Pokemon: I am Gary

The Indigo League Championship has entered its third day of competition.

Today, all matches in the quarter-finals will be completed.

After that, the semi-finals and finals will follow, with each match spaced just one day apart.

This not only tests the tactical skills of Pokémon trainers but also puts a heavy strain on the depth of their bench.

After all, if the strengths of the competitors are similar, an intense battle could exhaust the main team's stamina, and one day is simply not enough for recovery. This is when bench depth becomes crucial!

There have been numerous cases where promising contestants lost their main players to opponents before the semi-finals and subsequently lost the match.

Thus, strategizing from the quarter-finals onwards has become a decision that requires serious consideration.

On match day, an early-rising Gary prepared breakfast for Lorelei before heading out for a morning jog with Eevee.

As he opened the door, he saw Ash standing outside with panda eyes.

"Good morning! What a coincidence, you're running too?" Ash awkwardly asked while looking up at the sky.

"Yeah... quite a coincidence..." Gary replied with a smile. The villa area was indeed just two streets away from the contestant village.

"Then—shall we run a bit?" Ash suggested.

"Sure," Gary nodded.

With Pikachu and Eevee, they began jogging along the artificial lake.

After jogging for twenty minutes, Gary, slightly sweaty, stopped to rest on the grass by the lake alongside Ash, who showed no signs of fatigue.

"How's your preparation for the match? Today is full battle, right?" Ash asked.

"Yep, don't worry. I've set up a very scientific lineup," Gary said as he recalled last night's drawing event...

To be fair, all Pokémon except for Galarian Ponyta and Togepi participated!

The Rhydon that didn't get picked for the starting lineup was nearly in tears. Meanwhile, Golduck secretly passed his drawn paper to Squirtle,

Scizor, while munching on snacks, randomly drew and surprisingly got selected.

Venusaur consistently drew first pick and happily showered Charizard with Sleep Powder...

Charizard, holding onto sweet rice wine, fell asleep before even taking a sip, accidentally pressing down on the chosen paper...

The unfortunate Gengar performed a dark and twisted crawl on stage after missing his chance...

Finally, the confirmed lineup was Nidoking, Charizard, Venusaur, Scizor, Squirtle, and Eevee!

It should be... quite scientific... after all, it was random drawing; fate had its hand in it...

"That's good; good luck, Gary." Ash said seriously while looking at the sky. "Make sure to bring home a championship."

Gary glanced curiously at Ash and then chuckled lightly. "No problem."

"I still need to cheer for Ritchie; I'll head back now!" Feeling somewhat embarrassed, Ash turned and ran off.

Gary smiled even more happily; he didn't expect Ash to have such moments too.

With Eevee in tow, Gary prepared to head back for a shower. The first match was Ritchie against Assunta.

These two were really just weaklings pecking at each other; it would come down to who was more unfortunate. After advancing, they would be ground underfoot by Gary and his team...

"You must be Gary," a tall figure blocked Gary's path as he was about to leave the celebration square.

"You are—Raven?" Gary raised an eyebrow.

The boy with an Arcanine had Jenny family's signature green hair. "In our upcoming matches, I hope we can both give it our all without regrets."

"Well—I'll hold nothing back," Gary made his stance clear; no matter who you are or where you come from, he would fight without hesitation.

"Hehe, me too. See you in the arena!" Raven said with a towel around his neck; it seemed he had just finished his morning workout.

"See you in the arena!" Gary smiled as he left with Eevee.

Wiping sweat from his forehead, Raven grinned and said in a deep voice, "No wonder Mr. Lance thinks highly of him; he's quite interesting. But I'm not like A Tao; let me have a proper encounter with him." At the Indigo Stadium, the audience's excitement reached new heights.

After all, it was full battle now—more thrilling matches allowed spectators to enjoy an even higher level of visual feast.

The battle between Ritchie and Assunta had reached a boiling point; both trainers were evenly matched with tight scores!

However, whether they were seed players or Elite Four members, almost none were paying attention to the match results.

After all... Butterfree against Beedrill, Charmander against Tentacool... it felt almost like child's play...

In the VIP box at the top level, Lorelei was discussing matters with Bruno.

"Can we swap my patrol duty today? I want to stay here and watch the matches," Lorelei pleaded.

"But..." Bruno hesitated to respond.

"Hmm?" Lorelei's bottle of mineral water began to frost slightly.

"I mean... no problem..." Bruno said with a long face. You guys always bully honest people...

Sitting on one side of the sofa was Lance, who smiled with interest. "Raven is indeed a genius from the Jenny family; he trained for a year in an anti-explosion unit. I have high hopes for him."

Lorelei rolled her eyes. "How about we bet on who wins?"

"Ahem..." Lance said seriously. "As an Elite Four member, how could I gamble? I refuse to bet; I refuse poison."

Bruno tilted his head in thought. "What about Clair?"

"Heavens above—fine then." Lance spread his cloak dramatically. "Read more when you have time; I'm going to pick up my cousin."

"Mr. Lance's cousin is also quite beautiful," Lorelei remarked with a smile.

"What good is beauty if she's just his cousin?" Bruno pouted in grievance.

Aunt Agatha seemed particularly happy these days; sipping hot tea she explained: "Bruno, don't be sour; Mr. Lance and Clair are distant relatives—three generations removed already.

You should exercise less muscle and find yourself someone who doesn't see well to solve your own problems."

Bruno covered his head and sighed helplessly. "How can a strong man not have market appeal? That shouldn't be!"

At the main stadium entrance, Lance waved at a beautiful girl with blue hair dressed in a tight skirt that showcased her long legs.

"Lance brother~" Clair called out with flushed cheeks.

"Hmm~ coming." Lance nodded seriously. "You did well working in Blackthorn City. Take these few days to rest well; watch some matches and relax your mind."

Clair nodded enthusiastically. "Okay! It's rare that you personally invited me."

"Ahem! Mainly because there are many promising talents in this tournament." Lance coughed strategically twice. "You go ahead first; greet Aunt Agatha and them."

"Oh~ okay! Then you come quickly too!" Clair obediently clasped her hands behind her back as she walked into Indigo Stadium. If challengers saw her lively demeanor they might exclaim: Is this girl who hit me really one person?

"Mr. Lance~ Tsk tsk! You can't do this!" Gary walked out from one side wearing a white hood while holding a cup of coconut milk.

"Ahem~ what are you talking about?" Lance's face turned slightly red.

"Girls are being so proactive; you shouldn't be too reserved!" As Gary passed by Lance's side he patted him on the shoulder. "Always being proactive can tire girls out too!"

Lance froze for a moment before instinctively asking: "So what should I do?"

If we're talking about fighting crime—Lance excels at that—but what should he do when girls pursue him? This truly puts this big shot in a difficult position...

"We'll talk about it later; I'm going to compete now." Gary raised an eyebrow and walked away confidently.

Lance raised his hand dismissively—it would be discussed after the tournament ended…