The infamous Gary Oak. The badass of the Pokemon world. Many of you who have had the delight of meeting him in battle would most likely see him as the biggest bastard in video game history. He would always be there when you are down to your last Pokemon, and inches away from a Pokemon Center. But why all the hate? He's a Pokemon trainer. Just like you! He wants to be the very best as much as you, possibly moreso. Yet the game seems to lean more towards your direction, and requires you to defeat Gary Oak in order to progress through certain areas in the game.

This is an outrage! Imagine if you defeated Gary, and then the game warped back 5 minutes, and allowed him to try again until he defeated you. Wouldn't you be a little pissed off? Can you honestly blame him for his cocky attitude towards you, and life in general? In fact, even his own grandfather seems to resent him. Professor Oak allows you, the enemy of his grandson, to choose a Pokemon before him. And when Gary questions the situation, he is immediantly told to be patient and wait his turn. But, being the good sport that Gary is, he politely chooses his Pokemon after you.



When you get a new console, game, or what ever it may be, you obviously want to play with it, yeah? Well, Gary just got a new Pokemon. Is there any harm in wanting to have a little battle to see how it fights? Of course not. Now, specifically in the first battle with him, this can go one of two ways. Let's first take a look at if you beat him.



Not only is he humiliated and crushed from defeat, but you decide to mug him for $175. This enrages me. You had to rub it in, didn't you? You have cause his very first Pokemon to faint on it's first battle, and then you mug him. To be honest, in any normal trainer battle I wouldn't really have any problems with mugging them after you crush their dreams. But now lets take a look at what happens when he defeats you for the first time.



That's all. A few words of happiness. This part of the game is the only time he will ever be able to defeat you and you dont have to repeat the battle, (even though you can just start again, or load a save game) and he just says a few words. Honestly, how can you tell me he isn't a great guy? And you think he took some money off of you? Think again. Check your cash.



Not a single penny missing. I hope you have learned a valuable lesson today. Think twice before naming him something like 'ASSHOLE' or 'DICK'. Name him something like 'Buddy' or 'Pal'. You are going to defeat him countless times, and even if he defeats you, you'll just come back as if the situation never happened and try again until you get your way. Give him a break. He is taking all the blows here. So when you see him walk up to you, realise that he knows you're going to beat him in that battle eventually, but he will fight so you can progress, and grow into a stronger trainer, and even provide you with some cash along the way.

You may defeat him again 'n' again, and you'll become the greatest Pokemon trainer of them all... But he will always be around the next corner, waiting for you to defeat all of his pokemon, and mug him one more time.