Pokemon: I am Gary

Click! The center of the Poké Ball display opened, and a Poké Ball adorned with a lightning bolt slowly rose. Professor Oak solemnly flipped the switch. Zzzap! A dazzling spark of electricity lit up the room, revealing an adorable Electric Mouse in front of Gary, Ash, and Professor Oak. "This little guy is called Pikachu; he's an Electric-type mouse. He was left until last due to some issues," Professor Oak explained.

Gary quietly stepped back a few paces; a freshly caught Pikachu could be quite temperamental. Without hesitation, Ash rushed forward and enveloped Pikachu in a bear hug. "Oh, so this is Pikachu? You're so cute~ and so chubby…" "Pika?! Who are you calling chubby? Take this!" Zzzap! A bright flash of electricity erupted again. "Ah! I'm shocked, I'm shocked, I'm shocked…!!" Ash danced around as he got zapped.

Professor Oak calmly stood by and explained, "Pikachu is very timid; if you approach it carelessly, it will shock you!" "Why didn't you say that earlier…" After recovering, Ash leaned against Professor Oak's arm for support. Pikachu smirked, still feeling charged up and ready to zap again! Zzzap… This time, both Ash and Professor Oak found themselves dancing together.

Gary, maintaining his composure, brushed his hair back. "Eevee, come out! Use Sand Attack!" "Eevee!" The little Pokémon jumped out of its Poké Ball skillfully, turning around and powering up its hind legs. Whoosh… A cloud of sand gathered behind it, formed from Ground-type energy—natural and harmless. Thwack! With a kick, the sand flew directly into Pikachu's face. Pikachu immediately covered its face and stopped its electric attack.

"Phew… saved by my grandson," Professor Oak sighed in relief before tossing the Pokédex and Poké Ball to Ash. "Cough cough… thank you, Young Master Gary…" Ash coughed out some smoke as he accepted his gear. "Alright then, next up is the departure phase! I'm going to catch some Pokémon right now!" Grabbing his Poké Ball, Ash felt pumped up again. "I think it'd be better to prepare a bit more," Gary kindly suggested.

"I'm ready! What else do I need?" Ash, filled with enthusiasm, looked at Gary. "At the very least, you should wear normal clothes and shoes. Running around barefoot like that is just…" Gary pointed at Ash's outfit in disbelief. "Uh…" Ash scratched his head awkwardly. Only now did he realize that in his rush to get here, he had come wearing pajamas and no shoes.

"Always plan before you act; that's something you should learn from Gary, Ash," Professor Oak chimed in. "Got it… I know…" Ash pouted; he didn't want to be lectured by Gary. "Pika!" Just then, Pikachu, perched on Ash's shoulder, moved. The little Pokémon bared its teeth at Eevee, clearly upset about having sand thrown at it earlier. "Hey, what's wrong with you, Pikachu?" Ash asked in confusion.

"I guess it's challenging my Eevee. What do you say, Ash, let's battle?" Gary beckoned with a finger. Instantly fired up, Ash replied, "Alright! Let's defeat Gary together with Pikachu!" "Pika!" Pikachu turned its face away, as if to say it wanted no part of this plan! "No matter; if you want to fight, just follow me." Gary, along with Eevee, led the way downstairs first. Pikachu immediately followed suit while Ash hurried after them to the backyard.

The two sides took their positions for the friendly match to begin. "Pikachu, this is our first battle together; let's defeat our opponent!" Ash shouted enthusiastically. Smack! The next moment, a bolt of lightning struck right at Ash's feet. "Pika~ Pikachu~" The expression on Pikachu's face translated to: Stop talking so much or I'll zap you too… "What's going on…" Ash suddenly lost all color in his face as he crouched down against the wall.

"That little guy has quite the temper," Gary chuckled. After spending several years living leisurely at Professor Oak's lab, this version of Pikachu even had a bit of baby fat! In terms of strength? Let's just say it was barely enough… "Let's get started!" Gary reminded them both. "Eevee!" The little Pokémon instantly lowered its body and entered battle mode. "Pika!" With its fiery temperament boiling over, Pikachu jumped up and unleashed an electric attack!

"Eevee, dig a hole!" Gary remained calm; it wasn't difficult to handle Pikachu now. With a powerful push from its front paws, Eevee instantly vanished into the ground, leaving behind a hole. "Pika?" Pikachu tilted its head in confusion. Where did Eevee go? After searching around with no luck, the unfortunate little mouse locked its gaze onto Gary. "What's up? You want to fight me?" Gary smirked, noticing Pikachu's fierce demeanor.

"Pika!" Just as Pikachu prepared to charge at Gary for an electric shock, it was suddenly sent flying by an unseen force. "Eevee!" Bursting out of the ground, Eevee had come to the rescue! "Eevee! You can hit me all you want, but if you dare touch my trainer, you're in for a world of hurt!" Eevee was furious. Boom! Before Gary could say anything, Eevee unleashed a quick electric attack that sent Pikachu flying once more. Then, with a flick of its tail, a shower of golden stars shot out toward Pikachu.

Boom!! The combination of attacks left Pikachu dazed and unable to get back up. Even then, Eevee wasn't satisfied. It bared its teeth and prepared to pounce on Pikachu for a few more bites. "Alright~" A pair of warm hands scooped up Eevee. "Eevee? Eevee!" Instantly obedient, Eevee's ears perked up like airplane wings. It looked at Gary with a pout, still feeling provoked, and swiped its paws in the direction of Pikachu.

Gary understood; Eevee wanted to protect him from any harm that might come from Pikachu. Even with its gentle nature, it wouldn't allow anyone to threaten its trainer. "Are you okay, Pikachu?" Ash also rushed over to pick up his Pokémon. At this moment, Pikachu, feeling weak, struggled for a moment but then allowed Ash to hold it. "Don't worry; it didn't take any serious damage. Gary called it off in time," Professor Oak reassured as he came closer to inspect. "Just let it eat something and rest for a bit; it'll recover."

"Whew, that's great! Thank you, Professor Oak," Ash nodded gratefully before turning to Gary. "Gary, you won this time. Next time, I'll win with Pikachu! Just you wait!" Looking at his completed newbie task, Gary nodded. "Sure! You're always welcome to seek revenge. But no crying if you lose!" "Hmph! You're the one who will cry!" Ash's face turned slightly red from embarrassment.

Just then, there was some commotion at the door as a celebratory procession led by Ash's mom arrived at the lab. Seeing his pajamas and glancing at the neighbors made even someone as thick-skinned as Ash feel embarrassed. Oh no! This could be socially disastrous! With a mischievous grin, Gary nudged Ash playfully. "Stop dawdling; show yourself off, little buddy!" With that, he gave Ash a kick out of the lab and promptly closed the door behind him. "Hey! Don't do that~!" "Hmph~ Done." Satisfied with his prank, Gary clapped his hands together before slinging on his backpack.

Having completed everything he needed to do, it was time to officially set off. "Hey Gary, your twelve ex-girlfriends are waiting for you at the back door. Do you want to go see them?" Professor Oak's voice called out from behind him. Feeling a chill run down his spine at the mention of his past relationships, Gary quickly climbed out the window and ran away. "No thanks! Grandpa, let's just keep in touch by phone! I'm leaving!" Watching Gary's hasty retreat, Professor Oak chuckled softly. "That kid runs away so handsomely; he truly is an Oak!"