Pokemon: I am Gary

In the Rock Arena, Gary's duel with Kaito officially began!

"Donphan, use Defense Curl!" Kaito cautiously started by stacking up his defenses.

Donphan curled up its limbs, instantly transforming into a large rubber tire.

"Good luck with that~" Gary smirked. "Nidoking, use Earth Power!"

Nidoking raised its massive foot and stomped down hard.

Crack!! The ground instantly split open! A wave of yellowish energy erupted from the earth!

Boom! Donphan was sent flying through the air.

Losing its additional effects also meant dealing more damage; this was the power of Nidoking!

"Donphan, use Rollout immediately!" Kaito quickly reacted, utilizing the momentum from its fall to counterattack!

Once Donphan started rolling, it would have the advantage!

"Hmph, you think you can roll without asking me?" Gary retorted forcefully. "Dodge and use Earthquake!"

"Boom boom boom!" Donphan brushed against Nidoking's body as it landed, then immediately drifted and turned to charge at Nidoking.

Nidoking's muscular arms bulged as it suddenly punched the ground.

Boom! The ground shook violently, sending rocks flying and causing the audience to tremble!

Donphan was directly shaken out of its rolling form and lay flat on the ground!

"Wow! Nidoking is showing off! The earth is crying out; this Earthquake is too powerful!!" The announcer shouted excitedly into the microphone.

Ash's group watched in awe from the audience.

"Wow~ Gary's Nidoking has been raised so well; both its power and skills are top-notch," Brock marveled.

"I can't believe how strong its ultimate move is!" Misty also covered her mouth in shock.

"So strong—Gary is really amazing! I want to battle him!" Ash's eyes sparkled with excitement.

Feeling the vibrations beneath her, Giselle blushed with excitement. "Professor Gary… such a powerful impact…"

In the audience passageway, a black-haired boy with round glasses and a book pushed up his glasses. "This person should not be underestimated~"

In the arena, Donphan struggled to stand while Nidoking advanced menacingly!

"Rock Smash!" Gary clenched his fists.

Bang! Nidoking charged forward, leaning back and twisting its waist to gather strength! Its fist, glowing with red energy, slammed directly into Donphan's nose!

"Ow…" Even Donphan, tough-skinned and sturdy, couldn't withstand this ferocious power and was sent flying into the corner wall.

"Donphan!" Kaito looked in disbelief at his main Pokémon being knocked out with a single punch!

Gary calmly shrugged. "Take it away—next!"

"Damn it—outsmarted again." Kaito recalled Donphan, clenching his teeth in frustration.

The targeted setup he had registered before the match—Magneton —had now become his weakness.

Without overcoming Nidoking's towering presence, Magneton wouldn't be able to do anything useful!

After thinking for a moment, Kaito decided to go all in. "Golem, go!"

The second Poké Ball was thrown out.

With a loud bang, the ground trembled slightly as rubble and dirt flew upwards. A round and sturdy Rock-type Pokémon appeared in the arena.

Although Golem only reached Nidoking's waist height, it was solid and weighed around 300 kilograms!

Gary narrowed his eyes slightly as a gust of wind blew past.

Looking up, he spoke in a deep tone. "Nidoking, bury it!"

"Golem, use Heavy Slam!" Kaito was all-in for this attack, aiming for a one-hit KO.

Gary smiled slightly; only a fool would engage in close combat. Nidoking's main offensive power lay in its horn atop its head. Golem was short and stout; if Nidoking bent down to attack, it could easily be caught off guard.

Still lacking strength…

"Nidoking, Double Kick!" Gary gestured dramatically with his long fingers. "Think about how Electivire kicks!"

Nidoking scoffed before suddenly leaping sideways!

Boom! Golem's brilliant golden attack was dodged by Nidoking as it delivered a powerful kick!

Bang! Using momentum against Golem sent it sliding along the ground!

"Fantastic! This pure tactical domination by Gary!" Agatha couldn't help but applaud from the VIP seats.

This Nidoking had echoes of Professor Oak's former Kangaskhan during its prime.

After all, before Giovanni trained it, Kangaskhan had already trained it well!

With nimble little steps, Nidoking's massive body surprisingly gave off an agile feel.

"Light as a feather~" Kaito's expression darkened; this Nidoking knew when to be heavy and reliable while also being agile when needed.

How could he possibly win?!

Gary remained calm and beckoned toward Kaito. "Come on~"

In the audience, Janine's eyes widened. "Wow! Did I just see Gary provoke him?"

"Tsk tsk—what did that kid do to offend Gary?" Agatha shook her head helplessly from the VIP seats.

Kaito's eyes turned bloodshot with anger; this person was truly infuriating. "Golem! Use Earthquake!"

Although Nidoking had Ground typing as well, it would still take double damage from Ground-type moves due to its weaknesses.

If Golem hit hard enough with an Earthquake attack, Kaito believed that Gary would feel some pain too.

However, Gary merely smiled silently.

Boom! As Golem slammed down onto the ground causing tremors to ripple through the arena, Nidoking stood firmly on its feet without budging an inch!

A ring of yellow energy was absorbed by its legs as Nidoking became even more energized!

"You think this is your domain?" Gary raised an eyebrow. "Arrogant—let me tell you that on this earth we will not lose; remember that!"

Kaito felt his defenses shatter—this was impossible! It defied logic!

In Team Rocket's base, Giovanni sat in his office chair displaying his classic crooked smile. "Hmph! Not bad at all~"

Before the large windows of the VIP seats, Lance looked on appreciatively. "I didn't expect such a young Pokémon trainer could grasp the essence of Earth techniques; I see that with further training he has what it takes to become the new gym leader of Viridian Gym!"

Lorelei shot Lance an annoyed glance. "A gym leader? That's quite an underutilization…"

Lance impatiently glared at Lorelei; whatever—this woman was hard to deal with; he couldn't win against her...

In the arena, Golem panted heavily while Nidoking appeared relaxed in stark contrast.

"How is this possible? Even after two rounds of fighting it hasn't even broken a sweat!" Kaito complained bitterly.

Gary looked at his opponent who was running out of steam and shook his head disinterestedly. "Nidoking—finish this."

"Roar!!" Nidoking suddenly spread its arms wide and roared toward the sky.

A ring of yellow energy swirled around its arms.

"Earthquake…" Gary said seriously.

Boom! Nidoking thrust both hands into the ground! Waves of shockwaves rippled outward like water across Golem's legs.

Thud! Golem fell to its knees. Gary smiled as he looked up. "Why be so polite…"

Just as Gary thought would happen: Golem's heavy body placed an enormous burden on those stubby legs; just a little force caused it to kneel down!

"Don't underestimate me! Golem! Use Stomping Tantrum!" Kaito feigned anger as he commanded desperately.

"Roar! Golem stood up awkwardly but made a heavy charge toward Nidoking.

Nidoking slightly sidestepped while raising its right arm—this was its preparation move for using Rock Smash.

As both sides passed each other closely, Kaito suddenly laughed triumphantly. "Hahaha! You've let your guard down! Golem! Use Self-Destruct!!"

"Brace yourself~" Gary raised his head revealing a provocative smile. "It's easy to predict someone blinded by rage~ right?"

Boom! A dazzling white light erupted as Golem exploded right at its center sending fireworks soaring through the air!

"No!!" With Kaito's anguished shout echoing through the arena as smoke cleared away revealing Nidoking standing unscathed behind a cracked shield while Golem lay defeated at its feet.

Nidoking waved its hand sending sand directly onto Golem's head.

"Nido~ (You said buried? Then buried you shall be without any discount.)" Nidoking lifted its head proudly!

Gary also waved his hand vigorously. "That's right! Breathe deep! Enjoy!"

Kaito exploded in anger as he pulled out his third Poké Ball. "I'm not done yet; Magneton, go! Use Tri Attack!"

"Earthquake!" Gary coldly commanded without hesitation—not giving any chance or showing any mercy!

The wall of fire surged forward as Tri Attack merely collided before dissipating into nothingness!

Magneton managed to endure the first impact thanks to its sturdy ability but then saw Nidoking charging fiercely toward it with red energy swirling around its right fist preparing for Rock Smash!

"Eh? How can this Nidoking still act independently?!" Kaito exclaimed in shock.

Bang! With a resounding clash of metal against metal Magneton was slammed into the ground hard!

The referee took a moment to process what had happened before looking again at Magneton embedded into the ground.

Without even thinking about it, Nidoking raised its massive foot again and slammed down once more—bang!

"Eh? The match is over; the winner is Gary from Pallet Town!!" The referee hurriedly announced fearing that if he didn't speak soon then Nidoking might give another kick...

Kaito forced out a bitter laugh; how could he have lost so thoroughly?

Gary recalled Nidoking without looking back as he walked away. The lost dignity would have to be reclaimed by himself!

This time around it would be him stepping on top of others' heads on his way up!