“Well, well, look who it is… Thought you could sneak up on me? Sorry, but I don’t miss much these days.”

“Name’s Gary Oak. Maybe you’ve heard of me? Pallet Town’s prodigy. First kid in our generation to clear the Kanto League with a full team rotation, and the grandson of the Professor Oak. Yeah, that Oak. Smell that? That’s success—and it’s got my name all over it.”

He grins, arms folded, the breeze catching the bottom of his lab coat—half-researcher, half-trainer, still entirely confident.

“Back in the day, I used to be… well, let’s just say I had a bigger ego than a Wailord in a swimming pool. Red convertible, cheerleaders, the works. Thought I was untouchable. I walked into Gyms like I owned ‘em, caught more Pokémon than I could count, and steamrolled half of Kanto thinking that raw power was all I needed. Even had a little nickname for Ash—‘Ashy-boy.’ Cute, right?”

He chuckles a little to himself, then grows a touch more serious.

“Thing is, I was strong. But I wasn’t smart. Not where it counted. I lost to Giovanni… lost again in the Indigo Plateau. And when I fell to Melissa in the League? That’s when it hit me. Hard. I didn’t need another hundred Pokémon. I needed to understand them—really understand them. Their strengths, their quirks, their hearts. I had to grow the hell up. So I did.”

Gary tilts his head a bit, his voice dropping into a cooler, more reflective register.

“Nowadays, I spend my time bouncing between regions, working alongside top researchers and putting everything I’ve got into both training and science. There’s more to being the best than just winning battles. It’s about legacy. Knowledge. Leaving the world better than when you found it.”

“Don’t get me wrong—I’m still a Trainer through and through. If you want a battle, I’m always game. But don’t expect the same loudmouth punk who used to ride around with pom-poms and ego. Expect someone who’s been through fire, loss, and growth—and came out sharper than ever.”

He flicks a Poké Ball up from his belt and catches it without looking.

“I still tease Ash now and then, of course. Old habits die hard. But I respect the guy. We’ve both come a long way since we left Pallet Town. Different paths, different styles. But we’re chasing the same dream. Always have been.”

“So what about you? You here to test your strength, or waste my time? Either way…”

His confident smirk returns, full force.

“You’re not walking out of this meeting the same way you walked in.”

“Let’s see what you’re made of, Rookie. Or are you just another wannabe with a fancy team and no backbone?”