Pokemon: I am Gary

Two days passed in the blink of an eye, during which Lorelei and Gary spent the entire day cooped up in the house.

Afterward, Lorelei bizarrely took Starmie and Slowbro out for special training.

In her words, Gary's tactical talent was undoubtedly among the best since the establishment of the League...

Although, she added with a smirk, it was a bit dirty.

Gary proudly declared that this was called tactical thinking; after all, who in tactics had a clean conscience?

On the day of the Master Tournament—

Gary and Lorelei arrived at the Battle Tower in Vermilion City half an hour early.

Looking up at the towering structure before him, Gary couldn't help but exclaim, "The Battle facilities in Vermilion City really spare no expense!"

"After all, it's a port city; its economy is incomparable to that of inland cities," Lorelei explained calmly.

Gary encouraged her, "Well then, Lorelei, good luck in your match! I'm looking forward to seeing you win."

Lorelei smiled slightly and adjusted her glasses. "I have no intention of losing!"

Her icy and sharp gaze suddenly shifted her aura dramatically; the sound of her high heels hitting the ground echoed like a war drum.

After smoothing her wine-red hair, she handed Gary a VIP pass—commonly known as a friend ticket—she had prepared in advance. "Let's go eat seafood after the match."

"Alright!" Gary accepted the pass and watched as Lorelei walked into the Battle Tower through another contestant entrance, wearing sunglasses.

Observing the throngs of people queuing to enter from the other side, Gary raised an eyebrow. "So this is the benefit of having a VIP pass."

With his golden VIP card in hand, Gary breezed through the entrance into the competition area.

Upon entering the Battle Tower, he was immediately greeted by a hostess in a qipao who politely guided him through the corridor to a VIP box.

Inside was a spacious lounge with a quiet atmosphere. The floor-to-ceiling windows surrounded the room, providing a perfect overhead view of the entire battle arena.

Not only that, but it also came equipped with a refrigerator and a wine cabinet, while fresh seasonal fruits adorned the table.

Gary nodded in satisfaction as he sat down comfortably.

The hostess wheeled in a cart. "Coffee or tea? Chilled fruit juices and other beverages are in the fridge; there's beer and whiskey in the wine cabinet."

"I'll have a cup of black tea, please." After taking a sip of his tea, Gary's demeanor suddenly made the hostess blush and feel flustered.

Waving his hand to dismiss her, Gary took out his Poké Balls and released his Pokémon.

His family of Pokémon looked at him curiously.

"Make sure to watch the match closely; this is going to be a battle at Elite level, which will benefit all of you," Gary explained while sipping his tea.

Eevee, Growlithe, and Rhydon formed an obedient trio and nodded in unison. Noticing that Eevee was so cute, Gary decided to think of it as female for this setting.

Scyther eyed the fresh fruits on the table, wiping its mouth and looking at Gary with anticipation—Shu~? (What did you say, boss?)

Since evolving, Charmeleon had become more aloof. This guy grabbed a bottle of bourbon from the wine cabinet—it was single malt—and leaned against the window, half-reclining while casually sipping on it before closing its eyes to take a nap…

Gary considered making a comment about Charmeleon but thought better of it. After all, this Pokémon executed commands with absolute obedience during battles.

Moreover, strong liquor could indeed enhance fire burning speed; for Fire-type Pokémon, it served as both internal and external training.

Compared to someone else's Charmeleon that had given up after evolving, his was merely going through its rebellious phase…

Suddenly, cheers erupted from the battle arena like waves crashing against rocks; even from his box, Gary could feel the excitement building. It seemed that the match was about to begin.

After all, the Master Tournament is a contest between top trainers, and the excitement is palpable.

Each Master Tournament typically attracts countless Pokémon enthusiasts, making it almost a party for battle fanatics.

"Ladies and gentlemen, Pokémon fans! The Master Challenge is about to begin! Let's hear some screams for our contestants!!"

With the host's enthusiastic shout, the cheers from the audience erupted into the sky, igniting the atmosphere in the arena!

"Now, let's welcome our first contestant, the Kanto Fighting King, the embodiment of masculine energy—Fighter Bruno!!"

Gary slightly stood up and focused on the contestant entrance below.

A muscular man dressed in a martial arts uniform with a black belt appeared steadily from the contestant tunnel.

"Wow, Bruno actually wore a shirt today?" Gary chuckled to himself.

This muscle-bound figure was notorious for being a rough-and-tumble type who often attended high-profile competitions shirtless, showcasing his impressive physique.

Seeing Bruno dressed this way was quite unusual…

As Gary watched Bruno, he recalled Lorelei's assessment of him: a peculiar individual who could only fight and had muscles where his brain should be—a devilishly muscular man.

"Hey~ you there! Whose family member are you to be sitting in the VIP section?" Suddenly, an arrogant voice interrupted Gary's thoughts.

Turning around, Gary looked into the adjacent box in surprise. "The Gym Leader of Vermilion City—Lt. Surge?"

Between the VIP boxes was a half-height partition with glass windows that allowed for conversation.

The tall man standing next to him wore camouflage battle gear and stood at nearly two meters tall—he was indeed Lt. Surge.

"Oh~ you know me?" Lt. Surge raised his chin slightly.

"I did some research on the Gym Leaders in Vermilion City," Gary replied with a smirk. This guy seemed like a typical martial artist. It was said that previously, the battle arena at Vermilion Gym was electrified.

In battles against Lt. Surge's Pokémon, if trainers lost, they would be shocked by high voltage electricity. Of course, if he lost, he would also face punishment.

Eventually, due to numerous complaints from trainers claiming that Lt Surgei's rules were akin to Spartan brutality—endangering the future of the League—the Vermilion Gym was forced to switch to standard battle rules…

This guy was definitely tough!

"Hey~ you still haven't answered my question," Lt. Surge said with an annoyed pout.

"Oh right! I'm indeed a friend… uh, I mean family member. I was personally invited by Lorelei" Gary said as he pointed out. "Isn't she just entering?"

"Next up, let's welcome Kanto's Ice-type Queen from Seven Islands—the Snow Queen Lorelei!!" The host excitedly announced Lorelei's name.

Wow!! The cheers suddenly escalated an octave higher than for Bruno; the audience clearly knew how to choose between muscle-bound men and elegant women.

As Lorelei entered the arena wearing high heels and her flowing wine-red hair, the crowd erupted into an even louder cheer.

Lorelei's unique blend of gentle charm and icy demeanor captivated everyone present.

These two contrasting qualities were perfectly showcased in her presence.

Crossing her arms as she walked towards the battlefield, Lorelei adjusted her glasses and looked at Bruno. "Sorry to keep you waiting~"

Bruno nodded. "It's been six months since we last fought; I hope you won't disappoint me."

Lorelei chuckled softly. "Let's hope you can remain this calm after our match."

The referee confirmed that both sides were ready and waved his flag down. "The match officially begins!!"