gary needed.
Sigh...
"I guess it really is hard to find a high-potential wild Torchic," Gary muttered.
He had no choice. If the next batch also disappointed, he'd just buy one from the Breeding Center.
The next morning, Gary and Zinnia took the cable car to Mt. Chimney's summit.
From there, they planned to hike down the far side toward Lavaridge Town.
The environment around Mt. Chimney was harsh, so the cable cars only ran twice daily—once at 9 a.m., and again at 3 p.m.
If you missed your ride, you'd have to stay overnight at the station hotel and try again the next day.
Of course, brave Trainers could attempt to climb the mountain on foot—but the trail was rugged and dangerous.
Even a full day of climbing might not get you to the top.