Hey guys, Sentai Red here!

So... some big news! I've been pre-approved for a certain amount of money towards a house! It's exciting! So, I apologize in advance for any further chapter delays. Put simply, it's time I start looking for a house; an apartment complex really isn't doing it for me at all. On the other hand, the housing market where I live is atrocious! It's simply asinine to see the market value for a house skyrocket 100% within two years, but my head is held high up as I know I'll find the right house for the wife and I!

In the mean time, here's the newest chapter! This chapter is another emotional one and I hope, unlike the one with Brock's dad, this has a more believable feel to it.

And to answer a comment on FFN - Believe it or not, Staryu can learn Thunderbolt! Granted, it's a TM, but it's still a possibility. I made sure to cross check that information on both Bulbapedia and PokemonDB for its moveset. Now, I never mentioned TMs as being a possibility in the story, but I'm taking some creative liberties with it. Hope you understand!

Anyway, let's get showy!


The silence was insurmountable. It was deafening.

Quite frankly, it was also kind of awkward.

Ash and Serena couldn't believe what they just saw.

Misty has her arms crossed; her signature smirk ever present. She looks at Ash and his team with a semblance of borderline arrogance. She can't help but feel super haughty to show off the true ace of her team! This Pokémon has been one of her strongest Pokémon, even before she has left for her journey. This is the Pokémon that she wants to make sure she's strong enough to one day tame in all its glory. This is the Pokémon even her sisters can't tame – the true beast of the sea!

"Karp! Karp! Karp!"

Magikarp swims around the pool, trying to be menacing. Its small crown-like yellow fins sticking out of the water, as if it was a shark, hunting for its next meal. It pops its head out of the water, once again, looking at everyone around it.

Ash and Serena burst out laughing, pointing at it dramatically, tears coming out of their eyes.

"Hahaha!" Ash laughs the hardest, completely unable to fathom at the fact he was almost afraid of the stupid fish! "You really had me fooled there, Misty! That is your final Pokémon?! C'mon! I'm almost insulted here!"

Serena can't help but cover her mouth, laughing, trying hard not to snort at what she's looking at. "M-Misty, hehehe, you-you can't be serious!"

Misty smirks, letting them laugh. She'll show them.

"Laugh all you want, you two! Magikarp here is the bravest and strongest Pokémon I can ever ask for!" Misty exclaims, proud to own such a beautiful fish like Magikarp here. Magikarp just continues to look around, staring at the trainer laughing at him. Even the Pokémon the trainer has all look ready to laugh or keel over from shock at the fact they're battling him. His blank eyes not showing anything.

"Karp."

With a chuckle, Ash wipes the tears from his eyes, trying to calm down. "Heh, okay… fine. This'll be a cinch," he states arrogantly. Pidgeotto smirks, pecking his forehead again, trying to let him use her for the final battle. Pikachu doesn't even object, thinking this is beneath him. Froakie smirks but feels something is amiss.

"Heh, alright, Pidgeotto… You're up! Try not to eat the little thing!"

Pidgeotto flies over and stares hungrily at the fish, who stares back with another blank expression. Pidgeotto blinks and the expression changes, startling her. The expression darkens, a sinister smile appearing on Magikarp's face. This is the face Misty was waiting for.

"Let's begin with a good ol' Splash, Magikarp!"

With a snicker, knowing that move doesn't really do anything, Ash holds off from attacking. He just watches as Magikarp splashes in the water pathetically. "Oh, this is going to be easy." Both he and Serena say at the same time, unable to take the battle seriously. Serena waves at Ash, thinking he's going to win.

He looks over and smiles, waving back.

It was at that moment, he messed up.

Serena's eyes widen in horror as she points to the battle. Ash instinctively turns to see that Magikarp just jettisoned straight to Pidgeotto with a head on collision! Pidgeotto, not taking the battle seriously, had no time to react and just got sent soaring to the wall behind Ash, already fainted. The two of them both watching Ash's Poké Ball recall his Flying-Type, unable to shake the fact that some Magikarp just one-shot Pidgeotto! Pidgeotto didn't even take too much damage from the last battle! How in the Hell did a Magikarp do that?!

Misty guffaws, slapping her knee multiple times, "Heheh! You really thought that it was going to be that easy?! No! Magikarp here is an alpha Magikarp, the strongest in his entire school! He's almost on his way to evolving and when he does, you better watch out, Ash!" She shrugs her shoulders, wanting to get a rise out of Ash, "If I were you and I was battling this cutie here, I'd give up and come back another time, Ash! He's going to wipe all of your Pokémon out before you even know it!"

Ash snarls, clenching his fists, ready to prove Misty wrong. He messed up and that cost him Pidgeotto! He should have expected something was wrong when Misty sent out Magikarp! He looks down to see Froakie shaking its head, thinking the same thing. He too realized something wasn't right and that Magikarp just proved it. An Alpha Pokémon isn't close to the power of a Totem Pokémon, but they are clearly stronger than the rest of the normal herd of Pokémon out there. With this one being an Alpha, it may just be his trainer's toughest match yet.

Froakie looks over to Pikachu and Pikachu narrows its eyes at the fish in the water. The koi fish in the pool is giving them a sinister smile, its barbels twisting around to look like a stereotypical Kalosian villain. If it wasn't for the fact that Pidgeotto was knocked down in a single hit, Pikachu would have found that hilarious. However, their teammate just went down, and Pikachu does not like that at all! His cheeks begin to spark, and he looks up to Ash, "Pikapi!"

Ash looks down and realizes that Pikachu wants to avenge Pidgeotto. With an approving nod, Ash points to the platform. "Alright, Pikachu! I choose you!"

Episode 14: The Final Round! Misty's True Feelings!

Serena felt guilty, thinking it was her fault for letting Ash get distracted. She keeps a pout, holding her hat, pulling it downward a tad bit to cover her eyes. She bites her lips, not wanting to look at the battle. She also feels guilty for laughing at Misty and her Magikarp. She didn't know what came over her! It was just so ridiculous that she couldn't help but laugh! She didn't want to come across as rude to her only female friend of the group. She'll have to make it up to the both of them, somehow.

Daisy and the others just snicker amongst themselves, laughing at how Misty was able to fool the trainer into dropping his guard. "Wow, it seems like Misty is totally in this, after all!" Daisy cheers, her valley-girl accent returning. Lily and Violet both begin to cheer for Misty, who hears it and her heart jumps from the action. She grips her chest, but blows it off for now, wanting to finish the battle. She still has some stuff to say to her sisters, but… being cheered on by her family does feel nice for once…

"Okay, Magikarp! Use Tackle!"

With even more motivation, Misty cheers on her Magikarp as it zooms around in the water, rushing to hit Pikachu with all of its force. Pikachu firmly stares, waiting for the opportunity to dodge. Ash waits as well, giving the chance for Pikachu to avoid the attack, and to counterattack. He can't let some pathetic fish take down two of his Pokémon! Granted, now that he knows what a Magikarp like that can do… he wonders what it would be like when it evolves. It almost scares him, but at the same time… he'd like to one day own a Gyarados. He'll just have to train it up from a Magikarp one day. In the meantime, he'll have to focus on his battle!

"Dodge it now!"

Pikachu expertly avoids the Tackle.

Magikarp does the unthinkable. Using its massive tail fin, it catapults itself from the water and charges at Pikachu! Unable to change trajectory, Pikachu is slammed harshly by the force given by Magikarp! "Pika!" Pikachu cries out in pain, being sent flying upwards, like Misty's Pokémon in the previous rounds. Magikarp lands in the water, watching as Pikachu follows suit, nearly losing consciousness. Pikachu is able to recover somewhat, falling into the water. He tried to swim back to the platform, but Magikarp was already on the chase.

"Now, give Pikachu another taste of what you can do, Magikarp!" Misty cries out, eager to win this round!

"No, you don't! Thunderbolt in the water, Pikachu!" Pikachu charges up and unleashes 100,000 bolts of electricity, the lightning crackling all over the water. Magikarp jumps into the water to escape the attack, wincing slightly from the static rising into the air. It could feel its tail fin going somewhat numb, but it perseveres and floats in the air long enough for the static to dissipate. It lands back in the water, charging once again to Pikachu, ready to defeat its enemy.

"Get back up on the platform, Pikachu!" Ash calls out desperately, not understanding how this fish can be so difficult!

Pikachu swims back onto the platform, knowing full well that Magikarp may not be able to attack if it were to get stuck on land. He sighs in relief, hoping to use this time to give himself time to breathe. Magikarp slows down in front of the platform, eyeing Pikachu and it swims around, circling the platform. The top fins give away its location, but it then sinks into the water, not letting Pikachu know where it is. This makes both Ash and Pikachu nervous, trying to figure out where it may be.

There's a tense silence as no one can tell where the fish is. Froakie tries to figure it out, but it hides itself well to the point where Froakie can't figure out its location. Pikachu and Ash just wait for any possible auditory signs. The waiting game makes them fidget, shuffling their feet around slightly to make sure they're prepared for any possible attacks. Pikachu gets on all four of his paws, trying to maintain a firm hold on the platform.

Misty snaps her fingers.

"Now!"

Able to hear the snap of the fingers, Magikarp charges towards the platform! Using Tackle, the energy forming around its head protects it from the impact as it snaps the platform in half! Pikachu flies in the air, both in shock and in pain, as the impact is absorbed into his tiny body. He is left momentarily stunned, unable to attack in any way! Magikarp flies up into the sky, using another Tackle to strike Pikachu! Its sinister look fully present, before turning its face to Ash, whose mouth is agape from what this fish can do.

It twirls its body around and smacks Pikachu to Ash!

With enough force, Pikachu is sent careening to Ash! The two of them are both knocked away from the force, with Ash falling from the arena and onto the floor with a massive thud. Serena gasps, rushing over to Ash in worry. Misty frowns, not expecting Magikarp to do that. "Magikarp! That was too far!" She rushes down from the ladder, sliding on the last few steps, and runs over to where Ash is. "Ash!" She cries out, running over to him.

Froakie is there with Serena as the two hold Ash up, who is unable to speak. Pikachu was launched directly into his stomach, making Ash gag. Pikachu looks over and worries for his trainer, thinking it was all his fault. "Pikapi…"

Ash turns over, onto his elbows as he forces himself to breathe. He keeps coughing, gagging, but he then settles down and slowly breathes in and out. Serena and the others watch over him, concerned for his well being. Misty feels awful that this happened. "Ash… I'm sorry, I… we…"

Serena stops her, "No, Misty… it wasn't your fault…" She denies the chance for Misty to apologize, rubbing Ash's back in the process. She looks over to Ash finally calming down, "We didn't mean to laugh at your Magikarp… It was mean of us, isn't that right, Ash?" She glances at her crush sympathetically. Ash groans in pain, but slowly nods at what Serena was saying. He slowly turns himself around, wincing at plopping onto the floor. His entire body just feels sore. He's definitely bruised everywhere now… better bruised than anything else, he surmises.

"Yeah… What 'Rena said…" he rasps out.

Misty sighs, feeling incredibly awful still. She looks over to her sisters, who all solemnly nod. She then digs into her pocket, pulling out the Cerulean City Gym Badge. "Here, Ash…" She states softly, offering him the badge while crouching down to him. She didn't mean for it to get this bad… Sure, he and Serena were mocking her Pokémon, but Magikarp was never this malicious any other time. This was too far for her and as a Gym Leader, this means she must disqualify herself in the moment a Pokémon intentionally attacks the opposing trainer. Tears well up in her eyes, feeling like a failure. "You… you won, Ash… I… I wasn't strong enou—"

"S-shut it…"

Hearing him say that made her stop in place. She looks at him in shock, Serena and his two Pokémon staring at him with concern as he forces himself up. He grunts, getting up and looks at Misty with a stern countenance, "We… we're continuing this match. I'm not taking a pity badge from you… Get up there and we'll finish this up." He limps back over to the step ladder, with Serena helping him over, knowing full-well he's dead set into continuing the match. As much as she loves his tenacity, his stubbornness is something she'll always worry about.

Misty sighs and returns to her side of the field. If Ash is willing to deal with it, then she supposes she can too. She then stares at her Magikarp, who stares back with a dark look in its eyes. She frowns, "Magikarp?"

It turns away from her, making her heart drop. This isn't good.

Pikachu glares at Magikarp, angry for hurting his trainer and best friend. "Chu…" Pikachu growls out, ready to dish some punishment back at the stupid fish. Magikarp just stares angrily, unable to stand the fact that they're insulting it first, but because they're human, Misty values their friendship over the friendship the two of them have formed! She was always by its side, and it was always by her side! But no! The moment this boy walked in, making her defend him from her annoying sisters, it knew Misty made a friend that wasn't it! Now, he battled her and he's winning! She wanted to use it against the boy, and the boy just laughed at him! Him and that weird honey girl! And yet, when he dared to show his prowess, he was scolded! Why?!

It then realized something… it's too good for Misty. She left it – not the other way around!

It was all alone while she was off galivanting with this boy and that girl, while it was just forced to stay in the stupid pool! Her sisters didn't care for it at all and that's why they left it all alone! It had no friends – no family – nothing! It can't stand them… it can't stand them all! Misty… you abandoned it… Now you'll feel it's wrath!

Magikarp roars.

"KAAAA-GAAAOOOOOO!"

It's original scream morphs into something dangerous – something sinister! Everyone watches in shock as Magikarp begins to evolve! A bright white light encompasses the fish, as it begins to enlarge! It roars menacingly and loudly, making everyone cover their ears as it thrashes about in the pool. Anger boils in its veins. Anger is all it can see. Anger is all it can feel. With a smack of its now blue tail, the Magikarp Misty once owned proudly is now a ferocious and terrifying Pokémon.

This is the type of Pokémon that many fear to see – the type of Pokémon certain groups of people call the deity of destruction.

A Pokémon so dangerous, so deadly, that seeing one is often an omen for destruction. This is the Pokémon that, when enraged, will never stop to calm down until either two things occur: everything is destroyed in its wake, or it dies. Nothing ever in-between. Ladies and gentlemen, say 'Hello' to: Gyarados, the Atrocious Pokémon.

With a mighty roar, Gyarados charges up orange energy directly from its mouth, its eyes dilated and all it can do is stare straight forward at Pikachu. The energy becomes larger, and larger, and larger – deadlier and deadlier! With another roar, it unleashes all its anger, all its frustrations, all its energy into a single blast known to wipe away a small village: Hyper Beam! The beam comes out so fast that it splits the water as it glides on top of it, homing in on Pikachu. Everyone watches in horror as the move edges closer to Pikachu.

"No! Pikachu! Dodge it, please!" Misty is the one to call out for Pikachu's safety, unable to grasp the fact Gyarados is now on a rampage. Her once beautiful, and sweet, but deadly Magikarp ignored her and angrily evolved!

Pikachu, snapping out of its stupor, dodges the attack, diving into the water. The platform is blown away from the attack, shattering into multiple pieces! Ash and Froakie both cover themselves, Ash getting mild scrapes from the debris. He turns to see Serena frozen in fear, Misty's sisters unable to move from the shock of seeing a Gyarados in their pool. All the Pokémon near the pool, and in the aquarium, all begin to swim away, trying to huddle – far away from the dangerous Pokémon as it flails around in the pool. Gyarados doesn't give anyone a second to breathe as it slithers out of the pool, landing directly in front of the bleachers.

Serena has her heart in her mouth, unable to move.

Gyarados stares directly at her, ready to blow her into smithereens!

"No!" Ash cries out, opting to not care anymore. He throws out all his Pokémon, even Pidgeotto, who is somewhat refreshed. They all sense the danger, and they all charge towards the beast! Butterfree and Pidgeotto both use Gust and Air Slash respectively to attack Gyarados, trying to push it away from Serena! Gyarados attempts to bite them, lunging its neck towards them, but they both fly far enough to avoid being a snack.

Serena recovers, calming her heartbeat as she rushes to get Misty's sisters out of the way. They all turn to her in shock, but they push their fears away as they too run down the bleachers, with Serena calling out all her Pokémon as well. Fennekin, Eevee, and Beedrill all charge into the fray, ready to protect Serena and their friends. Clefairy, still the timid fairy, clutches Serena's legs, shivering at the sight of a Gyarados rampaging in a building!

Serena lifts her Clefairy, cursing herself for forgetting that Clefairy is still too afraid to battle.

She then rushes over to Misty, "We have to help, Misty!"

Misty is unable to hear Serena. Or the world.

All Misty sees is total darkness. Her eyes dim. Her entire body limp and motionless. How could this have happened?! She just groans, thinking about all the times she and Magikarp used to play in the pool, while her sisters just ignored her. There would be times where she would cry to Magikarp, lamenting the fact she never had friends or that her sisters were being mean to her again. She used to play with him all the time! Then she left on her journey – that's why… her Magikarp feels abandoned… She just came home and immediately asked it to battle for her, never understanding the fact Magikarp held some resentment for her…

Was it true? Was she just a failure? Was she forever doomed to be stuck in her sisters' shadows?

She can't breathe…

All her life… all her life, she was just a runt – a brat. She was never Misty, The Fourth Sensational Sister of Cerulean City. Her sisters never cared for her. They always made fun of her. They made her angry. They made her upset. They made her lonely. However… were they right? Was she just the Ugly Duckling of them all? Just look at her – she's not beautiful like them! She doesn't have their luscious hair, their curves, their award-winning smiles, their dancing prowess – she has NOTHING!

She's nothing!

She'll always be nothing!

She –

SMACK

She recoils from the smack, her face hot and stinging as she looks to her assaulter, who is huffing angrily. "Misty! Pull yourself together!" Serena cries out, one of her hands on her shoulder as she shakes her roughly to wake her up! Misty begins to push away, not caring about anything right now. Her best Pokémon friend feels betrayed by her and she hurt one of the few human friends she genuinely made! "Misty!" Serena screams out, grabbing her friend by the wrist. "Misty, wake up!" This is not the Misty she knows! The Misty she knows would be the first to fight, the first to go out there and battle with Ash and their friends! This Misty, in a catatonic and mindless state, is not the Misty she knows at all!

"No!" She pushes Serena away, trying hard to run off.

However, Serena grabs her again, the battling ensuing in the background not deterring her from trying to knock some sense into Misty. "None of this is your fault, Misty! Not any of it! Where's that beautiful tomboy friend of mine?! The one that is giving us her sassy remarks, the one that makes fun of my love for Ash, but cares for my feelings! The one that's there for all of us! There one that would fight for us! The one that fought for my safety against some Team Rocket Grunts! Where is she? Where is my SISTER?!"

Sister… She looks back to Serena, who has tears dripping down her face, as she pants hard, "Serena…"

"No! Let me speak! I swear, you and Ash are almost alike! We're your friends, Misty! You protect us but let us protect you! Let's fight together! Just because you have some stuff hanging due to you and your sisters, and with Magikarp, that doesn't mean we will abandon you! Come on! Ash is fighting Gyarados and he needs us! He needs you as much as he needs me, or Brock, or Pikachu and Froakie! You're our sister here, Misty! Fight with us, please!"

Misty cries, but nods. "R-right…" She states weakly, crying harder.

Serena holds Misty by the hand, "We may not have started off on the right foot, but I'm glad to have you with us. I'm glad to have a friend who I can call a sister. You, Brock, and Ash… You're all important to me! C'mon, Mist, let's get your Gyarados under control!" Serena gives Misty a smirk, the very same one Ash uses to encourage himself, the one that they all know so well. It's the same smirk that made Serena fall in love with him, the one that made Misty realize she had a small crush on Ash previously, all of it… but to be used by Serena? It's just as encouraging and fitting. Serena and Ash… Perfect pair.

But she's right… Ash, her, Serena, and Brock… all of them… they're in this together!

Wiping her tears with her free hand, she grips Serena's hand tightly and smiles, "Let's do it!"

The two grin at one another, before releasing their hands and rush to Ash's side. He has been commanding all their Pokémon to battle, weaving, and dodging his way around Gyarados, trying to get the Pokémon to strike in unison. Gyarados is too angry to fall, so he's hoping he can at least tire it out for Misty to recall into its Poké Ball! He notices the two of them heading his way and waves at them, ducking as a Dragon Breath was blown his way. "Gah! Careful, guys! Gyarados is – Woah!" He pushes them away as Gyarado's tail swipes near his location, "He's tough! Man, Misty," he looks at Misty and grins, "I can't wait to battle it again!"

Misty blinks, "You… you want to battle it again?"

Ash nods, "Of course! It's tough, after all. Sure, we made fun of it, but I feel like we all can be friends with it! We just gotta calm it down first! We'll just need your Poké Ball so it can get back in its ball!"

Misty smiles, before chuckling, "You're weird, Ash… but, right! I'm… I'm fine now, let's get my Gyarados back under control!"

She then releases Starmie who, while still tired, can still fight. Misty rubs its top appendage soothingly, "We'll get Gyarados back to normal, right, Starmie?" Starmie nods emphatically, not letting its sore body be a sign to just give up.

With a determined look, Misty turns to Ash, "You're up to get that badge? Well, the first to defeat Gyarados is the victor of our battle!" Ash just offers her a fist bump; one she gives back and the two stare at a raging Gyarados with smirks on their faces.

Serena rolls her eyes at the two of them, but smiles, happy to join along. "What happens if I win?" She asks, walking towards them, getting in the middle.

Misty grins, "Then Ash gets to give you a kiss on the cheek."

Ash and Serena blush madly, with Serena screaming and covering her face, "M-Misty!"

Misty grins, then uses the opportunity to strike, "Starmie! Psybeam on Gyarados!" Starmie obliges, striking Gyarados harshly on the back. Ash rolls his eyes, but strikes head on with Pikachu, who starts striking with Thunderbolt. Froakie follows suit by using Water Pulse. Serena begins her own assault by calling Shadow Ball from Eevee and Ember from Fennekin. She helps Beedrill and Butterfree continue their assaults for Ash, Beedrill using String Shot to slow Gyarados' movements down.

Gyarados roars angrily, trying to pull itself away from the String Shot. It winces angrily from the assaults on all sides, getting angrier at the thought everyone is attacking it. It then charges a Hyper Beam, but the fact it's getting tired is making it susceptible to being interrupted. That kind of susceptibility is what's making Ash think. Froakie launches a Water Pulse, making the energy charged up explode in front of Gyarados' face. It growls angrily, slithering towards them and slams its tail towards them. Ash grabs Serena and Misty, pulling them away with him as they narrowly dodge the slam. The earth beneath them quakes from the assault. Serena grips Ash tightly to prevent from falling.

It charges another Hyper Beam, but Ash is quicker. He pushes the two girls away, rushing towards Pikachu with a determined look. "Pikachu!" He calls out, which surprises his yellow starter. Ash and Pikachu then realize what they need to do. The two do something that shows their close knit bond: Ash and Pikachu give each other high fives, with Ash's hand and Pikachu's tail.

Ash then gives him his cap, "You got this, bud? We're going to give Gyarados some payback for hurting us!" Pikachu then grins at Ash, giving his trainer a victory hand sign.

"Pika!"

With the cap secured with the help of Froakie throwing frubble to make it stay on Pikachu's head, Ash throws Pikachu high into the air towards Gyarados!

"Thunderbolt, Pikachu! Maximum charge!"

Pikachu slaps his cheeks, sparks emanating from its face, before unleashing a powerful bolt of electricity! The land hits directly in the face of Gyarados, who screams in pain from the super effective attack, especially since it's so close! It tries to lunge at Pikachu, but another set of String Shot from both Bug-Types prevents its head from moving forward. The two Bug-Types hold on to the strings, pulling Gyarados back. Fennekin and Eevee both use Ember and Shadow Ball to keep its distance away from Pikachu.

Froakie and Starmie both land a Pound and Rapid Spin attack, making Gyarados buckle under its weight.

As it falls, Pikachu unleashes another final attack, as an explosion bursts through. All the Pokémon fly back from the force exerted from the blast, but they all recover. As the smoke begins to settle, Gyarados is seen unconscious on the floor. Its tail twitches but then stays limp. Ash nods at Misty, who simply recalls Gyarados in the Poké Ball. Normally, any Pokémon would be able to enter the Poké Ball, even if it's rampaging… but, something destructive as a Gyarados? They would simply shatter the Poké Ball from the inside, releasing it. As cruel as it is sad, one must always put down a raging Gyarados until it can either calm down or die.

Luckily, that outcome was thrown out the window.

Everyone begins to collapse, the feeling of exhaustion just slamming into them like an oncoming truck.

All the Pokémon also collapse, all of them panting heavily. Beedrill and Butterfree both fall to the floor, their wings sagging to the floor and they both just roll to their backs. Beedrill begins to cry, happy it's all over. Eevee and Fennekin both pat its stingers sympathetically, while Clefairy watches from afar, wondering what kind Beedrill just cries. Eevee and Fennekin just give an amused glance to Clefairy, signaling that this will be the norm for it.

Pikachu and Froakie both give each other a thumbs up.

Misty's sisters all come out of hiding. Violet is the first to ask, "Is… is that thing gone?"

Lily then laughs haughtily, "That was like, totally, a scare! Good to know you three handled, otherwise we may have like, lost the pool!" She says it in jest, but Misty twitches at it.

"Just the pool?" Serena repeats, with a blank expression. Serena was ready to get up and give the sisters a piece of their mind, but Misty stopped with an arm extended her way. "Huh?" Serena stares at Misty in surprise. Misty shakes her head, signaling her to let her deal with it. Serena acquiesces and smiles at her.

Misty gets up. She begins to glare at her sisters as she walks over to them. The three sisters look uncomfortable at the anger she's emanating from her being. She stomps over to her three sisters, pointing a finger rudely at them. "You don't get to joke around!" She yells at Lily. Lily avoids Misty's gaze, opting to look at the floor with an upset gaze. "This is no time to joke around, Lily! Where in the HELL were you three?!"

Daisy tries to placate her sister, trying to put her hands up in a defensive motion. "Hey, hey… like, chill, Misty. We knew you three would have been able to handle it!" Misty turns her anger from Lily to Daisy, making the eldest sister take a step back.

"No… No, not this time. You don't get to patronize me this time, Daisy! The fact you think you have the audacity to do that is astounding! No! This time, I'm going to tell you how I really feel!" Misty continues her rampage, making her three sisters silent. Ash and Serena watch on, holding one another's hands in comfort.

Misty begins to breathe hard, "I've… I've dealt with all of this for… for too long now!" She begins to choke on her own words, her emotions flowing out of her like a waterfall. Unable to contain anymore, she breaks down, but she holds on tightly to herself, to keep herself going. "You have no idea what I've went through because of you three!"

Violet opens her mouth, but Misty holds her in place with a glare. "No! Not one word out of any of you!"

"The teasing… the neglect… You all just made me feel like I was just some sort of joke! All my damn life, I've lived under your neglect! Mom… Dad… they don't know that you never once treated me like the sister you guys have! All my entire damn life, and I'm only twelve for crying out loud! Not once was I a sister to any of you, not once did you guys consider me a family member! I was just some red-headed stepchild, forever living in some stupid basement, away from the entire family! All I had was my Magikarp, but you all made me run away! No…"

She shakes her head.

"I can't blame you for that. It was my fault for running away! I ran away because I couldn't take it anymore! You all never loved me! Not once have you guys said, 'Misty, I'm so proud of you!' or 'Misty, you're doing a great job!' or even 'You're a great sister!' Not once!" Her voice cracks.

The silence is palpable as Misty openly cries in front of her sisters. In front of Ash, Serena, and all their Pokémon.

The anger. The hatred. The bitterness. It all flows down her eyes, her eyes tightly clenched together as she tries to not let it all out at once. She bites her lips, wanting so hard not to scream at everyone and everything. Her arms tremble, wanting to punch something so badly, even if it hurts her. All the emotions just break through the dam she built, raging through the cracks.

Serena begins to cry for her friend. Ash tightens his grip for her, in comfort. Ash then releases his hand from hers and wraps an arm around her shoulder, pulling her to him. She begins to cry more.

Misty points at her two friends, not even looking back at them, "Those two… those two and our other friend… those three and all our Pokémon have become a family to me! In the past two months on being on the damn road, I've gotten closer to them than I've ever gotten by being with you all for twelve years!"

"Because of them, I have an older brother figure! Because of them, that trainer who helped save our home is like my little brother! That girl… That girl over there has become more of a sister to me and I've become a sister to her than any other time we have been sisters to one another! I love them like family, because they've been more of a family in a short amount of time than I've been a family member to you guys for twelve freaking years!"

She grabs Daisy roughly, "What have I done to deserve this?! I'm just a little girl compared to you all!" She pushes Daisy away, grabbing Lily next, "You always put me down! Why?! What did I do to you?!"

She then grabs Violet, "You always ignored me! You never once wanted to play or even give me a chance to dance or battle or anything! You just pushed me aside for whatever the other two were doing!"

The three sisters cry silently.

Misty pants, her voice dry from all the yelling. Her eyes, puffy from all the tears coming out. She sniffs, still panting, "I… I don't want to hate any of you. Like, at all! You're my sisters for crying out loud! But… I can't… I can't deal with this… I'm leaving tomorrow. If… tomorrow I leave and nothing happens, then consider me a sister no more." She turns to Ash and gives him his badge. "You did well, little bro." She gives him a wry smile, before turning her back and walks.

She walks away, slamming the doors behind her.

No one spoke a word.

Daisy helplessly stares at Ash and Serena, who let go of one another to recall their Pokémon in silence. Ash just ignores the looks and begins to walk away, giving the sisters a cold shoulder. Serena follows suit, but glances at the distraught sisters. She shakes her head and gives them a small 'Excuse me.' She then picks up the pace to walk with Ash and his two Pokémon, all going straight to the Pokémon Center.

Daisy looks back at her openly crying sisters, hugging them both tightly. She cries silently, staring at the doors that Misty left through. She had failed. She was always told to be the best sister ever, to protect and love them all. However, where did she go wrong? She doesn't know, but… she has no excuses.

The building is a mess, with damaged walls, the pool leaking with a crack against the wall panel, and parts of the bleachers bent from the attacks. Everything is a mess, but to them? It pales in comparison to how badly they treated Misty. This mess is nothing compared to the mess the Water Flowers of Cerulean City feel.

They're called 'The Sensational Sisters', and yet… they don't feel it at all. How sensational are they really?