"Please don't wander alone ever again!" Clemont said, hugging Bonnie. The group were outside the gym at the crack of dawn, waiting around just like at the Pewter City gym. Brock, Serena, and Pikachu were laughing at the sibling's antics.
"Brother, you're so weird," Bonnie said, sighing. "You've been doing this all day and yesterday."
"Dedenne!"
"Leave him be," said Brock. "He's been worried sick about you for the past week."
A waterfall of tears splashed out of Clemont's eyes, landing on both Dedenne and Pikachu. Serena giggled as Pikachu tried to run and avoid the torrent but somehow the water unluckily followed him.
"Geez, I don't get it," Bonnie said. "It's not like I'm dead or anything."
"So, are you ready for your gym battle?" Brock said.
Serena gave a nervous chuckle. "I don't know. Misty has beat me with only a Staryu."
"What? Challengers already?" said another voice. They turned around to see a beautiful blonde woman with a flower in her hair walk up to them. Her high heels accentuated her gait and her dark green eyes gave her a unique charm.
"You are the most beautiful woman I have ever met," Brock said, somehow floating on air as his eyes turned into hearts. He took one of her confused hands into his own. "May we spend the rest of our days in happiness in blissful marriage?"
"Hey!" Bonnie said, getting down on one knee and taking the woman's other perplexed hand. "I want to say that you look very responsible. My brother is a gym leader! How about you marry him?"
"M-marry?" the woman said.
"|I'm a gym leader too!" Brock said. "My name is Brock of Pewter City."
"No you're not! Your little brother is stronger than you," Bonnie said. "But my brother is so strong that he already graduated from college. Please marry him!"
Brock's Pokéball opened the same moment Clemont stuttered "B-bonnie!" Pikachu was on his back, clutching his sides as Croagunk jabbed Brock in the stomach and Clemont's Aipom arm pulled Bonnie away.
"Just like the good old times, right Pikachu?" Serena said, giggling.
"Pika pika!"
"I'm sorry, but I'm already engaged," the blonde woman said. She showed off her hand, and on her ring finger was a fat diamond.
"Wow! You look so young to be engaged," Serena said. She suddenly blushed—a naughty thought deep in her consciousness popped in her head. It involved Ash getting down on his knee and proposing to her.
"Yes, it was quite a surprise," she said. "But I've decided that I love Gary Oak and would do anything to be with him."
"Gary!?" Serena said.
"Oh excuse me, where are my manners?" the blonde woman said. "My name is Daisy Oak. Or, well, it will be."
"Gary's engaged!?" Serena said. "But…but…he's even younger than you! He's not that much older than me, is he?"
"Oh, yes, but I love him and he's amazing," Daisy said. "Not only is he a gym leader, but he's also an official Pokémon Professor! Have you seen his paper on Pokérus?"
"Pokérus?" Clemont said, adjusting his glasses.
"I don't exactly know how it works," Daisy said. "But it's a virus that makes Pokémon stronger."
"My brother's a failure," Bonnie said, a waterfall of tears pouring out of his face at rate of Clemont's earlier. She was still suspended by the Aipom arm. "He'll never get married at this rate."
"If you think your brother is a failure, then what about me?" Brock said, also crying similarly. "I'm not even a gym leader anymore!"
Croagunk had an extremely neutral face that was showing zero sympathy.
"So, um, I want to challenge the gym leader," Serena said. "Where's Misty?"
"Huh, that's weird, she's running late," Daisy said. "Ew. I don't wanna be the substitute gym leader but it looks like I have to. Want the gym badge for free?"
"Free?" Serena said.
"It's such a pain battling," Daisy said. She did a full shrug. "You look strong enough anyways."
"I-it's okay," Serena said, raising her hands. "I want to earn the badge. I don't think Ash would like it if I got my badges like this."
"Ash?" Daisy said. "Do you mean Ash Ketchum? The kid who was kidnapped recently?"
"Uh, yeah."
Daisy took a close look at Serena. She chewed his tongue as if she was wondering where she saw her. "You know, my sister Misty is literally obsessed with him. She didn't like him at first, but time went by and she developed all of these strong feelings for him."
"I'm going to kill you! Stop lying!" someone said, and the group leaped clear as an orange-haired girl almost crashed her bike into Daisy. The furious girl then began throwing various types of Kung-Fu at the blonde woman.
Misty wasn't in her usual attire. Her hair was down, and she sported a white one-piece swimsuit under a light blue jacket. Water dripped down her legs, leading Serena to wonder where Misty had gone.
"Ah, but she won't admit it though," Daisy said, smiling as she avoided angry girl's punches and kicks.
"Why are you even telling them this!?" Misty said as she missed an especially powerful punch. "It's none of their business! It's none of your business! And I don't care about that Ash dweeb!"
"Oh, I remember now," Daisy said, a spark of recognition coming to her face. Her finger tapped her chin before she ducked under one of Misty's kicks. "Serena's the girl who went after Ash. You know, when Ash was being lifted by what's-his-name. Tuck."
That made Misty still, one of her fists right next to Daisy's nose. She spun around to Serena. "You're that girl?"
"Are you okay?" Serena said. Her hands were still raised in front of her head. "Listen, if you have to take some time to cool down, I understand completely."
"No! We're battling now," Misty said. She fumbled with a key card. Slamming it down the scanner, she stormed inside the gym.
"Um, good luck Serena?" Clemont said as they walked through the door.
"Wow! I've never seen a gym that's like a swimming pool before!" Bonnie said. Clemont's Aipom arm finally let her down and she ran around, gleeful arms in the air.
It wasn't a standard battlefield. While there was the normal ground and boxes where the trainers and judge stood, the rest was a swimming pool. There were also eight large and square mats floating on the water.
Serena bit her lip as she pondered. "Those floating mats are my Pokémon's only hope of surviving. I wish I had a water-type. Or a flying-type. Misty's Pokémon won't need them—they can swim."
"We'll be cheering from the stands," Brock said, motioning towards the sides of the arena.
"Geez, supporting someone who you hardly know over an old friend?" Misty said. Brock just laughed.
"Ah, you've mentioned that you know her," Clemont said, sitting down in the bleachers. "How long have you two known each other?"
"Hmm, it's been a while now," Brock said, stroking his chin. "She traveled with Ash and I through Kanto, Johto, and the Orange Islands. Actually, she's probably the longest of Ash's companions. After me, of course."
"L-longest?" Serena said as she looked at Misty. While she stepped to her side of the battlefield, Pikachu shot her a questioning look. Then she was hit by some inspiration.
"While you may be one of Ash's longest-lasting companions, I'm one of his oldest friends!" Serena said, blushing and waving a fist at Misty. "So take that!"
"Hey!" Misty said. "Well, I'll let you know you wouldn't be the only one who would've jumped into that field with Tuck! If I was there I would've kicked the stuffing out of him!"
"I don't get it," Clemont said as the girls quipped at each other. "Weren't they both really good friends just the other day?"
"Ash is really popular, is he?" Bonnie said. She counted on her fingers. "May, and Serena, and now Misty like him."
"Well, he always qualifies for the top sixteen or so in league conferences," said Brock. "I'm not surprised."
He paused, a sudden look of realization coming on his face. "Is that why I don't have any girlfriends?"
"Wait, Serena likes Ash?" Clemont said.
"Oh, did I say that?" Bonnie said. "I meant, um, Sir Ina. He's a guy. That likes Ash."
"Ohh, that kind of like," Clemont said. "Well, I like Ash too."
"Brother is an idiot, is he?" Bonnie whispered to Dedenne.
"De de denne!" the Pokémon agreed.
"Why are we even arguing!?" Misty said. "I don't even like him! Ugh, enough. Daisy, start the battle already."
Daisy chortled. "The battle between Gym Leader Misty and Pokémon Trainer Serena will now begin. Each side is allowed to use two Pokémon. While Misty cannot substitute her Pokémon, the challenger can change Pokémon at any time. Are we ready? Let's start!"
"Starmie, come on out!" Misty said. The Pokéball was flung out at an incredibly speed—Misty's arm looks like a whip. The Pokémon that materialized looked like a Staryu but larger and purple.
"Starmie. The Mysterious Pokémon," Serena's Pokédex said. "Its central core glows with the seven colors of the rainbow. Some people value the core as a gem."
"Pikachu, you're up," Serena said, and Pikachu jumped onto a floating mat, cheeks sparking with anticipation. "Let's go first! Thunderbolt!"
"Starmie, dodge by diving under the water!" Misty said.
The Thunderbolt missed, veering off course and leaving a black mark on the white gym walls. Meanwhile, Starmie plunged into the pool, her central red jewel blinking. The water was incredibly clear—Pikachu could see the Starmie perfectly.
"Now use Tackle on the mat!" Misty said.
"Jump to another one!" Serena said.
"That's smart," Brock said as Pikachu barely avoided the capsized mat. Starmie left a giant hole in the center of the floating platform, and it sunk down to the bottom of the pool, bogged down water. "If there's no more mats, Pikachu has nowhere to go."
"Isn't that cheating, brother?" Bonnie said. "Why aren't all fields normal?"
Clemont shook his head. "Gym leaders can design their stadiums however they want. Serena will have to find a way to stop Starmie soon or all the platforms will sink."
Pikachu avoided another sinking platform as Starmie leaped upwards. Water splashed onto the battlers and spectators as Serena struggled to think.
"What would Ash do?" Serena thought. "I should've asked Brock how he beat Misty. Pikachu can't hit Starmie at the speed she's diving in and out of the water. Wait."
"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt on the water!" Serena said.
The Starmie used Tackle on another mat, but missed Pikachu as he jumped into the air.
"Pi ka…chuu!" he cried, bolts of electricity streaking towards the water.
"Nice. I was hoping Serena would think to do that," Clemont said. "Water conducts electricity, so Starmie is in a tight spot."
"Yay! Go Serena!" Bonnie said.
"De de denne!"
However, Starmie looked unaffected. The jewel blinked tauntingly. Pikachu looked at the water, surprised—it didn't seem like his attack spread through the entire pool.
"It's a common mistake to think water conducts electricity," Misty said. "But it doesn't—it's the minerals in water that conduct it. You don't think that I, a master water-type trainer, would filter my water?"
"Wow. Misty has gotten a lot stronger sine the last time I've seen her," Brock said. "She's also treating this battle a lot more seriously than I'd expect."
"And think about the cost," Clemont said, adjusting his glasses. "I didn't know it was possible to filter a pool this large so that all of the minerals are gone."
"There's only five mats left!" Bonnie said. "Brother, how can Serena get out of this situation?"
It was Brock that answered instead. "Don't worry. Serena and Pikachu have both grown. I remember when Ash challenged the gym, Pikachu refused to fight Misty because he didn't want to battle his friends."
"And what about Serena?" Bonnie said.
Brock did another one of his small smiles. He remembered stumbling, half-awake in the morning at the sight of Serena training outside the Pokémon Center. He couldn't sleep—the events of the Berserk Gene bothered him too much. The girl didn't notice him, but the sight of her training calmed him down, the steady rhythm of her Pokémon attacking the river's Pokemon somehow providing a calming beat.
Starmie tackled another platform and this time it exploded, leaving no remnants behind. Pikachu had jumped to another mat but nervously looked around at the dwindling amount.
"You're running out of room," Misty said. "What will you do now? Standing there motionless isn't going to save anyone."
Those words caught Serena's attention. "Think…think…," she thought. "Pikachu can't dodge forever. What else can I do?"
A wild, purple-haired girl with dark skin popped up in Serena's head.
"Pikachu, you're not going to like this," Serena said. "But take on the next Tackle and hold Starmie!"
"Wait! Starmie, stop!" Misty said, realizing Serena's plan. But it was too late. When Starmie ripped a hole in the fifth platform, she slammed into Pikachu who clutched her with all of his dear might.
"Are you okay Pikachu?" Serena said.
"Pika pika!"
"Then use Thunderbolt!" she said.
"Starmie! Try to shake him off!" Misty said, but it was hopeless. Pikachu had all the time in the world to unleash a massive Thunderbolt. Then, the two Pokémon plummeted into the water. Pikachu paddled around, but Starmie sunk to the bottom of the pool.
"And Starmie is out of the battle!" Daisy said. Serena and the siblings started cheering before they were interrupted.
"You're an idiot, Daisy!" Misty said. "Starmie, use Recover!"
Serena looked, stunned as the Starmie rose from the depths of the water, the aqua-blue liquid dripping off of her limbs. The Pokémon's many arms was damaged, but a white light surrounded them as they repaired.
"That's not fair!" Bonnie said. "Starmie fainted!"
"I don't remember Misty's Starmie knowing that move," Brock said. "This will be tough. Serena will have to take her down quickly."
"Hydro Pump!" Misty said, pointing a finger in the air.
"Pikachu!" Serena cried out, but the swimming Pokémon stood no chance. In the swimming pool, Pikachu couldn't dodge the massive torrent of water that descended upon him. When the torret ended, Serena dove into the water and swam to rescue her friend.
"Hey! No swimming in the pool!" Daisy said, but the trainer didn't care as she cradled Pikachu and swam back out.
"Are you okay, Pikachu?" she said.
"Pika…" Pikachu said, dazed.
"You've done a good job," Serena said, smiling. She placed Pikachu down on the challenger's square next to her. "Take a long rest."
"No one listens to the referee these days," Daisy said, pouting with her lips. "Pikachu has fainted! The challenger has one Pokémon left."
Serena felt her three other Pokéballs. She didn't like it, but she only had one real option.
"Sylveon, come out!" she said. Sylveon landed on one of the remaining three mats. Her stance was unsteady as she tried to balance on the constantly uneven platform.
"Eh? Why Sylveon?" Bonnie asked. "There's not much room for her to dance!"
"Braixen, being a fire-type Pokémon, is naturally weak to Misty's water-type Pokémon," Clemont said. "And Serena can't use Pancham because Starmie is part Psychic-type. Psychic is super effective against Fighting."
"Starmie, continue the plan," Misty said, and Starmie dove back underwater.
"Dodge it!" Serena said as Starmie popped up again. Sylveon's dodges weren't as fluid as Pikachu's, and part of her tail was clipped by the Starmie.
"Sylveon's not used to standing on water!" Bonnie said.
"There's only two platforms left," Misty said. "And there's still my second Pokémon. Keep up the pressure, Starmie, and pop the platform!"
"Sylveon, use Protect!" Serena said. "Under the mat!"
Water splashed around the platform when Starmie slammed into the barrier. Her jewel blinked furiously as she tried to slam into the Protect. That made Serena think about Starmie's Pokédex entry.
"Sylveon, as soon as she breaks through, leap into the air and counter her Tackle with a Swift!" Serena said.
"Keep on pushing through, Starmie," Misty said. "You're a lot stronger than she is!"
Then the Protect broke. The Starmie rose through the barrier, streaking towards the Sylveon who jumped in the air. The fairy Pokémon's mouth glowed as she prepared her attack.
"Now! Attack the jewel!" Serena said. Stars materialized around Sylveon and zipped towards the water Pokémon, knocking Starmie off course.
"Keep it up! Use Quick Attack! Again, on the center!" Serena said.
Landing back on the ground, Sylveon then sprinted forward. Slamming into the Starmie, she cracked the water Pokémon's jewel.
Before Starmie splashed into the water, Misty had already taken out her Pokéball and caught her Pokémon. "Good job on fainting Pikachu," she said. "You deserve a good, long rest."
"Hey!" Daisy said. "You don't get to call when your Pokémon faints!"
"Of course Starmie is unconscious!" Misty said. "Her jewel broke! She was crying in pain!"
"She was not crying out in pain! Starmie's a bloody starfish! She doesn't even have a face!"
"Fine, whatever, just call it!" Misty said.
"They really don't get along, do they?" Clemont said.
"Not like me and you, brother!" Bonnie said.
"The gym leader's first Pokémon has fainted," Daisy said, shooting an annoyed look at her sister. "Now both trainers have one Pokémon left."
Misty took off her belt, hooking Starmie's Pokéball onto one end. There were a lot of Pokéballs on the belt—more than six.
"Geez, what's taking you so long?" Daisy said. "You're rushing me so much when you haven't even decided your next Pokémon!"
"Just shut up!" Misty said. Nevertheless, Daisy's complaint prompted her to snag a Pokéball and toss it.
"GYYYYARRDOOS!" the Pokémon roared, his scream shaking the room. The blue beast glared at Sylveon, who cowered on a floating mat—the last platform that hadn't sunk. Gyarados wasn't swimming in the pool, but instead levitating in the air.
"A Gyarados?" Bonnie said, her hands near her mouth out of worry. "I thought Starmie was already tough considering Serena couldn't beat the Staryu the other day, but a Gyarados?"
"That's a bit unfair of Misty," Brock said. "She can get hot-headed at times. But at the end of the day it's the gym leader's call, and there's nothing the challenger can do about it."
"It looks like Gyarados's ability is Intimidate," Clemont said, looking at the Sylveon who was trembling on the platform. "Sylveon's attack is reduced."
"Wow please, Misty," Daisy said. "Pulling your Gyarados? Talk about uncool."
"Will you please shut up!?" Misty yelled. "I don't hear Serena complaining! Are you?"
"No," Serena said. She resisted the urge to bite her lip, but internally she was furious at how the hotheaded girl couldn't control her temper. She didn't want to stoop down to Misty's level, though.
"Then we're all set. Gyarados, use Flamethrower!" Misty said.
It took a lot of effort for Serena to unclench and steady her hands—she didn't realize how tightly balled up her hands were—and start snapping.
"Avoid it!" Serena said. "I know it's a small area, but pretend you're on my shoulders!"
"Flamethrower!?" Bonnie said. "Why does Gyarados know a fire-type move?"
Sylveon's dodging wasn't perfect. The beat from Serena's snapping was slightly off-beat, so bits of flame singed the Pokémon. Nevertheless, Sylveon kept her head up and avoided showing any pain. After the Flamethrower ended, she was left with an area only about three times bigger than herself, and the edges were burning quickly.
Serena clutched her wrist, trying to keep her snapping steady. However, that didn't stop the poor Eevee evolution from walking back and forth on the mat, unable to find room that wasn't burning.
"What can I do? What can I do?" Serena thought.
"If only she had Pikachu," Brock said. "Gyarados is extremely weak against electric attacks. I'm not sure how she can use Sylveon to win against him."
"That's not fair!" Clemont said. He had abandoned his detached analytic tone. "You remember what she said back in Mount Moon. I know she hates herself for yelling at Sylveon for being too weak, and she apologized from the bottom of her heart, but is it hopeless? Is there anything she can do as a trainer and is there anything Sylveon can do as a Pokémon against the Gyarados?"
"I don't know," Brock said. "The only thing I do know is that Misty doesn't think too clearly when she's mad. She'll have to take advantage of that."
Sylveon looked back at her trainer, her eyes filled with worry.
"No! Sylveon, I'm not going to yell at you," Serena said, forcing a quick smile. She clutched her head with a fist. In her head, she thought, "I hate it! Why can't I beat her? I'm such an idiot! I shouldn't have started with Pikachu—Sylveon would've been perfect for dodging Starmie's attacks. And the training I did! Why did I think that would help? I'm the worst Pokémon trainer ever! What was I thinking? I should have—"
"Syl. Syl!" Sylveon said, one of her feet touching the water.
"Sylveon? That's not what you meant?" Serena said.
"Syl! Veon!"
A smile crept Serena's lips as she felt her heart grow bigger. "Thank you, Sylveon. You're worried that I'm hating myself right now, am I right? Okay, I won't. We can do this."
"Finish her off!" Misty said. "Hyper Beam!"
"Protect!" Serena said. She just said it to stall for more time, needing it to scramble for options.
The Hyper Beam nailed the Protect, forcing everybody to cover their eyes at the sudden bright light. Before the light vanished, everybody heard a yell.
"Quick Attack! On top of his head!"
Bonnie sheltered her eyes as she looked at the scene. "The last platform's gone. Where's Sylveon?"
"There! As she said! On his head!" said Brock.
"Dedenne?" the mouse Pokémon questioned.
"You're right, Dedenne," said Bonnie. "Did Sylveon know Quick Attack before?"
"No, that must be new," said Clemont.
"Fling her off!" Misty said. "And Hyper Beam again!"
Gyarados swiveled his head, tossing the Sylveon upwards. Serena's heart stopped. There goes that plan—she hoped Sylveon could keep her grip.
"Oh no! Here it comes!" Bonnie said, covering her mouth. The Gyarados's mouth snarled as the ball of energy formed inside it.
"Protect again!"
"That's weird," Clemont said as the Hyper Beam struck the Protect. Sylveon landed on the barrier, gritting her teeth as she struggled to sustain it. "I thought Protect gets weaker the more you use it. This one looks as strong as the one from before."
Then, both the Hyper Beam and Protect vanished. Somehow, Sylveon managed to land on Gyarados's head again.
"Now Draining Kiss!" Serena said.
"Draining Kiss?" Clemont said. "That's also new. Just how much has she been training?"
Sylveon plopped a peck on Gyarados's making him rage more than ever. Meanwhile, some of Sylveon's burn marks appeared to have healed.
"Shake her off! Into the water this time!" Misty said.
The Gyarados dove into the pool, splashing gallons of water off the sides. Again, Sylveon couldn't hold on and splashed towards one side of the pool, knocking her head on a wall.
"Hyper Beam!" said Misty.
"Protect!" Serena said. Yet again the Hyper Beam struck the Protect but the barrier didn't budge.
"Argh! Why isn't Hyper Beam going through?" Misty said. "What have you been doing to make your Protects so strong like that?"
Brock had a look of realization. "I understand now. Protect is only weaker after two consecutive moves. Serena has been alternating Protect with various attacks!"
"Then why can't Gyarados attack Sylveon after every Protect, like during the Quick Attack or Draining Kiss?" Bonnie asked.
"Because Hyper Beam takes a while to recharge!" Brock said.
"How does Serena know this?" Clemont said. "I mean, as far as I know, none of us knew that."
"She doesn't," Bonnie said. Her mouth fell open. "Not really. But she's been together with her Sylveon for so long, training for both Pokémon Performances and Pokémon battles, that she knows deep in her heart!"
"Bonnie, that doesn't make sense," Clemont said.
"Nuh uh! Yes it does!" she said. "Right Dedenne?"
"Denne denne!"
"Now Draining Kiss!" Serena said. She could feel Sylveon did not have much longer. Even with her impromptu swimming lessons for the past few days and nights, Sylveon was not a great swimmer. The fairy Pokémon was battered again and again into the walls of the swimming pool from the recoil of the Hyper Beam meeting the Protects. Despite the Draining Kiss restore some health, it did not do as much as Serena hoped.
"Hyper Beam!"
"Protect!"
"Hyper Beam!"
"Draining Kiss again!" Serena said. Less than a month ago, she knew she would've given up by now. Her voice was becoming hoarse from the constant commands, her nails had actually drawn blood in her hands, and she could feel her brain shutting down from the lack of sleep. But she couldn't give up. Not when Sylveon's own body was getting bruised and battered. Not when Sylveon's eyes shined with a combination of a determination and trust in her trainer.
Maybe it was a good thing they lost against Hunter J's Salamence.
"And Gyarados has fainted!" Daisy said, raising a hand. "Challenger Serena has won!"
"Huh? What?" Serena said. Her eyes jerked open. Her arm was extended, sore and stiff from pointing at various points on the Gyarados. "What…what happened?"
In the stands, Brock, Clemont, Bonnie, and Dedenne all stood up, clapping. Bonnie was yelling and shrieking for joy.
"I think you've went unconscious about a minute or two ago," Daisy said, walking up to Serena. "You were still ordering Sylveon around. Your commands were amazingly coherent. I doubt most people would've noticed you were out of it."
"Syl!"
"Sylveon?" Serena said, and she turned around to see her Pokémon run and jump up into her arms. "Sylveon! You did it!"
"Syl! Syl!" the Pokémon said, licking Serena on her cheeks. Laughing, both of them fell to the ground.
"Pika? Pika pika chu!"
"Pikachu?" You're awake too?" Serena said, bringing Pikachu into an embrace. "You've done a good job too. I'm proud of you two. I'll make you two all of the poffins in the world after…right after I…"
"Wow, she's really sleeping now," Daisy said, waving a hand in front of Serena's eyes. "Hey Misty, do you mind if she sleeps on the gym floor? I don't feel like moving and disturbing her. Especially after that battle."
"Syl~," Sylveon said. Despite her wounds, she snuggled up in Serena's arms and also dozed off. Pikachu let out a "Ka~" and while he didn't sleep, he was content to lie next to Serena.
Misty was silent when she had recalled her Gyarados. Walking up to Daisy, she was about to yell at her sister again, but stopped when she saw the content expression on Serena's face.
"Good job, Gyarados," Misty said to the Pokéball. "You deserve a long rest now. I messed up. Big time, heh. Yeah, Daisy, I don't mind. Sorry my mood was sour. It's been a long day."
"It's not even the afternoon yet," Daisy said.
"Shut up." Reaching into a pocket, Misty pulled out a blue, tear-shaped badge. Clasping it into one of Serena's hands, she smiled and said, "This is the Cascade Badge. Sorry I went overtime on you. But you've managed to handle it in the end. That was a good battle."
Bonnie had run up to congratulate Serena, but Clemont pulled her back, putting a finger on his lips. "Let's not wake her up. She deserves it. C'mon, let's go outside."
Once outside, Bonnie let out a shriek of joy, jumping up into the air with extended fists. "Woo hoo! Serena did it! She got the Cascade Badge!"
"De de denne!"
"That battle made me tired," Clemont said. "I can't imagine what Serena and Sylveon and Pikachu have been through."
Brock smiled. Putting a hand over his eyes, he looked west. "I should be going home now. My job doesn't let me take vacation days for too long."
"Whaat?" Bonnie said. She held onto Brock's vest. "But I like you! And if you were a girl you would totally need to be my brother's wife!"
"You're adorable, Bonnie," Brock said, patting her head. "Anyways, where are you three headed off to next?"
"There's only Saffron City south of here, right?" Clemont said. "I think Serena would want to go there since it has a gym unlike Lavender Town."
Brock nodded. Reaching into a pocket, he pulled out three slips of paper. "Take these. They're tickets to a party abroad the S.S. Anne in Vermillion City. By the time you reach there, I think you three deserve a break."
"Wow, a cruise ship!" Bonnie said, her eyes shimmering. "I've never been on a cruise ship before!"
"Thank you for helping me find the fossil," Brock said.
"No, thank you for traveling with us!" Clemont said.
Brock flashed a smile. "I suppose I'm off then. I want to reach Pewter before tomorrow."
Waving a hand, he continued, "Say goodbye to Serena for me. Sorry I couldn't stay to congratulate her. And good luck finding Ash. Let me know if you need any help."
"Bye! Goodbye!" Bonnie said. "Say goodbye, Dedenne!"
"De de!"
"See you around, Brock!" Clemont said, and with that Ash's oldest and newest friends separated.
Back in the gym, Misty crouched near the snoozing Serena.
"So you really like Ash, huh?" she said. Serena, obviously, didn't respond.
"I wish I could help you find him too," she said. "But I can't. I have a gym to run. My sisters are too lazy. I…I…"
"Chu! Pika," Pikachu said. He had extracted himself from Serena's hug and placed a small hand on Misty.
"Thank you, Pikachu," Misty said, wiping a tear from her eye. "She's in your good hands. You're also in her good hands—out of all the people I've met, I believe she's the one who will find him. Take care of her, okay?"
"Pika!"