Here he comes—the highly anticipated Young Master Gary!
Captain Gary, swooping in to save Li Xuan from the firestorm!
Seeing the challenger, Li Xuan announced to the stream, "I'm off to greet the challenger," and bolted from the live stream to the dojo's entrance.
The chat was left buzzing, still swooning over Sabrina.
At the door, a teenager with spiky, hedgehog-like hair stood with a gaggle of cheerleaders, sizing up the Fighting Dojo.
"This place is kinda rundown," Gary remarked, shaking his head.
In another city, the Fighting Dojo might've been impressive.
But this was Saffron City, where every inch of land was worth a fortune.
Surrounded by towering skyscrapers, the three-story dojo looked out of place.
If they could afford to build a Gym here, why skimp on the renovations?
Maybe they blew all their budget on the land.
"Still, Green says not to judge a book by its cover. Let's see if this dojo's got the strength to impress me," Gary added, keeping an open mind rather than dismissing the place outright.
Tap, tap, tap…
"You're Gym Leader Li Xuan, right?" Gary asked as Li Xuan approached.
As he spoke, Gary sized up the young Gym Leader.
Pale skin, long legs, jet-black hair—just a tad less handsome than himself, maybe.
He didn't look like a Fighting-type Trainer at all—too frail, almost delicate.
Was this the "contrast" people raved about online?
"He's so weak physically, that's why he trains Fighting-types."
Gary mentally tagged Li Xuan with "disabled but determined."
His gaze softened with a hint of respect.
"That's me. And you're 'Pallet Town's Pride Gary,' right?" Li Xuan said with a grin, dropping Gary's online handle.
"Ahem, yeah, that's me. No need to make a big deal out of it," Gary mumbled, his face flushing.
Having his username called out in person was mortifying.
"Oh, Young Master Gary, you're too humble!" "Love you, Gary!" "Let's crush this battle, easy peasy!"
The cheerleaders behind Gary squealed, hyping him up. Some even started a "strikeout dance," as if celebrating a victory he hadn't yet earned.
Sadly, this vibrant scene wasn't caught on stream, leaving the viewers deprived of the spectacle.
After facing two challengers with their own cheer squads, Li Xuan was tempted to get one for his dojo. At the very least, the emotional boost was undeniable.
"Follow me to the battle arena," Li Xuan said, leading the group inside.
As Gary and his cheerleaders stepped into the room, they appeared on the live stream.
[666, the streamer actually found a cutie!][Whoa, those legs—snow-white and dazzling!][That's gotta be Gary, right? Kid's young, but he's got game!]
"Yo, what's up, chat? I'm Gary, here to show you Pallet Town's true strength," Gary announced, exuding the cocky charm of a privileged prodigy.
His defiant smirk was classic, wasn't it?
The chat went wild, Sabrina's hype drowned out by Gary's entrance.
[AHH, Gary! How'd you get here so fast?!][Li Xuan, tell this kid to stop calling himself 'the great' or he's in for it when he gets back. (Subscribed)]
"Thanks to 'GreenTheGreat' for subscribing! You're a legend, boss! May your Poké Balls always shine!" Li Xuan said, spotting the golden comment pinned at the top of the chat. Turning to Gary, he added, "Challenger Gary, 'GreenTheGreat' says to tone down the swagger, or you'll get an earful later."
"I, the great—wait, who?!" Gary froze, staring at Li Xuan's phone. He stood rooted, too stunned to speak.
No way.
A rookie streamer's chat had attracted Green and Red?!
"Challenger, take your spot. The battle's about to start. First, how many badges do you have?" Li Xuan asked, smoothly shifting the topic while mentally picking his Pokémon.
Gary snapped back, "I've got three badges. Pretty impressive, huh?"
His confidence surged as he boasted about his badge collection.
Among Pallet Town's four simultaneous Trainers, he was the fastest at racking up badges.
"Three badges? Heracross should do the trick," Li Xuan mused.
For a Trainer with just three badges, Heracross was more than enough.
Gary: ???
"Heracross?" Gary frowned, feeling slighted.
He'd watched the stream—Kaoruko's Pokémon had some skill, but they were nothing compared to his team.
He'd breezed through three Gyms already. A Heracross? Child's play.
"Fine, pick your opponent then," Li Xuan said, scratching his head and releasing all three Heracross.
"…"
Gary fell silent.
"Gym Leader Li Xuan, don't tell me your dojo only has three Heracross?" he asked, incredulous.
"Nah, there's Primeape too. But I wouldn't recommend picking it," Li Xuan replied casually, offering friendly advice.
"Then I choose Primeape," Gary declared, his eyes blazing with defiance.
"You sure you don't wanna rethink that?" Li Xuan asked, his tone earnest.
To Gary, it sounded like Li Xuan was mocking his strength.
"Gym Leader Li, it's Primeape or nothing. I'm set on it!" Gary insisted, as if picking a top-tier companion at a high-stakes auction.
[Curious, why's the streamer steering Gary away from Primeape?][...][Why's this guy spamming ellipses again?][He says: Primeape's well-trained. Most challengers can barely last a few moves against it.][No way, for real?][Totally real, yo.]
Three Champion-tier Trainers vouched for Li Xuan, their golden comments shocking the chat.
On the battlefield, Primeape stood ready, fists clashing with a primal aura radiating from its body.
"Challenger, send out your Pokémon," Li Xuan said.
Standing beside Primeape, Li Xuan's demeanor shifted dramatically. The gentle scholar was gone, replaced by a battle-hardened general.
Gary, awestruck, skipped his usual flair of kissing the Poké Ball and tossed it out. "Go, Kadabra!"