The crowd stood still as the battle raged on, surprise filled the air as they all witnessed Red's Feebas holding its own against Misty's Starmie.

"Starmie, Water Pulse"

"Dodge then Tackle, Feebas." As these commands were expressed out of their lips, their partners followed through and obeyed, resulting in Starmie getting tackled to the side of the pool, causing another waves of cheers and 'oohs' from the spectators. The gym leader could feel her face burn up with anger and frustration before she yells another command. "Psychic!"

"Spin and use Dragonbreath." As Red stated this, multiple gasps of surprise and astonishment filled the air as some of the people spoke their minds. "That thing knows Dragonbreath?!"

Among those people is Leaf whose mouth is open in shock, her Buneary trying its best to keep it close while the battle continues. As the violet starfish is about to use its move, it is unable to focus as its opponent spins around and surrounds itself with purple flames, making it unable to attack as it vanishes within its attack, much to Misty's dismay and surprise. "Jeez! Gotta say, you're really unpredictable, Red. You're really full of surprises."

"Tackle." Feebas swims forward in blinding speed, Starmie trying to stop it when its trainer commands it to shoot several Water Pulse at the purple fish. Easily avoiding the attacks, Feebas springs forward before colliding into the starfish, knocking it to the side as they nearly hit the wall. Not losing a beat despite the counter attacks, the next command Misty made got everyone in the crowd excited and on the edge of their seats as the words leave her mouth. "Starmie, Water Tornado."

Obeying the gym leader's command, Starmie starts to spin quickly as every appendage on its body begins to form spheres of concentrated water. After a while, the spheres combines together which created a huge whirlpool that started nearly covering the entire perimeter of the pool. Caught in the attack, Feebas tries its best to swim away from the current which is futile as the attack is too strong, carrying the purple fish away and spinning it around along with everything else in the pool.

"What's wrong, huh? You were so confident with that Pokemon a while ago and now your little wild card is losing. Just accept de-" Misty was unable to finish her sentence when she saw the determined look on Red's face before she looks back at the battle, curious about the reason for his expression. Her eyes widens upon realizing that Feebas is unharmed despite being stuck by the whirlpool, gasping as her mouth begins to voice what she is thinking. "F-Feebas is swimming along with the current and it's… getting faster."

"Water Pulse to propel yourself and use Tackle on Starmie, Feebas." As the red capped teen made his command, his Pokemon responds as it starts to glow which made it go faster, becoming hard for anyone to track it. Before the audience and Misty could react and realize what was about to happen, Feebas escaped the whirlpool as it speedily made its way to Starmie, knocking the Pokemon hard which send it flying out of the water and into the wall. The violet starfish fell to the ground, staggering from the impact that it had before it was able to slowly regain its balance, much to Misty's dismay when she witnesses her Pokemon's struggle. "Starmie! C'mon. Get up."

As Starmie tries its best efforts to get up, the gym leader's eyes started to dart around as she heard the audience comments on the battle.

"Damn! That's gotta hurt."

"Man, Misty's gotta stop toying with this trainer. I mean, he has a Feebas. Feebas sucks!"

"I can't believe Misty is having a hard time with a Feebas."

"Hey Misty! Just stop giving that joke of a trainer confidence and knock out his Feebas!"

Hearing the audience, Red clicked his teeth and tightened his fists as he tried his best to ignore the comments towards him and his Pokemon. As he focused onto the battle, he realized that Feebas also seemed to be angered by the insults before it gave him a look which made him understand what is supposed to be done. "Let's show everyone how awesome you are, Feebas. However we're going to need a change in scenery."

As Starmie recovered from the attack and got into a battle stance when it along with Misty noticed that the purple fish was started to glow as the raven haired trainer muttered a single command. "Rain Dance."

The glow on Feebas' body starts to intensify as the water around it begins to turn into ripples as it made a huge cry, frightening everyone in the stadium. As it did so, the winds starts to get stronger as dark clouds gather around Cerulean City, focusing on the gym. Roars of thunder and flashes of lightning appear about the city, confusing the residents in the city as they hurry to their houses.

"What on ear-" Leaf was about to say before a drop of water started to hit the brunette in her face as another followed, making contact with Buneary which made it jumped in surprise. Realizing what was happening, the referee started to press a button which minimize the size of the ceiling opening, only making the rain fall on the battlefield.

"Been a while since we had to use that, huh?" Misty said to the referee, who responded with a nod before she turned towards Red, saying. "You know. During my time as a gym leader, you're one of the few trainers who has summoned the weather against me."

The red capped teen lifts a brow in confusion, wondering where she is getting at before she continues. "Usually most would use Sunny Day or Sandstorm but you're the first trainer that I know who have ever used Rain Dance against me."

As Misty finishes her statement, she starts to twitch as a vein begins to form on her forehead while she resumes speaking. "…to think that you would be stupid enough to summon the weather that empowers my Pokemon against me…"

Realizing what the gym leader meant, Red eyes widened when he saw the look of pure rage in her eyes along with the dark tone in her voice. If looks could kill, he would be gone within a millisecond.

"I will make you regret using this weather against me. Starmie!" As she called her Pokemon, the violet starfish turned towards her as she continued, voicing a command. "Water Pulse!"

Obeying the order, Starmie started to form a watery sphere which is much bigger than the previous ones before it hurled the move in Feebas' direction. Taking out her Pokedex and scanning the purple fish, Leaf starts to make a little search on the Pokemon before her eyes widens when she finds out some information on it as her mouth starts to voice her thoughts. "…no way…"

As the Water Pulse was several inches from Feebas' face, the attack exploded as it hit the side of the pool, much to Misty and everyone's confusion. As the audience looked wide eyed, some of them scratching their heads, Leaf simply smiled as her mind stated. 'Red Fires…you are a complete madman…'

As everyone looked around for the purple fish, Misty was barely able to notice a violet blur as her Pokemon was knocked aside into a wall by Red's Feebas. Getting annoyed and not missing a beat, the gym leader started to make another command as Starmie quickly recovered. "Psychic, Starmie."

"Dodge." As the violet starfish was about to levitate the fish, its efforts were in vain as its target vanished into the water. Struck with surprise, Starmie is unable to notice a purple stream of flame that Feebas shoot behind it, knocking it unto another platform. Misty shouted another command for her Pokemon to use Water Pulse which was resulted in failure as Feebas dodged the attack, descending into the pool.

As the battle rages, the gym leader find herself in a pickle as throughout the battle she was barely able to even touch the fish Pokemon which adds to her frustration when she has to watch as Starmie gets knocked around by the Water type. As she angrily racked her brain for a way to stop Feebas, everyone looked wide eyed at how the battle that is occurring, their realization hitting as some of their mouths projected what their mind is thinking.

"Man, that kid is actually holding his own…with a Feebas."

"Aren't Feebas supposed to be a weak Pokemon?"

"They are. That kid just really knows how to use one."

Leaf stared blankly at the fight, her mind barely able to process what is going on when Starmie failed another attempt to catch its opponent which instead made it fall prey to a Water Pulse. 'I know that Red is very unpredictable, sometimes mysterious when it comes to how he fights but this…using a Feebas' Swift Swim ability against Starmie? And it's working? I-I don't know what to say about this…he kinda reminds me of someone I saw on Dad's League tapes.'

Realizing that she isn't getting anywhere in her pursuit of catching Feebas, Misty took a deep breath to control her anger before accessing the situation. "Alright. That speed is really annoying me. I need to slow it down somehow. Wait! It's fast in the water but what about on land…"

As her opponent retreated from securing another hit, the orange haired girl made a smirk as she shouted a command that caused Red eyes to widen. "Starmie, Water Tornado. Full Power!"

"Oh no…" Was all Leaf could mutter before Starmie started as it floated over the pool. It then started to spin quickly as it descended into the pool, turning the pool into a huge whirlpool before the water started to rise, taking up Feebas as it did. Before long, the entire water in the pool is in the sky, causing everyone to look up at an enormous tornado as it rises to the ceiling of the gym.

"Feebas, hold on." Red stated in panic as the attack continued for a while before he realized that Starmie seems to be straining. 'To hold up that much, its strong but even it has a limit. It won't be able to let out a power like that for a while.'

"Feebas. Just go with the flow…" The red capped teen silently stated through gritted teeth. Feebas nods to its trainer's command, swimming along the current of the tornado as Starmie resumes the move before Misty hears another order from the raven haired trainer. "Water Pulse."

Hearing its trainer, the purple fish glowed a blue hue as it started to move faster throughout the current of the water. In a single moment, it made brief eye contact with Red, showing a look of understanding before it launched an attack which is shown as ripples in the water. As it came out of the tornado, it changed into the form of a mini tornado that hit Starmie, making it weaker which causes the Water Tornado to slowly collapse despite it trying its best to hold it together with its psychic powers.

"Starmie! Throw down the tornado into the pool with all the strength you have!" Misty ordered. The violet starfish starts to glow brighter as it let down the water with Feebas in it onto the pool, creating a splash that hit Red, Misty and the referee when it descended back into the pool.

"Red! Are you alright?" Leaf shouted. She gets a nod from Red when he took off his cap and jacket and squeeze out the water out of the clothing which revealed his black undershirt. The brunette bit her lip and started to blush as she saw a glint of his scarlet eyes while he was trying his best to dry his black hair, making sure that no one catches a glimpse of his face. After taking off her clothes which revealed her swimsuit, Misty looked unto the crowd, seeing a bunch of guys ogling her swimsuit and blowing whistles towards her before she shifted her gazed towards her opponent, raising a brow as she eyed his body.

'For someone so quiet and almost invisible within a crowd, he has a very toned and developed body. Did he really just started his journey? He has to be the son of some hiker or something.' She thought as she looked at Leaf, noticing that she was staring at Red cheering for him with a reddish tint on her face.

'Ooh, I see. He has the body but he's lacking in the looks department. He looks too plain. That face is not getting him anywhere. Well, the amount of his face that I can see. Hmm. What made Leaf so interested in him?' Misty thought before she noticed the teen looking unto the field with a worried expression from what she could see from his mouth as she saw Feebas flopping on one of the platforms with Starmie on another platform beside it.

'We'll leave that theory for another time. Let's continue this battle.' The orange haired girl smiled before she put her hands on her hips and tauntingly said. "Guess all that bravado went to nothing when you're out of your comfort zone, huh?"

Red only gritted his teeth as he watched helplessly as Starmie walking closer to Feebas as Misty commanded it to use Water Pulse. Hearing her order, it started to form a ball of water between its appendages as it roamed closer to the purple fish which started to flop and squirm faster, trying to reach the water.

"Oh! You want water? Well, here's your water right here. Starmie, be a dear!" Starmie then lifted its appendages to the air as the sphere got bigger, much to Red's dismay and worry. "Welp, it was honestly a good match but this is where it ends."

Before anyone could react, Feebas quickly jumped from the ground and hit Starmie which resulted in a huge whacking sound that echoed throughout the gym, surprising everyone as it fell back to the floor. As she was about to tell Starmie to finish the match, she realized the moving of Red's lips before she saw the some of the raindrops stopping as it formed around the purple fish before it created a huge wave of water that knocked both of their Pokemon from the platform and into the water, much to her dismay as she realized the reason for the attack.

"Recover, Starmie." Misty stated. Starmie obeying as it started to glow in an intense light until it was interrupted by a Water Pulse to the gem by Feebas which resulted in a critical hit. The violet star was able to recover however the gym leader started to notice that the Water and Psychic type is starting to move in a wobbly fashion, almost tripping over nothing a couple times.

"Damn it. It's confused…" She muttered with her teeth clenched as she glared towards her opponent, who had a smirk on his face despite his Feebas slight panting. "I need to wipe that ugly mug off his face and finish this quickly."

As she said that, the rain started to slowly subside, much to Red's dismay as he clicked his tongue in annoyance. The spectators are all watching as they seem to forget the participants and are just excited and impatient to see how the battle ends, Leaf being amongst them as she feels nothing but anxiety running through her body. "This is the last stretch. The rain is almost out and both opponents seem to be exhausted…"

The tension was strong in the air as everyone waited before a voice came and ended the session, booming through the gym. "Starmie! Full Power Water Pulse now."

Starmie starts to charge it attack as both Red and Feebas simply waits for the result, staying still and eyeing their opponent with no sign of fear in their eyes which did not go unnoticed by Misty. 'So he's waiting for a counter attack. Too bad for you, I already figured out your Feebas' strengths.'

As the violet star finished the attack, it was about to shoot until the attack exploded, resulted in a variety of waves that knocked the Pokemon from the platform and into the pool, much to Misty's shock as she looked with a dumbfounded expression. "What?! How?!"

Seeing this, Red wasted no time as he looked at this opportunity and mumbled a command to Feebas. "Alright, Feebas. We're gonna have to go all out and Tackle the Starmie with all we got. And don't stop either."

Feebas simply nodded before it lunged at its opponent at full speed, knocking it away with all its strength before returning again for another Tackle. As Starmie endured the onslaught from Feebas, the gym leader tried her best to get it to counterattack which resulted in failure as it would either be interrupted by its opponent or hitting itself in confusion. As the raindrops subsided, Red started to realize that Feebas attacks are becoming less effective and it's started to get slower, much to Misty's joy as she quickly made a command. "Recover now."

Starmie was about to glow in a strong light before it accidentally wobbled and descended in the pool, too exhausted to be able to use the attack. "Damn it! Alright, Water Pulse and Rapid Spin."

Starmie then found enough strength within as it spun around quickly and glowed brightly, making its way towards Feebas at a speedy pace. Before Red could make a command, the purple fish was hit by the attack before the Starfish Pokemon turned around and made its way in its direction again, this time at a slower pace. "Hope you like a taste of your own medicine, Red."

A wide grin started to spread across Misty's face as she watched gleefully as her Pokemon made its way towards its opponent in record timing. As Starmie got within in an inch distance, the gym leader was surprised by the sudden order that was made by her silent opponent. "Stop it with Dragon Breath, Feebas!"

Obeying its trainer's command, the Water type opened its mouth as a sea of purple flames erupted from it, stopping the Starmie immediately which surprised everyone at the sheer power of the move. Not even missing a beat, Red made another command. "Now Feebas. Tackle."

As Feebas thrusts forward towards its opponent, Starmie tries to stop the Pokemon by using Water Pulse which results in a failure as the purple fish outmaneuvers and nimbly dodges the attacks as it continues its pursuit. Leaf clasped her hands as she witnessed the Water type get hit by one of the attacks which made it light headed before it shook its head and resumed.

"Water Pulse to make to make yourself faster." As Red stated this, Feebas' body started to emit a blue hue until a ripple appeared behind it which boosts its speed, making it almost hard to notice when it made its way to Starmie. Focused on the battle, no one noticed the smirk on Misty's face as she giggled quietly. 'It's over now, Red. You fought hard but this decides it. I have you right where I want you.

"Starmie, Psychic." Hearing her voice, Starmie relaxed before it started to discharge a strong burst of psychic energy which distorted the pool, much to the gym leader's delight. As it released more of its power, the shockwave from its discharge pushing back Feebas as it tried to resist the force from the violet starfish's telekinetic strength. "You're fighting a losing battle, Red!"

"Endure it and give it everything you got. Don't give in. Tackle!" Red yelled in determination as he watched the pool started to get more unstable as the ripples started to grow, turning into small waves.

"Why are you even resisting? You know you can't win now. Feebas may be fast and you prove that it can hold its own but even the Pokedex and research shows it, when it comes to brute force and power, almost any Pokemon can beat it. Just face it. You lose." Misty said with a smug look on her face, her hands on her hips as she gleefully watches Red's Pokemon struggle.

The raven haired teen simply stayed quiet as the battle raged on, Feebas trying with all its might to hold on as Starmie simply strengthened the force of its attack which managed to push it back.

'C'mon, Red. C'mon, Feebas. You can do it.' Leaf thought as she clenched her hands together tighter. 'You have to prove her wrong.'

Red simply looked at Misty who flinched in fear as she saw a glint of the teen's crimson orbs. 'What was that? His eyes look like something out of a horror movie.'

"Who decided that, really? A Feebas is weak against a Starmie? Any Pokemon can be strong… if they can be strong in the wild, what is the difference now? If everyone is gonna pull this concept of some Pokemon being strong which came from the silly trends from the League, I'm gonna prove them wrong and show them what truly matters." Red muttered confidently, each word that comes out of his mouth is being stated with annoyance and frustration before he stretched his hand. "Feebas… we're gonna show them that not everything is set in stone because of the League."

Misty simply stepped back, catching another glimpse of her opponent's eyes which struck fear in her conscience.

"Full force Tackle now! Put everything you got into it!" Feebas smiled proudly, nodding as it begins to glow much brighter, slowly pushing through the telekinetic force and getting to Starmie.

Both Pokemon competed against each other, none of them willing to back down until the violet starfish started to lose power, exhaustion taking its toll despite its best efforts. As Starmie's power weaken to the point of almost nothing, Red's Pokemon came like a bullet, crashing into it and sending it onto the floor of the pool, creating a slight dent.

"Wha…" Misty could only word out of her mouth, looking throughout the pool before she sees Starmie appears at the surface of the water, floating stagnantly and showing no signs of movement. The referee then checked on the combatants, making a final nod upon returning to his post and made his announcement which immediately causes the audience to listen intently upon hearing the results.

"The final match is finished. After a powerful bout…Starmie is unable to continue which makes Feebas the winner and thus…the victory of this gym battle goes to Red Fires! From Pallet Town!"

For a moment, everyone in the stadium went silent before a loud voice cheered for Red as it got closer and closer to the field.

"RED! YOU DID IT! YOU DID IT! YOU DID IT!" Leaf shouted in excitement, making him glad that his hair was long enough to hide his blush. Before he could turn around, the raven haired teen was tackled into a hug, almost making him and the brunette fall into the pool if not for his quick thinking when he quickly regains his balance.

Walking past them with a scowl on her face, Misty simply walked into another room which did not go unnoticed as the referee announced a short break. After the announcement was made, everyone went their own path and ways while speaking about the match between Red and Misty, leaving only the two teens in the stadium along with a few spectators who grouped up with their friends.

"Umm… Leaf…you can let me go now…" Red muttered. He then notices the last group of people exiting the gym which leaves the both of them inside the building accompanied by silence. Leaf put a finger on her chin, thinking about it for a moment before shaking her head, saying. "Nah! Plus, you're gonna need the warmth anyways."

The raven haired teen then tries to pry her off which proves to be nearly impossible as she tightens her grip on him, making sure that he is unable to free himself. After various failed attempts along with the brunette's taunts and giggling, Red sighed annoyingly as he accepted his fate, making his way to the pool to both congratulate and return Feebas into his ball before walking out of the area with Leaf latched onto him. As they walked throughout the city, they went to the Pokemon Center to heal Red's Pokemon and retrieve his injured Luxio who was back at full health when it rushed him to the ground, nuzzling him. "Well, look who's bright and chipper."

The Electric type stopped as the raven haired teen patted it, a smile on his face as he muttered with relief in his tone. "I'm glad you're alright, pal. Thanks for helping me."

As they left the center and made their way through the middle of the town, the duo decided on getting some food before Leaf's match with Misty starts. After a few minutes of walking around, they find a food stand that sells a variety of foods, immediately getting Leaf's attention when she dragged Red towards it. Waiting in a line, they both checked the menu before a sound of rumbling could be heard, confusing the raven haired teen as he looked towards his red faced companion who laughed and said. "R-Red, I know that you're hungry b-but try to control yourself, ok?"

Red glances at her in confusion and then shakes his head before she stutters. "C-c'mon, Red. You don't have to lie to me. It's alright. It's a natural reaction."

About to protest, he hears giggling behind him, turning around to see the other people in the line trying their best to hold in their laughter, some failing in the process. Realizing what she is doing, Red glances at Leaf, seeing her looking away and whistling as she refuse to make eye contact with him. 'That was definitely her stomach.'

As they made their orders, they both sit together, Leaf continues to hug Red which is making the boy uncomfortable as he fiddles with his Pokegear, causing a sound to go off in the brunette's bag as she fished for the bag and looked at the message.

"Leaf, seriously. You can let me go now. I'm warm."

Leaf smiled at the message as she embraced him, her grip getting stronger as she looked at him with a pouty face saying. "What's wrong, Red? You don't like me?"

"I-I didn't say that. I just don't want you to be wet."

The brunette giggled as she saw the text before she looked back at her companion, moving the hair from his face to reveal his crimson eyes. After a moment of eye contact, her cheeks started to get pink as she got closer to the teen with their faces inches apart. 'Those eyes are gonna be the death of me.'

As Red made another message which created another beeping on her Pokegear, she ignored the sound as she touched noses with him and started playing with his hair, a thought going through his mind as a pink line went across his face. 'I'm pretty sure that we're in a world where personal space still has a definition and worth, correct? So why does she keep respecting everyone's except mine?'

As he desperately and quickly made another message, Leaf once again ignored the text notification, giggling as she rubbed her nose and touched her forehead with the raven haired teen before whispering. "I'm not looking at the text messages. If you want to say something, say it to me right here and now, Red."

Red sighed nervously before he tried to speak, most of his speech coming out in stutters. "C-can you give m-me some space p-please?"

"No." Leaf said bluntly as she continued to play with the teen, blissfully ignoring the looks and glances that she's receiving as she does so. After a few minutes of teasing, they finally got their food, much to Red's joy as the brunette leaves him alone to attend to her meal. He then took a glance at her as he send a message to her which surprised her as she opened the Pokegear and read it.

"Are you ready?"

After reading the message, the brunette's eyes soften as she started playing with her food as she chuckled lightly and said. "I…I wish I could say I am but…"

As she paused, she lifted her gaze at Red before lowering it down to her food, once again playing with it. After she took a couple bites, she sighed as she turned her gaze back to her raven haired companion and spoke. "I lost to her so many times, I honestly believe I'd lost to her again. Kinda got used to it after the third time that I lost to her…I'm trying to think if I can still win…"

As she said this, she felt a hand on her shoulder, her eyes turning towards Red who had a sorrowful look on his face. She then turned as she thought about what she had went through on her journey so far as she trembled, spilling her thoughts. "I…I was honestly thinking about giving up. Nothing worked against her. Everything failed. Status ailments, overpowering her, playing defense. Nothing. All my friends have gotten the badge and left me…I'm stuck here, wandering and training for nothing."

As she paused, tears slowly exited her eyes as she leaned towards Red, trying her best to keep her composure as the teen simply gave her a comforting embrace. As she calmed down, she then returned to eating a bite of her food as she held her male companion's hand, her strong grip surprising him.

"I know I'm supposed to be strong but it's so damn frustrating. Day in and day out and the match barely changes… When I saw you coming here, I thought since your company helped me through the first gym, you would be able to make a difference this time for me... Maybe I'll be able to find out what I'm missing. Before I knew it, all my depression simply left as I spoke back to Misty the other day…" She paused as she leaned back on Red, making herself comfortable as she continued. "…that was the first time I have ever spoke back to her since our second match…I lost nine times, Red. Nine. Times…I can't believe this…"

Hearing this, Red felt bad for her, understanding the feeling that she went through. After his loss against Brock, he felt devastated, crushed like everything he went through was not enough. She helped him through his depressed state and this time, he was going to return the favor.

"I'm gonna talk with Misty after this. I'm sorry that you lost your necklace because of this...I'm not gonna make you lose your journey because of me." As she said this, Red held her up and looked her dead in the eye as he took a deep breath and said. "Leaf…I'm gonna be with you through this…don't worry…we went through so much training in the last few days and you're stronger than you think you are. Just…believe in yourself."

Hearing the teen's words caused some encouragement to seep into her conscience before the felt a strong grip on her hand, turning to see him looking at her with a smile on his face. 'One of these days, I should tell him that his smile does not make my confidence rises but my heart rate instead.'

"Tell you what, if you win. I'll get you…whatever you like. Favorite ice cream…or anything like that?" Red proposed. Hearing this made Leaf smiled deviously as she looked at him, eyeing him up and down before she simply said. "I'll think about it."

While they both enjoyed themselves and ate their lunch, they looked at the time realizing that Leaf's match started in half an hour before they finished and started to make their way back to the gym, much to her dismay as she pouted the whole way.

"I wanted to spend more time before we get to my match. Darn. Where's Dialga when you need it?" She whined quietly. She then hears Red laughing, causing her to pout harder before she punches him on the arm. "Not funny…"

Both of them starts laughing until they reached the entrance of the gym. Red was about to enter when he felt someone grip his hand, making him turn to Leaf who looked at the ground as she starts kicking the dirt. She then sighs, looking at him with a smile and a more determined expression which cause a small curve on his lips when he saw it as his thoughts started to appear. 'Good. She's feeling better now.'

"Thanks, Red. For every-" The brunette was interrupted as Red pushed her in the gym. She then turned to look at him in confusion as he simply smiled at her.

"Save it…the thanks for when you beat her…that way it will feel more rewarding to yourself…" Red mutters as he resumes pushing her to the preparation room, waving to her before going to the spectators' seat with Clefairy on his head. As Leaf waited for the announcer to introduce her, she calmed herself as she went into her bag and took out a black piece of cloth. "Well, here goes nothing."

"Welcome again, everyone! Hope that you enjoy the first match as it was a doozy and a half. It's gonna definitely be a match to remember however let's get to the second gym match for today between our one and only Misty!" The referee announced as Misty came back to the stage with a face that Red could instantly tell had hidden rage in it, waving at the crowd who cheered loudly for her. Realizing something was missing, he checked in his bag and looked around for something as he heard the announcer stated the other participant. "And her next opponent will be a girl who had a heart of gold and a determination as strong as an Aggron. Give it up for the girl from Viridian City, Leaf Green!"

As Leaf came to the stage, Red turned to Luxio who released itself from its ball and asked it. "Hey, Lux. You see where my cap and jacket went. Oh no. Even my extra pair of gloves is gone."

Luxio simply pointed down at the stadium, the raven haired teen's eyes followed as he saw the brunette with his extra pair of gloves where her own used to be and wearing his jacket and cap as she went to her platform. Some of the spectators started chuckling while others, mostly the girls, squealed in excitement. Red simply places his hand on his face, shaking his head as both females stand confidently, awaiting the referee's next announcement. "Well, the tension is strong. And both girls seem to be ready. So the second gym battle of the day and the final battle to the Cerulean bet challenge is about to begin. Do both of you have anything to say?"

"Well, Leaf. Never thought that you'd want to fight me again with all the losses you had. Heh! I'm surprised you're able to stand in front of me confidently. Is it because of that boy? Is that why you have on his gloves and jacket? Man… all I gotta say is that is pathetic. To literally use clothes as a way to encourage yourself. That is seriously pathetic." Misty taunted as she started to laugh, some of the words she used stab Leaf before the brunette used Red's cap to hide her face from the gym leader who continued. "I'm gonna have to show you again what true skill is. After this, you're going to be a good little girl and go home instead of trying to play Champion with the big dogs."

Hearing this cause Leaf to tremble and panic, her face showing an expression between anger and hurt which did not go unnoticed by Red when he took out his Pokegear. Trying to calm herself, she heard a beeping sound from her bag, taking out her Pokegear as she saw an incoming message to which she opened it and read it.

"Kick her butt. I'll be rooting for you." Leaf smiled as she saw the message, putting it back in her bag as she was able to calm down before readying her Pokeball as the last words of the referee echoed through the gym.

"LET THE MATCH BEGIN!"

Hey guys. Hope you guys are taking care of yourselves in this time that we're living in. Also, I made Misty a little important as a homage to the anime and finally Leaf gets her battle next chapter. Well, hope the fight between Feebas and Starmie was not too long, I tried my best to make it as short as possible however I think the battle between Leaf and Misty might be shorter or…longer. Sorry this took longer than it should to be out, was kinda having somewhat of a writer's block when doing this but don't worry. Thanks for the reviews and for taking your time to read my story and please tell me your thoughts about it so far. Keep safe and healthy, guys. Enigma out!