Here is the next chapter guys. I know it's been a long time, but I've finally got the all clear medically, and I'm now on break from Uni.

A special thanks to gio08 for being my Beta Reader, if anyone else would like to be one, just let me know!

Enjoy!


Chapter 4 – Mikan Island Water Tournament

Travelling on Lapras' back seemed a cheaper and far more convenient mode of transportation than waiting for ferries daily. Misty was reluctant at first, but once Lapras had shown she was willing to ferry them, she decided to ride on her. Another advantage, soon discovered, was that Ash and Misty could release their Water-types to swim alongside them.

Ash, only having Wartortle as his other Water-type, laughed as his Pokémon happily jumped too and from the water. Meanwhile, Misty only released Seel and Feebas; she feared for Psyduck's safety and didn't know if Vaporeon could swim against the ocean currents.

"We're almost there!" Tracey declared, pointing towards the island silhouette in the distance.

"Mikan Island!" Misty jumped from her seated position, moving across Lapras' back to stand by her neck. "That's where the tournament is! That's where I'll win my next water symbol!"

"Settle down, Misty!" Ash laughed, standing up as well. "We know nothing of the competition you may face there."

"No matter." Misty shook her head. "I've lost the last Water Tournament, I'm not going to lose this one."

"That's the spirit!" Tracey added. "A bit of confidence can really help!"

"Yeah, but overconfidence can lead to downfall," Ash muttered.

"What was that?" Misty raised a questioning eyebrow while glaring at the young Pokémon Trainer.

"Nothing!" Ash nervously waved his hands in front of his face in defeat. "What was I thinking-of course, Misty, you'll do fine, you can't possibly lose."

"I'm not overconfident!" Misty shot back.

"We'll see." He lunged out of the way of the swing Misty threw.


A long time ago…

Red gasped when he entered the house; Misty wasn't kidding when she said her family owned a house near Cerulean City. Only it wasn't a house, but rather a mansion with a six-acre garden around it.

The place wasn't just large, but also beautiful. While the outside was lavish, with wide open fields and massive ponds, the inside seemed like pure gold by comparison. Truth be told, there was a lot of gold. It lined every painting, every photo along the walls of the foyer. The floors were made of marble, while a massive chandelier with specs of diamond hung from the ceiling. The place was made for a king, not the girl he assumed was a princess before him.

"What-how-when." Red's words seemed to jumble until they heard a loud pulsating sound from above, closely followed by a loud thud as something landed on the roof.

Red was about to grab one of his Poké Balls when Misty finally spoke up. "Oh! That must be Dad." Her excited face immediately morphed into a scowl. "He's home early though, I wasn't expecting him for a few more hours."

Red had a question on the tip of his tongue when a large double door opened on the other side of the foyer. "Misty?" Misty's father entered the room, a look of confusion on his face as he adjusted the well pressed black tie of his business suit.

"Daddy!" Misty lunged at her father, enveloping him in a hug before Red could get a good look at him.

"What're you doing back? I thought you were heading for the Seafoam Islands?" Her father pushed Misty away to have a good look at her, worry evident on his face.

"I was," Misty replied. "But then I ran into some trouble in Mt. Moon and had to come back."

"Well, I'm just glad you're home." He raised his eyes, looking over Misty's shoulder towards Red. "And who's this?"

It was the first time Red got a good look at Misty's father, and the first thing that came to mind was to never cross the man. His face showed a man who had lived many lives, gone on many adventures, and had done things he ultimately regretted. His face was scruffy, with a few scars around his chin and neck. But his face was also chiseled, like he'd been carved as a perfect specimen. Whoever he was, he was the embodiment of power, the embodiment of determination, and was willing to do anything to achieve his goals.

His eyes bored deeply into Red's. Red could almost feel the silent scrutiny he was receiving, and in that moment Red knew what type of man he wanted to be.

"Oh, that's Red," Misty explained nervously. "If it wasn't for him I wouldn't be here now."

The man blinked, and the scrutiny was gone, replaced with a genuine smile. "Well then, I guess I should thank him." He walked passed his daughter, raising his hand to shake Red's. "It's nice to meet you, Red. I'm Mark. Mark Williams."

"The pleasure's mine, sir." Red spoke like his mother told him, grasping Mark's hand. "And might I add that you have a wonderful home."

Mark smiled, turning towards the foyer as he placed his hand on Red's upper back. "Why thank you. I'm sure Misty would love to show you around."

"Would I!" She jumped up and down in excitement before quickly rushing over to Red and pulling him away from her father.

As he was pulled away he felt a small tug on his hair. "Ow!" He placed his free hand on the back of his neck as he was pulled away.

Mark's smile immediately faded as Red and Misty departed the room. He looked at the hair he'd pulled from Red's head as his older daughter entered the room.

"Who was that, Dad?" Hannah questioned.

"Misty, and she brought a friend," Mark explained, grasping the strand of hair. He walked towards his daughter, handing her Red's hair. "Here, I need you to run a DNA test."

"Why?"

"Red is a nickname," Mark explained. "I want to know who he really is."

"Yes, Father." Hannah turned to leave when Mark place his hand on his shoulder.

"And, Hannah, keep the circle as tight as possible, I don't want anyone else knowing about this."

"Michelle then?" Hannah asked.

"Yes, she'll do. Take the hair to her and bring me the results as soon as possible," Mark replied.

Hannah turned to leave, making it just outside the foyer when she heard her father. "I expected one of my daughters to bring a boy home one day, just not this soon."


Present Day.

Ash and Misty knew that the Orange Islands weren't known for their Pokémon tournaments, but they never realised how small they were until they arrived on Mikan Island. Not only was the list of competitors small, the battlefield was in the smallest stadium they had ever seen.

There were barely enough seats for a few hundred spectators, and as Misty walked towards her side of the battlefield for her first battle she noted how empty the stadium was.

"This is a one-on-one battle between Misty Waterflower and James Mackenzie!" The local referee declared. "The winner will be declared when one of the Pokémon are unable to battle! Both Trainers flipped a coin before the match, with James to pick his Pokémon first!"

James threw his Poké Ball into the air upon the end of the announcement, releasing a Pokémon Misty had never seen before.

"What's that?" Ash leaned towards Tracey, while they sat in the stands. "It's not native to the Orange Islands is it?"

"Never seen it in these islands before," Tracey explained, shaking his head. "Most competitors in the Orange Islands aren't native to these islands. Generally, they come here for a vacation and end up entering tournaments, like this one."

Misty eyed the Pokémon up and down, trying to gage its strengths and weaknesses. Its small size suggested it wasn't very strong but looks could be deceiving. Its thick, blue, hind legs did, however, suggest it could move very fast. Its large yellow eyes, with black irises, made her think that it had strong senses.

Speed, Misty thought. I'll need a mixture of speed and strength. She threw her own Poké Ball into the air, releasing one of her more powerful Pokémon; Kabutops. The green bipedal Pokémon sharpened his grey scythes as he eyed off his blue, and white, quadricep opponent.

As if annoyed, Kabutops turned towards Misty, silently asking why he'd been sent out against such a weak opponent.

"Looks can be deceiving, ok?" Misty shot back, ordering her Pokémon to face their opponent.

"Begin!"

"Froakie, use Quick Attack!" James ordered. As quick as a flash, before even Kabutops could turn around, the frog-like Pokémon smashed its two white hands into the pre-historic Pokémon.

"Kabu?" Kabutops barely even flinched as the surprise attack hit him, sending a wave of fear through James and his Pokémon. "Tops!" he yelled as he swung his scythe. Froakie, however, was too quick; easily leaping out of the way of the incoming attack.

"Like I said, it's not strong, but it is fast," Misty explained. "If we can't get a shot in, it may overwhelm us eventually."

"Ka!" Kabutops nodded, agreeing with his trainer.

"Let's start off with Slash," Misty ordered. "Try and see if you can match it for speed." Kabutops raced across the battlefield, jumping over the small pool in the middle, before swinging his scythes at the Bubble Frog Pokémon.

Froakie remained too fast for the pre-historic Pokémon, easily dodging each incoming attack as it leapt around the battlefield.

"This isn't working," Misty muttered. "Kabutops can't match its speed. But he's faster when he uses certain attacks." While each scenario played out in Misty's mind, Froakie went on the offensive. It swung white fist after white fist at Kabutops when its trainer ordered it to use Pound.

Glancing back at the battle, Misty watched Froakie leap away after another volley of attacks. But as it leapt through the air, she realised it was the only time she could attack. "Kabutops, get in close with Slash again!"

Kabutops continued his barrage of slashes, with each attack easily dodged by the frog-like Pokémon. The pre-historic Pokémon was quickly becoming impatient when he suddenly heard Misty give him a strange order.

"Kabutops, it can't maneuver while in the air, so when it leaps high, surprise it with Aqua Jet!"

Kabutops lunged forward with one powerful swing of his scythe as they neared the pool in the centre. Froakie leapt over the pool, rising high into the air, giving Kabutops his chance. Following quickly, surrounded by a veil of water, he smashed into the frog-like Pokémon, knocking it back towards the ground.

Kabutops landed right next to Froakie, holding his right scythe close to its body as it began to glow green. Poking the Pokémon slightly, Kabutops absorbed Froakie's remaining energy; ending the match.

"Froakie is unable to battle! Kabutops and Misty are the winners!" the referee declared.


Many years ago…

"And this is where my sister and I hold our Gym Battles."

"Wait, you're a Gym Leader?" Red asked, peering around the small room with a large pool that extended from one end of the room to the other. "I thought Cerulean City didn't have a Gym, at least, not anymore."

"Technically, it doesn't." Misty Williams sullenly nodded. "My mother used to be the city's Gym Leader until she died. My sister and I decided to resurrect her dream. We hold secret battles for those who find us."

"Wouldn't that be unofficial though? Any battle won here wouldn't count when they make it to the Pokémon League."

"Yes and no," Misty explained. "The League allows us to hold them in secret until they make it official, when we're older."

"How?" Red questioned. "I thought Gym Leader's had to be at least fourteen."

"Helps when you have someone with a lot of influence, like my father." Misty shrugged.

"He must be powerful, indeed," Red muttered to himself. "To have all this."

"What was that?" Misty asked, concern on her face.

"Nothing!" Red quickly shot back, looking frantically around the room. "Could you show me where the phones are? I need to inform Professor Oak of what we discovered in Mount Moon."

"Sure!" Misty smiled again, grabbing Red by the arm. "It's this way, come on."


Present Day.

The second battle was a breeze for Misty as she advanced into the final round of the Mikan Island Water Tournament. Her Seadra easily defeated her opponent's Poliwhirl, and she was ready to face her final opponent.

Standing on the other side of the battlefield was a young girl with blonde hair. She had beautiful blue eyes with a look of determination Misty rarely saw.

"This is the final match between Misty Waterflower and Stacy Mackenzie!" Misty's eyes burst open. She recognised the resemblance to her previous opponent, but her hair colour was completely different.

Shaking her head to clear her mind, she decided to focus on the Pokémon she'd chosen for the final match; Staryu. It was one of her strongest Pokémon, her first in fact. Many would argue that Starmie was, but that was a gift from her grandmother just before she died. Originally, Staryu belonged to her aunt, Misty Williams, who she learned she was named after, but for some reason it had never evolved.

Pulling out her Poké Ball, she flung it into the air as the referee asked them to release their Pokémon.


A long time ago…

"Hi, Professor!" Red greeted as the video phone whizzed to life. Appearing on the other side was a young Professor Oak, only in his mid-thirties, with short brown hair.

"Red! How's your journey going?" Professor Oak looked away for a second. "Gathering all the information I need?"

"Yes, Professor," Red acknowledged, holding up his Pokédex. "This device is great! But they only give me information of Pokémon I've captured, not the ones I come across."

"They're only a prototype, Red," Professor Oak explained. "Once you capture a Pokémon, it records certain information and sends it back to me for analysis. I spool the data and send back a detailed summary of the Pokémon you are then able to access. The more Pokémon you and the other holders capture, the more accurate the summary becomes. Once I have enough data on every Pokémon, I'll be able input them straight into the finished model to help young trainers when they first begin."

"I understand, Professor. Thanks for choosing me."

"No need to thank me, you're the one doing me a favour." Professor Oak waved his hand dismissively. "Now, what is it you called me about?"

"Oh… Right, that…" Red looked away, glancing at the young red head talking to one of her Pokémon. "I ran into a problem in Mt. Moon."

"What kind of problem?" Professor Oak furrowed his brow in concern.

"Well, I ran into this girl, Misty Williams," Red explained. "Her Gyarados had gone berserk and destroyed its Poké Ball. I managed to subdue it, and recapture it. She then explained that she'd been separated from her Pokémon inside Mt. Moon when they were attacked by a rampaging wild Pokémon. We travelled inside to investigate and ran into a crazy Rhydon. After we managed to stop it, we found a lab inside Mt. Moon where a group of people were conducting tests on the Pokémon using some strange rock they had dragged there."

"You sure they dragged it there?" Professor Oak asked. "There is a large rock in Mt. Moon known as the Moon Rock."

"It wasn't that, Professor, we passed the Moon Rock on our way out of the mountain."

"Oh, so what would you like me to do? Call the authorities?"

"No, we overheard them saying they'd be moving on soon, so there was no point, but I did manage to get a sample of the rock. I was wondering if you would be willing to look into it."

"Sure." Professor Oak smiled. "I'm happy to help."

"I also captured the Rhydon they were testing the rock's properties on." Red held up the Poké Ball in his hand. "It's still crazy, and so is Misty's Pokémon. She won't let me send her Pokémon to you as well, so I was hoping, with Rhydon's help, that you might be able to find a cure to whatever is affecting these Pokémon."

"Of course, Send the rock and Rhydon to me and I'll find out what's wrong." Professor Oak looked at another screen, before turning back to Red. "Where are you calling me from? My computer doesn't register the number as a Pokémon Centre, but I do recognise it."

"From Misty William's father's house," Red explained. If Red had been paying attention to Professor Oak's face, he would have noticed him visibly pale as he finished his last word.

"Just be careful, Red," Professor Oak warned, surprising the young boy. "Don't do anything stupid, and especially don't do anything bad towards Mark's daughters, you won't like what happens."

"Why? What's wrong with Misty's father?"

"He's very protective of them," Oak explained, his voice suddenly lowering. "Especially after what happened to his wife."

Red wasn't supposed to hear the last part, but he did. "What happened to his wife?"

"You don't need to know!" Professor Oak exclaimed louder than he would have liked. He quickly calmed himself, looking Red dead in the eye. "Look, send me what you've got, and I'll have a look into it, just don't stay any longer than you need to, ok?"

"Alright," Red replied, perplexed. "I talk to you later." The call abruptly ended, and Red turned to leave.

"What was that about?" Misty asked, coming up to him. "I heard yelling."

"Oh, that, it was nothing." Red waved it off casually, turning towards the door. "But I think it's time I leave, I need to be in..."

"Oh, no you don't." Misty blocked his path. "You're not leaving until you defeat me in a Pokémon Battle and claim your second badge."

Red sighed; he guessed he wasn't getting away any time soon.


A couple of days passed for ten-year old Red Ketchum and he could not believe he was being made to wear a stupid suit to some ball Misty's father was hosting. To make matters worse, he'd originally planned to remain in the guest bed room for the entire night, but when Misty invited him as her guest, the look her father gave him told him that he couldn't say "No." It was something about Mark that gave the impression that he always wanted his daughters to be happy.

To his surprise, the figures that showed up to the event were quite famous and important in not only the Pokémon League circles, but also the political realm. The guests ranged from famous Pokémon Trainers, the current, and former, Pokémon Champions and Elite Four Members, and the President and several senators of the Kanto Region. Even the Pokémon Master was there. But the one that truly shocked him was the presence of Eline Copperfield; the first Pokémon Master and hero of the Kanto Region during the great war.

In awe, Red found himself slowly drifting towards the woman. Compared to photos he saw in history class of a strong-willed leader commanding the armies of the Kanto region to an eventual victory against the forces of the Hoenn region, the woman in front of him was now old and frail. While she happily talked to other guests from her wheel chair, she had to wait for others to approach her. She could barely move from her position with the number of guests inside the hall.

Her hair had long turned from blonde to grey, and her skin was covered with more wrinkles than Red could count, but somehow her aura was incredibly strong, and she continued to demand the respect of the people around her. Even in her early nineties, Red was sure she would easily defeat any challenger she faced, as was her reputation.

"Ex-excuse me." Red had only ever been this nervous when he was in trouble but trying to talk to his idol was like trying to ask the prettiest girl you had ever met out on a date.

"How may I help you, young man." Eline turned towards Red with the brightest smile he had ever seen.

"If you don't mind, I would like to ask you a few questions about Pokémon Battling." He asked in the calmest voice he could, hoping to learn as much as he possibly could.

"Of course not, I'm always happy to help an aspiring Pokémon Trainer, like yourself. Ask away." The conversation continued from there, with Red asking question after question about Pokémon and battling, with Eline answering as best she could.

Red was surprised Eline was willing to pass on such information so freely during an event like the ball they were currently at, until he remembered one of her speeches in the following years after the great war. "The young are the future, and we must be willing nurture and guide them every way possible, so they never make the same mistakes we made."

Finally, Red asked a question that stumped Eline, perhaps it was because it had never been asked, or maybe she just thought it was an obvious answer. "You're considered the best Pokémon Trainer in the world, and the only one that has never been defeated, so is it true? Have you never lost a Pokémon Battle?"

Eline paused, trying to find the best way to answer the young boy. "That's not true at all, of course I've lost. How else could I have become as strong as I am without losing? If I won every match, I would never have been as driven as I was to become as strong as I am now. I would have become complacent and stopped battling under the idea that it wasn't worth it because I knew I would win. Everyone wants to win, everyone thinks that the only way you can improve is by winning, but that's wrong. Without losing, you don't learn the strengths and weaknesses of both yourself and your Pokémon, and you don't learn how to overcome them. Everyone sees the end result, but no one notices how you get there, remember that. You see me as a hero, as the greatest Pokémon Trainer that ever lived because I never lost to anyone in the years following the great war. But the truth is, when I was very young, I always lost. I lost so often that it almost got to the point where I was going to quit, but I didn't. If you want to be the best, you have to take the good with the bad, and learn as much as possible along the way."

"Thank you." Red nodded. He was about to continue when a flash of white caught his eye. Turning, he noticed Misty walk into the room in a beautiful gown, the white silk reflecting the light from the lights above them. Red thought she looked like a princess, and if he'd known what her father owned, he would have realised that she nearly was a princess, destined to rule over a kingdom and its wealth.

Looking around the room, Misty immediately raced over to Red once she found him. "Hey! There you are!" The smile on her face couldn't be wider, and Red knew it was because he was there. "I didn't know if you would come. You've been locked away in the guest room for the last couple of days."

"Yeah." Red laughed nervously. "I've been studying my Pokémon to prepare for our rematch. I didn't know your Pokémon were so strong."

"I've had a head start." Misty blushed. "I've been training my Pokémon since I was eight."

"Ahmm" Eline cleared her throat, drawing the attention of the two kids. "Young man, why don't you ask Misty here to a dance, I'm sure she'll love it."

"Oh, I guess." Red reluctantly turned towards Misty; he really didn't want to do that. He stuck out his hand, ready to ask her. "Would you li-"

"Yes!" Misty squealed, grabbing his hand and pulling him towards the centre of the floor before he could even finish. As they walked away, he heard her call out over her shoulder. "Thanks, Grandma! I'll come talk to you later!"

Grandma!? Red's eyes almost bulged out of their sockets in surprise. Just, who is this family? They quickly got into position, with Red remembering how to slow dance thanks to all the balls he'd had to go to with his mother, father, and sister.

The dance was calming, and the pure joy on Misty's face while they were dancing made it all worthwhile. Perhaps the night wouldn't be a complete waste after all.


Present Day.

Misty's Staryu squared off against Stacy's Ludicolo in a fierce battle. Water-type attacks did nothing, leaving Misty with the only option to attack physically. She repeatedly ordered her Pokémon to hit Ludicolo with rapid spin, knocking the Carefree Pokémon from pillar to post.

"Ludicolo, you're weak! When Staryu gets close, grab it and absorb its strength with Mega Drain!" Stacy ordered.

Ludicolo stood straight up and extended out its large green hands, grabbing the Starfish-like Pokémon. The Carefree Pokémon grimaced in pain after absorbing all the power of Staryu's attack to stop it.

Ludicolo's black eyes turned white as green energy appeared from its hands and surrounded Staryu. Slowly, Ludicolo was absorbing Staryu's energy, and Misty knew she had to do something quick. She knew Staryu had a broad range of attacks, most she'd never used because she was worried about their effects; she was only a relatively new trainer after all.

"Staryu, Minimize!" The order came quickly enough that her Pokémon had enough energy to escape. As its gem glowed it began to shrink between Ludicolo's hands, allowing it to fall freely to the ground.

Quickly flying back towards its trainer's end of the battlefield, Staryu returned to its normal size as it awaited its next order. "Now, Staryu, Power Gem!" Staryu's red gem glowed again before it launched a powerful pink beam of energy at Ludicolo.

Ludicolo couldn't move away in time; taking the full force of the attack. Even with its renewed strength the attack was too much; fainting as it fell over.

"Ludicolo is unable to battle!" the Referee declared. "Staryu and Misty Waterflower win the Mikan Island Water Tournament!"

"Yes!" Misty declared as she rushed over to her Pokémon. "You did great, Staryu!" She turned to thank her opponent, only to find she was gone.

The Referee quickly approached and presented her the tournaments Water Symbol.

"Congratulations!" He said.

"Thanks." Misty nodded, accepting the symbol. "I have two symbols now, only three to go!"


A long time ago…

Red stood on one end of the pool, clutching the Poké Ball of the Pokémon he was going to use.

"Are you ready?" Misty Williams asked from the other side.

"Yes." Red nodded. "Go, Bulbasaur!"

"Staryu! We have a challenger!" Misty called, throwing her Poké Ball into the air.

If either had noticed, they would have realised they were being watched. Just outside the room sat Eline, intrigued by the two trainers before her. "Let's see what they've got."


How will Ash go in his first Gym Battle? What will Professor Oak discover? What is Mark up to? Find Out Next Time!

Ok, everyone, as you can see there are a lot of elements to the past that will transfer over into the present. I haven't explored Misty's family as much as I have Ash's, so this will be built on over this Arc and the next one. We've now met Misty's Grandfather and Great-Grandmother, as well as her Aunt. I've tried to make it as easy as possible to understand the past from the present so I hope it's okay.

Any questions, Pokémon suggestions, ideas for the story, or OC's you have that you would like to see in the story, just PM me or send it in a review! All are welcome!

Ash's Pokémon:

On Hand:

Pikachu (Electric) (Male)
Lapras (Water/Ice) (Female)
Ivysaur (Grass/Poison) (Male)
Charizard (Fire/Flying) (Male)
Wartortle (Water) (Male)
Rhydon (Ground/Rock) (Female)
Riolu (Fighting) (Male)
Dragonair (Dragon) (Female)
Ralts (Psychic/Fairy) (Male) (Shiny)
Grubbin (Bug) (Female) (Shiny)
Egg

At Oak's Ranch:

Pidgeotto (Normal/Flying) (Male)
Arcanine (Fire) (Male)
Nidorino (Poison) (Male) (Shiny)
Umbreon (Dark) (Male) (Shiny)
Raticate (Normal) (Female)
Butterfree (Bug/Flying) (Male)
Kingler (Water) (Female)
Absol (Dark) (Male)
Gengar (Ghost/Poison) (Male)
Primeape (Fighting) (Female)
Muk (Poison) (Male)
Tauros (Normal) (Male) (x23)
Sandslash (Ground) (Male)
Gyarados (Water/Flying) (Male)

Departed:

Mew

Misty's Pokémon:

On Hand:

Starmie (Water/Psychic)
Seel (Water) (Male)
Feebas (Water) (Female)
Vaporeon (Water) (Female)
Psyduck (Water) (Male)
Togepi (Fairy) (Male)
Egg

At Oak's Ranch:

Kabutops (Rock/Water) (Male) (Shiny)
Seaking (Water) (Female)
Staryu (Water/Psychic)
Tentacruel (Water/Poison) (Male)
Pelipper (Water/Flying) (Female)
Seadra (Water) (Female)

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Until Next Time, AshleyH30 Out!