AN: There is an OC in this chapter of my own design. I hope you enjoy my character. More will be explained after the chapter.


Chapter 9: Waterflowers of Cerulean City Part 1

Ash navigated down a sidewalk of Cerulean City, trying to catch up to his best friend. Serena had been booking it ever since the city had been a sight. At first, he thought she wanted to shop for a dress but she seemingly passed every single store that could offer one. That had him concern because she had been frantic about it with her upcoming Contest.

Even worst, she had been on the fritz trying to come up with a topic to research. Professor Oak had sent her an email about the deadline. She spent more time on her phone and researching a potential topic than helping him. In some ways, it made him sad as he quite enjoyed working with Serena. On the other hand, he wanted her to be happy.

"Come on guys!" Serena ran in place at the corner. "We have to hurry!"

Brock was beside him, running frantically to avoid everyone that he could. Ever since Mt. Moon, he had been doubling his efforts in learning the medical world. Particularly, he had been focusing on how to approach Pokémon. So Ash offered him access to Professor Oak's database in learning what to do when they're in pain and scared.

"Mind telling us why we're running like maniacs?" Brock juked an old lady carrying groceries.

Serena rolled her eyes. "Tickets for the Sensational Sisters will be sold out if we don't hurry!" She ran on ahead.

Brock perked up. "How could I forget?!" He hugged the buildings, running faster than ever. "Come on, Ash! We must hurry!"

Ash sighed, not understanding what the fuss was all about. All he knew as Serena had wanted to see the Sensational Sisters perform live ever since seeing videos of them as kids. Of course, she told them now as opposed to when the marathon started.

Prior to the announcement, he had been set on finding local Trainers to battle in preparation for his upcoming Gym Battle. Aside from battling, he wanted to find ways to improve his endurance as he had been getting better at sensing aura, but now he wanted to try the Aura Shield technique.

He guessed he should throw those plans out the window to help Serena fulfill a childhood dream. He followed Brock's lead with his second wind.

The trio arrived in front of a natatorium with a Dewgong sign with the words 'The Sensational Sisters' on it. The building itself was circular and several stories high with posters of the sisters plastered all over the walls. Daisy was a blonde that sported a pirate's costume with an eyepatch over her left eye. Violet had dark blue hair in a mermaid outfit. Lily had pink hair and wore a heroic prince-like outfit. Or did that make her a princess?

"This can't be happening!" Serena covered her face with her hair. There was a huge line that wrapped around the building. Eevee licked her face, but the honey-blonde appeared to ignore her Pokémon.

Ash hunched over, catching his breath. "You bought tickets online, didn't you?"

His best friend sadly shook her head. "The Sensational Sisters have some of the worst business practices! They only sell tickets the day of their performances and only mere hours too…"

Ash didn't understand business practices, but wow that did sound dumb. "Do they just expect people to show up?"

"Why wouldn't they?" Brock creepily stared at the poster before pointing at it. "They're all beauties! If they decide to go solo, I bet the venture will be sold out!"

Ash sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck. While the costumes were amazing, he didn't see the appeal in the women. Sure, they looked nice but they didn't have any appeal to him. All he could focus on was Serena and wanting her to be able to see the performance at least. They waited nearly an hour in line to get to the ticket booth.

"Three tickets, please!" Serena told the clerk.

The clerk sighed. "Sorry, ma'am, but we just sold out."

"What?!" Serena gasped. "There must be some kind of mistake!"

The clerk shook their head. "Better luck next time." They immediately closed the booth.

People behind them scattered with disappointed faces. Many presumably went home while others looked like they wanted to see the aquatic tanks with Pokémon inside.

"I'm sorry guys." Serena turned around with a frown. "We came all this way for nothing."

"Highly unfortunate, but at least we gave it a shot," Brock sighed, rubbing his hair and looking at the ground.

Ash raised his arms in the air. "Cheer up, guys! We still have plenty to look forward to in the city like my Gym Battle and Serena's upcoming Contest. Can't we catch the next showing?"

His best friend weakly smiled and shook her head. "Unfortunately, they only do showings every other Friday…"

"Oh…" Ash adjusted his hat downward. By then, they would most likely have made it to another city. "Sorry that I held you guys up."

Brock placed a hand on his shoulder. "Don't blame yourself. If they had more conventional ways of selling tickets, Serena would have bought them ahead of time. Why don't we head towards the Pokémon Center and then find some Trainers to battle?"

Ash liked the sound of that idea when a pair of cold hair covered his eyes.

"Guess who, Ash!" Said a familiar voice.

His back shivered several times as he quickly removed the hands. He immediately noticed Serena's stiffness in her body while pouting. Brock appeared curious about the person standing behind him. As he suspected, it was none other than Miette.

"Miette…" Ash laughed awkwardly. "It's been a while."

"Too long if you ask me," the Coordinator giggled. "I had been worried about you since hearing about a Team Rocket operation being foiled at Mt. Moon. I was afraid you might have gotten in the middle of that. I see now I had nothing to worry about."

Ash glanced at his friends. Each of them had an awkward smile but he got the general understanding that they were not going to talk about that experience.

"So…" Brock cleared his throat. "Were you hoping to get tickets to see the show too?"

Miette nodded with a sigh. "I lost track of time at the Pokémon Center, practicing some performances. I would have secured a ticket or two sooner had I known you were arriving today. Wait a minute, why is the Pewter City Gym Leader here?"

"Former Gym Leader," the aspiring doctor corrected. "Being a Gym Leader was never my passion. Nowadays, I'm traveling with Ash and Serena to learn more about being a Pokémon Doctor."

The Kalos native grinned. "Incredible. I hope Ash's Pokemon are the healthiest in the world!" She hung an arm around Serena. "Not a bad option, am I right?"

Serena narrowed her eyes while whispering harshly. "Totally not my type!"

"Don't you love tall, dark, and handsome?" Miette wiggled her eyebrows up and down.

"If you like him so much, then be my guest!" Serena retorted.

Miette glanced at Ash. "Maybe I will."

Serena's cheeks appeared to be turning red with her teeth grinding.

Ash scratched his head, not following who they're referring about. "What are you guys talking about?"

"You have got to be kidding me…" Brock slapped his forehead while looking downward.

Serena took a step to the side, folding her arms, and looking to the side. "Nothing important, humph."

"Girl talk isn't nothing," Miette laughed. "Anyways, this wasn't a complete waste of a trip. When were you planning on your Gym Battle? I hope I didn't miss it."

"I signed up on Sunday," Ash answered.

The girls looked at one another, the color drained from their faces. "Please tell me you didn't!" They both said in unison.

"Is something wrong?" Ash blinked.

Serena hung her head. "You'll miss my debut."

"Wait, I thought Gyms were usually open on weekdays as opposed to weekends." Miette had a hand on her hip.

"Most of them do," Brock acknowledge. "However, some, like the Cerulean Gym, have exceptions for a variety of reasons."

Miette glared at Serena. "Great…here I thought you would have told Ash when the Cerulean Contest was taking place to avoid this massive headache."

"If that's when he was able to schedule his match, then it can't be helped!" Serena retorted.

She wasn't wrong. If he had to cancel his spot, finding another spot would take possibly another week. That was time he couldn't waste staying in one particular city.

"Keep dreaming!" Miette raised her voice. "You had plenty of time to tell him. With a proper heads up, he would have been able to find a better time to have his match."

The Coordinators had heated arguments that drew the attention of everyone in the lobby. Some babies might be crying due to the yelling.

Brock nudged Ash. "We have to do something."

"Like what?" He shrugged.

"Excuse me," said a calm, female voice. To the group's left was a woman sporting a blue jacket over a water suit with a teardrop-shaped emblem on her chest and a blue stripe down the side. She wore a pair googles on her strawberry blonde hair that went down her back. She had an athletically toned body as well.

The girls stopped their bickering, turning to the woman. They covered their mouths with their hands.

Brock decided to hide behind Ash. A very poor job if Ash had a say, but he was too busy being in awe of the woman.

"R-Rachel Waterflower?" He stumbled in his words. "W-What's the Gym Leader doing here?"

The swimmer flicked her hair. "Why I came here to support my daughters and their theatrics." She giggled. "Though your girlfriends' outburst caught my attention. Did I hear right in that you're caught between cheering them on for a Contest against having a Gym Battle with me?"

Ash nodded, though he didn't know why she said 'girlfriends' in the way that she did. They were girls that happen to be his friend.

"Mom!" Another woman whispered loudly. "What are you doing?" She appeared to be around Ash's age. She had orange hair tied in a sideway ponytail with a pair of sunglasses on her head. She wore a yellow jacket over an ocean blue compression shirt and red shorts over leggings. Like her mother, she had an athletic tone body too.

Ash's jaw dropped. As if it wasn't enough to meet a Gym Leader but he also gets to meet a Top 16 finalist in last year's Regional League.

Rachel motioned her daughter to join in the conversation. "I believe I have a solution to solve both of our problems."

"What do you mean by both?" The daughter growled.

The Gym Leader looked at her daughter. "Misty, I want you to coach this young man to beat me in a battle." She then turned her attention to Ash. "If you accept my daughter as your coach, I'll pull some strings to give you a spot that won't interfere with the Contest."

"That's not fair!" Misty stomped her foot. "I've passed every test and battle examination according to the PLA." She pointed at Ash. "If anything, he should be battling me to earn himself a Cascade Badge!"

Ash was taken aback at their conflict. Sounded like Misty qualified in every aspect to be a Gym Leader in Training. She was at least of the Challenger class and passed the PLA standards. What gives? Brock allowed his brother to be his Trainee and Forrest didn't even compete in the Regional League.

Rachel folded her arms. "Regardless of your accomplishments and what the PLA has to say, you're not qualified to be my Trainee. Daisy, Violet, and even Lily would make better Trainees than you."

"I'm more qualified than any of them!" Misty growled.

"Then prove it!" Rachel challenged. "Coach this challenger to victory and then I'll reconsider my stance, assuming he finds these terms acceptable."

Misty glared at Ash. "Kid, you better accept this limited time offer to be coached by the Water Star!"

Ash scratched his head. While he was intrigued by meeting Misty for her amazing water-type training, after seeing her in person, he was less sure about getting to know her. Let alone having her coach him. The only thing he thought that made sense was for her to teach him his way around a water battlefield.

He turned to his friends on any input on the matter. Upon seeing Serena, he remembered why he was here in the first place. Perhaps there was a way for all of them to win.

"I have a counter offer!"

"This better be good," Rachel laughed.

"I'll accept if we're able to see the Sensational Sisters perform tonight!"

The mother and daughter looked at one another, appearing to be considering the possibility with subtle body movement. Serena and Miette gave pleading looks.

"Sorry, kid but that's a tall order," Rachel sighed. "These showings are usually packed so no extra seats. We also don't allow people backstage anymore."

"Yeah…the last time we allowed that things got…creepy." Misty had her eyes shut, appearing to be fighting off some thoughts.

Ash frowned, not willing to give up. "There must be something you can do. We came all this way."

"The best I can offer are tickets to the next showing," Rachel answered. "Take it or leave it."

Misty sighed upon looking at Ash's expression. "Wait…there might be one thing we can do." She turned to her mom. "Why don't we have them perform at the Gym before or after the battle?"

"Hmm," Rachel appeared to be deep in thought. "People would come to see the show, but I don't think they'll care for the battle, especially with a nobody. If we were to do this, it would be during primetime."

Ash took a deep breath while adjusting his cap. He was not going to let this opportunity slip away from him. "I'm Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town!"

Misty's eyes widened with a grin. "As in the son of Red Ketchum? No backing out, mom!"

Rachel laughed at her daughter while considering the possibility once again. "Alright kid, you got yourself a deal." She shook hands with Ash. "I'll work my magic to get my daughters to perform at the Gym so your friends can enjoy their show and ensure your bottle doesn't line up with the upcoming Contest as long as you allow Misty to coach you for our coming battle."

"Deal!" Ash said happily. Everything was going to work out just fine.

"You're more than welcome to use the Gym facilities to coach," Rachel told Misty. "Once I have everything figured out, I'll text you the date and time."

Misty smirked. "Thanks, mom." Then she quickly grabbed ahold of Ash's hand and started to drag him out the door. "Come on, Mr. Ketchum. We're going to see what you're made of!"


Excitement filled the bone of Misty. Becoming a Gym Leader in Training was within reach. All she had to do was coach Ash Ketchum to beat her mom. Half the work should already be done. He was after all the son of a legend. She escorted him and his friends to the Gym and to the battlefield.

The field consisted of a large circular pool with a circular rock formation. Tons of floating platforms floated in the water.

The Coordinators sat in the dugout while Ash took his place in the trainer box. Brock acted as the judge while Misty determined which of her personal Pokémon would be a far challenge to a Trainer class with one badge.

"So how will this coaching thing work?" Ash asked.

"First, we're going to battle," Misty smirked. "Afterwards, we'll talk about it. Though, I doubt I would have much to say to you."

Ash scratched his head. "I don't know about that." Both of them used the VS Seeker to make it an official battle.

Brock explained the standard Gym Battle rules for a three-on-three. "Misty, please choose your first Pokémon."

The orange-haired beauty kissed her Pokéball and tossing it out. "Magikarp, grace us with your beauty!"

Splashing into the water was a red-scaled fish with a pair of whiskers. A Pokémon she had recently caught and trained. It sure should provide a decent challenge.

"Pikachu, I choose you!" Ash pointed out.

The electric-type ran down his arm and hopping onto the rock formation. It sparked its cheeks.

"Battle Begin!"

Misty pondered Ash's move. If he started with a Pikachu, then he must have another type strong against water-types. Only one way to find out. "Hydro Pump!"

Ash's eyes widened while he held onto the railing. "Run to the right and use Thunder Shock!"

Pikachu moved on its right, eying the water for Magikarp's shadow until it disappeared.

Knowing her Pokémon, it swam deeper into the pool, moving into a prime position to hop out of the water. It wasted no time in blasting Pikachu from behind and having it belly flop in the water.

"Tackle!" Misty followed up.

Ash bit his lips, waiting for a moment. "Play Rough!"

The Fish Pokémon submerged underwater and outswam Pikachu, bashing its head, and causing both Pokémon to come flying out of the water.

Pikachu grabbed ahold of the whiskers and performed an overhead throw to send Magikarp flying towards the rock formation.

"Bounce!" Misty countered.

"Electro Ball!" Ash commanded.

The electric-type swung an Electro Ball prior to falling back to the water.

Magikarp used its momentum to catch the air around it and guided its course to the rock formation. It slammed its tail and springboard back into the air, avoiding the opponent's attack.

"Thunder Shock!" Ash hollered.

"You know what to do!" Misty encouraged.

The Mouse Pokémon blasted electrical attacks towards the falling Magikarp.

The Fish Pokémon spun to the left and right, evading the attacks, closing in for a devastating blow.

"Iron Tail!" Ash shouted.

With perfect timing, Pikachu whacked Magikarp on the side, sending it skidding on the water like a pebble.

"Thunder Shock!"

Magikarp was zapped before it could recover. Once the attack ended, the Fish Pokémon floated in the water.

"Magikarp is unable to battle!" Brock declared.

The cheerleading squad cheered upon victory. Their Pokémon also celebrated as well.

The Water Princess returned her Pokémon, kissing the ball as a thank you. Part of her was irritated by the Coordinators for counting her out after one round. After all, Ash's battling skills didn't wow her. His Pikachu was certainly well trained, but where was the strategy, the flare? Maybe she was judging him too quickly as there was still plenty of time to see what he was made of.

"Seadra!" She kissed the Pokéball. "Grace us with your power!"

A blue scaled, seahorse looking Pokémon appeared in the water. It had wing-like pectoral fins, a stout tail, and appeared to be angry. That's when she knew it was ready for battle.

Pikachu sparked its cheeks with Ash using his Pokédex, probably to determine what kind of ability it might have.

"Battle begin!"

"Electro Ball!" Ash began.

"Duck and Twister!" Misty countered.

The Dragon Pokémon submerged underwater, avoiding the Electro Ball. Within seconds, it was probably underneath the platform that Pikachu stood. The water started to swirl in a clockwise fashion, spinning the platform along with it.

"Get out of there!" Ash shouted.

Too late. A cyclone of water sprouted out of the water, sending Pikachu along for a nasty ride.

"Water Pulse!" Misty followed up.

"Thunder Shock to get yourself free!"

Seadra popped its head out of the water, eying Pikachu's movement. It aimed its snout carefully, gathering water into an orb to launch. While it might not have looked on target, the attack landed perfectly mid-fall, sending the electric-type crashing onto the rock formation.

"Pikachu is unable to battle!" Brock stated.

The Coordinators were silent this type, maybe in disbelief that Pikachu wasn't able to take out at least two of her Pokémon.

"Butterfree, I choose you!" Ash tossed out his next Pokémon without retrieving Pikachu. "Use Confusion and bring Pikachu back to me!"

The bug-type lifted Pikachu with its psychic move, bringing the defeated Pokémon to Ash. He took the Pokémon, setting it to the ground, and thanked it for its efforts.

Upon seeing the bug-type, Misty's hands started to shake. Her heart rate increased and her stomach turned left and right. Why in the world does he have a bug-type? Points for it having greater mobility, but did he not have another Pokémon that's super effective against water-types?

Don't get her started on Pikachu's lackluster performance of not hitting Seadra last round. No matter, as long as the bug-type doesn't touch her, she should be fine.

"Battle begin!"

"Rain Dance into Icy Wind!" Misty commanded.

"Gust!" Ash countered.

Seadra cooed rainclouds into existence to cause a downpour all over the field. Following up on the rain, the Dragon Pokémon expelled cold air into the sky.

Butterfree moved out of the way from the brunt of the attack, but it was pelleted by the frozen raindrops. It fought through the pain the produced wind that carried a mixture of water and ice.

Seadra swam against the current, braving the attack.

"Electroweb!" Ash extended his arm.

Misty's eyes narrowed. No wonder he decided on Butterfree. He trained it to learn an electrical move like she did for Magikarp and its moves. Maybe she judged him too quickly. "Smokescreen!"

From its snout, smoke poured onto the pool, concealing its position.

Butterfree was quick on the draw, sending several Electrowebs in the area. Some expanded to cover a wide distance.

"Seadra!" The Dragon Pokémon shouted in pain. The smoke disappeared revealing it had been zapped. Residue from the web covered its body grossly.

The athletic beauty was slightly impressed. "Scald!"

"Confusion it right back!" Ash countered.

Steaming water blasted from Seadra's snout only to be frozen in midair by Confusion. The water circled back towards Seadra who dove underwater. The clash of the pool water and Scald caused a light fog to appear.

"Twister!" Misty commanded.

"Electroweb the water!" Ash shouted.

A water cyclone beat Butterfree to the punch. The winds started to pick up as the Twister gained power from the pool water and rain.

As far as Misty could tell, Ash was busy holding onto Pikachu and the railing. "Get-web!"

While she didn't quite get the command, she followed Butterfree's movement. It had been following the air currents and slowly climbing to the very top.

"Water Pulse, above you!" Misty had a pretty good idea of what he was doing. A crazy plan at that.

The winds started to die down with Seadra popping out of the water, waiting for the perfect opportunity to launch its attack.

Butterfree floated above the eye of the cyclone when it dissipated.

Seadra launched Water Pulse that slammed Butterfree, but it managed to fire back an Electroweb that hit the Dragon Pokémon. The bug-type went spiraling into the ceiling while Seadra was zapped.

"Both Pokémon are unable to battle!"

The girls came rushing out of the dugout, appeared to be worried about their friend. Misty didn't blame them as she had him on the ropes unless he was wise to save a strong Pokémon for last.

Misty returned her Pokémon, kissing the ball, happy with how Seadra performed. Still, Ash disappointed her. There was an obvious solution that would have avoided his Pokémon from getting seriously hurt. At the bottom of her heart, she hoped Butterfree was okay given Seadra's Sniper ability.

With a kiss of her next Pokémon, she quickly moved on. "Starmie, grace us with your beauty!"

Appearing in the water was a starfish-like Pokémon that had a total of ten appendages. It also had an octagonal, red jewel in the middle of its body. It spun around in the water with Ash looking it up with his Pokédex.

"Pidgeotto, I choose you!" Ash sent out his last Pokémon. The flying type soared around the area before returning to its side of the field.

The beauty narrowed her eyes. What was Ash doing? Did he not have another electric or grass-type?

"Battle begin!"

"Bait it out with Gust!" Ash started.

"Rapid Spin!" Misty countered.

Like Butterfree, Pidgeotto got closer to the water to flap its wings. Before it could get stronger, Starmie came spinning out of the water vertically to hit the flying type like a wheel.

Ash winced at the sight. "Quick Attack into Wing Attack!"

Starmie descended back to the water. Pidgeotto arched its back while diving down to the water. At the last moment, it pulled up with added speed. It smacked the Mysterious Pokémon with its head before slapping it repeatedly with its wings.

"Thunderbolt!" Misty frowned.

"Climb, quickly!" Ash shouted.

The Mysterious Pokémon's jewel turned yellow as it spun around. It generated electricity that zapped Pidgeotto.

"Finish it with Psychic!" Misty followed up.

The jewel turned blue as Pidgeotto no longer controlled its movements. Starmie toyed with it by having it thrown in a circular pattern in the air before slamming it against the rocky landscape.

"Pidgeotto is unable to battle!" Brock declared. "This means, the winner of this match is Misty!"

Blondie and the other chick frowned upon seeing Ash's defeat. They made their way over to his trainer box as he returned his Pokémon. He lowered his cap to cover his eyes and picked up Pikachu before leaving the platform.

Misty didn't bother to return Starmie as she marched her way over to Ash. Was this kid really the son of Red Ketchum? He sure didn't feel like it. His strategies were nonexistent to basic. He just made them up as the match went on. Anger boiled her blood.

"Tough break," Brock said. "You did well considering it was your first time on a water battlefield."

"With some extra training, you should get her next time," Miette winked.

"Uh…I think you looked amazing out there," Serena stated.

Misty joined the group with her hands upon her hips. "What's the big idea here? Are you truly the son of Red?"

Ash grimaced. "What is that supposed to mean? Of course, I'm his son. Why would I make that up?"

"I don't know. Maybe so you could see my sisters perform with your friends!" Misty crossed her arms while tapping her foot. "Where's the fun, challenging, and exciting aspects of Red's battling style? Let alone your line up was terrible and poorly prepared. You could have easily won with a better strategy."

"That was my first time on a water battlefield!" Ash retorted. "Out of my current team, Pikachu, Pidgeotto, and Butterfree were the best to deal with a water battlefield. Would you have rather me send out a Nidoran and a Charmander?"

Misty scoffed. "You don't even have a water-type either and you're making up excuses. I refuse to believe that the great Red Ketchum would train his son to be as pitiful as you. The son of Red would have more class and put up a greater challenge than you and certainly wouldn't lose to a Gym Leader in Training. That was one lousy battle. How do you expect to beat my mom?"

Ash hung his head low before looking at Misty with fury in his eyes. His grip on his electric type tightened. "Without you! Our deal's off!" He stormed off. "Let's go guys." Serena and Miette gave disapproving looks at Misty before walking away with him.

Misty blinked in disbelief. It was clearer to her that he wasn't the son of Red. It had to be it. Her breathes were shallower as she saw her chances of becoming a Gym Leader in Training walking away. Tears accumulated around her eyes and a sense of dread hovered in her chest. "FINE! I didn't want to coach a wannabe loser anyways!"

Serena stopped herself prior to the door. She turned around with a mean glare at Misty. "Ash is many things, but a loser isn't one of them! The only loser I see around here is you!" She slammed the door behind her.

The beauty wanted to break down crying as her dreams ended before they could begin; however, she noticed that Brock never left. "What are you still doing here?"

"I thought I could offer you some advice," the former Gym Leader appeared to be having some second thoughts.

"Why would I want any advice from you?" Misty gazed out at the pool. "You shouldn't have been qualified to be a Gym Leader in the first place. You had a few losing seasons and you even admitted you didn't want to be one in the first place!"

Brock crossed his arms with a tight grip. "On the contrary, I'm more qualified than you."

"Oh yeah?" Misty turned around. "Prove it! Battle me, right now!"

He shook his head. "I don't have to prove myself to you or anyone. In the short time I've known you, I can understand why your mother doesn't want you to become a Gym Leader in Training. You wouldn't qualify under any Gym either. Ashamed too, your battling skills are top-notch." He picked up his bag, seemingly changed his mind on offering any advice.

Misty's heart raced. Again, she was seeing her chances of becoming a Trainee slip away before her very eyes. What was she going to tell her mother? What would she do to fulfill her dream? "WAIT!"

The former Gym Leader paused in front of the exit.

"Why doesn't my mom want me to be her Trainee? Why don't I qualify under any Gym even with my battling skills?"

He turned his head. "You should look at the battle between Ash and my little brother, Forrest."

She was confused. "Grr…What kind of answer is that? Why can't you tell me?"

"Because I doubt Ash would want to see you so soon and in your current state of mind. Let alone it is best for you to observe what you lack and did wrong than me to spell it out. If you have the heart of a true Gym Leader then perhaps you'll be able to make amends with Ash and if you're lucky, salvage your deal." He left the arena, leaving Misty to her thoughts.


The aspiring Gym Leader took off to the locker room to change into a swimming suit. She returned to the battlefield to swim several laps around the rocky ring landscape. Usually, the cool touch of the water and the exercise helped to clear her mind. Not this time, no matter the stroke or time she spent. She couldn't shake off the sight of Ash leaving and Brock's words about she didn't qualify under any Gym.

She floated on her back while looking up to the ceiling. Thoughts on other ways to achieve her dream came to mind. She could move to a different region and take over a different Gym in time. She could do the Gym Challenge again. Still, her mind drifted back to being Cerulean City's Gym Leader. It was like her birthright since her sisters took up performing. Let alone, it should stay in the family.

With enough anger built up, she stood upright in the water and made a big splash. She did several times to release her anger at the situation. When she felt as if she couldn't make another splash, she decided to sit by the edge with her phone. She hated taking advice from a Gym Leader that wasn't worthy in her eyes, but she still had a chance even if a slim one.

She browsed through the internet to search for Ash's first Gym Battle. After her first viewing, she was even less impressed with Ash. That battle he managed to get lucky with Charmander still standing, Blaze activated, and it learning Flamethrower. She figured she was missing something so she watched it again three times over. On her second viewing, she fixated on Brock's role in helping Ash get through the crowd booing him. The crowd should be ashamed of themselves she thought. The third, she noticed the interactions between Ash and Forrest. On her final playthrough, she noticed that the two combatants did have fun despite the lackluster performance on Ash's part.

Lost in her thoughts, she pondered her battle with Ash until she was shoved back into the water. She floated in the water with an angry look to see her sisters laughing, specifically Violet and Lily. Daisy appeared amused but didn't laugh out loud. The sisters were in matching outfits.

"If my phone's ruined then you owe me a new one!" Misty yelled at them.

"Like we could totally afford it so not a big deal," Lily stated.

Misty got out of the water. "What are you three doing here anyway?"

Daisy handed Misty a towel to dry herself. "We thought you were long gone with that Ketchum kid at the Pokémon Center or something. We just wanted to get a lay of the land so we could plan and adapt one of our shows."

"I see…" Misty sighed while drying herself.

"Like is everything fine with you?" Violet asked.

"Just dandy," Misty quickly said.

Daisy raised an eyebrow. "You don't sound fine."

"Well I am fine!" Misty shouted. "Everything is fine…" She started to breathe heavily.

The trio of sisters shook their heads, not buying the act after the outburst.

"Hey girls, I think it's time for one of dad's traditions!" Lily happily said.

Violet gently hugged Misty. "Let's go get some ice cream! I bet that'll cheer you right up with whatever is troubling you!"

Daisy nodded. "Do we really need to keep calling it dad's tradition when he's not here?"

Misty's eye's widened. Could it be possible? Brushing off Violet aside, she ran towards the locker room to change. "Sorry, I gotta run!" Her sisters were dumbfounded.


Following Ash's defeat, he resided at the Pokémon Center to get all of his Pokémon checked by the staff. Serena and Miette seemingly called a truce in order to cheer Ash up. Unfortunately for them, it was more complicated than losing a battle. He had thought he accepted that people will place expectations onto him, but never in his wildest dreams did he expect perfection. Let alone his skills to be on par with his fathers. If that wasn't enough, he lost control of his emotions and called off the deal. Now his best friend couldn't see the Sensational Sisters.

He told the girls that he wanted some space and he went outside to sit upon a bench overlooking a battlefield. Once again, he looked up at the sky with a disappointed expression. He wanted to see the stars. Instead, he decided to close his eyes and practice the Aura Shield technique just to take his mind off of everything. Though, his anger prevented him from concentrating fully. He sat there for who knows how long, ignoring the chilly crisped air.

Images of Pikachu, Butterfree, and Pidgeotto came to his mind. How each one of them crashed into a hard surface. He hoped their injuries won't be served. He thought about the battle in general and some of the words Misty had to say. On some level, she was right. Maybe if he had a better strategy going into the battle would have helped. In contrast, she made great use of the battlefield and had several combinations moves up her sleeves, unlike Quick Attack into another attack. Forrest had strategies for his Pokémon and Frank as well. Even Damian was prepared with better strategies.

As he was trying to remember each strategy used against him, he heard Serena yelling at someone by the doors.

"What are you doing here?" His best friend crossed her arms with a glare.

"I came to talk to him," Misty surprisingly said calmly. "Is that a crime?"

Serena huffed. "He doesn't want to see you or talk to you. I suggest you buzz off!"

Misty narrowed her eyes. "What are you? His girlfriend or something?"

The honey-blonde lost her composure and waved her arms frantically in the air. "No, not at all! I mean, I'm his friend who happens to be a girl, but I'm not involved with him romantically or anything…" She twirled hair strands.

Ash's heart sunk. For some reason, Serena's comment made him feel sad.

The hothead deadpanned. "Then I suggest you mind your own business." She walked past his friend and towards him.

He closed his eyes, pretending he didn't see her.

"Ash," Misty said in a calm and sweet tone. When he didn't acknowledge her, she sighed. "I understand that I'm probably not someone you want to see right now, but please listen to what I have to say at least." She paused. "I'm really sorry for losing my cool earlier. Obviously, your father never taught you much when it comes to battles. It was wrong of me to assume you had any relations with your dad. Skills cannot be inherited like looks can through genes. I'm sorry for putting those expectations onto you."

The young man opened his eyes to see Misty bowing with her hands in front of her. He wished he could read human auras as well as he could with Pokémon. Based on her body language and tone of voice, he believed she was being sincere in her apology.

"I accept your apology," he finally spoke. "But for your information, my dad hasn't been around in my life so it's impossible for me to have learned anything from him."

Misty straightened herself out. "I see…I didn't know. I thought he had retired and lived with his family in Pallet Town."

"That's what most people think," Ash shook his head. "Along with being lazy or a coward for not facing Champion Blue. The truth is, he's been away on some sort of journey."

The orange-haired girl sat beside him with space in between. "Do you know why he's been on a journey?"

"I'm not sure," he shrugged. "When I was around seven, he told me he was going to train. Over the years, I began to doubt it, especially whenever my mom acted tough around me. Occasionally he would return, but only for a day if even but he stopped around when I was ten. Whatever it is he's doing, I assume it's really important."

"Do you wish he was around so he could have taught you everything you needed to know? Or even just think that he's watching your Gym Battles from afar?"

Ash faced Misty. "Yeah…how did you know?"

"Those are some my feelings towards my own father," she replied with a small grin. "I never met my father as according to my family he left shortly after I was born. Apparently, he wanted a boy so he was disappointed to have me…As a baby, he tried to get me to use boy pronouns instead of girl pronouns. My family tried to get him some help, but that's when he disappeared."

Ash couldn't believe someone would do such a thing. He couldn't even imagine how someone would feel after learning their dad basically didn't want them for who they were. "That's awful…I'm sorry to hear."

She averted her eyes while taking a deep breath. "Thanks…My sisters used to tell me that our dad was a Pokémon Ranger and that he saved lots of Pokémon and environments."

"How was he really?"

Misty shrugged. "For starters, he wasn't a Pokémon Ranger. He was some insurance salesman. According to my mom, he was sweet and gentle. To my sisters, he was very caring and involved until he lost it. My mom still wears her wedding ring in the hope that one day he'll return."

"I'm guessing you don't want to meet him anymore?" Ash looked towards the ground.

"Not as much as I used to or they do," she answered. "I wish he would make some amends with my family. Then I would finally get to know him and see for myself how he is instead of stories."

"I guess I should feel lucky that I know my father at the very least," Ash looked up towards the night sky. "Maybe I'll even get to see him while I'm on my journey."

Misty closed her eyes with a smile. "Then I suppose I'll pray for you to meet him again."

"Like I'll pray for you to meet yours!" Ash smiled at her.

A gentle breeze washed over them. They silently enjoyed the beauty of the moon.

"So Misty…"

"Yeah, Ash?"

The young man turned to her. "Why do you want to become a Gym Leader in Training? Is it because you want to be like your mom? I never really understood why you stopped competing in the Regional Leagues."

"In part," she laughed. "I love water-type Pokémon. They're all so cute and beautiful. As long as I can remember, I wanted to become the greatest Water-Type Specialist in the world. Becoming a Trainee is just the first step in completing that goal. Becoming Gym Leader would be even better as I get to be challenged by stronger Trainers."

"That's amazing," Ash remarked. "I suppose with all of your training, you know how to unlock a water-type's true potential."

Misty's cheeks flushed. "Well I wouldn't go that far…Everything that I know in battling comes from my mom. If she had been using her own team, I would never come close in beating her as I did." She then laughed. "What about you? I bet you want to become Regional Champion of Kanto!"

"Actually, I want to become a Pokémon Master!" Ash stood up. "I'm researching ways to unlock a Pokémon's full potential. Facing Gym Leaders, the Pokémon Leagues, Elite Fours, and Champions are steps along the way in discovering the secret!"

Misty blinked before shaking her head. Then she extended her hand. "Then let's help one another out. If we managed to beat my mom, I'll let you in on some of our secrets."

"Deal!" Ash shook her hand.

Buzz! Buzz!

Misty checked her phone with her eyes widening. "You got to be kidding me…"

"What's wrong?"

"My mom managed to schedule your match tomorrow night." She slapped her forehead.

"I thought the Cerulean Gym was closed on Saturdays."

She shrugged. "Between my sisters' performance and your battle, the network might have thought it'll draw in viewers. We barely have a day to be prepared… My mom is no joke."

Ash had seen her on TV and know that she boasted an impressive record. "Alright…What did I do wrong in our battle?"

Misty scratched her head. "First of all, you need to know your battlefield. A water battlefield leans heavily towards any water type. Starting off with Pikachu was a mistake because it's your one pure type advantage and it's limited by the rock formations and floating platforms. Then when Seadra created a water cyclone, you didn't recall your Butterfree to make it stop. Lastly, you didn't consider that water types can learn moves that are super effective against Pidgeotto. Going in close was its downfall."

Ash soaked the feedback in. He didn't know it was going to be that bad in regards to his mistakes. He wondered if his previous battles also had similar mistakes. "How would you used my line up?"

"I would have started off with…Butterfree…" She shivered while looking like she was fighting the urge to vomit.

"Are you okay?"

"Fine," she quickly replied. "Anyways, Butterfree is better because it can fly which is a disadvantage for water types aiming most of their attacks. Assuming it beat Magikarp, I would have switched to give it some rest and used Pidgeotto. I suppose you had the right idea trying to bait out a water type from the water, but water types do have ways to counter flying types like Starmie with Thunderbolt. Win or lose, I would switch back to Butterfree to give Pikachu the best possible chance to sweep."

Ash saw that he was using his Pokémon to wear down his opposition. "Here I thought starting with Pikachu would have been better to give myself an early lead."

"Not necessarily the worst the idea, but then you should have swapped out after it taking a few hits," Misty replied. "If you also had a grass type and another electric type, that would have been more ideal with that strategy."

It made sense to Ash. "So what now?"

Misty pondered the thought. "First, I think it's important for me to know your team inside and out. Based on what you told me earlier, I think Pikachu, Butterfree, and Pidgeotto will probably be our best bet. Still, I want to know what's I'm dealing with."

For the remainder of the night, they went over Ash's notes on his Pokémon and his primary strategies with them. Misty examined the notes and decided the best course of action was to watch the film of different battles involving her mother and his current class and badge number.

The Gym only had three different teams for a Trainer of his caliber. They watched the battle as normal first with Ash going over what he had seen before Misty went over her observations. The future Trainee typically had more observations. Then they watched the battle again trying to point out weaknesses in strategies.

Apparently, when Misty had done the Gym Challenge, this was how she managed to prepare for her Gym Battles. Ash wished, he thought of that earlier.

They wrote down different strategies and the abilities of the Pokémon before making their own strategies of their own and what Ash's team can learn easily in a short amount of time. They made a plan on how they were going to train the following day prior to the Gym Battle.


Serena spent her morning heading out into the city, window shopping for dresses. She visited all the stores to find a dress that she liked, but none of the options looked appealing. Correction, she didn't have the heart to try on any of the dresses. All she could think about was her lack of progress towards finding a topic, her upcoming Contest, and how another girl managed to cheer up Ash before she had the chance! Was she the worst friend ever?

Without much of an idea on anything, she returned to the Pokémon Center. She didn't want to bother Ash nor wonder what the blue-headed monster was doing. She found a quiet corner to brush Eevee's fur.

"Eevee?" The Evolution Pokémon looked up at its trainer.

Serena forced a smile. "I'm fine, Eevee."

It did not look convinced. "Vee. Eevee."

Eevee knocked down each of Serena's Pokéballs and releasing everyone. Upon appearing, they gave their trainer a big old hug. Nidoran glared at Eevee's neatly groomed fur. It took the brush in its mouth and stood on its back legs. Ledyba landed on her head while cheering. Cleffa was in Serena's arms.

"Vee!" Eevee barked happily.

Having her Pokémon with her was confronting; however, they wouldn't understand why she was sad. Nor would they be able to give her advice. She appreciated their attempt nonetheless and decided to take out the bag of accessories that Daisy Oak had given her. She decided to let them choose what accessories they wanted to wear.

Ledyba grabbed a little black top hat to wear on its head. Eevee picked out a pink flower to be placed around its right ear. Nidoran also chose a red flower for its left ear. Cleffa tried on different items until it came across a cape. It started to run around with the cape flowing behind. The rest of the Pokémon joined in on all the fun that made Serena smile. It made her happier to see her Pokémon enjoy themselves. The stress of everything else still weighed on her mind.

"There you are, Serena," said Brock.

"Hey," Serena looked up. "Is something wrong?"

Brock sat down next to her while looking at the Pokémon play. "I could ask you that. You know, Ash is worried about you."

Serena sat upright while blinking several times. "W-Why is he worried?"

"Probably because he hadn't seen you all day," he chuckled. "While he might not admit it, I thought I see how you're doing in his steed as Misty isn't letting him off the hook. What's on your mind?" The honey-blonde was reluctant to tell Brock of her problems. "I can understand if you wish to talk to Ash for some things, but know I'm always around if you need someone to listen."

Serena sighed. "Remember how your dad ridiculed Ash and Misty getting on Ash's case for not living up to his father?" The aspiring doctor nodded while allowing her to continue. "After both times Ash was depressed for one reason or another. In both cases, I didn't help him. Miette cheered him up while I baked some cookies. Then Misty and he bonded over their absent fathers. Something, I haven't even done or know about that bothered him. I've been friends with him for over a decade and I can't help but feel like a horrible friend. It makes me wonder if Ash would be better off without me on his journey. It'll probably help me to figure out my research topic. It seems as if he doesn't need me and that I'm a burden."

"Do you consider Ash to be a horrible friend?" Brock asked.

"What? Never! Why would you think that?"

"Because you're doing the same thing he did," he answered. "You're brooding alone and a different person is helping you out instead of him. Perhaps he won't like my meddling, but I do think you both want the best for each other and to be happy."

Serena relaxed, thinking about how Ash fought for them to see the Sensational Sisters perform and how sweet that was of him as in typical fashion, he could have just accepted the deal.

"So what if another person helps him out? You can't always be the person he needs at every moment like he can't be there for every one of yours. Trust me. In my household, I'm not there for everyone, but usually, a different sibling of mine would be."

She never really thought about how a large family such as Brock would have worked. She was an only child and the closest siblings she had were Gary and Leaf.

"I don't think he sees you as a burden and he does need you even if you can't see it. I doubt he would be happy to hear you want to go off on your own. Wasn't there a reason why you two journeyed together?"

Serena recalled the day Ash asked her to journey with him. They just had finished their duties at Professor Oak's lab and they walked home together. They stood in front of her house while looking at the stars that shined brightly. Originally, she thought Ash wanted to travel alone since Gary did.

"Hard to believe in a few weeks, we'll be out in the world," Serena told Ash with a weak smile. "I'll miss these walks and watching the starry skies with you."

Ash had been looking at the stars with a bright smile. Though, it dimmed upon hearing that she would miss these nights. Maybe it dawned on him then. "Man, I never thought about us saying goodbye to each other. What if we drift apart?"

"We'll keep in touch and meet up once in a while!" Serena reassured him while being doubtful herself. "Besides, I'll be your number one fan and attend as many Gym Battles and Pokémon Leagues as I can!"

The raven-haired boy chuckled. "If you're going to do that then why don't you just travel with me?"

Serena blushed. "R-Really? You want us to travel together?"

"Why not?" He smiled at her. "Then we get to walk together every day, watch the stars at night, and you'll never have to miss any of my battles. What do you say?"

Serena hung her head low. Her nose became stiffy as she told Brock how they began traveling together. How could she forget the unsaid promise between them? She was really the worst.

"See, Ash does want you around or else he wouldn't have invited you," Brock remarked.

"Yeah…" Serena wiped away a few tears from her eyes. "I guess you're right. I just needed a reminder."

Brock stood up. "Everyone does once in a while. I'm glad you're staying because having you around has been a lot of fun."

"Thanks, Brock," Serena smiled, feeling better about one situation. "I think I'll be practicing some routings. My Contest is just around the corner after all. Please tell Ash that I'll see him for dinner."

Brock returned to Ash's training session while Serena found a place to practice. Like she promised, she saw Ash for dinner with Brock, Misty, and…Miette. They discussed each other's days while leaving out any upcoming competition talk.

The awaited Gym Battle came quicker than anyone expected. The stadium was packed with people. All of them were excited to see the Sensational Sisters perform along with an exciting battle. Serena, Miette, and Brock were in the special dugout to watch the show. Brock sat between Miette and Serena.

Serena was a mixture of excited and sad. She had waited too long to see a showing, but she always imagined it with Ash by her side as some sort of date. Together they would watch and have a good time. Instead, her best friend was with Misty elsewhere going over last-minute battle plans. Let alone, she had to see it with Miette.

Surrounding the battlefield were Slowpokes. With their psychic powers, they began lifting the water out of the battlefield with the props for everyone to see what's going on at all angles. It appeared the pool was also refilling itself. The TV screens in the stadium also had a broadcasting view of the action. Several water-type Pokémon started to swim into the bubble.

Overtaking the speakers was a narration. "Welcome ladies and gentlemen to a special production from the Sensational Sisters. Tonight, we present to you the Underwater Ballet!"

The lights began dimming with spotlights shining all over the middle of the stadium. Swimming up an into the floating water bubble was Violet as the mermaid. She had a pair of goggles on and a breathing device on. She waved and winked at the audience while swimming through the scenery. Once in a while, she would hop out of the water before diving back in.

"There once lived a mermaid in a lagoon and she was friends with many water-type Pokémon," the narrator continued.

Violet from under the water played with the Pokémon ranging from Seaking, Goldeens, and a Seel. They swam around together for a while before Violet took a rest a clamp and pretended to be asleep.

"The mermaid played with the Pokémon day after day. Together they enjoyed songs and dances and frolicked happily before drifting off to sleep. The magical mermaid lived happily until a terrible villain appeared!"

The spotlights and cameras shifted towards the left side of the field where Daisy waved to the crowd. She was in a pirate type of outfit with a pair of goggles on her as well. Beside her was a Cloyster. She placed on a breathing device before hopping into the water and swimming towards the clamp with the Cloyster closely behind it.

The Cloyster started a string of attacks that caused the other water Pokémon to flee. This caused the mermaid to wake up and started to swim away with the pirate giving chase. The audience was in awe as they popped out of the water with the Slowpoke guiding their path around the stadium. Violet winked at the audience while Daisy blew some kisses. No matter how fast Violet seemed to swim, Daisy was right behind her. Upon returning to the center, Violet was cut off by Cloyster.

"But when all hope seemed lost, a charming and totally handsome prince arrived to save the day!"

The cameras shifted once again to Lily who appeared on the opposite side of the pool where Daisy appeared. By her side was a Golduck. Together they hopped into the pool. They engaged with the pirate in a heated battle that eventually made their way to the surface. Daisy and Lily battled one another until Cloyster was unable to continue with Daisy fleeing.

"The mermaid fell in love with the brave and handsome prince. The prince was enthralled by her beauty and fell in love too. Together they lived happily ever after."

Serena was picturing herself as the magical mermaid with Ash being the handsome prince. It made her wish he was with her even more. It was so romantic! Of course, her fun ended with Miette.

"I bet Ash would heroically save me from villains before he would save you," the blue-haired girl laughed.

"Obviously he would save me first before you!" Serena retorted.

Brock sighed. "I think in any event, he would save both of you."

"Who asked you?!" Both the girls shouted.

This trio of people went back into the locker room after getting the okay from Misty. She was able to convince her sisters to meet them. In between the show and battle, they had a half-hour of free time. Inside the locker room were Daisy, Violet, and Lily in stunning sparkling dresses. Ash also walked in with Misty.

"Like that was totally awesome!" Daisy said.

"We were fabulous as always!" Violet added.

Lily high-fived her sisters. "We rock!"

Serena and Miette were stars struck. They were working their way to ask for their autographs until Brock made a move.

The aspiring doctor was kneeling on the ground. "Oh beautiful Daisy, Violet, and Lily, you three are the most beautiful flowers in all of existence. Your grace and beauty stole my heart! Won't you all put me into your next show so I can steal yours!"

Ash, Serena, and Miette couldn't believe Brock's attics.

Daisy, Violet, Lily looked appalled. Daisy was the one who spoke while crossing her arms. "Look, ladies, we have a player who thinks he can enchant us all."

"Totally not our style!" Lily added.

"Talk about gross," Violet stuck her tongue out. "I would rather invite the kid about to fight our mom over you any day."

Brock lowered his head and fell to the side while the Sensational Sisters provided autographs to the girls. They signed some pictures and took a few photos to their delight.

"Serves him right," Misty growled.

"So Ash, are you ready?" Miette asked.

"Of course he's ready! He's been trained by the fourth member of the Sensational Sisters!" Misty placed her hands on her hips and pumped out her chest.

Violet rolled her eyes. "The Sensational Sisters only have three members."

"And a runt," Lily finished.

Misty lowered her head and sloughed. "Give me a break…"

"Good luck, Ash!" Miette said.

Serena stood beside Ash with a smile. "I know you'll do great!"

"Remember your training and you'll do fine!" Brock added.


Misty escorted Ash into the trainer tunnel, wanting to give him one last pep talk. Everyone in the stadium must have been expecting greatness, including her mother. Only she knew along with his friends that what they're getting was not on the level of Red.

Ash had his eyes closed, breathing in deeply. Either he was mentally preparing himself or battling some sort of demon inside.

"Don't get cold feet on me now," Misty said. "Remember, your battle is with my mom, not the people in the stadium. Who cares what they think about your lineup or battling style? Give it your all and don't second guess too much."

He stared at Misty for a long while before grinning. "I'll win for both of us!"

"I'm holding you to it." She patted him on the shoulder and joined his friends in the locker room before escorting them back to the dugout.

Normally, only the coach of a Trainer may sit in the dugout but they made an exception for his friends as in a way, it was the best seat in the stadium barring water splashing on the glass. To their surprise, there was another man sitting inside already.

He was a bulky man wearing sunglasses indoors and wore an Alolan style shirt. He had a notepad on his lap and a camera hanging from his neck. He appeared to be excited.

"Um, who exactly are you?" Misty asked with her hands upon her hip.

"The name is Scott," he introduced himself and extended an arm. "I'm a friend of your mother's Misty."

Misty raised an eyebrow, never hearing about Scott and his special commendations. "That doesn't explain why you're here."

Scott laughed. "I'm a talent scout. When I heard about Red's son battling your mother, I just had to come and watch. According to your mother, you coached him. Is that true?"

The Water Princess blushed, maybe it was her chance to get noticed! "The kid didn't know his way around a water battlefield so I gave him a few pointers and helped him in the preparation."

"Fascinating, let's see how he does."

Brock sat down next to Scott. The talent scout appeared to have whispered something in his ears. The girls sat at opposite ends of them with Serena having sat next to Misty.

Blondie appeared to be upset for one reason or another. Guess she didn't forgive the Water Princess for her outburst like Ash.

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Cerulean Gym! I hope you all enjoyed the special performance by the Sensational Sisters and now onto the main event! Introducing the challenger from Pallet Town, Ash Ketchum!"

Ash walked onto the field looking straight ahead, reaching the trainer box that rose past the rock formation height. The crowd appeared to be cheering for him.

"Let's go, Ash!" Miette shouted.

"Show everyone what you're made of!" Serena joined in.

This was going to be a long battle for the Water Princess.

"You heard right folks, this is the son of the Red Ketchum! Today he's taking on our very own and lovely Rachel Waterflower for the Cascade Badge!"

Appearing from the water was Rachel. Looked like she took some cues from the Sensational Sisters as Slowpoke used their psychic moves to lift her into the air before placing her in the trainer box. She waved and blew kisses to the crowd.

"I'm honored to be facing the son of another legend," she addressed Ash. "Let's see how you do against me."

The battlefield suddenly sunk into the ground, being replaced by a brand new one. Another circular arena appeared with grassy land consuming about a quarter of the field on both sides with the rest being water. At the very center of the field was an island with a palm tree.

Misty bit her lips. What was her mom think she was pulling?

Ash had a similar reaction while holding onto the rail.

"Did you really think I was going to battle you with a field that my daughter knows inside and out?" Rachel flicked her hair back. "Part of the challenge is adapting to new environments and situations. Not like I have much of an advantage either considering this'll be my first time with this battlefield."

The judge explained the standard Gym rules for a three-on-three. "Rachel, please select your first Pokémon."

She kissed her Pokéball before tossing it out. "Seel, make a splash!"

Appearing on the grassland was a seal-like Pokémon with white skin. It clapped its flippers that got the crowd going wild.

Misty couldn't believe her mom's choice. Could she be using a different team than her usual?

Ash checked his Pokédex and frowned, most likely due to it knowing some ice-type moves. That put an entire wrench in their plans. Surprisingly, he still went along with one of them. "Butterfree, I choose you!"

The bug-type fluttered in the air, performing some kind of dance before readying itself for battle.

"Battle begin!"

"Let's see what you learned," Rachel snapped her fingers. "Aqua Jet!"

"Confusion!" Ash commanded.

A veil of water covered the Sea Lion Pokémon as it jetted over the water and towards the flying Pokémon.

Butterfree stopped the water-type dead in its tracks, spinning it around.

"Electroweb!" Ash followed up.

The bug-type unleashed an electrified web that encapsulated Seel, sending it into the water.

"Aqua Ring and Hail!" Rachel calmly ordered.

Seel appeared out of the water with aquatic rings healing some of its energy. It clapped its flippers to summon rain-like clouds with ice pellets falling down. The entire battlefield got colder as a result. Whenever the ice pellet stroke Seel's skin, green energy consumed its body.

Misty narrowed her eyes. "I never would have thought my mom would use stall tactics."

"Considering whose she's up against, I don't blame her," Scott chuckled. "She must be using a team to test how Ash adapts."

"Does she usually use a different team for a Trainer of Ash's skill level?" Serena asked.

Miette slapped her forehead. "All Gym Leaders have different teams to test skill levels."

Brock folded his arms. "Ash needs to think fast or else this battle will turn ugly fast."

Ash growled at the sight. "Poison Powder and Gust!"

The Butterfly Pokémon ascended in the air, releasing purple spores. At the top of its flight, it blew the spores towards the water with Gust.

Seel dove into the water as the poison spores lingered.

"Aqua Jet into Aqua Tail!" Rachel commanded.

Shooting out of the water was Seel with Aqua Jet. Too quick this time as it pushed Butterfree into the air before slamming it towards the ground.

"Confusion to break your fall and then Electroweb!" Ash shouted.

Butterfree slowed down its fall and flew back up, aiming an Electroweb that encapsulated Seel once again.

"Confusion!" Ash followed up.

The Butterfly Pokémon threw Seel at the ground. Butterfree winced in pain due to the falling hail.

"Ice Shard!" Rachel shouted.

"Super Sonic and Poison Powder!" Ash countered.

Seel conjured icicles to throw at Butterfree who had been sending out psychic waves out.

The bug-type was hit by one of the shards, falling down at first before breaking its fall. It continued on with its last command and tried to confuse Seel once again from a different angle. This time it was more successful.

The Sea Lion Pokémon's eyes became narrow as it randomly spat out attacks. First, it used Aqua Jet to gain some air and then launching Ice Shards all over the field.

The Butterfly Pokémon navigated through the bombardment and being able to inflect Seel with the Poison Powder; however, it flew too close to the sun as several Ice Shards hit their mark. Butterfree flopped in the water.

"Butterfree is unable to battle!"

Scott began taking notes of the battle.

"That's not a good start," Serena sighed.

Miette shook her head. "Definitely not when Seel is healing in two different ways."

"Perhaps but Seel is both poisoned and confused," Brock chuckled. "While it might be a huge blow, he at least gave his next Pokémon a fighting chance and Hail should end soon."

Misty wanted to believe that but it was not that simple. Of his remaining Pokémon, Ash should use Pikachu to finish off Seel and wait out the Hail. Then maybe Pidgeotto could beat the next or tire it out. Oh, what was she thinking? This position was not ideal at all.


AN: I hope you enjoyed that chapter and let me know some of your thoughts.

Questions You Might Have

Q: Why did I create Rachel?

Well, I wanted Misty to come with the team so I decided to explore other options in having a Gym Leader battle.I also didn't believe Lily, Violet, and Daisy would have been right either. I hope you enjoyed my decision. I based the character off of a swim coach type of person.

Q: Why is Misty coaching Ash?

I recalled in the Johto League that she was his coach. We didn't see any of that so I thought it would be appropriate here. Keep in mind, that Ash is still learning his battling style and skills that goes into being a competitor.

Q: What's with the illogical business practices?

I wanted to have Ash meet Misty outside of the Pokemon Center.