And so, the day after meeting Professor Ivy, our heroes were riding Gyarados on the sea, heading for Tangelo Island. "GYAAAH!" the Pokemon screamed happily, while swimming through the beautiful, tropical sea.
"I'm so glad I can finally see my parents again!" Tracey cheered. "I haven't seen them in a year."
"Parents-in-law are usually so annoying, they never approve of your partner's feelings for you," Daisy moaned.
"Aww, come on, I'm sure they'll like you!" Tracey said. "You might have your flaws, but there's a reason I'm in love with you."
"I guess..." the blonde-haired Sensational Sister complained.
"What are your parents like, could you tell me a bit about them?" Misty asked.
"Sure," Tracey said. "My mom, Theresa Sketchit, loves to draw, some of her passion must've been passed over to me. She used to travel alone and made money by drawing Pokemon and selling her work. That's how she met my dad, she once made a beautiful drawing of his Poliwrath. Then, they fell in love."
"Does she have any Pokemon?" Misty asked.
"No, but she likes my dad's Pokemon and helps him to take care of them," Tracey answered. "My dad loves Water Pokemon, he has a very strong Lapras! He used to travel around like Ash, and won the Orange League and the Kanto League."
"A Lapras? Winning the Orange League and the Kanto League? Tracey, are you telling me that Terry Sketchit, that old Water Master from the Orange Islands is your father? I remember seeing him win the Kanto League on television when I was four years old, he retired battling just after that victory!"
"Who the f*ck is Terry Sketchit?" Daisy asked.
"Yeah, he is," the proud Pokemon Watcher nodded.
"I never expected that, despite you two sharing the last few names," Misty said. "Of course some people who aren't family share their last names, why did you never tell me about this before?"
"Ehh… I don't know... You never asked me and never brought it up..." Tracey mumbled.
"It's so awesome that I'm going to meet him! Do you think he'll give me an autograph?" Misty fangirled.
"I don't know, why don't you ask him?" Tracey suggested, while seeing Tangelo Island's Pokemon Center from some distance. His parents lived only a few minutes away.
"And do you think he'll battle me if I challenge him?" Misty asked.
"I wouldn't count on it, he hasn't battled for a long time! He doesn't travel anymore and rarely battles, his and his Pokemon's battling skills must be a bit rusty now," Tracey said. "Now he's retired, he spends most of the time watching movies with his Lapras."
"Aww..." Misty moaned. "Do you think he can at least talk to me and learn me something?"
"I suppose he could, he likes talking about his past experiences, you might learn something from that," Tracey answered.
"Then I'll ask him about that," Misty said. "Thanks!"
"Hey, we're going there so I can make a good impression on Tracey's parents, not to talk about that stupid dream of yours!" Daisy complained, while the group arrived on Tangelo Island early in the evening.
"Thanks for the ride, Gyarados," Misty said, while returning the Water-type to his Poke Ball.
And so, a few minutes later, Tracey rang the doorbell of the big white mansion near the shore. In the garden, there was a small lake where tons of different Water Pokemon were swimming, including an old, but very strong-looking Lapras. When the door opened, they saw a woman with long, brown hair wearing a red summer dress. "Tracey, it's so nice to see you again!" she said, while hugging him.
"Hi mom," Tracey said. "By the way, this is my girlfriend Daisy," he said, while pointing at the blonde-haired Sensational Sister. Then, he introduced the Cerulean City Gym Leader. "This is Misty, one of my best friends, she's travelling with us."
"It's so nice to meet you two," Tracey's mother said. "I'm Theresa Sketchit, Tracey's mother, but I suppose you already got that."
Then, when they walked through the door, Misty looked around. "Where's your husband?" she asked.
"He's at the lake in the garden, playing with Lapras," Theresa answered.
"Well, what are we waiting for?" Misty shouted. Then, she immediately ran to the lake in the garden.
"Wow, she sure seems impatient..." Theresa noticed.
"She's not, but I told her about dad being a Water Pokemon Master. Her dream is becoming a Water Pokemon Master, and now she really wants to meet him so she could learn from him," Tracey explained.
"I don't see what's so special about battling with Pokemon... Why not just dance and do shows with them?" Daisy asked.
"Wow, Tracey sure got himself a shallow girlfriend..." Theresa thought. "She uses tons of make-up, she obviously seems to have a bigger chest now compared to that picture Tracey showed me on the video phone, so she must be wearing a push up bra... And she's wearing tons of make-up too. I think that girl must be obsessed with her looks... And she also seems vain and arrogant, I really don't see what Tracey likes about her..." Then, Theresa and the couple walked to the garden, where Misty was looking at how Terry Sketchit was feeding his Lapras.
"Wow, it looks a bit like Professor Oak's lab here, but then with only a lake for Water Pokemon," Daisy said.
"Yeah, dad loves his Water Pokemon, and doesn't want them to be with some professor, so he takes care of them here himself," Tracey explained.
Then, Terry finally noticed the visitors. "Hi Tracey, it's good to see you again, how are you?" he asked. He was a man in his early fifties with long, grey hair, wearing blue jeans and a white button shirt. When seeing his face and hair, he almost looked like he could be an older Tracey.
"Great! Anyways, dad, I want to introduce you to my girlfriend Daisy, and my best friend Misty," Tracey said.
"Misty already introduced herself when you and Daisy were still talking to your mother," Terry said. He even gave her his signature.
"Sorry for her enthusiasm, she's normally not that impatient, but when I told her about you, she just started fangirling," Tracey apologised.
"Yeah Misty, you should know better than disturbing a man who just wants to feed his Lapras!" Daisy snapped. She could never leave an opportunity to torment Misty, and today was no exception.
"It's fine," Terry said. "She really has a big dream, so it's good that she's a hard worker who wants to do whatever she can to improve. In fact, if you want to become a Water Pokemon Master, you won't get anywhere if you don't have that attitude."
"Why can't she just stop thinking about that dream and accept that she's a Gym Leader now?" Daisy complained, making the appearance she left on Theresa even worse.
"Hey, Daisy, if you have a dream, you need to aim for it, not accept that you can't do it if others try to stop you! Don't you have any dreams?" Terry asked.
"Yeah, I wanna be rich and famous," Daisy said. "I'm a fashion model, so that shouldn't be a problem."
"And did anyone ever hold you back when you wanted to move forward?" Theresa asked.
"Not really... When I started pursuing this career, I didn't have any bad luck at all! Yeah, the Gym was time-consuming, so Violet, Lily and I just forced Misty to take over. We told her she had to fill in so we could go on a holiday, but we knew we'd never take our positions back! We take most of the money, she just gets enough to live, below the minimum the law sets. Now I'm on this journey with Tracey, Misty had to tag along so we could ride on her Gyarados, so we have a stand-in now, that guy is really motivated. When we get back in Cerulean City, everything will be back to normal again. I'll be doing new fashion shoots, and Misty will handle all the Gym work and all the other chores around the house, she'll fulfill all our responsibilities," Daisy explained.
Then, Terry's face turned red. While his long, gray hair started moving in the wind, he started fulminating at his future daughter-in-law. "What? That's sick! Why would you do that to someone who has a serious dream? She needs to travel as much as she wants, she needs to be allowed to leave the Gym as soon as this journey ends! You said you have a stand-in now, why don't you just appoint him permanently?"
"Why would we? Misty is our little sister, she does everything we tell her to," Daisy said. "If Dorian takes over, he's not going to be that easy."
"You, Lily and Violet only think about yourself! Why can't you just appoint that Dorian guy and support your little sister in her dream? She's your sister, not your slave!" Terry screamed.
"So what? I can do whatever I want now, this situation is perfect to me... And if some people think it makes me selfish, so what? I'm a rich model and I don't have to do chores, I have an awesome boyfriend... What's the big deal?" Daisy asked with nonchalance.
"That your little sister is in a deep depression, and all that because of you, Lily and Violet! You three make me sick!" Terry shouted.
"Okay, time for Tracey to tell his mommy some more positive things about his girlfriend!" Theresa said, making her son and his girlfriend go inside, allowing everyone to calm down a bit.
Then, when they finally had privacy, Terry wanted to give Misty some advice. "Misty, if there's anything I can teach you, it's this: follow your dreams! Do anything you can to escape that Gym whenever this journey ends! If you're going to be at the Gym for much longer, you'll never reach your dream! Do whatever it takes, no matter what!"
"But if I escape, my sisters might let the Gym get closed..." Misty said. "I hate being a Gym Leader, but I'd feel extremely guilty if the family business would be closed because of my dreams..."
"Well, that would be their fault for forcing you to do this against your will," Terry said.
"I guess so... This isn't my responsibility, it's theirs!" Misty said.
"Right! But I can see why you don't have the guts to escape... But you need to do something..." Terry said.
Then, Teresa went to the garden. "Misty, Terry, it's eleven o'clock in the evening, why don't you two go to bed?"
While the two went inside, Terry showed Misty the guestroom. Before brushing her teeth, she asked "Mr. Sketchit, would you be willing to battle me tomorrow?"
"I normally don't battle anymore, but your passion gives me a really positive vibe! I'll battle you tomorrow morning before you three go onwards to Mikan Island," Terry promised.
"Thanks, Mr. Sketchit! Good night," Misty said.
Meanwhile, Terry Sketchit, his wife Theresa and his son Tracey didn't go to bed yet. While Daisy was waiting for her boyfriend, the three were sitting in the living room. "Tracey, we need to talk," Theresa said.
"Sure, what is it?" Tracey asked.
"We've observed your girlfriend's behaviour, and I don't think you should continue your relationship with this girl," Terry said.
"Why not?" Tracey asked.
"Because she's vain, arrogant and obsessed with her looks," Theresa said.
"And she's very selfish and dumb, she's so shallow!" Terry snapped.
"Yeah, Daisy has her flaws," Tracey admitted. "But she also has qualities, I love her for a reason."
"Really? Don't you think she'd be mean to you like she is to Misty?" Terry asked.
"I don't think so," Tracey countered. "She might be mean to Misty, but she's always nice to me."
"Don't you have ethical problems with this?" Theresa asked.
"No, absolutely not," Tracey said. "She's not mean to Misty on purpose, she just doesn't understand the impact of her behaviour."
"Mom, dad, why can't you two just accept Daisy? I love her!" Tracey snapped.
"But I'm afraid she'll just end up hurting you," Theresa said. "Why don't you break up with her?"
"Because I love her! I'm going to bed. Good night!" Tracey said, while running to the two-person bed in the guestroom, where Daisy was already sleeping.
"Don't say we didn't tell you if she does end up hurting you!" Terry taunted.
And so, the next morning, after breakfast, it was time for a battle at the garden's big lake. Theresa decided to be the referee. "This is a one on one battle between Terry Sketchit and Misty Waterflower! Both trainers will use one Pokemon! There is no time limit, the battle will be decided when either or both Pokemon are unable to battle! Trainers, choose your Pokemon!"
"I'll battle with Lapras," Terry decided, choosing the old Ice-type he used for both transport and battles back when he was a travelling trainer.
"Horsea, I choose you!" Misty shouted, while hurling a Poke Ball, causing a small, blue Pokemon to emerge from it.
"Why did she choose Horsea? Isn't that Pokemon super weak?" Daisy asked.
"Yeah, he's not that strong but dad's Lapras hasn't battled in years, so maybe Horsea will stand a chance," Tracey said.
"Well, I need to use Horsea sooner or later if he wants to get stronger, right?" Misty asked.
"Sea!" the cute Pokemon squealed.
"Begin!" Theresa shouted.
And so, Misty gave her Pokemon his first order. "Horsea, start with your Smokescreen!" A blob of smoke and ink was thrown at the opponent, who wasn't able to see the small seahorse.
"Lllll!" the Ice-type screamed, not knowing what to do. "Lapras, calm down! You're much stronger than Horsea, we'll figure something out!" The Pokemon tried to dive in the water, but wasn't able to clean his face.
"Now use Twister!" Misty shouted. A whirlpool started spinning, causing a tornado to strike the big opponent, who sustained some serious damage.
"Lapras, Surf!" Terry commanded. Despite his Pokemon being unable to see, a huge wave crashed down upon Horsea, almost defeating the little seahorse.
"Horsea, Dragonbreath," the aspiring Water Master said, causing her Pokemon to strike the big opponent with a tough blow. However, the strong opponent was still standing. In fact, the biting breath of the seahorse even made the goo, ink and smoke evaporate, enabling Lapras to have full vision again!
"Lapras, let's end this with Thunderbolt," Terry said. And so, a big shock went through the lake, annihilating Horsea. "Horsea is defeated, Lapras is the winner! Victory goes to Terry!" Theresa said. Then, she ran to her husband to give him a victory kiss. Meanwhile, he was hugging his Lapras while complimenting the Pokemon for still managing to win and show his strength after so many years without battling.
Meanwhile, Misty complimented her defeated Pokemon. "You did well, and I'm sure you'll get stronger quickly if you battle more often. Have some rest," she said, while returning the Pokemon to his Poke Ball.
"I'm glad she takes her loss well," Daisy said. "That was pretty good, I thought she'd lose in one blow, but with Smokescreen and some Dragon attacks, she stood a serious chance against Lapras," she thought.
Then, while Daisy was in the bathroom to put on some extra make-up before leaving Tangelo Island, Theresa walked up to her son in the hallway. "Tracey, I'm sorry about my behaviour yesterday. I still don't like Daisy, but if you love her, I don't want to ruin your happiness."
"Your mom is right, son," Terry said. "It's not up to us who you love. If you're really happy with this girl, I want to support you. I always say people should pursue what they want and follow their dreams, so you should be able to pursue the girl you want and follow your romantic dreams."
"It's okay, I'm glad you two changed your mind," Tracey said. Then, Daisy, who finally finished putting on some lipstick and eye shadow, entered the hallway, where Misty was already waiting.
"Mr. Sketchit, I want to thank you for everything, and congratulations about your victory. Sorry for not immediately congratulating you, I was a little concerned about Horsea," Misty apologised.
"I understand, how is he now?" Terry asked.
"He's fine, he just needs some rest, I don't think he has to go to a Pokemon Center," Misty said.
"Bye," Tracey said.
"Bye," Terry and Theresa said simultaneously.
A few minutes later, Gyarados emerged from his Poke Ball. "Are you ready to go to Mikan Island?" Misty asked.
"GYAAAH!" the Pokemon screamed, happy to swim in the sea again instead of in the Gym's pool.
"What's Mikan Island?" Daisy asked, once the three travellers sat on the Pokemon.
"It's an island north from here, we'll probably get there tomorrow," Tracey said. "There's an Orange Gym there who uses Water Pokemon, so that might be nice for Misty!"
"GYAAAH!" Gyarados said. And so, after a tense but good reunion with his parents for Tracey and a good learning experience for Misty, our heroes are on their way to Mikan Island.