Pokemon: I am Gary

At the Vermilion Gym, the match between Gary and Lt. Surge officially began.

Visquez, Lt. Surge's apprentice, watched in surprise as Surge sent out his lead Pokémon, Electabuzz! It was unusual for Surge to use Electabuzz in regular gym battles, as this Pokémon was a substitute in his official team. Its level was typically too high for newcomers challenging the gym.

However, when Gary sent out his lead Pokémon, Visquez understood immediately. What kind of rookie starts with a Nidoking?

"Electabuzz, use Thunder!" Lt. Surge began the match with a show of power.

Boom! A thick bolt of lightning struck the ground. Nidoking stood firm, absorbing the thunder through its horn and channeling it into the ground.

"For a Ground-type like Nidoking, Electric-type moves are completely ineffective, so don't try any tricks. Nidoking, use Horn Attack!" Gary countered swiftly.

Nidoking charged forward, building energy in its legs.

"Electabuzz, use Swift!" Lt. Surge exclaimed, taken aback by Nidoking's speed.

Electabuzz unleashed a barrage of golden stars to block Nidoking's charge. Nevertheless, Nidoking barreled through like a tank, showing no signs of stopping!

Bang! A direct hit! Gary recognized Nidoking's skillful charge; it not only used its horn to inflict damage but also delivered a powerful elbow strike to Electabuzz's chest—quite a dirty move…

"Look at that! The old man claims to be an upright scholar, but the Pokémon he trained doesn't show it at all!" Gary teased, satisfied.

At the referee's stand, Visquez watched in awe. Wow! This challenger is fierce!

Lt. Surge was sweating bullets; shouldn't a tactical master like Gary be using clever tricks? This explosive brawl wasn't his usual style! However, Gary never said he wouldn't use clever tactics.

"Nidoking, use Earth Power!" Seizing the opportunity while his opponent was still recovering, Gary pressed on with his attack.

"Roar!" Nidoking leaped into the air and slammed its right fist into the ground.

Boom! The ground cracked open around Nidoking. Yellow beams of energy shot up into the sky, sending Electabuzz flying!

The effect was spectacular!

"Electabuzz, don't be afraid; use Iron Tail!" Lt. Surge shouted with determination. After all, he was a soldier who never lacked fighting spirit.

As Electabuzz fell back to earth, it swung its metallic tail hard at Nidoking.

"Dodge!" Gary frowned.

Swish! Nidoking hopped and sidestepped to avoid Electabuzz's Iron Tail!

"Jumping sidestep! Is this guy a boxer or something?!" Lt. Surge exclaimed in disbelief.

But that wasn't all.

After dodging Electabuzz's attack, Nidoking returned to its optimal position for striking.

Boom! A white light glimmered from Nidoking's right fist as it launched a powerful punch.

"One Million Ton Punch!" Gary raised an eyebrow; his Machop at home was skilled in fighting moves, but unfortunately, Nidoking couldn't learn its signature move—Dynamic Punch…

Bang! With one punch, Nidoking slammed Electabuzz into the ground and then lifted its massive foot to stomp down again!

Gary couldn't help but cover his face. "Wow! That's brutal…"

Watching Electabuzz lie motionless, Visquez quickly raised her hand. "Electabuzz is unable to battle; Nidoking wins!"

"Good job, Nidoking!" Gary called it back just in time.

Nidoking cast a regretful glance at Electabuzz; if it had been just a second later, it could have unleashed its two-hit combo.

"This… is truly unexpected." After recalling Electabuzz, Lt. Surge's expression turned serious. No wonder this guy could hang out with Lorelei at an amusement park; he was definitely not an ordinary character!

"Let me interrupt for a moment—what does my battle power have to do with anything?"

"Come back, Nidoking; you did well." Gary recalled Nidoking and waited for the next match to begin.

"That guy is in great shape; why not continue using him?" Lt. Surge asked in confusion upon seeing Gary recall Nidoking.

"I want to give my other partners a chance too. As a trainer, I should spread the experience around," Gary shrugged.

"Hmph! Next time you won't be so lucky!" Lt. Surge threw another Poké Ball. "Go forth, Raichu!"

Lt. Surge's second Pokémon was Raichu—the same one that had previously defeated Ash's Pikachu!

"Raichu!" Raichu flashed a confident grin and beckoned challengingly at Gary.

Visquez brightened; her own Pikachu had been trained by Raichu, and she planned to observe this match closely.

Unfortunately for her, Gary didn't intend to give Raichu any opportunities to shine.

"Rhydon, let's get some rehabilitation training going." Gary casually tossed out his Poké Ball.

Snap! The Poké Ball opened with white light as Rhydon made a powerful entrance, then bounced back into Gary's hand.

"Roar!" Rhydon struck its chest armor with its right hand, producing a distinctive metallic sound.

"Raichu?" Raichu's confidence visibly faltered.

"Kid, you really don't hold back!" Lt. Surge's lips twitched in response.

Though gym trainers often face type disadvantages, it was truly a first for Lt. Surge to confront someone as targeted as Gary.

"Your Raichu seems to be a pure Electric-type powerhouse," Gary smiled.

Lt. Surge rolled his eyes; his Raichu was indeed an Electric-type specialist, capable of using almost all Electric moves with ease. However, it barely practiced any other types of moves…

"Why don't you give it a Thunderbolt?" Gary suggested tentatively.

Rhydon raised its sturdy arms, ready for action. Gary had checked Raichu's skill set earlier and nearly burst out laughing. Aside from powerful Electric moves, Raichu had only one standard skill—Heavy Slam, Focus Punch, and Iron Tail…

Using melee skills against a steel giant was quite an amusing image.

"Raichu, don't let him underestimate you! Use Wild Charge!" Lt. Surge ordered, gritting his teeth.

"Raichu!" With its eyes closed, Raichu surged with electricity, golden sparks enveloping its body as it charged directly at Rhydon.

"So because you rushed to evolve, you used a Thunder Stone without learning Volt Tackle first?" Gary shook his head in regret. This was exactly why he didn't advocate for Pokémon to evolve too early—some skills can no longer be learned after evolution. For example, Pikachu could master Volt Tackle only by practicing both Quick Attack and Thunderbolt simultaneously! Once evolved, it would never learn that move again because Raichu's physique could never match Pikachu's top speed…

While Wild Charge was also a powerful Electric-type move, it still paled in comparison to Volt Tackle!

"Enough talking; take this!" Lt. Surge snapped back at Gary's comments.

Meanwhile, Visquez looked contemplative. From Lt. Surge, she had learned that Electric-type Pokémon should master all powerful Electric moves. Evolving Pikachu early would allow it to store more electricity and increase its power. However, after hearing Gary's words, she hesitated—was evolving Pikachu really the best choice?

On the other side, Gary showed no mercy toward Lt. Surge. His gaze sharpened. "Take him down!"

Boom! Rhydon slammed both of its massive arms down. Raichu, enveloped in electricity, collided with Rhydon like an off-road vehicle crashing into a mountain—angry but unable to advance an inch.

Eventually, the electric glow faded as Raichu lay panting on the ground.

"Rhydon, use Stomp!" Gary commanded without hesitation.

Rhydon raised its right foot and stomped down hard toward the grounded Raichu.

"Dodge! Raichu, jump up!" Lt. Surge shouted in desperation.

Raichu rolled away and then used its tail to propel itself into the air.

Boom! Rhydon's foot missed entirely, causing the arena to shake violently as the ground cracked beneath them!

"Is that Stomp? What happens if you use Earthquake in my gym?" Lt. Surge's face turned pale. "Raichu, use Iron Tail!"

"Grab it!" Gary raised an eyebrow. While Raichu was indeed a heavy Pokémon compared to Pikachu's agility, it would still be somewhat challenging for Rhydon to hit it with absolute certainty. What Rhydon wanted was a guaranteed strike!

Smack! Raichu's gleaming metallic tail struck Rhydon's left arm hard. Rhydon saw the opportunity and gripped Raichu's tail tightly!

"Now—it's yours!" Gary casually shrugged his shoulders.

"Roar!" Rhydon displayed a goofy smile before suddenly exerting force with its right hand.

Whirlwind Smash! Rhydon swung Raichu around like a meteor hammer before slamming it into the ground repeatedly!

After several rotations, Raichu went from discharging electricity to lying on the ground with lifeless eyes…

Watching Raichu curled up on the ground, Rhydon tilted its head. "Roar~ (What a weak opponent…)"

Gary nodded in satisfaction; Rhydon's physical strength had mostly recovered. It could now reduce its protein supplement intake!

"Raichu has lost its will to battle; Rhydon wins," Visquez announced, somewhat dazed.

Gary's performance had shattered her expectations…

"Well done, Rhydon! Now for this guy." Gary recalled Rhydon and sent out Psyduck.

Rhydon's forehead twitched with frustration. "Who do you think you're looking down on?!"

Psyduck shrugged nonchalantly. "Hey, I feel offended."

Gary politely nodded. "I didn't mean to insult; I just want to see what this guy can do. If it loses, I'll still use my previous Pokémon to battle."

Lt. Surge took out his last Poké Ball and threw it onto the field. "Come forth, Electrode, show him what you've got!"

Gary turned to Psyduck and shrugged. "Alright then, let's see your skills!"