Hi all thank you for taking the time to read my story! I will try update twice a week on Wednesday and Sunday. This story will aim to be finished by February. Misty will be the main character but Ash and most likely Brock will also be leading characters. I do not own any of the characters and will disclaim any that I create. Now on with the story and I apologize for the length but this is more of a prologue.

Adrenaline pumped though my veins as I felt my hair fight against the iron grip the water droplets had, plastering it to my back. I could feel hope grip my heart as I scarcely dared to breathe. This is it. The phrase being repeated as if on autopilot in my head. Below me in the pool my Croconaw was seconds away from evolving. The last of the Pokémon choosing to evolve and then my team would be unbeatable. I saw a slight flicker of the fin of my Dewgong as she charged towards Croconaw in a takedown attack and I was momentarily taken by how beautiful she truly was.

Shaking myself from my thoughts I ordered Croconaw to dodge. He complied just missing her by the tip of his tail. Taking a deep breath, I ordered Croconaw to use an ice fang attack. Dewgong escaped using take down in the opposite direction.

I silently marvelled at my Pokémon's ingenuity and creativity but focused on the Pokémon I was commanding, the one who should be evolving…" now".

However, no light came. No glow shrouded my fearsome crocodile Pokémon and morphed into an even more fear inducing Feragilator. Looking up at me with sad eyes I wiped away my own sadness from my heart and dove in the water, fully clothed with my bikini under my clothing and in 10 strong stokes reached my Pokémon and hugged him.

"No worries Croconaw you are perfect to me no matter what form you are in. You just may not be fully ready to evolve but don't worry with you and me working together we will get then soon" I said while smiling and hugging my Pokémon and when a smile lit up his face and eyes my own sadness ebbed away replacing it with the love and affection I held for all my Pokémon.

Swimming to the side of the pool I pulled myself up and waited for my Pokémon to join me. Returning Dewgong and thanking her along with Croconaw I planned on taking them to the healing room and getting them recovered before releasing them into their habitats.

Since I have been gym leader I have made some major renovations. I was 14 when I first got the role and now at 18 years I have morphed the cerulean gym from the laughing stock it was with matching circus theme under my sister's leadership to a streamline and professional gym that both inspired, awed and drove fear into trainers.

The outside was still the same shape but was made of glass and was a huge fish tank on the exterior with golden swimming around and sand and coral on the bottom. It went all the way around the gym and when you enter a domed door in the reception you can still see them. The floor in reception was sand with a desk made of coral in the corner and another domed door behind it leading to offices with a door on the far side with other equipment I needed. There was a couch made of what seemed liked coral but was actually cushions with a driftwood coffee table and a water dispenser in the corner. There were two stair cases in each corner decorated in seaweed and coral and made of driftwood which lead to spectator seating. The roof was showing the fish tank and continued into the hallway in the battling room. I always smiled whenever I was in the room. Pride flooded through my veins whenever I saw my goldeen swim around and a slight smugness whenever I saw the looks of awe on the trainers faces when they come to challenge me. Gone where the eye sores of the past gym. I had made this my own. This is my gym, my home and I reign supreme.

The pool was 50 meters long with large islands dotted in the pool with trees. The pool was circular with two rock platforms either side for me and the trainers. There was Spector seating above looking into the gym which had glass roof that would open and shut. The room was state of the art and the surrounding land was sand and so was the bottom of the pool. I never failed to feel goose flesh rise on my arms and adrenaline flood my veins whenever I stood in this room. The cheer of the crowd was exhilarating. The thrill whenever I ordered my powerful Pokémon to strike another. The thrill of the win and the look of determination in the other trainer's eye. This was why I was a Pokémon trainer. The thrill and love of battles only intensified in this very room. The ethereal glow was the fish tank created an atmosphere I thrived in and so did my Pokémon. Anyone who came in here could tell one thing. This was my domain. I was as home here as my lapras in icy waters and no one, no one could take it from me.

Behind me at the end was a door with a domed roof that lead my training room what was a plain 50-meter tile pool with no spectator seating and tiles surrounding the pool with a door leading to a healing machine and food. I had a platform that I stood on to overlook and the walls were blue except for the far one overlooking their pools which was glass. While this room was the least impressive of the rooms in my gym it was one of my favourites. This room not only helped strengthen my team but also our friendship. As a child I knew relationships were important but it wasn't till I came home and worked on my relationships with my Pokémon that I fully grasped this. Since then we were on a tidal wave of victory and I refused to come crashing down.

Under the water was 3 tunnels. One leading to the artic pool, the freshwater lake pool and my big sea water pool which was all sealed off by glass panels which I opened with a button on my platform. The tunnels were 3 meters wide and could allow most of my Pokémon through but not all. Those I reached at the other side through a door in the glass wall.

First you see a 50-meter large round pool with rocks around it and a 30-meter beach surrounding it where my freshwater Pokémon lived. All the habitats replicated their natural habitats. Over in the far end of the large room was a 100-meter pool that was round with a beach and went shallow to 50 meters and was all water where Pokémon like gyarados lived. Through a glass door that allowed my pokemon to see each other was a large circular pool, about 70 meters in which was freezing temperatures with ice bergs and snow where my Lapras, Dewgong and Cloyster all lived. At the back of the large main room was a smaller pool where eggs lived. The habitat room was over 200 meters and took up the bulk of my gym. Inside the training room pool was a staircase where my apartment was with a balcony allowing me to look over on my Pokémon who lived in an open aired area. Around them was no aquarium as that was only in the areas people came to.

I loved my balcony. Not just because it was cool to have one, and it was but it allowed me to be with my Pokémon always. I was able to see them play, swim, relax and train and it warmed my heart. Looking out on my close to 30 Pokémon it reminded me why I trained, what this was for and overall my ultimate dream. We were a team and no one, not anyone could change that. We were not like the tide, fickle as it ebbed and flowed. No we were the actual ocean, constant, powerful and loyal.

Overall the renovations cost me more than I want to admit but my Pokémon loved it and so did it. It reminded me how much I had grown as both a trainer and a woman along with how my pokemon had advanced. Although I saw it in their battling and in the mirror the gym was my physical reminder. I loved it. My sisters had all moved out which meant I had to whole place to myself and with my Pokémon which was another reason for my closeness with them. They were all I had.

Healing my Pokémon, I entered the yard to a chorus of screams all excited to see Croconaw. Smiling a bit sadly but happily at the display of comrade I released him, gave him a kiss on the head into the freshwater pool to which his buddies came to console him. Smiling I went to the artic centre and after nuzzling with Lapras and patting cloyster I released Dewgong who happily sped through the water with a series of flips.

Giggling I said goodbye and left to pool, togekiss and politoed deciding to follow me. My pokeon often did this but I didn't mind as I was never lonely.

"Come on guys, let's go do some paperwork" I sighed as we traipsed to the main foyer and out the back office to do everything that kept my gym up and running.

Plopping down on my desk like a pebble in the pond I sighed longingly at the photo of the one who had captured my heart, same way as my rod had captured him all those years go.

Sighing nostalgically out the window I vowed to myself the same thing I always did.

"someday Ash, we shall be reunited, you a Pokémon master and be a water type expert and part of the Elite four, the last one you face before reaching the champion. This I promise" letting my gaze linger outside for a moment I returned the photo to its rightful position ad began the long dreary task of filling out paperwork.

Hi all! I know so far the story sounds dull but I needed to set the scene. Croconaw's desire to be a feragilator will be relevant later on I promise. Sorry about the lengthiness of the gym design but I wanted to reflect the fact that while Misty had changed so had the gym and her status as a gym leader and the changes reflect that. Next chapter will be longer and have more detail this just set the scene and gave everyone a glimpse of Misty's life.

Also I changed the chapter a little due to the amazingly constructive help I received from Mira so hopefully she likes the changes and everyone like them to.

THANK YOU OR POKE SHIPPER FOR BEING MY FIRS REVIEWER! It warmed my heart to see I had a reviewer so thank you for your generosity and also Mira who helped improve this chapter.

Hope everyone enjoyed the chapter, I aim to have the next chapter out by Sunday.

Have a good week, Shadows