The entrance to Cerulean Gym looked less like a battle facility—
And more like a roaring, oversized water park.
Nothing like the simple tent-like structure from the original anime.
This place was big.
Very big.
A massive glass dome covered the interior.
Sunlight bent and danced through the moving water, scattering shimmering reflections across the walls.
The air was thick with the mixed scents of chlorine, popcorn, and damp humidity.
Water-type Pokémon were everywhere, in all shapes and sizes.
Their individual strength varied, but the average was decent.
It didn't feel like an aquarium.
It felt like a small Water-type army.
Which made perfect sense for Cerulean's true role—
As the city's de-facto "military district."
If wild Pokémon went berserk outside town—
If they formed massive swarms—
Someone had to deal with it.
If a horde of Magikarp evolved into Gyarados and started raging, firing Hyper Beams everywhere—
If a cluster of Gigalith burst from underground due to an earthquake, unleashing brutal energy storms—
If a pack of Chandelure gathered, creating a ghostly procession that had to be dispersed before they devoured human souls—
If a flock of Muk came together, poisoning forests and rivers—
All of that fell under the responsibility of Gym Trainers in each region.
Especially on routes connecting towns.
And Cerulean had to maintain safe water routes as well—
Keeping powerful Water-types from nesting in sea lanes.
Human civilization was prosperous and dazzling—
But also fragile.
You couldn't expect a regular aquarium to suppress that kind of threat.
That would be absurd.
Status and authority all boiled down to strength.
It was because of these heavy obligations that the League allowed Gyms their power and privileges.
The problem was—
Ash didn't see many actual Gym-affiliated Trainers.
Besides hired help, Gym forces usually included apprentices trained by the Gym Leader.
That was their real backbone.
But Cerulean seemed… thin on that front.
Failing to carry out their duties meant the Gym's standing could easily collapse.
Ash figured Misty must be under a lot of pressure.
Cerulean Gym was in desperate need of a strong Gym Trainer.
He walked along, taking everything in while he thought.
Following the "Gym Challenge" signs, he squeezed past crowds of tourists, surrounded by children's laughter and the splashes of Water Pokémon leaping from pools.
Aside from the weak combat side, Cerulean Gym wasn't bad at all.
Eventually, he arrived at a huge pool marked "Gym Core Arena."
The water was clear and blue. Tiered stands encircled it, currently packed with excited spectators.
In the center of the pool, three young women with different-colored hair stood on floating platforms.
To lively music, they posed and moved gracefully, directing Goldeen and Starmie into intricate formations.
Water ballet, right in the Gym.
Honestly, not the worst thing in the world.
A lot of Gym Leaders in this world had side hobbies.
Even among Elites and Champions, plenty had bizarre, time-consuming interests.
Pure battle maniacs were, in fact, comparatively rare.
"Pika…" Pikachu tilted its head on Ash's shoulder, pointing at the pool with a puzzled paw.
—This place… really a battle arena?
It felt way too unserious.
Well… it would see far more unserious Trainers in future.
By then, it'd probably be numb to it.
Ash idly stroked Pikachu's head, eyes scanning the three women.
These had to be Misty's sisters.
He just couldn't remember which was which.
They weren't crucial characters—
Remembering that there were three was already pretty good.
Out of courtesy, he didn't interrupt while they were mid-performance.
The music swelled for the finale.
With a slightly over-the-top finishing pose, the three sisters ended their routine, greeted by a wave of applause from the stands.
The blonde eldest sister, Daisy, was the first to notice Ash and Pikachu at the entrance.
Her eyes lit up. She swam to the edge, propped her elbows on the side of the pool, and smiled brightly.
"Oh my, a cute challenger with a Pikachu? That's rare~ I'm Daisy. Welcome to Cerulean Gym~"
Her gaze wandered over Ash, amused and curious.
Their own talent as Trainers might not be great, but their eye for people wasn't bad.
And the boy in front of them—
Had potential.
The blue-haired Lily drifted over lazily, yawning.
"Another traveling Trainer… what a drag."
"We already did a full show today. I'm exhausted."
She gave Ash a sideways glance.
"Hey, kiddo, how about just enjoying the show? Or go play in the park outside for a bit?"
The pink-haired Violet only nodded slightly in greeting, her mind still half on the choreography.
Ash tilted his cap down.
His voice cut neatly through the noise of the crowd:
"I'm Ash from Pallet Town. I'm here for a Gym battle."
Daisy's smile widened, a hint of "teasing a kid" in her tone.
"A Gym battle, huh?"
"Sure, sure~ But look, we just finished our performance, and our Pokémon are sooo tired."
"And Gym battles are really demanding, you know? How about—"
She was about to try some gentle stalling tactics on her future brother-in-law.
But before she could finish, an angry voice rang out from the side corridor.
"Big sisters!"
Misty strode in, already changed into her usual clothes, orange ponytail bouncing with each brisk step.
"I told you—once Ash arrives, you start the Gym assessment right away! What are you doing?!"
Her face was a mix of anger and embarrassment.
Clearly, this "scene" was not what she'd had in mind.
"Misty?" Daisy blinked, surprised.
"We were just about to test your boyfr—"
"I am not here to talk about that!" Misty cut her off instantly.
If they said that out loud here, how was she supposed to live it down?
Misty looked over her three sisters, then at the Pokémon they used—clearly better suited for performance than serious battles.
Then she turned to Ash, took a deep breath—
Like she was making up her mind about something big.
Misty faced him head-on, expression deadly serious, even a little desperate.
"Ash!"
"The rules for Cerulean Gym's challenge…"
"Are up to me!"
"Your opponent is me!"
"As for these three useless sisters—let's just ignore them for now!"
This was absolutely not the dramatic entrance she'd planned.
Originally, Misty had wanted:
Her three sisters to come out strong and throw out a little intimidation.
Then they'd split to either side.
Then she would step out as the real Gym Trainer, shocking everyone.
A perfect, stage-ready entrance.
Unfortunately, her three unserious sisters had completely wrecked the buildup.
…To be fair, the old Misty would never have tried something this theatrical.
So why was she doing it now?
Probably because Ash had rubbed off on her.
After all—
Ash loved making cool entrances.
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