Hey, guys! Zenkai Red here!

I apologize for the late upload! I'm so, so sorry! Life, work, and everything in between has been an UTTER nightmare! I can't stress the fact that I've been trying to get this chapter up and running for over 4 days now! It should have been done, but no! Work has made me super stressed and unfortunately, personal stuff made me take a break for a day or two.

However! Things are okay for the most part and it should start calming down at work... hopefully!

Anyway! This chapter was fun to write! So fun to write that this is my LONGEST chapter ever! 9K words! It had to be broken up into another chapter! So, sadly, Serena's debut has been delayed just one more chapter, but that's fine! We're going to get her chapter started and it's going to be a doozy!

Anyway, without further ado, let's get showy!


Solomon wasn't a patient man, despite his outward appearances. He may seem like he has everything planned out, but right now, things are just beginning to be pieced together. He has waited for so long, and now it's time - his plans must come to fruition! That's all he can think about: his plans. Oh, how exciting! He smiles widely, listening to a symphony in his mind. Right now, there's no music playing nearby, but in his mind, it just forms the music. The notes float in his mind, the timing forms, the crescendos, the arpeggios, the ritardando – EVERYTHING is forming just through his imagination alone. It forms into a waltz; he begins to dance, alone in his hut.

He continues to dance, not minding that the music is all a construct of his psyche.

To him, the orchestra playing is just simply divine – a sign of things to come for him.

The Power to Rule. That's what the prophecy describes the Monarch; The Power to Rule is what he strives for. He will obtain that power. Ash, the child he just met in a random forest clearing, is the only one to stand in his way and he will get that boy, in any way possible. His talk with Giovanni ensured that the boy will be followed by some agents; the same agents that attempted to attack Viridian City's Pokémon Center. What were those operatives' names again? Jessie? James? Bah. He doesn't care.

All he wants is that boy. Alive. Dead. It doesn't matter.

The Monarch. A beautiful title.

Oh, how he desires that title. He refuses any other title, but the 'Monarch'. It's not even about the title, but about the power that comes with it! He already has a semblance of the power coursing through him, but at the same time… that boy with the spikey black hair has the same power. That would explain why the boy was able to translate the ancient language! The more he thinks about it, the more he wants to test the child, but he must be patient. Things will start flowing, and the course of human history will forever be changed.

Right now, the boy must be in Cerulean City – the very same city that those operatives are in! He hopes that they can document how strong the boy becomes. He didn't expect Giovanni to be this invested, but considering his Boss, or someone he can consider his Boss, is now interested in the child, then whoever this Ash kid: he must be special.

To Solomon, all coincidences are just moments of fate and destiny working in tangent to provide the story its next chapter. Right now, fate is bringing Ash into his story and whatever's the next chapter, he knows that fate is forever on his side.

Episode 13: Cerulean City! The Wallflower Among the Water Flowers!

"Gary was here, Ash is a loser!"

The most infamous words ever written on a sign.

Ash's eyes haven't twitched harder since the day Gary insulted his mom and Serena. "Dang it, Gary," he murmurs angrily, staring at the sign with contempt. He knew what Gary was trying to do, and it was working. Ash just had the urge to rush to Cerulean City, but the past couple of days made his impressive stamina run thin. Right now, he's barely trudging along, his friends just as exhausted.

In the past couple of days, they all kept making sure they hid from Solomon; hoping to never see the strange man again. Ash still hasn't forgotten what has happened, but he started to talk to Brock and the others about his feelings regarding it, and they all have been supportive when it came down to his fears: the fear that Solomon would find them, try to take Ash, and hurt his friends. Despite that not being a huge probability, Ash didn't want to think that, for a second, it could happen. He also made sure to apologize once again to Brock and Misty for having them enter a brawl when they shouldn't have had to, saying they got hurt because of his recklessness.

Brock and Misty both explained to him that they're all friends and anyone daring to hurt the other is a call to action for them. Brock felt strongly about it, considering he has been raising his nine siblings for so many years that if one of them were ever bullied, he would take matters into his own hands. Misty never had friends like Ash, Brock, and Serena, so she wanted to make sure she could protect them as much as she knew they would protect her.

Still, the thoughts of who, and what, Ash is has been stuck in his mind since the incident. While the talk with Serena surely helped ease his fears, they keep creeping along in the back of his mind, waiting for him to fear the possibility that he was a freak or a monster.

For now, Ash has kept his insecurities hidden from the others, right now not worrying about it. The most pressing matter is to get to Cerulean City and rest up for his gym battle, and for Serena's upcoming debut as a Coordinator. While on the road, the two have been training, with Serena feeling a little more confident about her routine. She also became a lot more confident in the routine since Ash helped brainstorm the idea in the first place, but the performance will be seen when it really matters!

When Brock heard Ash curse Gary, he glanced over to Serena, "I'm guessing bad blood?"

Serena rolls her eyes, not because of Brock, but because of Gary's actions. "Yeah, I guess you can say that" she says, holding Ash's left wrist, trying to calm him down, "the two never really got along after Ash and I attended Professor Oak's Summer Camp. In all honesty, I never met Gary, whereas Ash practically lived next to him."

Misty interjects, "Yeah, and Ash was a real bad boy, too." She snickers, making Serena giggle a little bit. It took a couple of days, but Serena was able to figure out that even if Misty had a crush on Ash, it was beginning to go away, and Serena had nothing to worry about. When the honey-blonde haired girl realized it, she became a lot less tense when discussing Ash to Misty.

"He gave Gary a black eye," Serena finishes.

Brock would have been shocked at the notion, but considering what happened a couple of days ago? He knew Ash was more than capable of doing something like that. Brock began to wonder what made Ash so volatile. Sure, he jokingly said to the boy that his anger will get the best of him, but it seems as though Ash has been holding in a lot of anger; his desire to prove people wrong coming out in the worst possible ways.

From the short amount of time he has been accompanying Ash, he knew the boy wouldn't really go off the deep end, but even he can tell that Ash is just a ticking time bomb, ready to explode at any point. Brock hopes he can find a way to help reign in Ash's emotions. From what has been said and done, it seems Serena is one of Ash's buttons. She also seems to be his anchor.

"And I still think he deserved it back then," Ash remarks coldly, affirming Brock's observation.

"Now, now," Brock placates, "let's not focus on that now. I say we continue to Cerulean City. The faster we get there, the sooner we can get your badge and have Serena perform in the Contest Hall." Brock notices Ash relax, noticing the boy no longer acting tense from seeing the sign. Despite the past couple of days being tense and strenuous, the sign leading to Cerulean City is giving them all a sense of reprieve from it all. Brock just wishes that it continues on like this. One question lingers in his mind as they all trek onward, following the path that leads to their next destination, 'Who really are you, Ash?'

Misty looks at the path that leads to her hometown, a feeling of dread washing over her while she walks with her friends. She looks at Ash who begins to soften up and laugh, talking with Serena about something they used to do in their childhood. She smiles at their interactions, wishing she had someone like them back when she was younger.

She loves Cerulean City, but when she was younger, she never had anyone she could consider a friend. The ones that ever tried to be her friend always used her to get close to her sisters, who were always considered the most beautiful girls of the entire city. Ever since they inherited the Cerulean City Gym from their parents, she always considered herself being the one in charge, but her sisters took that thought away from her.

First, she wanted to perform like her sisters, dress up and dance with the Water and Ice-types that live with them, but her sisters always treated her like she was just the ugly duckling of the group. Then they urged her to leave to show she can be strong and beautiful; to which she wholeheartedly agreed to. She wanted to show them she has gotten stronger without them, but she knew she was nowhere near as good as she wanted to be. She also knew this was a way for them to have her leave their side and not bug them anymore. She's not stupid.

She sighs, knowing it was going to be inevitable and that she would have to see her sisters again. She's only been gone for a couple of months, but because of how she forced herself to join Ash and Serena, she was coming back home sooner than expected.

She whines audibly. Serena turns her head over to look at Misty with concern, "Everything alright, Mist?" She uses the same nickname Ash uses as a way to become closer to the girl. Misty notices and gives her a small smile, happy to see that Serena is willing to become a good friend with her.

"Uh, yeah, just… don't worry about it, Serena." Misty reassures her friend.

Serena stares unconvinced, but nods thinking that if Misty wasn't wanting to share her thoughts, it's best not to prod any further. She gives the older girl a comforting smile, "Well, alright. Just let us know if anything is bothering you."

"She's right, Mist," Ash breaks his silence once more, giving the girl a thumbs up and smile. Brock watches as Misty bites her lips, nodding at the gesture. He begins to wonder what Misty is hiding. He respects Misty's desire to keep it all quiet, but he figures that the sooner she spouts it, the better off she will be. For being so young, both Ash and Misty seem to be emotionally unstable, which worries him greatly.

'Who am I to judge?' he muses sardonically.

He realizes that even he is just as hurt as those two, maybe not to the same degree that they're letting on, but even he has had moments where he just wanted to give up. There were times where he wanted to cry, run away, and just blame life on his parents for forsaking him and his siblings. His father broke up the family, driving his mother away to search for him in vain. Now that he's back, his heart aches for his mother, to find her and give her hope that they can all be a family again. As he spends time with his new friends, he can't help but feel a kinship growing with them all; a desire to be the older brother for them in the vein he is for his actual siblings.

Brock then voices his thoughts, hoping it could help Misty out, "Like you and I said to Ash, we're here for one another. If you ever feel like you need something, like an open ear, none of us will judge you. You know that, right? We're here for one another now."

Misty stops in the middle of the road, contemplating what they've all been saying. They're right. How can she dare be a friend to them, especially Ash when he went through something traumatizing, only for her to close herself off when they're wanting to help? She sighs and closes her eyes. "Alright." She concedes, "I'll tell you what's wrong."

She then continues marching forward, her steps shaky, but still trying to hold herself together. "Serena, remember when I found you dancing, and I told you that my sisters don't think I can be a performer and that I'm better off being a Water-type Master?" Serena affirms, remembering their discussion prior to leaving for the Contest Hall.

"Yeah…" Serena looks at her female friend, understanding her plight, "Oh. I see."

Ash and Brock look at them in curiosity, wanting to figure out what Serena means.

"What do you mean, Serena?" Ash asks.

"Well, Ash," Misty starts, her eyes still on the path, walking less shaky, "In Cerulean City, there is a building that does a lot of performances, ones where these performers dance and do plays with Water-type Pokémon. They also act as Gym Leaders… and they happen to be my sisters."

Brock and Ash stare in shock at the revelation, with Serena nodding in silence. While she was shocked that Misty's sisters are Gym Leaders, she knew that it had to do with her sisters that led Misty to acting strange the closer they get to the city.

"I… Wow, Mist, that's… wait! So why are you here and not with your sisters?" Ash asks, trying to still figure out why she has left in the first place. If her sisters are performers and Gym Leaders, why is she out here, traveling around with them?

Serena nudges him gently, "She just said it, Ash – her sisters don't believe in her being able to perform, so they just made her go on a journey to be a Water-type Master instead."

Ash sheepishly nods, turning to Misty who chuckles bitterly, "I've only been gone for about two and a half months, now, I think… and I'm already going back."

"I mean, we can go past Cerulean, if you don't feel comfortable?" Ash offers, though he still wishes to go to said city anyway.

Misty shakes her head, "As much as I would love to jump at the opportunity, that's not something that my conscious will just let happen." She sighs, rubbing her cheek in annoyance. Why did she have to deal with siblings like hers? Why couldn't she have been born in a regular household? A household with parents, maybe a sister or brother and her. Just a normal family – without care, and without having to deal with a gym and a theatre all built into one building they call a home. As much as she wishes for it to be the case, she knows she can't change anything about it. It is what it is. "Besides, it wouldn't be fair to you or Serena if we skipped a city just because of my own family issues."

The others stare at her sympathetically, but they knew she wouldn't budge with her answer, so they all relented.

The walk to Cerulean City wasn't too bad, though. The walk was quite pleasant, where it felt like whatever tension that was gnawing on them had suddenly disappeared. It gave them all some reprieve from the traumatizing events from days prior. Misty didn't really say much anyway, just contemplating what to say to her sisters… what to even do. Can she just not say hi to them? Can she just grab the Pokémon that rightfully belong to her and tell her sisters to sod off? She could, but then she would just end up in a worse position with them than before. The last thing she wants is full of bad blood between them all.

As they all finally enter the city, they all rush to the nearest Pokémon Center, eager to just finally rest up. Misty just sighs, taking a deep breath at being in the building… She's home. She rushes over to Nurse Joy and greets her happily, "Nurse Joy!"

The Nurse Joy of Cerulean City gasps, hearing a familiar voice, and immediately looks away from her computer to face the orange haired girl. "Oh, my! Misty! It's been a while!" Nurse Joy exclaims happily. She gets away from her desk and embraces the tomboy, who reciprocates the hug with her own. To Misty, Nurse Joy was her only friend, a confidant – someone she can rely on. While the age gap was present, it felt more like a friendship that bordered on sisterhood than anything else. Sisterly than anything she has ever had with her actual sisters.

Nurse Joy pulls away from the embrace, examining Misty with an approving gaze, "You look stronger, Misty…"

Misty just looks away bashfully, "Nah, it's only been a couple of months… it's not like I'm better than when I first started off."

Nurse Joy shakes her head, giving the tomboy a warm smile, "I can see it in your eyes, Misty. You've gotten a lot more confident in yourself." She sighs with a nostalgic look on her face, "When you left, you were so afraid you wouldn't amount to anything, but look! I can see a stronger, happier looking girl right in front of me!" Misty just looks away, embarrassed. She didn't change that much, did she?

"I… Are you sure about that?"

"Positive."

Nurse Joy then notices the group walking close to Misty and she smiles proudly, "I see you also have made new friends!" The girl just flinches, realizing she just ignored all her friends, but they didn't seem to mind as they just watch the two converse with one another. Misty nods, gesturing to each of her new friends to her confidant.

"This is Ash, and his partners Pikachu, and Froakie."

Ash, Pikachu, and Froakie do the Kanto greeting: a bow.

Brock has hearts in his eyes, quickly pushing Ash and Misty away, sliding to the Nurse, getting down on one knee. "My name is Brock and I must say, you're quite the beautiful woman! You're easily the most beautiful among all the Nurse Joys I ever met!" Everyone just stares at Brock with a surprised, if not traumatized look, still unable to get used to his flirting.

Froakie, being the first to respond, just uses Pound on Brock's head, causing the teenager to slam his head onto the ground. Froakie just grabs Brock by the leg and pulls him away. "Froakie…" Froakie deapans, annoyed by the event. Brock just groans in pain as he slides away.

Everyone watches, but they quickly ignore it as Misty continues with her introductions, "And this is Serena!" Serena waves, still unsure about the customs in Kanto. Sure, she never liked the Kalos greetings with kisses on one's cheek, but she didn't want to make assumptions about the Kanto culture. From what she can gather is that the people in Kanto seem to prefer bowing as a way to greet one another. She just doesn't want to do that as she fears she may end up doing it wrong and embarrass not only herself, but her friends as well.

Nurse Joy bows to them all, "Welcome! Thank you so much for taking care of Misty in my stead! I hope she wasn't too much of a hassle!" Misty grunts in annoyance, narrowing her eyes when she hears Ash snicker. He gives her a Cheshire grin in retaliation, making her want to hit him. Of course, he would be the one to say something!

"Oh no! She wasn't too bad," Ash teases, his tone insincere. He smirks when Misty intensifies her glare, throwing at him, ready to use her mallet on him. He doesn't know where she keeps that giant thing, but he's not too scared of her, especially in front of Nurse Joy.

"What Ash means is that she's been a welcome addition to our group, and we never had any issues with her," Serena defends her friend, shooting Ash an unamused look, making him want to laugh. Oh, come on! She knew he was only joking! Well, somewhat, that is. She shakes her head at her crush's immaturity, but she supposes he's just doing it all in jest. This also beats him being cold and distant like a couple of days ago.

Luckily, Nurse Joy didn't seem to have to catch the small bickering and sighs in relief. It seems Misty has made wonderful friends, judging how they all act with one another. To her, this is an amazing, and relieving, thought and sight to behold. She gave them keys to their rooms, giving them all bunk beds. She also happily took their Pokémon in, to provide care and heal them of their wounds.

The group just took to the stairs, all happy to finally be in a bed.

Ash volunteered to be the one to grab the Pokémon, with Serena and Brock volunteering to get snacks and drinks for them to partake in. Misty just took the time to lay down on the bed, she began to think about how she was going to handle her sisters. How were they going to react to her? How will she even talk to them? Is she even strong enough to do all this? In a short amount of time, Ash proved himself to be headstrong and confident, and Misty wishes she had some of that in her.

She sighs, flipping herself over, to stare at the window. A waxing crescent moon – Ugh. Not even a full moon. She can't even get one thing to go her way. She thinks that to herself in a joking manner, a small smile escaping as she just lets the moonlight hit the room. She's glad they turned the lights off at her behest.

Before she knew it, she fell asleep waiting for her friends to come back. The smile never leaving her face.

The next morning would pass by, and she was the first to wake up. She stretches, happily sighing to her joints cracking and the stretch giving her a sense of relief. Whatever happened the past few days made her sleep like a Rock-type Pokémon, and she will definitely say that's something she needed. All the stress and anxiety she was having just… disappeared!

Does that mean she's ready for the inevitable? Hell no.

It just means she's not as anxious.

She notices her Poké Balls on the countertop and grabs them quietly, to not disturb her friends. Ash, Pikachu, and Froakie all share the bottom bunk, with Ash's arms hanging off the edge as he drools uncontrollably. Pikachu and Froakie all have their bodies stretched all over him, they too are just as sloppy as their trainer. Misty laughs silently. It's almost cute.

She notices Brock sleeping on the top bunk, his snores light, but he grips the pillow and gives it gentle kisses. He murmurs something along the lines of, "You're so beautiful…" and "Of course I love you!" Misty snickers at the sight, wondering if Brock is still being a weirdo in his dreams like in real life. She wonders who he's trying to kiss? Officer Jenny? Nurse Joy? Whoever it is, she pities them.

She makes one final look and notices Serena on her side, on the top bunk. Serena has her hair all over the place, sleeping just as sloppily as Ash, but the only difference is that she's not drooling away. At least that's comforting. Misty almost shudders at the thought of someone's spit dripping down and entering her mouth – definitely not the most pleasant thought.

Breaking all those thoughts and no longer staring at her sleeping friends, she heads off. She might as well make the trip to see her sisters.

It would be another hour that the gang, minus Misty, would wake up. Brock was the first one to wake up, using the opportunity to head out to gather supplies. He left a note for the two remaining kids in the room of what his plans are for the day, which unfortunately means he won't be able to watch the battle between Ash and the Gym Leaders of Cerulean Gym. When Ash and Serena woke up shortly after, Serena was embarrassed that she woke up looking like a wreck in front of her crush. However, Ash, being the smoothest idiot that he is, said she looked great the way she was – waking up or not. That left her a stuttering mess as she would wobble to the bathroom in a rush to change.

Ash was never more confused until that moment.

The trip to the gym was rather unspectacular, considering it was just done in silence. However, for as mundane as it was just to walk there, it felt… pleasant. It was just a walk – how exciting can that be? Well, that's the thing: it was just a walk! No one chasing after them, no Team Rocket Grunts; no worry about being chased by a swarm of Pokémon. It was a nice, simple walk and to them both, it was just what they needed.

They stare in amazement at the magnificent, if not kind of flashy, building that stands in front of them. There are Dewgongs, Seakings, and various other Water-Type Pokémon just across the building; fixtures to look like those Pokémon and fixtures made to look like waves just all around said building. In some instances, this looks more like a circus than an actual serious gym. Ash and Serena glance at one another, before shrugging, and enter the main lobby.

Aside from the large aquarium in the main hallway, the lobby is pretty empty. However, what's most impressive is that there's a hallway that leads into a massive pool. The pool has tempered glass for walls, allowing those to view the insides of the pool, which hold various props that are used in theaters. Serena clasps her hands in awe, admiring the beautiful pool, while Ash just looks around, hoping to see either Misty or her sisters.

Misty was kind enough to describe the sisters to them prior to them all sleeping. She described Daisy, the eldest, as an absent-minded blonde-haired woman who, while somewhat serious in battling, would rather perform than take up the mantle as a Gym Leader. The next eldest is Violet, she's the more childish one of the three, despite being the second oldest. She has no interest in being a Gym Leader at all. She's best described as having blue-hair. Lastly is Lily, the hot-pink haired one, and the second youngest of the four sisters. She's similar to Violet but has more of a mean streak behind her.

To his luck, the three sisters were talking amongst themselves, sitting on the bleachers with towels draped over their shoulders. They all seem engrossed with what they're talking about, laughing merrily away. Just by staring at them, Serena consciously compares herself to the three women and glances nervously towards Ash, thinking he may find them attractive.

Ash, surprisingly, doesn't seem to care about their looks, opting to clench his fists as he smirks, ready to challenge them. They must be the Gym Leaders, Misty's sisters. He walks over, Froakie and Pikachu follow him, sharing the same look he wears.

'It's time like this I'm glad he's dense,' Serena thinks to herself, lightly amused by the fact he's rather interested in battling than some attractive women.

"Excuse me," Ash calls out, walking over to them.

The oldest of the three sisters, a blonde woman by the name of Daisy, turns her head to see the two kids and Pokémon walking over to them. "Huh? And, like, who you might be?" She asks, her tone very absentminded, her valley-girl accent being indicative of the type of girl she is. Ash is sure that any more absentminded, she would end up forgetting how to tie her own shoes.

"Oh, are you two, like, fans of ours?" The next one, a hot-pink haired girl, asks with a smug tone. Her tone rubs the kids the wrong way, the tone gives off a sense of superiority and Serena herself doesn't like how she sounds very full of herself. She shakes her head, "Well, sorry, we're not here to give out autographs."

Her snooty tone makes Froakie twitch in annoyance.

"No, I'm here to battle you all. My name is Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town, and I'm here to get my second Gym Badge." Ash bluntly explains.

"Pallet Town?" Violet blinks in surprise, "Like, you're totally the second person to come from the boonies!" Ash's eye twitches, annoyed to have his hometown be insulted like that, but he just forces the insult to slide off. Serena frowns, putting her hands on her hips. Sure, she may not have been raised in Pallet Town, but even she has some attachment to the small, remote town!

Daisy then looks at Serena, her eyes inspecting every part of the young girl, appraising her which makes Serena uncomfortable from the gaze. "Hmmm…" Daisy hums in thought, circling the girl. Ash, Pikachu, and Froakie blink in wonder at the action, while Serena fidgets at being eyed like some prey.

"Excuse me, but uh…" Serena trails off, trying to get Daisy to stop.

Daisy then turns to her sisters, giving them a curt nod, and turns back to Serena, "Oh, you're perfect!" She squeals, clasping her hands, staring at Serena with gusto.

The two kids and their Pokémon blink in astonishment, "Huh?"

Violet and Lily both go over to Serena, grabbing her arms and lifting them, inspecting parts of her body as if she was a porcelain doll. They even begin to rub their hands against her arms and hands, trying to play her like a puppet. Serena frowns, smacking their hands away, "Excuse me!" She exclaims with a huff, "Do you have any idea how creepy you guys are being?! What are you three doing?!"

Lily responds, "Well, like, we may need a fourth member of our group – duh! We have a show tonight and it's going to be about a Princess being put to sleep by an evil spell," she gushes, her eyes glimmering at the chance of partaking in the show with her sisters. "Violet will, like, play the Princess as usual! I plan to play the totally charming Knight in Shining Armor! We need Daisy to be the narrator, because she is the best storyteller out of all of us! We just need someone to play the Wicked Witch and you look perfect to play her!"

Serena hangs her head. Oh, that's why.

Ash snarls, turning to the women with a growl, "Hey! Don't you dare insult Serena like that!"

"Pika!" Pikachu cries out angrily, glaring at the women. Serena may not be his trainer, but he cares for her as lot, just like his trainer.

Froakie growls. Serena was the second person to accept him as Ash's starter and he always considered himself her protector in Ash's stead. Should she be in trouble, he'll be there for her, just like how a trainer would like it. How dare they insult her like that!

Daisy raises her hands up defensively, "Hey, hey – no need to get upset!"

Ash doesn't relent, "No. I have every right to be upset! I don't care if you insult my hometown, but you're insulting my best friend and you think I'm just going to let you get away with that? No!" He all but shouts, his voice cracking, "I don't care if you're Misty's sisters or her grandmother, you don't ever insult Serena like that! She's prettier than any of you would ever be and I'm not going to let you all get away with calling her a witch, even for some stupid play!"

The three sisters look on, not impressed, but the three just sigh in unison. "Well, I guess as Gym Leaders, we, like, have no choice." Daisy remarks hesitatingly. What catches the attention of both trainers is that she doesn't even move to release a Pokémon from their Poké Ball, just opting to stand there awkwardly. Ash taps his foot impatiently, his ire growing for the sisters.

"Well?" he snaps.

An awkward silence ensues, with none of the sisters moving an inch, and Ash becoming more and more infuriated with the lack of action going on. He pinches the bridge of his nose, trying hard to stop an oncoming headache from growing. Serena rubs his back soothingly, although still feeling down at being told she would be perfect to play a witch.

Violet just claps twice, which alerts the kids as a Seel pops out of the pool. In its enlarged tongue is the Cerulean City Gym Badge, to which Daisy softly grabs from the goofy looking Seel. He barks happily, before flopping along the floor, jumping back into the pool to continue its swim. "Here." Daisy lazily thrusts it to Ash, much to his shock.

"What?"

She sighs and gives him a wry smile, "Well… we don't actually have any more Pokémon to use for battling until the day after. You see, we were, like, completely defeated by the trainer from Pallet Town. Some boy named Gary just beat us and our Pokémon are still totally down and out for the time being. It doesn't help that we also got destroyed by some trainers before even him So, instead of battling, we'll just give you the badge instead."

Serena and Ash both glance at one another, unable to comprehend what's even going on.

Ash shakes his head, "This is the worst gym ever, I swear."

The three sisters shrug apathetically.

"Just take it," Daisy insists.

Before anything can be said or done, surely because Ash was ready to give them another mouthful, Misty arrives to the scene, kicking down a door. "Hold it!" She yells out, her anger and disbelief evident of what's going on right now in front of her. She points at her older sister, "Don't you dare give that badge out without letting me battle! You three are the absolute worst! You should know that if any of you can't battle, then it must be up to me to battle!"

Daisy, Violet, and Lily look at Misty in surprise. "Wow, Misty. Totally surprised to see you here!" Lily states, though with her arms crossed. She eyes Misty, unimpressed with Misty's physique, "It seems like you still look like a runt. Whatever happened to coming back to being just as strong and beautiful as us?" She taunts with a smirk, ignoring the glare thrown to her by Ash and his friends.

Daisy and Violet stare at Misty, with Violet doing an exaggerated thinking pose, "Yeah… I remember that you totally said you'd never step back here until you proved us wrong! Why are you here?"

Misty harrumphs, glaring at her sisters, "Yeah, well, it's not like I've had much of a choice here!"

The sisters then turn around to see Ash and Serena waving slowly to Misty, then turning back. "Oh, so your boyfriend is what made you come here in the first place?" Daisy teases. She begins to chuckle as Misty recoils at the thought of having Ash as a boyfriend. "Well, it's quite a shame he's a two-timer! He's not a boy I'd go for, considering his looks, but even then, you deserve better than him."

Ash hangs his head. Now it's his turn.

Serena glares at Daisy.

Misty growls, "Don't you dare lump me in with him like that! He already has someone, for your information! And for the record, he's a good friend, so I'd appreciate it if you don't insult him or Serena!" Serena blushes when Misty almost made the confession for her, hiding her face with her hair. Ash turns to her in confusion, wondering what Misty meant.

The thought process didn't last long as Misty then yells to Ash, "Get your butt over here, Ketchum! Since my sisters want to be lazy, I guess I'll be the one to test if you're worthy enough to get the Gym Badge!" The three sisters roll their eyes at their sister, but acquiesce, considering they don't have another alternative.

Ash smirks, "Oh, this will be fun! You're on, Misty."

Serena sweetly smiles at Ash and hugs his arm, giving him a cute look, "You got this, Ash." She whispers encouragingly to him, wanting to have him win as quickly as possible. The sooner he wins, the less time they spend here at the gym. Ash smiles warmly, nodding at her. He can always count on her to make his day. Now it's time to win this battle, get out, and never deal with these sisters ever again!

"Thanks, 'Rena. Glad you have my back."

"Always." She whispers out.

She then rushes over to the bleachers, watching as Ash and Misty get on the stage, ready to battle over the large pool. She notices Misty's sisters also sitting down near her, but she ignores them for now. She has a battle to watch, she's not going to let these girls get the best of her, or her friends.

"Ash, as you know, this will be your second gym badge," Misty begins, "as a result, you will only be allowed to use 3 Pokémon against my team of 3! You can substitute, whereas I can't. You got that?"

Wordlessly nodding, Ash sends out his Pidgeotto, who flies around, before landing next to her fellow Pokémon and trainer. Pidgeotto, Froakie, and Pikachu all match Ash's silence.

Misty smirks. It seems actions speak louder than words right now. She pulls out a Poké Ball and kisses it gently. She then throws it out, "Misty calls – Staryu!"

She throws out Staryu, who stretches its appendages in anticipation, ready to battle. The jewel in its center shining brightly. The jewel makes Serena awe at how beautiful it is. She wonders if the shining and constant shimmering of the core can be replicated in an actual diamond or pearl. She's heard of a Mythical Pokémon in Kalos, her home region after all, that can create the most wondrous and beautiful looking diamonds in the whole world. She hopes to one day meet it and hopefully with Ash. She giggles, blushing at the thought. She then shakes her head – Now is definitely not the time to think of something like that!

Ash stares at the Stary, a plan formulating in his mind. He knows of Staryu, Goldeen, and her Starmie, who she may end up using last, so he needs to figure out how to deal with Staryu and Starmie. No offense to Goldeen, but that's probably Misty's weakest Pokémon of the three, even if it were to swim elegantly in the water. He would still need to be careful, just due to its horn, but other than that? Pikachu can take care of it. Staryu and Starmie are probably the biggest issues, with Starmie obviously the ace of Misty's team. Looking over his two starters, he smiles, "Froakie, you're going up! How do you feel about this?"

Froakie grins, immediately jumping into the platform on the pool. "Froakie fro!" He calls out, ready to redeem himself in another gym battle. His first loss, especially to a Rock-Type, was a tad embarrassing, even if it was an Onix. Now, it's his time to shine! He'll show his brother-in-arms starter and fellow Pokémon companion he's just as capable! Froakie stares at Staryu, a cool disposition underlying the fire-y passion that is shared with his trainer.

"So, starting with Froakie? Should have started with Pikachu, Ash," Misty remarks with a hint of condescension, almost similar to how Brock spoke to him as a Gym Leader. Ash smirks, not taking the bait this time around.

"Of course, Mist. Froakie will show you he's the best Water-Type Pokémon out there!"

Froakie nods, forming a Water Pulse to show in agreement. Misty rolls her eyes.

"Yeah, yeah! Let's just begin the battle! Staryu! Use Rapid Spin!"

Ash immediately gets on the defensive, "Froakie! Dodge it!"

Staryu charges at Froakie, spinning wildly and flinging itself towards the blue frog. Froakie narrowly dodges the attack, feeling the wind whirl past him as the centrifugal force nearly causes him to stumble. Froakie holds its stance, gaining a firm foundation again. "Alright, use Rapid Spin again! And again!" Misty calls out, her arm stretched out, pointing at Froakie. Her excitement is coming to life as she starts her battle strongly.

Feeling the adrenaline rush, Ash grins and calls out, "Dodge once more! Show her you're not afraid of some stupid spinning top!"

Froakie starts to jump away from each Rapid Spin charge, constantly stumbling at the inertia zooming past it. However, he maintains his balance, gaining a smirk from the missed moves. "Now, begin your assault with a Pound attack!" Froakie's arms light up white and rushes to the Staryu.

Misty smirks, "Thunderbolt!"

Ash and Froakie's eyes widen as Staryu unleashes a gigantic storm from its body, striking wildly around the area, going towards Froakie. Without a moment's hesitation, the Thunderbolt strikes Froakie, making him scream in pain. With a snarl, Ash clenches his fists, cursing himself for not realizing something was wrong. Misty smirks, "What? Did you really think I'd let you get the best of me?" She taunts her friend, who glares at her. She sticks her tongue out childishly, "Well, think again, little man! Thunderbolt, again!"

Staryu does another electric charge, before hurtling it over to a hurt Froakie.

This time without hesitation, Ash roars, "Launch yourself out of the way with Bubble Beam!"

Froakie escapes the bolts of lightning by spraying Bubble Beam underneath itself, flying into the air. The electric attack destroys the Bubble Beam move, making Froakie fall down to the ground, wincing from the drop. Ash growls, 'The fact she taught Staryu Thunderbolt is just annoying. What am I going to do?'

"Staryu! Attack with Rapid Spin!"

The starfish Pokémon rushes in, spinning wildly.

Ash thinks of something.

"Froakie! Rush towards the attack and slide below Staryu!"

"Excuse me?"

Froakie grins, trusting its partner. He then hops towards the spinning attack and when it gets close enough, he slides underneath the attack. The two are so in-sync that when Ash pumps his fist up, Froakie charges a Pound and hits it upward! Staryu reacts negatively, the move abruptly stopping as its appendages recoil from the attack. Misty sneers, "Lucky hit."

Ash grins ferally at her, his adrenaline at an all time high. He and Froakie mirror one another in their movements, both pumping their fists towards Misty, "Luck has nothing to do with this, Misty. You may have gotten us with Thunderbolt, but we're not giving up until it's over, you hear that?!"

"Froakie!"

Serena smiles at her crush adoringly, cheering, "You got this, Ash! Show them what you can do!"

Daisy and the other two sisters whisper amongst one another, "Well, the battle just started, and it seems this kid isn't all that bad." Daisy whispers, almost invested into the battle. She has never been much of a battler, as she never cared for it. She always preferred performing and beauty rather than the brutish nature of battling. As a Gym Leader, she has no choice but to battle. There have been times where she just haphazardly battled, using her weaker Pokémon just to get the battle over with. She didn't realize she wasn't using her valley-girl accent at all.

Lily crosses her arms, almost impressed, "And Misty is actually battling pretty well. That's surprising."

Violet gives a wry smile, "Well, someone had to inherit the battling skills."

The three giggle amongst each other, impressed with their little sister. For a first-round battle, things are surely entertaining!

Staryu recovers from the attack, stomping one of its appendages on the platform in visible frustration. Misty nods, "I know, Staryu! We should have won this battle a lot sooner, but I think we underestimated Ash." She harrumphs, "He makes it so annoying sometimes, but this is why this will be all the more satisfying when we win! Go on, use Thunderbolt! Don't let him escape your wrath!"

With an angry slouch, Staryu charges up once again. Noticing how long it's taking to charge; Ash thinks of something wildly. "Froakie! We're going to win this round! Just rush in and grab Staryu!"

Everyone watches in shock as Froakie dashes in, fully trusting its trainer's judgment. Serena clasps her hands, hoping Froakie doesn't get hurt. 'I hope you know what you're doing, Ash…'

Froakie grabs Staryu, Misty smirking thinking she knows she's got this in the bag, "Thanks for the easy win, Ash!"

Ash's eyes burn passionately, a black flame in his irises as he grins, "Turn that thing around, Froakie!"

Froakie spins Staryu 180 degrees. "Now lift it up!"

Froakie lifts up Staryu, who unleashes its attack. It was too late to stop charging and as Froakie shields itself, wincing from the static his limbs, he holds firm as the static electricity spurts around aggressively. The move begins to hurt Froakie, but he uses the energy normally to strengthen his arms for Pound to hold himself against Staryu.

The Thunderbolt unleashes a strong lightning strike up into the air, to which it then begins to fall down – STRIKING Staryu directly! The gold metal casing surrounding the jewel conducting the electricity, making it shriek in agony. Misty stares in horror at the move hurting her precious Pokémon!

With a pumped fist up, Ash smirks, "Give it a Pound for good measure! Finish it!"

Froakie roars and slams its fists up the back of the starfish, the electric move dispersing and when being struck upwards, it flies into the air, before falling to the ground, limp. The jewel in the center blinking slowly, making Misty sigh. Staryu lost.

She recalls Staryu, "Good job, Staryu… You did amazing." She whispers to the Poké Ball holding Staryu, a teary look on her face. She then steels her face staring directly at Ash, "That was ruthless, but smart, Ash… As to be expected from someone who punched some Team Rocket guys." She then winks, letting him know she wasn't too distraught over her loss.

Ash smiles weakly, feeling almost bad that he hurt Staryu pretty badly. "Will it be okay?" He asks softly.

Misty nods with her own smile, "Of course. Staryu is a trooper, but we have a battle to continue!"

Froakie smiles, but winces, barely holding itself upright. Ash frowns at the state of his starter. Pidgeotto flies over to him, offering a lift back to Ash's side, to which he graciously accepts. Pidgeotto flies Froakie over to Ash and he just lays against Ash's feet, exhausted. Ash gives him a warm smile, "You did amazing, buddy… take some well-deserved rest."

Froakie begins to snore lightly.

Serena smiles at the scene, her heart melting at the scene. Ash and all his Pokémon care for one another, even if they've only been around one another for so little time. She hopes to one day have that bond with all her Pokémon. 'You got this, Ash…' she thinks, her thoughts optimistic.

The three sisters watch upset that Misty lost. It almost seemed like she had it in the bag! Daisy begins to think about the time when Misty was a toddler, she would love to watch them dance and perform, wanting to dance with them. However, the three were always doing their dances and rarely gave Misty the chance to enjoy herself with them. Things changed when Misty also picked up battling, opting to use their Pokémon, much to the older sisters' ire. They always complained and scolded Misty for it, never giving her a chance to hone her skills. Now, as she looks back, a sense of guilt begins building up within her. She glances over to her two younger sisters, to which they eye her back, they too feeling the same guilt wrenching up inside.

"Froakie is going back for now, Misty," Ash states loudly to Misty, "I choose Pidgeotto!"

Pidgeotto caws, happy to be of use, flying majestically into the air over the pool. Whatever Pokémon the red head is going to throw at her, she's going to bring the pain tenfold! Misty releases her next Pokémon. "Misty calls Starmie!"

She then throws Starmie, the evolved form of Staryu, with more appendages and an even brighter, bigger ruby core with a magnificent sheen on it. As impressive as it is, Ash begins to panic. He was for sure thinking she was going to use Goldeen! Starmie would have been her ace! He looks skyward and watches Pidgeotto confidently flap her wings, her head held high. If she's all for it, then he'll make it work!

Without a moment's notice, the second round began!

"Let's keep up the momentum, Pidgeotto! Let's start off with Gust!"

Pidgeotto flaps her wings violently, creating a maelstrom so powerful that Starmie and Misty both grip the floors, waves splashing all over around the platform Starmie is in, making it trip over itself. "Now, use Peck!" Pidgeotto dives down, homing in on Starmie.

Misty retaliates, "Use Power Gem, Starmie!"

Flipping itself over onto its back, Starmie unleashes a ray of light as if made by gemstones from its center core. The move came out so fast that Pidgeotto barely had time to react! It takes the attack, but twists itself away from the beam of light, not taking enough damage, despite the move being super effective against it. The small scuff marks showing proof that the attack did do some damage on it. Ash sighs, 'Always with the obscure move… Oh, well.'

Misty smirks, "Well? How'd ya like that?"

Ash rolls his eyes, making sure he adjusts his cap, "Like you? Annoying, but easy to deal with."

Serena almost sputters a laugh at the quip. She quickly hides her mouth, knowing that the noise she made probably alerted them both. Misty narrows her eyes at the jab and smirks, "Har-har, Ketchum. Let's make it 1-1, Starmie! Use Psybeam!"

Getting back up, Starmie unleashes a hue of colors in a single beam from its core, going straight towards Pidgeotto yet again. The Flying-Type dodges it gracefully, using her wings to glide across the air. She waits patiently for the next move, hoping her trainer can do something about it. She really doesn't have any moves that can be used that are long distance, Gust being the only exception.

"Pidgeotto, just hold on! Keep dodging the attacks!"

Misty calls out for more Power Gem and Psybeams, making it hard for Pidgeotto to get close to the evolved form Pokémon. Ash grits his teeth, knowing eventually that Pidgeotto would be too tired to even fly. He needs to find something to do!

"Gust!"

"Oh, no you don't! Psybeam!"

Psybeam just rips through the Gust! The attack hits Pidgeotto square in the chest, making it caw in pain! Pidgeotto sneers at the Starmie, wishing to hurt it! Curse not knowing any other long-range moves! She flaps her wings violently out of frustration. Unbeknownst to her, energy forms within her wings, which starts to fly out weakly from her. Ash's eyes widen as he sees the move and he quickly pulls out his Poké Dex, to which alerts him of the new move she just learnt by accident: Air Slash.

"Use Power Gem, Starmie!"

"Dodge it and use Air Slash!"

Pidgeotto smirks, realizing that maybe it did learn a new move, and dodges the beam of light that was heading straight towards her. She then flaps her wings once again aggressively, this time in a more composed manner, which then makes her proud of the fact she just created a blade of air so sharp that even the air around it is being sliced! It hurls itself straight into Starmie, who winces at the pain. There we go, there's that long-distance move Pidgeotto was looking for!

"Air Slash, again!"

"No! Power Gem!"

The two moves collide, but the Air Slash slices through the Power Gem, hitting Starmie dead center in its core! The core begins to crack from the power and it makes Starmie flinch in pain, unable to move! This gives Ash the momentum he needed! "Now, Use Gust and send it flying!"

With great vigor, Pidgeotto creates a burst of wind so powerful, it yet again rocks the platform around, waves hitting it roughly. Misty looks on as Starmie starts to float in the air! "Use Rapid Spin, Starmie!"

It's too late. Ash was expecting that.

"Steel Wing – Dead center! Go!"

Pidgeotto rushes in and slams its wings, all steeled up, harshly against Starmie! Starmie then zooms past Misty, slamming into the wall behind them, creating a small crater. Starmie then slumps over, with the red jewel blinking just like Staryu before.

Pidgeotto preens itself, landing on her trainer's side of the field, enjoying the fact it won without too much damage taken. Ash smiles, "Amazing job, Pidgeotto!" Pikachu and a recently awakened Froakie both give her a thumbs up, to which she gives a small blush from the praise. She flies up and lands on Ash's head, pecking his forehead affectionately, making them all laugh. Misty sighs, recalling her Starmie. How is it that her Pokémon, her pride, and joy, are losing to a beginner? Granted, Ash isn't the usual case of a beginner, but still!

Realizing she was sort of becoming bitter, she shakes it off physically and mentally, glancing down in the pool. Something was watching the entire fight and she begins to smirk, realizing who it was. She once again looks at Ash, her confidence an all time high. "Well, Ash! You're impressing me with your luck! However," her face turns serious, "the last Pokémon we have here will be the one to end your lucky streak!" She snaps her fingers and the water begins to ripple, bubbles foaming to the top of the pool.

Ash, Pikachu, Froakie, and Pidgeotto watch in wonder and in slight apprehension, thinking it was going to be some monstrous Pokémon! Maybe it'll look like Misty and that's why it's her ace! Ash gulps nervously as a whirlpool begins to form in the middle of the pool, the two platforms moving towards it, colliding with one another. Misty spreads her arms out, rejoicing at the appearance of her last Pokémon!

"Misty calls you out, my beloved beast!"

With a mighty splash, something blasts off from the middle of the whirlpool!

Ash and Serena couldn't believe what it was!

"Karp!"