Chapter 241: It's a Fast Attack, You Fool!
With Cynthia's matter temporarily settled, the Indigo League continued to progress steadily under the public's watchful eye...
As the matches advanced, the media ramped up their full-scale coverage and praise for Gary:
"Arcanine Defeats Three Opponents in a Row — Gary Oak, the Championship Favorite, Advances to the Semifinals!"
"Exclusive Interview: The Secret Behind Gary's Rapid Progress!"
"Strength Analysis: Just How Powerful Are Gary's Pokémon?"
"6-2 Victory! Advancing to the Finals — Why Gary is a Legend in the Making!"
"Gary's Latest Interview: 'My Grandfather, Professor Oak!'"
…
League Headquarters — International Police Office
"This… this doesn't feel right," Gary's voice echoed from the room.
Asahi responded earnestly, "This is something every celebrity trainer must go through!"
"But this…" Gary hesitated.
"What are you afraid of? You're not the first one to do this — no one's going to laugh at you."
Gary's voice wavered. "Really… no one?"
"Of course. It's only the mediocre who are forgotten! Just look at Leon's popularity in Galar!" Asahi encouraged.
Gary sighed. "Alright… I'll give it a try, but you all better not laugh at me!"
Asahi replied matter-of-factly, "Why would I laugh at you…"
When Gary finally emerged, draped in a white cloak adorned with sponsor logos — clearly inspired by Leon's iconic cape — everyone struggled to stifle their laughter.
Hands clamped over their mouths, they did their best to keep straight faces.
Gary's expression darkened. "You said you wouldn't laugh!"
He should never have trusted Asahi.
Sabrina pursed her lips, managing to maintain a neutral expression. "Honestly… it suits you."
Her gaze drifted to Gary's cloak, which was practically a walking billboard, with sponsor names plastered all over it — a blatant nod to Leon's famous look.
Gary: "…"
He regretted everything.
If Ash saw this, he'd never let him live it down.
But it was too late to back out now. The media that had been hyping him up were all sponsored… there was no turning back.
Gary silently cursed himself for being blinded by the allure of being a celebrity trainer — he had only seen the perks, not the price.
Seeing Gary's gloomy expression, Asahi patted him on the shoulder. "It's really not that bad."
"At the end of the day, Pokémon battles are about strength."
"If you win, who would dare mock the champion? Just like Leon — who makes fun of him?" Asahi shrugged.
Gary thought about it. It was true — people talked about Leon all the time, but no one ever ridiculed him.
"…You're not telling me you don't even have the confidence to win the Indigo League championship, are you?" Asahi prodded. "Ash is watching, you know."
Even though Gary knew Asahi was goading him, the mention of Ash made him clench his fists. "Who says I'm not confident?"
"Just watch — I'm going to win the Indigo League championship!"
Taking a deep breath, Gary shoved aside all his doubts and focused on preparing for the final match.
…
Indigo League Main Stadium
The tournament had finally reached its most anticipated moment!
"Let's welcome both finalists!" the commentator's voice boomed through the stadium.
"In the finals of this year's Indigo League, we have Gary from Pallet Town! As the tournament's top contender, Gary has captivated audiences with his impressive performance. Let's give him a big round of applause!"
As the commentator hyped him up, Gary, still stiffly wearing his sponsor-clad cloak, forced a smile and awkwardly waved at the crowd.
"Master Gary!!"
On the sidelines, Gary's cheerleading squad — dressed in sporty tops and miniskirts — waved their pom-poms, adding a splash of color to the scene.
The dazzling cheerleaders quickly drew the audience's attention away from Gary's questionable fashion choice.
"The other finalist is Ash's opponent — AJ from Fuchsia City!"
AJ entered the battlefield from the opposite side.
In the stands, Blue and Sabrina both turned to Asahi.
"…That commentator's bias is way too obvious."
Asahi coughed. "I have nothing to do with this — it's all arranged by Silph Co."
Technically, Asahi was the mastermind, but he had outsourced the execution to Silph.
Who knew they'd be this heavy-handed about it?
But none of that mattered now — at the end of the day, Pokémon battles were decided by strength!
Gary and AJ stood at opposite ends of the arena, their eyes locked.
The referee recited the match rules and asked both trainers, "Are you ready?"
After both nodded, the referee swung his flag down.
"Then — let the battle begin!"
With the referee's announcement, both trainers hurled their Poké Balls into the air.
Bang!
A flash of white light — Arcanine, eyes sharp and focused, wasted no time testing the waters. The moment it landed on the battlefield, it launched Extreme Speed, bolting straight toward its opponent.
On the other side, AJ's mind was still caught up in his previous matches. He hadn't expected Gary to open with such an aggressive move.
Caught off guard, he hesitated for a split second — enough time for Arcanine to close the distance.
In his panic, AJ gave the worst possible command:
"Poliwrath, use Hydro Pump!"
But Arcanine was already at point-blank range — Hydro Pump, a move requiring charge time, was like offering its face up for a free hit!
The crowd watched as Poliwrath barely lifted its arm to prepare Hydro Pump — only to be slammed by Arcanine's blurred figure, crashing into the ground with a heavy thud.
The charge was interrupted, and Poliwrath was sent flying.
"Wow! Gary opens with a fast-attack strategy, taking advantage of Arcanine's incredible speed! A surprise Extreme Speed right out of the gate — AJ didn't see it coming at all!"
The commentator — paid handsomely by Silph Co. — spoke with lightning speed, explaining Gary's tactics to the crowd in just a few seconds.
As the commentary rolled on, Arcanine didn't slow down. It kept moving, its four legs pounding the ground. Before Poliwrath could even hit the floor, Arcanine was already leaping after it, jaws wide open, flames blazing along its fangs.
With a gust of heat, Arcanine's Fire Fang sank into Poliwrath's arm.
Poliwrath grimaced in pain.
"Poliwrath!" AJ shouted in panic.
He scrambled to issue a counterattack, but Gary was already a step ahead.
"Arcanine, don't give them a chance — use Play Rough!"
Upon hearing Gary's command, Arcanine flung Poliwrath into the air with a toss of its head. Then, with a powerful kick off the ground, it pounced on the airborne Poliwrath, clawing and biting without giving it a moment to recover.
Poliwrath struggled to break free, trying to retreat and create some distance — but Arcanine relentlessly dragged it back each time.
"An unrelenting assault! Gary isn't giving AJ a second to regroup! Arcanine's pressure keeps building, and Play Rough — a Fairy-type move — is particularly effective against Poliwrath's Fighting-type! Can Poliwrath hold on?"
The answer was obvious.
After enduring Extreme Speed, Fire Fang, and Play Rough, the already weaker Poliwrath had no chance.
"Poliwrath is unable to battle! Gary takes the first win in just 1 minute and 32 seconds, using a fast-attack strategy to claim victory!" The commentator, ever professional, hyped up Gary's performance even further: "Let's hear it for Gary!"
The camera zoomed in — Gary's bright smile sharply contrasted AJ's stunned disbelief.
The stadium erupted in cheers!
"Go, Master Gary!" his cheerleading squad yelled, their faces glowing with pride.
Gary flipped his hair and flashed a suave smile at his fans, drawing a fresh wave of adoration.
But in his heart, Gary couldn't help but marvel: I can't believe Asahi's trick worked so well…
Before the finals, worried about slipping up, Gary had gone to Asahi for advice on battle strategies.
He still vividly remembered the scene:
Asahi had casually waved his hand, and in an instant, Eevee darted from Asahi's arms and messed up Gary's hair before zipping back to its spot.
Gary, confused, asked, "Are you… letting me borrow Eevee? That doesn't seem fair…"
But Asahi just stared at him in disappointment. "I'm telling you — it's fast attacks, you fool!"
Back to the present, AJ recalled Poliwrath and studied Gary and his Arcanine with newfound wariness.
Losing the first match due to a miscalculation was a hard blow.
If he'd followed a standard strategy, Poliwrath's type advantage should have given him the upper hand.
I need to watch out for fast attacks…
With that thought, AJ took a deep breath and threw out his second Poké Ball.
ROAR!
A massive figure emerged in a flash of white light, causing the ground to quake.
"AJ's second Pokémon is Onix!" the commentator announced. "We've seen this Onix demonstrate impressive strength during the semifinals!"
"Sending out Onix — it looks like AJ is preparing for Gary's fast-attack strategy…"
As the commentator kept the crowd engaged, Gary didn't hesitate.
"Arcanine, use Fire Spin!"
The unexpected command puzzled everyone watching.
"Fire Spin… on Onix?" AJ laughed.
Onix wasn't remotely afraid of a Fire Spin.
As flames spiraled from Arcanine's mouth, AJ quickly responded, "Onix, ignore it — use Earthquake!"
…