The main idea was coming to me very slowly but finally I realized the truth.

Misty IS the gym leader.

"Ha… Ha… Ha! I can`t believe it!" I exclaimed surprisingly.

"Why? You think I can`t handle the gym?" She stood up in her full height and looked seriously at me.

"No, I see that you can handle the gym. I think you can`t handle all the responsibility that comes with it."

"What do you mean by that?" She shouted resentfully at me.

"You don`t like to lose." I tried to explain. This has always been her problem. Misty doesn`t like to lose so much she ALWAYS demands a rematch in ANY activity. No matter what was that – a sports competition or a game of rock-paper-scissors. Every loss makes her really mad and is followed by troubles. She is a gambler of some sort – always asks for a chance to recoup no matter what. And being a gym leader, whose job consists mostly of losing battles… This just doesn't fit her at all.

"And that is why I`m one of the best!" She dropped her coat on the seat, leaving just a swimsuit on her, and jumped into the water. In a second she jumped out of it and to the opponent position.

"I have seen you in battle. I have guided you into battle. I have learned your style." She raised her left hand high up and clicked her fingers. A small platform immediately moved out of the floor, revealing to be a box with pokeballs.

"Okay, now I see what teacher exactly you are." Everything now is on its place, despite not having much sense.

"Too bad we can`t have big and cool battle. Brock was really amazed by your style and wishes to have a rematch when you get the whole six team." Her voice sounded a bit disappointed but very pumped up at the same time. She took her first pokeball and looked at it with burning hope in her eyes.

"Wait, you know Brock?"

"Of course, I know. We gym leaders are all good friend. And rivals. He told me about you and your wish to visit Cerulean City. So… I had the chance to welcome you."

So she DID wait for me near the mount Moon that day. She knew I was coming and wanted to meet in person. How touching.

"You have just one badge… And that means I have to use just two of my pokemon against you, those who must be equal to your strength. Well… I had a very good chance to measure your strength. And to choose your opponent for today."

She gracefully raised her pokeball high up for it to shine under the lights. Damn, she looks great in all this. But I need to concentrate. She is my opponent now. And she is a very dangerous one. Brock wasn`t notified about my team, so it wasn`t that hard to surprise him with my knot trick. Misty knows very well that I can use such things to win, and she will be prepared. To surprise her I should take a risk… Anyway, we have trained for this.

"I will start with this cute little Staryu!" She released the pokemon on the battlefield, and suddenly I realized that I know this pokemon, not just because Misty used it during our hunt. Back in days Misty met a wild Staryu near Cerulean City. Which was very strange, Staryus don`t dwell in these areas. We couldn`t believe this until she actually showed this creature to me. Sick and wounded creature, but alive. She asked me to keep it in secret, and so I did. Misty needed me to help her with treating the poor pokemon, and soon together we managed to restore it until some other events separated us for some time. When we met next time Misty said this Staryu to run into the wild, but I think she found it again. Actually, I didn`t feel anything towards that pokemon that time, I just wanted to be with Misty. But now I see the difference…

And yet this one looked familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. I had this strange double feeling but couldn`t understand what is it. Well, Misty noticed my interest in her Staryu and gladly explained.

"This Staryu looks familiar to you, doesn't it? This is a child of that Staryu we had. A very skilled pokemon, just like its parent!"

So that`s why I think this Staryu to be familiar to me. But the fact that Misty decided to do some breeding was a bit stranger to me at that moment.

"Well, I think we can handle this. Reaper, let`s go!"

And I released my awesome Beedrill onto the battlefield. He appeared in a flash of light, spreading his wings and stings, full ready to face the enemy.

"Well, not bad. I think you have yet to know your policy of pokemon. Just then you will become a pro. But let me help you. For example, mine is full-offensive with water-types. Let`s begin!"

A loud Diana`s voice over the whole gym announced the start of battle.

"The battle of challenger Vengeance against gym leader Misty is about to begin! The battle is going to be one-on-one, the leader has two pokemon and the challenger is able to use up to six. Let`s go!"

Up to six? Doesn`t that sound a bit… cheating? Or, maybe, Misty is so confident in her skills that thinks she can handle six pokemon just with her two? Maybe she considers herself one of the best for a reason.

"This is going to be interesting… Reaper, Twineedle it!" Misty`s eyes went widened as she heard my command. Maybe she expected something other than this, but it was just the beginning. But my opponent quickly calmed down and ordered her command.

"Staryu, use Recover…" She said so quietly and unexpectedly. As I can remember, Recover partly heals the wounds of pokemon right in battle. Why use it now?

Her pokemon didn`t even try to dodge our attack. Reaper approached the target very quickly and managed to strike. As the star was thrown back, it quickly recovered from the hit and shined brightly, absorbing the surrounding light inside.

I am not sure if the damage from Twineedle was that bad Recover was even worth wasting… This is a powerful move, but not that much. I already know that pokemon can use moves very limited quantity of times in battle as it drains the energy a lot.

"Tackle it and retreat into the water!" While I was lost in my thoughts Misty ordered her next command. Both me and Reaper were caught off guard as the opponent tackles my Beedrill and dove deep under the water that we have lost the track of it.

Suddenly a nice idea came to me.

"Reaper, move to the pool edge and prepare to attack!"

He just gave me a suspicious look, but executed the order. Reaper quickly left the pool area and landed on the floor right near the edge. When our opponent strikes next time it can`t hit from behind – just from the front. And such attack is easily to counter with such stings like Reaper`s.

I looked at Misty to understand if she appreciates my move, but she just crossed her hand on chest, closed her eyes and said:

"Water pulse!"

Water pulse? Isn`t that a ranged move… Oh crap. Suddenly my idea wasn`t that good at all. I had absolutely no time to react as a strong stream of water hit from the depth and threw my Reaper back and pressed into the wall. When everything was over, my pokemon just powerlessly fell on the floor, hurt but still able to fight. That was definitely a critical hit.

"Finish it with Tackle!"

The star shape pokemon jumped out of water and immediately rushed to my pokemon trying to get up.

"Stop, Reaper! Use Twineedle!"

As the opponent approached my Beedrill both of them strike each other at the same time. Two stings hit the opponent but left alive, yet that Tackle was final for my Reaper. I didn`t even doubt that will happen.

"Beedrill is unable to battle! Staryu is the winner!" Diana declared loudly from her room.

"Coverage tactics, huh?" Misty stared at me saucily. "They do not always pay off."

"At least, it wasn`t useless…" I replied to her while returning Reaper back to pokeball. With all my pride I couldn`t lose just now. "My second pokemon will do the trick!" I said throwing my next pokeball. A light broke through the round capsule and became a Golbat in the air.

"Not Harry, huh?" Misty seemed to be surprised I didn`t chose grass-type against her this time. I bet she just waits for it. But I will not give her that much pleasure of predicting my moves.

"You will not get it, my dear. Moment, use Bite!" I started the next round of battle. The feeling inside me burns even stronger as the fighting continues. I guess this is what trainers call the real 'heat'. And that`s exactly what it is.

"We`ll see. Staryu, use Water pulse!"

Her pokemon tensed to perform the attack and launched another strong water stream into my Golbat. He easily charged and dodged that attack, approaching the foe, and caught Staryu with his huge jaws.

That could change the course of the battle. But Misty wasn`t worried at all. Again she ordered another command very calmly.

"Repeat with Water pulse… inside it."

And again the feeling of the upcoming failure appeared in me. In the midair Staryu directed its water stream right inside Moment`s mouth not just hitting him pretty good but also making him release the star pokemon. That wasn`t enough to finish off my partner, but some damage was already done.

Staryu fell on the bridge and jumped back, prepared for another command. Misty didn`t make it wait for too long.

"Use Recover, Staryu!"

Again with this? We can`t let it happen.

"No, not this time! Moment, Astonish it, quickly!"

And finally his speed training was paid off as he was fast enough to approach the Staryu and screech loudly. Another sound damage was pretty good as the opponent pokemon even stepped a bit back and startled instead of actually using the Recover.

"And Bite it again to finish the deal!" I confidently ordered to Moment. Being so involved in battle he immediately reacted and rushed to his prey to catch it in his jaws.

"Tackle it!" Misty tried to battle to the last.

Even if Staryu tried to do something, it couldn`t be faster than my Moment. Like a flash he reached the opponent and fiercely bit into the pokemon flesh. Staryus are quite hard to bit through, but with jaws like Moment has – this is not a big deal. Such damage was critical for our foe as it fell on the floor, fainted.

"Staryu is unable to battle. Golbat is the winner!" Diana announced not so cheerfully as when she was when Misty won.

"Well, luck is on your side today, my dear…" Misty still looked pretty calm to me even after loss of her first pokemon. But I could perfectly feel the tense inside her as she tries to hide it from me.

She returned Staryu back to pokeball and put it back into the pullout case. Before the choice of her second pokemon the thought deeply. She looked at her remaining five prepared pokeballs, constantly changing her mind and staring at another. But finally she decided who will be my next opponent and grabbed the pokeball. I think she noticed the impatient look on my face.

"Fine, I will let you face my strongest pokemon. You two will be glad to meet each other again."

With this she threw her pokeball on the bridge to release her next pokemon outside.

It was another Staryu, but much bigger, with more limbs and blue-colored. I guess this is the next evolution stage. And this one definitely was familiar to me, much more than the Staryu I just faced.

The pokemon turned into my direction and noticed me. Even without eyes it could show me the joy of seeing me again. Could it be…

"This is so nice. THIS is the Staryu we raised together. But now… it grew a lot, don`t you think?"

"Yeah, I see." I was glad to see this pokemon alive and well too. But the battle is coming, and I have to change it. "Too bad I have to beat it badly now. So we can go heal it again together."

The look in Misty`s face changed drastically.

"This… this is not a good joke." She shook her head trying to regain concentration and return to our battle. "Let`s finish this. Starmie, use Swift!"

Okay, I have no idea what does this move do. Maybe, raises the speed or something? If that is so, we should deal with the opponent as fast as we can.

"Now, Moment, use Bite!"

The Starmie started to shine strangely and then a circle of small energy bundles in form of stars appeared out of nowhere and dangerously headed to my Moment. As I didn`t command him to dodge it, he got the hit but continued to approach the Starmie and bit it badly. Despite the opponent managed to escape our grip quickly it stepped back and twisted in huge pain. Was that move super effective?

Not a very good start for us. Not too bad either. Both pokemon are damaged for now, and my Moment was almost on his limit after battle with Staryu. Still Misty didn`t show any of her weaknesses that I could use in my counter strategy to win.

"Your opponent`s weak, Starmie! Finish it with Rapid spin!"

Rapid spin? This could be dangerous but this is something I could exploit… Why was I so sure my special training will be of use so soon? And all of sudden an idea comes to me. Another idea. But this one will work for sure.

Opposing Starmie jumped on place and started to rotate very quickly in the midair, just like Douchebag`s Quartz did before. When the speed was enough, it rushed into the direction of my Golbat.

"Moment, concentrate on the foe and Astonish it!"

My pokemon charged into the flying and spinning Starmie and easily dodged the attack. When the opponent missed its target and Moment appeared to be behind, he used Astonish again screeching as loud as he can. Even from the distance his voice teared our ears. I could just imagine how awful Starmie felt right now after that.

"Use Water pulse and get back to the track!"

What does this girl have on her mind again? Starmie was dangerously flying towards the floor going to hit it; but instead the pokemon directed the strong water stream into it and pushed itself back, regaining speed again and rapidly spinning towards my Moment with doubled speed. We had just seconds to react.

"Use Supersonic!" I commanded.

A strange sound emitted by Moment momentarily hit Starmie. If it worked, the opponent must be confused by now, but Moment had no time left for dodging that powered up Rapid spin. That hit was final for him, so another of my pokemon falls down, defeated and unconscious.

"Golbat is unable to battle! Starmie is the winner!" Diana shouted at her microphone in the control room as she could. I had no doubts that she is cheering not for me…

"That was close." Misty said satisfied. "The battle would be over if I had simple balance rules. So you have some more chances. Show me you-know-who."

I exhaled loudly. Two of my pokemon are gone already, and just two left. I still have my trump card, but I don`t want to play it. Misty is eagerly waiting for me to send out Harry. I have some thoughts that her Starmie is half-psychic type if it suffered super effective damage from our Bite and Astonish. If I will send Harry out, he will be at a disadvantage as a half-poison type. This is what she`s waiting for. Misty has counters to both of my remaining pokemon. But we actually had some luck today… Starmie is confused… And we must use it.

"He will have a rest today. Because the Dumpling is on the stage!" I fiercely threw pokeball on the bridge and released my Charmeleon out. This is a move no one expected from me, even Misty. She thought to counter my counter, but it won`t work this way!

"Are… you… sure?" She quietly and suspiciously asked.

"Of course, I am! And now we are going to perform the greatest play! Dumpling, are you ready?"

He gladly roared marking his readiness to battle. Misty really was surprised by this move as she frowned and narrowed her eyes. Things become serious now.

"We are ready too. Starmie… Begin with Rapid spin!"

Her pokemon again jumped high in the air and after a spinning rushed towards my Dumpling.

"Don`t move yet, Dumpling… Not yet…" I affectedly looked at Misty with cunning smile. For a second she twitched and realized my plan.

"Slow down, Starmie! Slow. Down!"

But her pokemon couldn`t slow down even if it wasn`t confused. Opponent just accelerated even more and when it approached us too close, I commanded to Dumpling to dodge.

"And now jump to the left!"

Just as I expected. Starmie crushed into the floor almost breaking the bridge platform. Such a hard fall did some good damage, but even that wasn`t enough.

"Snap out, Starmie! You can`t lose to a fire-type! Come on, pull yourself together and use Rapid spin!"

When Misty was busy with controlling her confused Starmie I gave some orders to my Dumpling with jests. He nodded and quickly jumped off the bridge on floor and ran to the tower behind Misty. After some seconds our opponent was technically ready to continue. But Dumpling was on the battlefield no more.

"Where is it?" Misty started to get angry a bit. She really doesn`t want to lose to some fire-type pokemon. Well, everything happens in the first time. This one already defeated rock/ground type. Now it`s time to complete the collection.

I clicked my fingers and Dumpling spitted some Embers into Starmie`s direction from the height of tower. As Misty was right under him she didn`t realize that immediately, but then pointed her finger right up.

"Get down, Dumpling! Starmie, throw him off!"

And once again her pokemon was spinning rapidly and charging into my partner. But this time my awesome Dumpling was ready for it and when for approached close enough, he jumped off the tower right on the Starmie.

"Great, my boy! Make it spin even more!"

Dumpling stomped on the left side of his 'transport' to make it turn a bit left. It`s so good that the core of Starmie doesn`t rotate too as this trick would be much harder to perform. Misty just looked at that with her mouth open and couldn`t say a word. Yeah, I managed to shock her like I shocked Brock one day.

Meanwhile my Dumpling had a lot of fun flying around on a confused and spinning Starmie, controlling it with gentle hits and stomps. Because of the confusion the poor star couldn`t even try to throw him down. After some time I decided to finish this.

"Enough fun, Dumpling! Let`s end this with our targeted Skyrage maneuver!"

Charmeleon barked joyfully and stood up. He narrowed his eyes and jumped high, pushing Starmie in the desired direction. Uncontrollable and confused pokemon accelerated from the push and headed straight into… its master.

Misty shouted in fear as fast-spinning star was flying right into her and immediately jumped in floor and covered her head with hands. Starmie flew over her barely missing and crushed into the floor right nearby.

"Oh shit…" I forgot about everything and immediately charged to another side of gym, to Misty. She was lying on floor, but seemed not to be hurt. At least, physically.

"Crap… That was a bit out of control… are you okay?"

I gave her my hand to help to get up. With a severity she got up.

"I`m okay, thank you." She said continuing keeping my hand. Dumpling came to apologize with that big sorry eyes for that he almost killed Misty.

"Bad, bad Dumpling! You should not throw pokemon at people!" I scolded him a little. He seemed to understand that.

"I`m glad you`re okay…" I looked around and quickly found Misty`s Starmie lying nearby in rubble. Completely motionless and, of course, unable to battle after all that. "But it seems like your Starmie is not..."

Misty shrieked and immediately turned her head to the fainted Starmie. She needed to make sure that her pokemon is actually beaten.

"Looks like it…" Sadly she said.

"Starmie is unable to battle. Charmeleon is the winner, and the victory goes to the challenger…" Diana`s voice was pretty sad too and, maybe, even disappointed a bit. The screen and lights turned off as the battle was finally over.

"Return, Starmie… You did all your best." The Misty said very sadly while returning her pokemon back to pokeball. She stood up and closed her eyes for some seconds. I guess a defeat from fire-type pokemon meant to her much more than I think it could be.

"I can`t believe it…" She pronounced quietly.

"Of course, you can!" I approached Misty and hugged her shoulder. "You know that I am awesome. And my Dumpling is double more awesome than me."

Misty didn`t reply. She just turned back to me and hugged, completely hiding her face on my chest. I couldn`t see if she was crying or something, but this was pretty awkward moment for me.

"Oh, come on, Misty. There is time and place for everything. But not now…" I ended my sentence whispering in her ear. She sighed and made some steps back. The pullout pokeball case rose again to let Misty grab a small badge from it.

"Anyway, that was a great battle." She said through tears. I couldn`t understand were those tears of sadness or joy. Maybe, both. "I present you with this Cascade Badge as a sign that you managed to defeat me."

I took the small drop-formed badge from her and put it in my case, right near the Brock`s badge. Now it is two of them. Just six more and I will be able to face really strong trainers. The Pokemon League! But this is still too far from me. And I have things to do for now.

"And also I present you this TM! This is Water pulse; you will be able to teach this move to one of your pokemon." She handed over me another small disk, like the Brock did last time. "I hope you know how to use it."

"Well, actually, I know. But never did it before." I caught myself on a thought that I really should try doing this. Empowering my pokemon with new awesome moves could help me a lot. "Anyway, thanks, Misty. But, you know, actually it is not the badge I came here for…" I told her mischievously. She understood me and nodded in agreement. Even through the sadness of loss a smile appeared on her face.

"I know. Go have some rest in my house. See you in the evening."

She just turned away and headed to the healing machines. Diana left the control room and ran to her, telling something that I couldn`t hear. Luis was sitting nearby in deep thoughts. Today he saw a lot of things to learn, I guess. Maybe, today I was the teacher for him more than Misty was.

"Meh, let`s go, Dumpling." I said to my pokemon and together we headed to the exit. He seemed to be very eager to continue the battle, but all foes are defeated and today we will finally have some deserved rest.

As we left the pokemon gym and went to the street I stopped myself and my pokemon.

"Hey, big guy…" He looked at me suspiciously. "Nice aiming. Just exactly as we wanted." He joyfully barked at me and raised right hand up. I gave him a high-five and we together headed away from this place.