I, Gary, Want to Become a Pokemon Master

Chapter 661 - 661: Gary vs. Jensen

Gary stepped forward and deliberately chose a seat directly behind Tobias.The movement was subtle, but intentional.

Tobias sensed it immediately.

He turned his head slightly, his sharp gaze landing on Gary. For a brief moment, surprise flickered across his otherwise unreadable expression.

Clearly—

He recognized him.

During the qualifiers, Tobias had already taken note of Gary. Even though Gary hadn't appeared much afterward, his presence had been memorable enough to leave a lasting impression.

Now that Gary had approached him directly—

The meaning was obvious.

Tobias studied him for a second before speaking.

"Do you need something?"

His tone was calm, neutral, but there was a faint edge beneath it—wariness.

Gary met his gaze without hesitation.

"It's nothing," he replied casually, his posture relaxed as he leaned back slightly in his seat. "This spot was empty, so I sat here."

He paused for a fraction of a second, then added lightly—

"What? Am I bothering you?"

Tobias didn't answer immediately.

His eyes lingered on Gary, as if trying to read something deeper beneath the casual response.

He's watching me…

The thought crossed Tobias's mind, but he didn't voice it. Instead, he turned his gaze forward again.

"No. Sit if you want."

That was all.

The conversation ended as quickly as it began.

But Gary didn't mind.

As expected. Not someone who talks much.

He shifted his attention forward as well, though his mind was anything but idle.

This guy… caught two Legendary Pokémon.

That alone made him worth observing.

Gary had already pulled Tobias's information from the League database before this morning.

A native of the Sinnoh Region.

From Canalave City.

And Canalave had its own legend.

Darkrai.

A shadow that haunted dreams.

A being feared even in myths passed down from generation to generation by old sailors.

Did he encounter Darkrai there…?

Gary's eyes narrowed slightly.

Or was it pure coincidence?

There were too many unknowns. Too many variables.

And that—

Made Tobias dangerous.

Time passed.

Ten minutes.

Then—

The clock struck nine.

The matches began.

Two Trainers stepped onto the battlefield for the first match.

Gary watched.

Not casually—

But attentively.

Even if the overall level of the Lily of the Valley Conference wasn't particularly high compared to his own standards, there was still real value in observation.

Different strategies.

Different habits.

Different mistakes.

Every Trainer has a pattern.

More than half an hour passed. Two matches concluded.

Then—

The third match.

The announcer's voice echoed clearly across the arena.

"Next, please welcome Trainer Gary and Trainer Jensen!"

Gary stood.

His expression calm.

Finally.

He walked forward, entering the battlefield from one end.

From the opposite side—

Jensen stepped in.

A young Trainer from Hoenn. Slightly tense. His movements weren't as steady as Gary's.

He's nervous.

Gary could see it immediately.

The audience erupted into cheers.

"Gary!"

"Master Gary!"

"He's finally here!"

"Sweep him three-on-one!"

"Yeah! Gary always sweeps!"

The excitement was overwhelming.

Gary ignored it.

The host began speaking.

"The audience is incredibly enthusiastic today! It seems both Trainers have drawn a lot of attention!"

"Allow me to introduce them!"

"On the Red side—Gary Oak! A Trainer from Pallet Town in the Kanto Region! A seasoned competitor with multiple League experiences, and a three-time Conference Champion! One of the top contenders for this championship!"

Cheers exploded.

"And on the Blue side—Jensen! A Trainer from Rustboro City in the Hoenn Region! While he has participated in League Conferences before, he has yet to achieve a notable ranking!"

The contrast was obvious.

Experience.

Achievements.

Reputation.

Gary stood far above.

Jensen swallowed slightly.

Three-time Champion…

I really drew the worst possible opponent.

But—

He clenched his fists.

I can't lose without trying.

The referee stepped forward.

"The three-on-three match between Gary and Jensen will now begin!"

"The battle ends when all Pokémon on one side are unable to fight!"

"Both Trainers, send out your Pokémon!"

Both moved at the same time.

Poké Balls flew through the air.

"Hippowdon, you're first!"

"Weavile, you're up!"

Light burst onto the field.

"Hippow—!"

A massive Hippowdon materialized, its heavy body slamming onto the ground with a low rumble. Sand immediately began spilling from the holes on its back, swirling outward as the battlefield was engulfed in a sandstorm.

The wind picked up.

Grains of sand whipped through the air.

Visibility dropped slightly.

[Hippowdon ♂]

[Level: 45]

[Potential: Elite-tier]

On the other side—

"Wea—vile!"

Weavile appeared like a shadow, landing lightly on its feet. Its sharp eyes locked onto its opponent instantly, claws gleaming faintly even through the dust-filled air.

[Weavile ♂]

[Level: 60]

[Potential: Champion-tier]

The gap was immediate.

Gary didn't hesitate.

"Weavile, Ice Punch."

His voice was calm. Decisive.

"Wea!"

Weavile moved.

Whoosh!

Its body blurred as it dashed forward, slicing through the sandstorm with incredible speed. The wind couldn't slow it—if anything, the chaos only emphasized how cleanly it cut through the field.

Its fist glowed with icy energy.

Frost gathered rapidly, forming a layer of solid ice around its claw.

In a single breath—

It closed the distance.

Jensen's eyes widened.

"So fast—!"

Before he could react—

Weavile struck.

BANG!!

The Ice Punch landed squarely on Hippowdon's head.

The impact echoed across the arena.

Cold energy exploded outward—

Frost spread instantly across Hippowdon's body. Layer by layer, it climbed up its hide—encasing it, freezing it.

Within seconds—

Hippowdon became a solid block of ice.

The sandstorm weakened.

Then—

Stopped completely.

The audience gasped.

"What a powerful Ice Punch!"

"It froze Hippowdon instantly!"

Jensen clenched his teeth.

"No way…"

But—

Frozen didn't mean defeated.

"Hippowdon!" he shouted. "Snap out of it! Break the ice!"

Silence.

No response.

Hippowdon didn't move.

Didn't react.

Gary watched calmly.

It's already over.

But the freeze had simply masked the result.

"Weavile," Gary said. "Release it."

"Wea."

Weavile stepped forward.

It lightly tapped the ice with the tip of its claw.

Crack—

The ice shattered instantly.

But—

Instead of recovering—

Hippowdon collapsed.

Its eyes spun in dizzy spirals. Completely unconscious.

The referee raised the flag.

"Hippowdon is unable to battle! Weavile wins!"

The crowd erupted.

"It's over already?!"

"That's insane!"

"Of course! That's Gary!"

Jensen stood frozen.

One hit…

It was over in one hit…

He recalled Hippowdon silently.

Then—

He threw his next Poké Ball.

"Sudowoodo, you're up!"

"Sudowoo—!"

A Sudowoodo materialized, its rigid body swaying slightly as it faced Weavile.

[Sudowoodo ♂]

[Level: 44]

[Potential: Gym-tier]

Gary didn't react.

Rock-type. A type advantage… but meaningless at this gap.

Jensen raised his voice.

"Sudowoodo, use Stone Edge!"

Energy surged.

Sharp stones formed around Sudowoodo, spinning rapidly before launching forward like a barrage of blades.

"Weavile," Gary said calmly. "Slash through them with Metal Claw."

"Wea!"

Weavile raised its arm.

Its claw glowed silver.

Then—

It moved.

Fast. Precise.

Each incoming stone was met with a strike.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The stones shattered one by one, unable to get past its defense. The sound echoed rapidly through the arena—a rhythm of destruction.

In seconds—

Weavile broke through.

It reached Sudowoodo.

Its claw flashed.

BANG!!

The Metal Claw struck.

Sudowoodo's body shook violently as it was knocked backward, crashing onto the ground.

But—

It didn't faint.

It resisted.

Barely.

Gary's eyes didn't change.

"Ice Shard."

"Wea!"

Weavile gathered icy energy instantly.

A shard formed in the air above its claw.

Then—

Shot forward.

CRACK!

It hit.

Direct.

Sudowoodo's body stiffened—

Then fell.

Unmoving.

The referee raised a flag again.

"Sudowoodo is unable to battle! Weavile wins!"

The crowd roared.

"Incredible!"

"That's two already!"

"He's going for a sweep!"

Jensen stood there, his hands trembling slightly.