Pokemon: I am Gary

The Gym demonstration match between Gary and Erika was still in progress. Although there was some dissatisfaction with Gary's encouragement for students to experiment at Celadon Gym, Erika had no choice but to roll her eyes at him and bring out her second Pokémon.

"Weepinbell, prepare for battle!" Erika adjusted her sleeves and took a serious stance.

Gary cleared his throat and continued his commentary, "For those students who haven't challenged Celadon Gym yet, Weepinbell is also one of Ms. Erika's commonly used Pokémon. It's a Grass-Poison type."

Erika nodded reluctantly. "That's correct…"

"So, to increase Weepinbell's speed, this Pokémon will definitely use Sunny Day," Gary explained. "At this point, our best choice is— Growlithe, please!"

Gary sent out his Pokémon with a flourish.

"Woof!!" As soon as Gary appeared, it bared its teeth and let out a fierce roar.

Weepinbell trembled in fear, shrinking back as blue light surrounded it, reducing its attack power.

"I see, it's the Intimidate ability of Growlithe" Cynthia commented from the sidelines.

Compared to the Flash Fire ability of other Fire-types, the Intimidate ability suited a broader range of strategies.

When a physical attacker enters the field and is intimidated, that can be quite damaging…

"Can we start now?" Erika frowned. Having already taken a negative buff before the match even began was frustrating; while it didn't cause actual damage, it certainly affected her mindset.

"Please go ahead~" Gary shrugged with a smile.

"Weepinbell! Use Sunny Day!" Even though Gary had predicted this move, Erika chose to initiate Sunny Day for the sake of the match.

"See? She had no choice but to use it; if she didn't, it would be counterproductive. Now we can share the benefits of sunny weather—how delightful~" Gary explained with a grin.

"Wow~ Professor Gary is really cunning."

"Exactly! Not only did he predict his opponent's move, but he also made her follow his plan. That feeling must be so frustrating."

"I learned something today; reaching this level of prediction means that even if the opponent knows they're walking into a trap, they still have to jump in with their eyes closed."

"Isn't Professor Gary playing mind games here? It's just like trash talk," the students whispered among themselves. Erika came to a realization.

Yes, in an official match, how could she let her opponent lead her around so easily?

As expected of Professor Gary; he truly was an expert in psychological warfare!

Understanding this, Erika took a deep breath and calmly looked at Gary. "I see through your tactics, Professor Gary! Don't think you can interfere with my judgment using psychological tricks!"

Gary awkwardly tilted his head. "Alright then, good luck~ Growlithe, use Leer!"

Growlithe's gaze turned fierce as it glared menacingly at Weepinbell. Weepinbell's mouth quivered as it prepared to cry.

Who understands the plight of Weepinbell? It was already startled by the snarling dog upon entering the field; now it was being stared down… too terrifying!

Erika hesitated; this was not good. The match had barely started, and both offense and defense were already lowered by one level.

"Growlithe, use Flamethrower!" Gary commanded without hesitation.

Boom! With the boost from Sunny Day, a thick orange pillar of fire erupted from Arcanine towards Weepinbell.

"Weepinbell! Use Vine Whip to move!" Erika quickly reacted. Weepinbell whipped out its vines and latched onto a nearby tree before pulling itself away from danger.

"Tsk tsk, Chlorophyll is indeed tricky," Gary remarked while snapping his fingers. "Growlithe, can you lock onto your target?"

Growlithe nodded affirmatively.

"Well then, don't hold back—use Flame Wheel!" Gary waved his hand.

Growlithe surged forward with great force, engulfed in flames as it charged toward an open area like a burning wheel.

Bang! In an instant, it seemed as if Weepinbell had collided head-on with Growlithe's Flame Wheel; the attack hit perfectly.

Weepinbell fell weakly to the ground but managed to twist its body just enough to avoid a fatal blow during the impact.

Seeing its opponent downed, Growlithe cautiously approached.

"Wait! Growlithe, retreat!" Green frowned. The opponent hadn't completely lost its fighting capability; now wasn't the time to get close for inspection.

"Weepinbell! Use Sleep Powder!" Erika seized her chance.

However, due to Gary's earlier prediction, Growlithe had already taken two steps back and escaped the range of Sleep Powder's effects.

"Use Flamethrower!" Gary commanded decisively for another strike.

Boom! The flames struck true again as Weepinbell rolled its eyes back and fainted on the ground.

The referee immediately called out, "Weepinbell has lost its fighting capability; Growlithe wins!"

"There wasn't much to discuss in this round; basic operations for Fire-type against Grass-type: overwhelming firepower and predicting your opponent's movements beforehand." After recalling Growlithe, Gary sighed.

Erika glanced at the still-bright Sunny Day overhead with worry etched on her brow.

Knowing Gary's style well enough, she suspected that his next Pokémon would likely be Fire-type too. She secretly wished she could bring out Victreebel or Venusaur for an immediate Solar Beam finish…

Erika thought silently to herself.

On the other side, Gary sternly reminded the surrounding students, "One important point to note is about finishing off your opponent. Remember, a match is real combat. You must ensure you completely incapacitate your opponent.

As long as the referee hasn't called for a stop, you should continue attacking. Don't give your opponent any chance to breathe or retaliate."

Erika took a deep breath; as expected of Professor Oak, he was ruthless…

Reluctantly, she knew she had to finish the match she had agreed to, no matter how it turned out. She took out her last Pokémon. "Generally speaking, in a best-of-three format, Professor Green has already won the Gym match.However, for the sake of everyone's learning experience, let's finish this last round. Come on out, Gloom!"

A Pokémon with a round flower bud on its head and drool dripping from its mouth entered the arena.

Seeing the crowd around it, Gloom felt nervous, and an indescribable odor wafted through the air.

"Whoa! A biochemical weapon!"

"Help! I'm going to pass out…"

"Σ???」∠Ugh… Ms. Erika, we're on the same side; don't shoot!"

The university students staggered and swayed from the overwhelming smell. Lilac chuckled mischievously as she glanced at Gary.

Gary casually picked up a gas mask from the side and slowly put it on.

"Thanks for your hard work, Caitlin," Gary nodded.

Caitlin gave a thumbs up. "No problem, Gary!"

Erika's mouth twitched. "What's this?"

Gary shrugged and looked at the students. "This is one of my key points: before challenging a Gym, make sure to check the strategies!

Ms. Erika's signature Pokémon, Gloom, can scare off most Pokémon simply with its unusual odor. I prepared this gas mask in advance—problem solved."

Erika shook her head with a smile. "But that just means you're immune to Gloom's smell; what about the Pokémon… huh?"

Watching Gary release Charmeleon with rubber plugs stuffed in its nostrils into the arena left Erika dumbfounded.

"Wow~" Charmeleon opened its mouth wide and moved its jaws around while twitching its nostrils, standing proudly with its arms crossed.

"Is that… allowed?" Erika questioned uncertainly.

Everyone turned their attention to the referee in the center, who was lying on his desk gasping for air after being overwhelmed by the smell.

Seeing the eager eyes of everyone around him, the referee struggled to rise and explained, "In Pokémon battles, you are allowed to carry one item—and only one item.

As long as it's not a dangerous weapon, it's within the rules. Professor Gary's actions are completely compliant."

"Thank you for clarifying that for everyone," Gary said with a smile while nodding at the referee. "Do you have anything else to add?"

The referee nodded weakly. "Yes—I need an ambulance…"

Thud! After saying that, he collapsed back down.

Eventually, another professional referee wearing a gas mask and protective suit stepped up to the referee stand.

"Ahem, then let's get this last match started quickly… begin!" The referee signaled with one hand.

"Gloom! Use Solar Beam!" Without its proud odor as a threat anymore, Erika didn't dare hold back and went straight for her strongest move!

"Dragon Rage!" Gary met her head-on. After all, there was no need for defense; he wouldn't be able to counter anyway—

Boom! The golden Solar Beam collided with the blue Dragon Rage flames in a massive explosion at the center of the arena.

Taking advantage of the smoke clouding visibility, Gary decided to stir things up. "Charmeleon! Use Smokescreen!"

Whoosh! Thick black smoke billowed into the dust from the explosion, instantly darkening the scene.

"Gloom! Use Lucky Chant!" Erika reacted quickly and called out an uncommon move.

A circle of blue symbols surrounded Gloom before merging into its body.

"What skill is that?" Students from the Battle department looked confused at their Theory department peers.

The Theory students puffed out their chests and explained, "Lucky Chant is a Normal-type move that prevents critical hits for a period after use."

"Oh… learning never stops!" The reckless students from the Battle department nodded in understanding.

Gary watched Charmeleon still puffing out smoke contentedly and snapped his fingers. "Alright then; let's finish this—Flame Burst!"

Snap! Charmeleon suddenly closed its mouth tightly as sparks ignited between its sharp teeth.

Boom!! The thick smoke was immediately ignited in an instant, engulfing everything in flames!

Cynthia stood up in excitement from her seat. "He can use Smokescreen like this? I can't wait to see how strong he becomes in the future!"

To be honest, after constantly battling Flint and Lucian, Cynthia was starting to feel bored.

What? Aaron? That wouldn't work either; that Bug-type kid would get so scared seeing Cynthia that he might just wet himself…

She craved more intense and unpredictable battles. It seemed that Gary had that potential to become a worthy opponent recognized by her!

Thanks to Erika's Sunny Day boost, Charmeleon's firepower surged dramatically; Gloom closed its eyes and fainted under the fiery barrage without knowing if it was burnt out or just scared into unconsciousness…

Seeing that Gloom was nearly done for, Gary nodded approvingly as Charmeleon opened its mouth again and inhaled all of the flames back into its belly.

Pulling out a bottle of vodka from behind itself, Charmeleon took two big swigs before letting out a satisfied burp while spraying two rubber plugs out of its nostrils right onto Gloom's face…

"Alright then; come back Charmeleon." Gary felt embarrassed; where did this guy steal vodka from? It couldn't possibly be medical alcohol mixed with water…

Erika recalled Gloom and gave Gary a complicated look. "The demonstration match is over; everyone can go back and review what they learned at your own pace. I'm feeling a bit tired…"

"Thank you for your hard work…" Gary scratched his head awkwardly.

Erika shook her head. "A match is still a match; I have that much awareness."

Watching as she handed over her badge, Gary accepted it without hesitation.

Principal Monet approached with a smile. "Tonight we'll have dinner in the auditorium; I welcome all scholars from Sinnoh to join us. Gary, you'll come along with me."

Gary nodded. "Sure! I'll definitely be there. Ms. Erika, will you join us?"

Erika sighed tiredly. "I think I'll rest for now; I won't be coming tonight…"

Gary tilted his head as he watched Erika leave and couldn't help but mutter under his breath: "Sigh~ Not enthusiastic about eating? Is there something wrong? Did a relative come over?"

Nearby students rolled their eyes at him; Professor Gary was probably just thinking about how hard it would be to admire him after battling him…