Ch. 501Advancing to the quarterfinals

Young Master Mao defeated Tyson and learned that A-Ming would be his quarterfinal opponent at the Ever Grande Conference. He changed his roster for the match, leaving A-Ming to face a formidable lineup.

  • Young Master Mao and Tyson shook hands after their match, and Tyson accepted his top-sixteen finish before leaving to continue training.
  • Gary and Brendan watched Ash narrowly defeat Masamune after Ash lost three rounds in a row.
  • The group checked the quarterfinal bracket and learned that Young Master Mao would face A-Ming, while Ash and Brendan had different opponents.
  • Young Master Mao returned to the hotel, removed Sceptile and Blaziken from his lineup, and registered Metagross, Absol, Flygon, Salamence, Milotic, and Lucario, with Blastoise as reserve.
  • A tournament staff member entered Young Master Mao's roster and worried about A-Ming facing two pseudo-legendaries and two fully evolved Dragon-types.

Ch. 502Metagross or Eevee-chan

Gary sent the Team Rocket Trio to prepare for a mission in Sinnoh, then watched Ash defeat Swampert and advance to the semifinals. As Gary prepared for his own quarterfinal match, Gengar changed his lineup from Metagross to Eevee-chan.

  • Gary found the Team Rocket Trio's warehouse stocked with ingredients they had bought using their sales revenue and told them to save their money for a scouting mission in Sinnoh.
  • Gary considered the Trio capable agents and planned to give them a chance to shine by sending them to Sinnoh.
  • Ash used Grovyle's Bullet Seed, Quick Attack, and Leaf Blade to defeat his opponent's Swampert and reach the semifinals.
  • Ash learned he might face Gary in the semifinals and eagerly told Gary not to lose before then.
  • Gengar changed Gary's lineup from Metagross to Eevee-chan, who promised to defeat every opponent.

Ch. 503That year, I stood with my hands in my pockets

Gary entered the Hoenn League quarterfinals with Eevee unexpectedly listed on his roster, then let Eevee battle A-Ming’s Pokémon. Eevee knocked out Arcanine and Slaking in quick succession, leaving A-Ming facing a humiliating defeat.

  • Gary noticed Eevee on his Pokémon Registration Form and was confused about how it had been added.
  • Gary and A-Ming began their quarterfinal battle on a rock-and-ground field, with Gary sending out Eevee against A-Ming’s Arcanine.
  • Eevee resisted Arcanine’s Intimidate and used Counter to knock Arcanine out with one attack.
  • A-Ming sent out Slaking, but it ignored his commands and stayed idle on the field.
  • Eevee struck Slaking with a powered-up Return, sending it flying and leaving it collapsed on the ground.

Ch. 504A brutal quarterfinal

Gary and Eevee-chan dominated their quarterfinal against A-Ming, sweeping all six of his Pokémon without taking damage. After the match, Gary left with Eevee while Ash prepared for his own battle.

  • Gary entered the third quarterfinal against A-Ming, and Eevee-chan defeated Linoone after transforming into Espeon and using Psyshock.
  • During halftime, Gary let Eevee-chan enjoy the match while saving his other partners for a possible battle against Ash.
  • Eevee-chan knocked out A-Ming's Ludicolo with Iron Tail, then transformed into Vaporeon and defeated his Blaziken with Hydro Pump.
  • Eevee-chan used Extreme Speed to strike down A-Ming's Cacturne and complete a flawless six-Pokémon sweep.
  • A-Ming left in shame, Gary carried Eevee-chan away, and Ash encouraged himself and Pikachu for their upcoming match.

Ch. 505Gary's cheer squad returned for a limited time

Gary prepared for his semifinal against Ash while Lorelei arranged an embarrassing cheer squad of familiar Gym Leaders to support him. Cynthia arrived in Ever Grande City to battle Steven and watch the Hoenn League finals, while Gary fled before the cheerleaders could recruit her.

  • Ash, Brendan, Gary, and an unknown contestant advanced to the semifinals, which were scheduled for the afternoon.
  • Norman, Aunt Kyoko, Professor Oak, and Aunt Delia arrived at Ever Grande City to support the contestants, and May welcomed them.
  • Gary and Lorelei joined the families for lunch, then stopped at Team Rocket's pastry shop before the matches.
  • Gary told Lorelei he planned to use Hoenn Pokémon other than Eevee-chan and Blastoise against Ash, and Lorelei predicted Ash would lose.
  • Lorelei revealed that Janine, Whitney, Erika, Flannery, and Roxanne had prepared a cheer routine for Gary, who begged them not to perform behind him at the venue.
  • Cynthia arrived and said she had come to battle Steven and watch the Hoenn League finals, while Gary hurried away before Whitney could involve her in the cheer squad.

Ch. 506Ash's resolve

Ash and Gary began their Hoenn League semifinal on a grass field, with Ash surprising Gary by sending out Charizard against Sceptile. Their opening exchange ended in a double knockout, leaving the match tied as both trainers chose their next Pokémon.

  • Ash and Gary entered the stadium, exchanged confident words, and began their semifinal on a grass field.
  • Gary sent out Sceptile, but Ash surprised him with Charizard, prompting Gary to recall Sceptile and choose Dusknoir instead.
  • Charizard broke through Dusknoir's Substitute with consecutive Overheats, but Dusknoir used Destiny Bond as it fell.
  • Destiny Bond caused Charizard to collapse as well, and the referee declared both Pokémon unable to battle.
  • Ash sent out Corphish while Gary prepared Metagross for the next round.

Ch. 507An Unexpected Fierce Battle

Ash and Gary’s Hoenn League semifinal continued through the first half, with Gary’s Metagross defeating Corphish and Tauros by countering Ash’s aggressive attacks. After halftime, Gary sent out Milotic against Pikachu and began a defensive strategy on the water-and-ground battlefield.

  • Ash’s Corphish fought Gary’s Metagross fiercely, but Metagross won their clash with Zen Headbutt.
  • Ash sent out Tauros, and Gary used a feint followed by Heavy Hammer Arm to knock it out.
  • With Ash having lost three Pokémon, the battle paused for halftime.
  • For the second half, Gary chose Milotic for the water-and-ground battlefield, while Ash sent out Pikachu.
  • Gary had Milotic use Aqua Ring and Safeguard, and Ash began the second half by ordering Pikachu to use Quick Attack.

Ch. 508A dazzling ice tornado

Ash’s Pikachu and Swellow battled Young Master Mao’s Milotic, whose defensive tactics and healing kept it in the fight. The chapter ended with Milotic freezing Swellow inside a Twister and smashing the ice, leaving Swellow falling toward the battlefield.

  • Pikachu traded attacks with Milotic, but both Pokémon were badly hurt after their head-on clash.
  • Milotic used Recover to return to full health, and Ash recalled Pikachu and sent out Swellow.
  • Swellow narrowly missed Milotic with Aerial Ace while Milotic submerged underwater.
  • Ash sent Swellow into Milotic’s Twister to attack from within, but Young Master Mao ordered Ice Beam to freeze the waterspout around Swellow.
  • Milotic struck the frozen Twister with Dragon Tail, shattering the ice and sending Swellow falling.

Ch. 509Advancing to the grand finals

Gary defeated Ash in their Pokémon League semifinal and advanced to the grand finals. Ash accepted the loss and promised to challenge Gary again, while Gary said he would welcome a rematch.

  • After Swellow was defeated, Ash sent out Snorlax, and Gary replaced Milotic with Blastoise.
  • Blastoise struck Snorlax with a powerful Aura-fueled punch, but Snorlax endured the attack and fired a Hyper Beam.
  • Blastoise's boosted Aura Sphere overwhelmed Snorlax's Hyper Beam, knocking Snorlax out while Blastoise remained standing.
  • Ash sent out his battered Pikachu, but Gary switched to Eevee, whose Reflect stopped Pikachu's Quick Attack before Double-Edge knocked Pikachu out.
  • Gary won the match and advanced to the grand finals; he and Ash congratulated each other and agreed to battle again.

Ch. 510Gary's expectations

Gary defeated Ash in the semifinals and prepared to face his student Brendan in the Hoenn League finals. At dinner, Ash decided to pursue the Battle Frontier, while Gary reflected that he would keep pushing ahead so Ash and Brendan had someone to chase.

  • Gary defeated Ash in the semifinals, and Brendan won his match to advance to the final against Gary.
  • Gary submitted a roster of Charizard, Arcanine, Salamence, Scizor, Venusaur, and Tyranitar for the final.
  • At a dinner hosted by Delia and Kyoko, Gary told Norman he planned to travel rather than enter Hoenn's Champions Pokémon League.
  • Gary gave Ash Scott's phone number and suggested that Ash challenge Kanto's Battle Frontier to improve his skills.
  • Back at the hotel, Lorelei worried Brendan might struggle after losing the final, but Gary said he trusted Brendan to use the defeat as motivation.

Ch. 511The finals begin

Brendan and Gary prepared for their Hoenn League final, with Brendan planning to surprise his teacher using a rain team and Gary determined to battle at full strength. The championship match began with Brendan's Swampert facing Gary's Charizard.

  • Brendan consulted Wally and Kimarō, then revealed his hidden Pelipper and Manectric and planned a rain-based lineup against Gary.
  • Gary showed Erika, Janine, Whitney, Flannery, and Roxanne his battle team and explained that he would give Brendan his full strength.
  • On finals day, Gary and Brendan entered the Ever Grande Conference arena as their friends, family, Champions, and spectators watched.
  • Gary and Brendan exchanged greetings, with Brendan vowing to surpass his teacher and Gary challenging him to show his strength.
  • Brendan sent out Swampert, while Gary chose Charizard as their first Pokémon.

Ch. 512A showdown between master and student

Young Master Mao countered Brendan’s rain team in the Ever Grande Conference finals and took a 2-0 lead. Brendan had to find a way to recover as the battle continued.

  • Brendan accidentally recalled Swampert, then sent out Pelipper to summon rain, while Young Master Mao answered with Arcanine.
  • Arcanine used Extreme Speed and Wild Charge to strike Pelipper in midair, knocking it out despite taking recoil damage.
  • Brendan sent out Swampert and boosted it with Bulk Up, but Young Master Mao used Arcanine’s Sunny Day to replace the rain before recalling it.
  • Young Master Mao sent out his enormous Totem Venusaur, which bound Swampert with Vine Whip and defeated it with a quadruple-effective Solar Beam.
  • Brendan fell behind Young Master Mao by two Pokémon in the finals.

Ch. 513The championship will be mine

Brendan sent Metagross against Young Master Mao’s Venusaur, but Venusaur defeated it decisively. Young Master Mao encouraged Brendan to keep battling and revealed he was leaving Hoenn, leaving Brendan determined to surpass his limits.

  • Brendan sent out Metagross and used Gravity, but Venusaur countered with Solar Beam and Vine Whip.
  • Metagross’s Heavy Hammer Arm failed to stop Venusaur’s Take Down, and their Hyper Beam and Solar Beam attacks ended in an explosion.
  • Venusaur used Vine Whip to stop Metagross’s Zen Headbutt, then knocked Metagross out with Power Whip.
  • Young Master Mao praised Brendan, urged him to listen to his Pokémon, and invited him to dinner with Wally and the others as a send-off before leaving Hoenn.
  • Brendan took heart from Young Master Mao’s challenge to give his all and resolved to keep surpassing his limits.

Ch. 514Dragonite's awakening

Brendan and Dragonite faced Young Master Mao and his overwhelmingly powerful Charizard in the second half of their battle. After Charizard’s attacks pushed Dragonite to his limit, Brendan and Dragonite awakened Dragon Soul True Form, startling Lance watching from Kanto.

  • Brendan sent out Dragonite, and Young Master Mao answered with Charizard as the second half of their battle began.
  • Dragonite struck Charizard with Thunder Punch, but Charizard caught one fist and endured another before countering with a headbutt.
  • Young Master Mao ordered Charizard to use Flare Blitz, sending Dragonite flying and leaving him struggling to rise.
  • Brendan and Dragonite refused to give up, and Dragonite used Dragon Dance before Brendan declared they would surpass their limit.
  • Brendan’s heartbeat synchronized with Dragonite’s, awakening Dragon Soul True Form and covering Dragonite with golden energy and scales.
  • Lance fell from his chair in Kanto when he saw Brendan’s Dragonite awaken Dragon Soul True Form.

Ch. 515The birth of a triple Champion

At the Hoenn League Finals, Brendan pushed his Dragonite to awaken Dragon Soul True Form, but Gary and Mega Charizard X defeated them before Gary won the championship. The stadium celebrated Gary as a triple Champion while Ash vowed to keep training until he could beat his rival.

  • Dragonite used Dragon Soul True Form against Charizard, but Charizard's Dragon Claw sent Dragonite crashing back.
  • Dragonite struggled to its feet as Brendan and the crowd urged it on, then reached the second stage of Dragon Soul True Form.
  • Gary Mega Evolved Charizard into Mega Charizard X, and the Pokémon defeated Dragonite with Flare Blitz.
  • Brendan continued the match with Rhyperior, but Gary ultimately defeated Manectric after an hour of battling and won the Ever Grande Conference.
  • Gary raised his hand with his championship team as the crowd celebrated, and Ash promised Pikachu they would keep working until they beat Gary.

Ch. 516The Hoenn journey came to a perfect close

Gary celebrated winning the Hoenn League, then returned to Rustboro City and held a farewell dinner before leaving for Sinnoh. He ended the gathering by saying goodbye to his friends, with plans to settle in Sinnoh and pursue the next stage of his journey.

  • Gary received the Ever Grande Conference trophy, and the system issued him a mission to reach the top of Sinnoh.
  • After the tournament, Gary returned to his Rustboro villa and prepared for a farewell dinner with his Hoenn friends.
  • Gary cooked an intensely spicy meal for his guests, who struggled through it before sharing a fruit ice cream sundae.
  • Gary told Steven and the others that he would go to Sinnoh and probably settle there, then raised a toast to future reunions.

Ch. 517The Battle District's bid to put the Battle Frontier down

Gary returned to Pallet Town, where he learned that Reggie had been brought there after a humiliating encounter with the Battle District. In Sinnoh, Battle District leader Limu defended his campaign against the Battle Frontier and challenged its members to come defeat him.

  • Kahili left Gary after discussing the licenses for Pokémon Emerald, and Scott drove him back to Pallet Town while urging him to join the Battle Frontier challenge.
  • Gary defeated several Pallet Town Bug Catchers with Charizard and returned home to find Reggie hiding in the bathroom.
  • Gary had Nidoking carry Reggie out, and Reggie told him that he had disgraced the Battle Frontier.
  • Palmer confronted Limu over provoking the Battle Frontier, but Limu dismissed the criticism and said its members could challenge the Battle District if they wanted an apology.

Ch. 518Young Master Mao prepared to move

Gary arranged to establish the Gary Oak Laboratory in Veilstone City and prepared to move to Sinnoh, where he planned to challenge the Battle District. The chapter ended with Gary and his Pokémon ready to leave on a noon flight.

  • Scott asked Gary to take on the Battle District after the Don George family insulted Reggie, and Gary agreed to consider a more exciting plan while Scott arranged to build his laboratory.
  • Reggie decided to leave competitive battling behind and focus on running his family's Pokémon Day Care.
  • Gary chose Veilstone City for his laboratory, and Scott promised to handle its construction.
  • Gary checked on Professor Oak, Pokémon Emerald's development, and Uncle Giovanni before packing for the move to Sinnoh.
  • Gary and his Pokémon made a wish list of appliances and supplies, then settled in for the night before their flight the next day.

Ch. 519Setting off for the Sinnoh Region

Gary set off for Sinnoh to establish a research institute and compete in the next Sinnoh League, leaving from Viridian City after saying goodbye to Agatha. His friends welcomed him to the region and prepared to meet him in Veilstone City.

  • Gary kept a low profile as news spread that he would challenge the Battle District after the next Sinnoh League, while Caitlin paid him compensation and promised him a Battle Palace stamp.
  • Agatha saw Gary off at Viridian City's international airport and told him to contact Bertha if he needed help in Sinnoh.
  • Gary boarded with Gengar and Eevee-chan, while Electivire, Gabite, and Gliscor joined his main team and Golduck took on the role of coach.
  • Gary told the group chat that he would register in Sinnoh and establish a research institute, prompting Lance and Steven to lament losing the chance to recruit him.
  • Cynthia welcomed Gary to Sinnoh and arranged his household registration, while Maylene and Paul waited at the airport to help him move to Veilstone City.
  • Gary said he would probably compete in the Sinnoh League and told Ash he would be waiting for him as his flight was called for boarding.

Ch. 520Arrival in Sinnoh

Young Master Mao arrived in Sinnoh and was welcomed by Bertha, Professor Rowan, and several Sinnoh leaders. As he settled in, Sinnoh officials moved quickly to support his laboratory and the Overgrow Group, while preparing for his League challenge.

  • Young Master Mao landed in Veilstone City with Eevee after admiring Sinnoh's landscape from the plane.
  • Bertha, Maylene, Paul, Flint, Aaron, and Professor Rowan gathered at the airport to greet him, and Bertha took him to dinner.
  • Flint and Aaron took Young Master Mao's luggage to Paul's house while Professor Rowan praised his decision to settle in Sinnoh.
  • A secretary told the Champion Affairs Bureau director that Gary Oak's household registration had been transferred and his laboratory and Overgrow Group branches were being prepared.
  • The director ordered officials to expedite Young Master Mao's plans and told Sinnoh's Gym Leaders to consider handing over their badges early.
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