Pokemon: I am Gary

After resting for a night in Vermilion City, Gary took Caitlin to explore the Pokémon Center the next morning.

After trading Nidoking for Nidorina, Gary continued on his journey.

Caitlin's small suitcase had been replaced by a white travel bag, trailing behind Gary like a little tail. Following Gary's suggestion, Caitlin returned Gothitelle to her Poké Ball.

To experience the life of commoners, how could she have a maid with her all the time?

At first, Gary worried that this young lady might struggle to keep up, but he soon noticed that she floated effortlessly in the air. That eased his concerns.

Psychic abilities are truly convenient…

Returning to the harbor, Caitlin watched curiously as Gary bought tickets.

"Where are we going?" Caitlin asked with interest.

"To Saffron City, where we'll earn a badge before heading to Celadon City. If we miss Saffron City, we'll have to backtrack, which is too much trouble," Gary explained with a shrug.

"What's this ticket for?" Caitlin tilted her head. "Don't we just board the ship directly?"

"What you're talking about is a private cruise; we're taking a ferry. Don't worry; I bought first-class tickets," Gary reassured her. After all, he was using Lance's card and didn't need to be too frugal.

"Oh~ I see!" Caitlin nodded, learning another little tip about life.

"By the way, be careful of Sabrina in Saffron City; she's not easy to deal with. If we lose the match, she might turn us into dolls," Gary said with some concern.

"Turn us into dolls?" Caitlin gasped and covered her mouth in surprise. "Is that Sabrina a psychic too?"

Gary nodded. "Not only is she a psychic user, but she's also a top-tier psychic beauty."

Caitlin raised an eyebrow. "Psychic… beauty?"

"Yeah! Her psychic level is SSR, just like yours," Gary shrugged.

Caitlin puffed out her cheeks adorably and comforted Gary. "Don't worry! I'll protect you! But you have to admit I'm cuter than her! I'm the true psychic beauty! I'll protect you in the name of the moon!"

"Yes, yes! Miss Caitlin is the real psychic beauty~"

Gary chuckled at her enthusiasm. He hadn't expected Caitlin to have such a chuunibyou side; had he known he wouldn't have watched magical girl anime during breakfast…

Soon enough, the ferry arrived at the harbor, and Gary held Caitlin's hand as they followed the crowd onto the ship.

The main reason for holding her hand was that he feared she might get lost in the throng of people.

Of course, it wasn't that he was worried someone would harm her; he mainly feared some clueless fool would try to flirt with Caitlin and then get hurt by her…

It was like walking a large dog on a leash…

Wearing a white sun hat, Caitlin and Gary stood on deck admiring the beautiful view of the sea.

"The ocean is so beautiful~" Caitlin cheered like a little girl.

"Unova has more inland areas; while rivers and mountains are abundant, coastal cities like Kanto are not as common," Gary explained with a smile.

After all, Kanto and Johto are both regions wrapped in ocean currents; nearly every city has an outlet to the sea. The marine resources are exceptionally rich.

This is also why Lugia settled on Orange Islands.

With the sea breeze blowing and curious Caitlin by his side, traveling was anything but boring.

By noon, the ship docked at a new port.

"A! Did we arrive so quickly?" Caitlin exclaimed excitedly.

"Uh… not really; this is just a transfer station—Porta Vista" Gary clarified. "The ship will stop here for half a day and continue its journey in the evening; we won't reach Saffron City until tomorrow afternoon."

"Do we have to get off?" Looking at the blue sea, white sand beach, and bustling coast made Caitlin ask eagerly.

"Of course! Do you want to swim?" Gary asked with a smile.

"I can swim! I brought my swimsuit!" Caitlin cheered as she pulled Gary down from the deck.

On this side of the port was a beach house where Caitlin went with Gothitelle to change into swimsuits.

Gary put on his swim trunks and rented an umbrella to prepare for a nap on the beach.

With ocean breezes, sandy beaches, sunbathing, and bikinis—such blissful moments were perfect for sleeping!

After all, having played games all night, Gary felt that as soon as he closed his eyes, he could fall asleep.

While letting their Pokémon play on the beach, Gary leaned back in his lounge chair, sipping on a cold fruit juice.

Before sleeping, he decided to take a peek at what Caitlin's swimsuit looked like…

"Dun-dun-dun-dun!" Soon, Caitlin appeared beside Gary in a white one-piece swimsuit, sporting a pink unicorn float around her waist and striding over with her long, glowing legs.

Seeing Caitlin in her elementary school-style swimsuit, Gary was left speechless. What was I expecting…

"That looks great! Just remember to be safe while swimming; if you get tired, you can sunbathe and rest," Gary pointed to the lounge chair beside him. "I have sunscreen… cough cough…"

Noticing the dangerous look from Gallade nearby, Gary swallowed the words about sunscreen back down.

Watching Caitlin run toward the sea with Gallade and Gothitelle accompanying her, Gary helplessly leaned back in his chair.

Eevee climbed onto Gary's chest and licked his cheek.

"Hmm~ My Eevee is the best." After taking a couple of deep breaths of Eevee's scent, Gary contentedly petted its little head.

Charmeleon and Growlithe lounged lazily under the sun, yawning. The more sunlight they absorbed, the more their fire-type energy thrived; fire-type Pokémon are among those who love sunbathing just as much as grass-types do.

Nidorina lay shyly to one side, staying in view of Gary. Rhydon picked up a coconut and smashed it against its head, creating a round hole before handing it over to the bashful Nidorina. She nodded gratefully and sipped the coconut water with her eyes squinted in comfort.

Golduck was having a blast; its eyes darted around excitedly. "Golduck~ This place is paradise!"

"Golduck~" Golduck had an expression that suggested it was about to ascend to heaven. Gary worried it might start bleeding from its nose!

In the kitchen of the Sea House, a chef with a villainous look and a scar across his chest was busily frying noodles on the griddle.

Suddenly, a communication device in the corner emitted three long and three short red flashes.

The chef frowned and picked up the communicator.

"SOS! This is a SOS St. Anne; we are sinking! We are sinking! Nearby Team Rocket members must come for rescue immediately! Hoo-rah-hoo-rah-hoo-rah!"

Hearing the sounds of water from the communicator made the chef scoff. "A bunch of useless idiots…"

"Uh, Captain Jinbei," asked a young waiter responsible for serving dishes tentatively, "should we go for rescue?"

"Rescue? At this distance? By the time we get there, we'll be collecting corpses! Keep working hard for me; earn money for Team Rocket!" Jinbei continued flipping noodles that looked deliciously fragrant.

"Yes!" The waiter saluted and returned to the dining area shouting, "Takoyaki ice cream and freshly squeezed fruit juice!"

After playing for a while longer, Gary and Caitlin entered the restaurant. Gary snapped his fingers. "I'll have an order of takoyaki, two servings of ice cream fruit pies, one glass of iced fresh juice, and one snow-top coffee!"

"Coming right up!" The waiter cheerfully called out.

Having splashed around in the sea for so long, Caitlin was already hungry. As soon as the food arrived at their table, she eagerly picked up her utensils to eat.

Gary smiled indulgently as he took a sip of his snow-top coffee.

A strange taste blossomed on his tongue; he frowned slightly and quietly spat it out into a napkin.

"Delicious~!" Caitlin exclaimed while enjoying her meal but then shook her head after finishing. "Just that they added too much sleep powder; it has an odd flavor…"

"Pfft—" Gary almost broke character. One couldn't deny that despite lacking social experience as an Elite Four member, she certainly had other aspects down pat!

As night gradually fell over Porta Vista, the last batch of diners leaned over their tables and fell into sweet slumber.

Gary and Caitlin were playing a game of "who can pretend to sleep better," filling the restaurant with silence.

Daring to open an illegal establishment in such a crowded tourist area was clearly an operation by Team Rocket—one could tell by just thinking about it.

Unfortunately for these people, they had crossed paths with Caitlin…