I always fought Wake first because Maylene was haed to beat, but that was in DIamond and Pearl, In platinum (this kills me), they made it so that you had to face all the gyms in proper order, cause when you try to go to Pastoria gym first, it says that Wake is in Veilstone, and when you meet him there, he goes back to Pastoria, but when you go back to Pastoria, the NPC still says that he is in Veilstone, and that I have to fight the Veilstone gym first, DRAT, Veilstone was always the hardest gym