"Gary is the best! Gary is awesome!"
"Gary! Gary! He's the greatest!"
Sweet, high-pitched cheers mixed with rhythmic clapping drew closer from the distance.
Yuuto turned to look.
A group of youthful, beautiful girls in matching miniskirt cheerleader uniforms swarmed toward the laboratory entrance, performing high-kick dance moves in perfect sync.
Sunlight glinted off their fair thighs, dazzling the eyes.
With every kick, their skirts fluttered up just enough to flash the edges of pure white panties here and there.
Yuuto raised an eyebrow.
As expected of Kanto's infamous "Young Master" Trainer and Professor Oak's own grandson—Gary.
The guy really knew how to make an entrance.
"Thank you! Thank you, everyone!"
A slightly arrogant young voice rang out.
From inside the laboratory doors stepped a spiky-haired boy radiating confidence.
He wore a stylish Trainer jacket, hair gelled so sharply that every strand stood straight up like a challenge.
His smile was cocky to the point of arrogance.
Gary.
He raised both hands high, waving to his fans like a celebrity on tour.
The cheerleaders immediately erupted into even louder, more enthusiastic screams.
A few of the bolder ones blew him kisses.
"My dear friends!"
Gary cleared his throat dramatically and launched into his "departure declaration."
"Today marks the day I becomes a Pokémon Trainer!"
"Whoo—!"
The cheers exploded again.
Gary nodded with smug satisfaction and continued:
"I will definitely surpass the other three Trainers and become the future shining light of Pallet Town!"
Finished, he scanned the surroundings.
His gaze landed on Yuuto.
Gary paused for a second, then a playful smirk curled his lips as recognition dawned.
He strode straight toward Yuuto.
The cheerleaders trailed behind like an obedient flock of ducklings.
"You…"
Gary stopped in front of Yuuto, looking him up and down as he recalled the information he'd read earlier.
"Are you Yuuto? The extra rookie Trainer added this year?"
His tone dripped with curiosity—and unmistakable contempt.
After all, Pallet Town only officially had three slots each year.
Being the "extra" one naturally drew extra scrutiny.
[Ding!]
The system chimed right on cue.
[Triggered Task — Rival Competition: Rank higher than Gary at the Kanto Indigo League Tournament.]
[Task Reward: Junior Potential Enhancement Fruit — Increases the potential level of one Pokémon below Elite Four level by 1.]
[Intermediate Rare Candy ×5 — Increases the level of one Pokémon below Lv.50 by 1.]
[Extra Reward: If you face and defeat Gary at the Indigo League Tournament, receive additional reward — Water-type Mysterious Item: Heart of the Ocean (When used by a Water-type Pokémon, triggers an unexpected positive mutation).]
Yuuto smiled inwardly.
Not bad at all.
The rewards were generous—especially that "Heart of the Ocean." It sounded like something truly special.
He looked at Gary now with the gaze of someone sizing up a walking treasure chest.
"Yes, I'm Yuuto."
Yuuto nodded, tone perfectly neutral.
"Does the heartthrob Young Master Gary have any advice for me?"
Gary studied Yuuto once more, carefully.
Tall, handsome, steady temperament.
But…
"The last one to arrive to collect his Pokémon."
Gary shook his head, contempt growing more obvious in his voice.
"I thought this extra rookie would be something special!"
"He's nothing more than this, hahaha…"
He burst into laughter. The cheerleaders behind him joined in immediately, giggling along.
Yuuto simply watched him laugh in silence.
Only when Gary had laughed himself out did Yuuto speak, slow and calm.
"Finished laughing?"
Gary choked mid-breath.
This wasn't the reaction he expected.
Shouldn't a normal person get angry? Shout back? At least look embarrassed?
Yuuto's unruffled gaze made him feel suddenly like a child performing for an unimpressed adult.
Gary felt a surge of irritation.
Still, he forced himself to stay composed and reached out to pat Yuuto on the shoulder with exaggerated seriousness.
But since Yuuto was taller, the gesture came off awkward and forced.
Gary quickly pulled his hand back.
"Ahem… but you don't need to worry about that."
He puffed out his chest, trying to reclaim his momentum.
"Even if you woke up earlier, there'd still be an insurmountable gap between you and this young master."
"The future light of Pallet Town can only be me—Young Master Gary!"
This was actually true.
As Professor Oak's grandson, he had the privilege of staying overnight at the lab.
Even if the other Trainers had arrived at dawn, none could have chosen their Pokémon before him.
It was an innate, unfair advantage.
Yuuto merely gave a faint, almost indulgent smile.
"Well then… good luck."
He reached out and patted Gary's arm—lightly, casually, the way one might comfort an overeager younger sibling.
Then he turned and walked straight into the laboratory without another word.
That complete disregard hit Gary harder than any insult could have.
Eh?
Why isn't this guy panicking?
Why isn't he cursing me out?
Does he think I'm joking?
Or… does he literally not take me seriously at all?
Gary stared at Yuuto's retreating back, teeth grinding.
He was different from the other two Trainers.
When Gary mocked them earlier, they'd flushed red and shouted threats right back.
But Yuuto… this calm indifference stung worse than any comeback.
"Fine! Fine! Fine!"
Gary shouted after him.
"Then we'll see! We'll settle this at the Indigo League Tournament!"
Yuuto didn't even turn around—just raised a hand in lazy acknowledgment before disappearing inside.
Gary stomped his foot in fury.
"Let's go!"
He spun around, tossed his head arrogantly, and climbed into the luxury sports car that had been waiting for him.
The cheerleader girls immediately piled in after him with giggles and excited squeals.
The engine roared to life.
The car carrying Gary and his entire "support group" sped away from Pallet Town in grand, dramatic style, kicking up a thick cloud of dust as his journey officially began.
Inside the laboratory.
The moment Yuuto stepped into the main hall, he met the gaze of a white-haired old man in a white lab coat.
The old man was staring toward the entrance with an embarrassed expression.
Clearly, he had witnessed every second of Gary's performance outside.
This was the leading authority on Pokémon in the Kanto region—Professor Samuel Oak.
"Ahem… Yuuto, you're here~"
Professor Oak tried hard to smooth his expression into something more natural.
He gestured toward three empty Poké Balls sitting on the table beside him.
"That… well…"
The Professor rubbed his hands together awkwardly, his face practically screaming apology.
"The situation is like this."
He opened the three Poké Balls.
They were completely empty.
"Because your application was submitted so late, all the distribution points had already prepared Charmander, Squirtle, and Bulbasaur as the standard three starters."
"As a result… I don't have any spares left here."
Having said that, he watched Yuuto carefully, bracing for disappointment.
He already had several comforting speeches prepared in his mind.
Things like: "Although there are no starters, I still have other excellent Pokémon here."
Or: "What matters most is the bond between Trainer and Pokémon."
Or… whatever else might soften the blow.
But Yuuto's expression remained perfectly calm.
He didn't even glance at the empty Poké Balls.
"It's alright, Professor Oak."
"Just give me whatever you have."
Professor Oak blinked, stunned.
Yuuto continued evenly:
"I believe training doesn't depend solely on a Pokémon's species or innate potential."
"It's about growing together, experiencing things together, and becoming stronger together with your partner."
"So no matter what Pokémon I receive, I'll work hard with it until we become each other's pride."
The words were spoken without arrogance or humility—only quiet, unshakable determination.
Professor Oak's eyes lit up.
Oh my!
This kid… has an exceptionally mature mindset!
Unlike most rookies who fixate only on the "best" starters.
He already understood the deeper truth—bonds and shared growth.
The Professor's earlier embarrassment vanished, replaced by genuine admiration.
He patted Yuuto on the shoulder and laughed heartily.
"Good! Well said!"
"However…"
His tone shifted slightly.
"I can't really just hand you anything. You've paid the fee and earned formal qualification to receive a starter."
"A rookie Trainer needs a Pokémon with decent early-stage combat power."
Professor Oak rubbed his chin thoughtfully and began pacing around the lab.
Yuuto waited patiently, unhurried.
He already knew the best part was coming.
Sure enough, Professor Oak suddenly clapped his hands together.
"I've got it!"
He turned to Yuuto, eyes sparkling with excitement.
"I do have one more here whose combat ability is on par with those three starters."
"It's just that… its personality is a bit… unusual."
As he spoke, his expression turned subtly complicated.
"It's not very friendly toward people—borderline antisocial, really—and it has extremely high standards for its Trainer."
"A few of my trainee researchers tried to bond with it before, but they couldn't handle it and gave up."
He studied Yuuto again, growing more pleased the longer he looked.
"But you're a very steady young man with a solid mindset."
"Maybe… you two will create some interesting sparks~"
Unusual personality.
Impressive combat power.
Yuuto already had a very good idea of what was waiting for him…