Pokemon: I am Gary

"Here it comes, here it comes! Look, she's floating down!!"

A stir went through the crowd as police stood in two lines, arranged by Jenny.

Suddenly, with no one beside him, Gary became the center of attention at the harbor.

"How embarrassing~" Gary muttered quietly.

"Just get used to it, Gary," Psyduck said, scratching its head with its three tufts of hair. "People like us tend to attract attention~"

"I think they just want to see who has the courage to welcome an SSR-level Psychic," Gary shook his head.

"Eevee, I'm counting on you. If things get awkward later, let Caitlin pet you to break the ice," Gary whispered, leaning closer to Eevee.

Eevee nodded reluctantly. For its trainer, it could allow another woman to pet it—no need to think about sucking in its stomach!

Tap, tap, tap—crisp footsteps echoed from the end of the hallway.

A girl with long golden hair, a pink spaghetti-strap dress, a white Chanel-style shawl, and white shoes stepped into view. With a slightly confused yet curious gaze, she emerged from the passage. Behind her followed Gothitelle, carrying a delicate suitcase and lagging a step behind.

This was Caitlin, one of the Elite Four of Unova and a psychic trainer.

Only Cynthia, the champion of Sinnoh, could match her impressive battle record!

As she exited, Caitlin blinked her deep blue eyes and scanned her surroundings.

"You must be… Mr. Gary Oak?" Caitlin tilted her head slightly as her cool voice rang out.

Gary glanced at Lance, who looked up at the sky and nudged Gary's back.

Fortunately, Psyduck was quite sociable; it waddled over to Caitlin and turned to Gothitelle with a courtly bow. "Beautiful Gothitelle, may I offer you a cup of coffee~"

Gothitelle looked at Gary in confusion while Caitlin tilted her head in puzzlement.

"Sorry… my Psyduck has been watching too many romantic dramas," Gary said, pulling Psyduck back, his face turning red.

"Who told you to flirt with someone else's Pokémon while welcoming Caitlin!"

Gothitelle's eyes flickered with blue light; Caitlin understood and smiled slightly at Gary. "It's alright, Mr. Oak. My Gothitelle doesn't mind; however, she doesn't particularly like yellow ducks, so I'm afraid she can't have coffee with Mr. Psyduck."

Gary awkwardly glanced at Eevee, who nodded heroically, allowing him to place it into Caitlin's arms.

"My Eevee's fur is very soft; you can pet it… it might help you relax," Gary offered.

"Oh, thank you! This feels wonderful." Caitlin stroked Eevee's neck with a look of relief on her face.

Seeing Caitlin enjoy Eevee made Gary feel less tense.

Well done, Eevee!

Psyduck, having just been rejected, felt a bit down; it activated its psychic powers and returned to its Poké Ball by itself.

Noticing the atmosphere had become more amicable, Lance cleared his throat twice. "Ahem! Welcome to Kanto, Miss Caitlin. Our exhibition match is scheduled for Indigo Plateau in a month. Until then, Professor Oak's grandson, Gary, will be responsible for your hospitality. If you need anything, feel free to ask him."

"Well then, if there's nothing else, I have work to do; let's meet again in a month."

As Dragonite took off swiftly into the sky and became a black dot on the horizon, Gary twitched his mouth. "Lance! I can't believe you're leaving without letting me use your credit card!"

Confirming that Gary had received Caitlin safely, Jenny blew her whistle and called for the team to gather!

Suddenly, the brightly lit harbor was left with just Gary and Caitlin.

"So… shall we head back to the hotel?" After saying this, Gary froze; it felt awkward!

"Mm-hmm! Alright then, Mr. Oak~" Caitlin nodded gently in agreement.

"Ahem! Just call me Gary. Should I call for a car?" he suggested.

"I'd prefer to walk~" Caitlin said eagerly.

Before she turned ten, she lived in a castle with only psychic-type Pokémon and an old butler for company, which made her somewhat socially anxious—though she had improved a lot since then.

Normally, when an Elite Four Pokémon trainer arrives in Kanto, there are police escorts and grand ceremonies with many staff members accompanying them.

However, Caitlin insisted on having just one guide, hoping this guide would be younger and more interesting.

"Well then! Let's walk; it'll be nice to stretch our legs." Seeing Caitlin's eager expression softened Gary's heart as he nodded in agreement.

- After all, she is a genuine Elite Four-level trainer; who could possibly harm her? -

"Great! Thank you, Mr. Gary!" Caitlin replied happily.

"No need for 'Mr.' Just call me Gary," Gary corrected with a sigh.

"Alright, Mr. Gary…"

Gary resigned himself to it. "Fine, you can call me Gary; everyone else does anyway…"

"Okay, Gary!" Caitlin smiled with squinted eyes and moved closer to him.

"Alright then! Let's get going," Caitlin nodded in agreement.

A fragrant breeze wafted toward him, and Gary was surprised to find a soft little hand in his.

"What's this?" Gary looked astonished at the girl beside him.

Beneath her golden hair were sparkling big eyes, long eyelashes, a delicate nose, and translucent pink lips.

"Grandpa Hayato said that when going out, you should hold your partner's hand so you won't get lost," Caitlin answered earnestly.

Gary froze for two seconds before smiling gently. "Alright then, please hold on tight, Miss Caitlin."

"Just call me Caitlin~" she reminded him.

"Okay, Caitlin~"

Thus, on the streets of Vermilion City, Gary held the hand of a golden-haired girl while Eevee perched on his head, with Gothitelle trailing behind them.

It looked like quite the family scene…

In a corner alley, Lt. Surge smoked a cigar and sighed. This kid was practically Cupid's target; it was truly enviable…

Having been drinking milk and doing height exercises since he was five, Gary stood a head taller than Ash. However, fourteen-year-old Caitlin was still taller than him.

According to official records, Caitlin was only five centimeters shorter than Cynthia.

However, in terms of figure, viewing Caitlin's flat chest, Cynthia would definitely win…

Despite this, passersby on the street cast envious glances at Gary.

Golden hair, pale skin—beautiful! The security guard at the hotel entrance had admiration written all over his face.

Feeling shy and reserved, Caitlin quietly followed Gary. When he let go of her hand, she naturally grabbed the strap of his backpack.

"Excuse me, two of your best Champion Suites," Gary said as he handed over Lance's card to the front desk clerk without hesitation.

The clerk glanced at Caitlin and quietly asked, "Not from around here?"

"Yeah," Gary nodded.

"Dude, that's impressive~" the clerk winked at Gary.

Gary sighed tiredly. "Can we speed this up?"

The clerk gestured with his lips: "Sorry sir, we're fully booked; there's only one Champion Suite left."

Gary's eyes widened in shock. Wait—he didn't mean that!!

The clerk waved his hand dismissively as if to say "Don't thank me."

"It's fine; we'll take that one—the Champion Suite!" Caitlin said, her eyes sparkling. A Champion Suite sounded much more upscale than an Elite Suite!

Gary covered his face—please don't do this…

Thus, the hotel staff led Gary and Caitlin to the top floor, where the Champion Suite was located.