Deep inside Cerulean Gym, the air around the Water-type recovery pools was filled with a strange scent—a mix of herbal ointment and blended Berries.
This was a water spa made specially for Water-type Pokémon.
The golden Gyarados's massive body was half-submerged in the custom treatment pool, only its ridge of thick golden scales breaking the surface.
Its huge frame rose and fell with the water as it let out a low, contented gurgle.
Misty had her sleeves rolled up. She carefully dipped a long-handled brush into a faintly blue-glowing nutrient solution and gently spread it over the torn, scarred wound on Gyarados's neck where Ice Fang had raked across it.
"Hss…"
As the medicine touched the wound, a muffled whine rumbled in Gyarados's throat.
Its huge body tensed on reflex, sending waves sloshing hard against the sides of the pool.
"Don't move!"
Misty stumbled back half a step in fright, but quickly bit her lip and stepped forward again, forcing herself to stay calm.
"Th-this is a special mix my sisters have been hoarding. Dragon Scale powder blend—it's really good for healing!"
Most importantly, it was made using materials from Dragon-type Pokémon.
For a non-Dragon-type with Dragon potential, the effect was excellent—it could really draw out that buried potential.
Gyarados's scarlet eyes slanted sideways at her, then it suddenly nudged the wooden bucket by the poolside with the tip of its snout—the one filled with cut-up Oran Berries Misty had prepared.
"Greedy thing." Misty couldn't help scolding with a smile as she scooped up a ladle-full of fruit and dumped it into Gyarados's open jaws.
Her palm brushed unthinkingly against those cold, razor-sharp fangs, and she jerked her hand back, heart hammering from instinctive fear.
But watching Gyarados munch happily on the Berries, its tail lazily swishing along the bottom of the pool, that chill that had been rooted at the bottom of her heart for so many years… really did get washed away just a little by this gluttonous sight.
Ash's Gyarados, when it wasn't losing control and going berserk, actually had a pretty good temper.
"Roooh~ roooh~"
Gyarados squinted contentedly and opened its mouth again.
It wanted more.
Heaven bear witness: since it could remember, these past few days at Cerulean Gym were the best it had ever eaten.
Back at Pewter Gym, food and drink had never been a problem—there was always plenty. But the meals there were clearly tailored for Rock- and Ground-type Pokémon.
For a Gyarados, it was… not exactly to its taste.
Cerulean Gym was different~~
Not only did everything taste good, it could eat as much as it wanted.
"Here, this is the last scoop! If you eat any more, you'll upset your stomach!"
Misty tried to sound firm, but the faint tremor in her hand still gave away her nerves.
When Gyarados's golden head leaned closer, the wave it pushed up made her instinctively flinch back again—
but she forced herself to stand her ground.
"Rooooh~~"
Gyarados glanced at her with its scarlet eyes, then surprisingly dipped its head and swallowed the food quietly, its tail giving the water's surface a gentle pat.
"Y-you're… saying thank you?" Misty stared, wide-eyed, then muttered with a blush, "Idiot… nobody asked you to thank me…"
"..."
Gyarados was speechless. Still, considering how well it was being treated, it decided to let it slide.
Elsewhere, Cerulean Gym was its usual lively self.
Misty losing to Ash hadn't affected the gym at all.
If Gym Leaders couldn't lose, how would they hand out Badges?
A proper Gym Leader should be losing matches every day!!
Laughable.
With the way Gyms worked in this world, there was no random chance of Team Rocket suddenly attacking for no reason.
This was not the same as the original Pokémon anime world.
Right now, loud cheers were erupting around the main performance pool.
"Woahhhh!"
Brock was sitting in the best possible seat, his tanned face tinged with a very suspicious blush.
He was hurriedly sketching out the formation changes of the water ballet in a notebook.
"Miss Violet's Goldeen spreads her tail fin at just the right angle when she spins… it refracts the overhead rainbow lights perfectly…"
"And Miss Lily's Starmie, using Psychic to raise the water curtain in such a rhythmic way…"
He mumbled to himself—then his pen froze.
"—But of course, the most perfect is still the lead, Miss Daisy! That synchronized spin with Seel… that's the pure blend of strength and beauty!"
"Wait!"
"That's amazing!"
"Miss Violet's triple spin into a Mudkip ring jump—that move perfectly combines the grace and power of Water-types!"
"So good!"
"Uuuhhh!!"
"She's definitely going to be an outstanding Coordinator!"
The three sisters finished their routine on the floating stage and took a bow. Daisy flicked a precise, teasing glance in Brock's direction.
With a clatter, Brock's notebook fell straight to the floor.
Ever since he left Pewter City, the always serious, idol-burdened Brock had pretty much started letting himself go.
And now… Brock was basically being played in the palms of three beautiful girls.
This was the price of being too pure, wasn't it?
The fish was already hooked so hard its lips curled up.
"Lucky~"
Chansey pushed a cart past with a helpless expression. On it were the energy cubes Brock had specially made to help the performers recover their stamina.
Unlike Misty and Brock—
Things were a bit different on Ash's side.
Ash wasn't at Cerulean Gym at all right now.
At the river mouth on the outskirts of Cerulean City, where the water ran out into the sea—
A fishing line traced a silver arc through the sunset.
"Pika—chu!"
Pikachu suddenly perked its ears and stared warily at the bushes behind them.
Ash reeled in calmly. The hook came up empty.
"Come out, Meowth." He sighed. "I heard you step on the leaves."
The bushes rustled, and Meowth shuffled out, fur full of burrs and seeds.
"Ahem… I came to say goodbye, nya." Its eyes darted away. "Jessie and James have already been fished out… Boss Giovanni told us to head to Saffron City and lie low."
Ash's casting hand paused for a heartbeat. "You came all the way here just to tell me that?"
Meowth scratched at its ear in agitation.
"Uh… Lt. Surge at Vermilion Gym… you'd better be careful, nya!"
Like it was afraid of saying too much, it suddenly bounced up, blurting, "Anyway, he's really dangerous! Loves bullying newbies! And his methods are… really, really nasty, nya!"
Being forced to play the mole… Meowth felt awful.
—Damn it, why am I even doing this?
Completely lost, Meowth rubbed its paws together uneasily.
"Lately, Surge's temper's been really bad. He's already sent several challengers to the hospital, nya…"
"Pika?" Pikachu tilted its head, confused.
"Why are you telling me this?"
Ash's gaze pressed down on Meowth like a physical weight.
"I can't say the real reason, nya!" Meowth skittered back two steps, tail curling into a nervous question mark. "Anyway, his Raichu hits especially hard… ah! I gotta go, nya!"
"It's not like i-it's because if you lose too badly… I won't get my chance to beat you and get my revenge, nya! I'm definitely not worried about you, nya!"
Meowth grumbled to itself, then turned and darted into the trees—
only to pop its head back out for one last shout:
"He hates weak Pokémon, hates people with no backbone… I really hate him, nya!"
And then it was truly gone.
Ash stared at the gently trembling leaves, fingers absentmindedly rubbing the fishing rod.
Dusk painted the river in broken gold. The bobber trembled lightly atop the rippling surface.
"Pikachu?" He suddenly chuckled. "Looks like our next Gym… won't be boring."
The rod tip dipped sharply as whatever had taken the bait tried to wrench it away with surprising force.
"Raichu, huh…"
"Sounds perfect."
Night fell.
The golden Gyarados suddenly let out a low, excited roar.
When Ash arrived at the water treatment pool, he found it nudging the surface of the water with its snout—
several fish Pokémon, stunned by electricity, were floating belly-up.
"…Already started practicing Thunderbolt, have you?" Ash chuckled and patted its head.
Gyarados's move pool ran deep.
Flamethrower, Thunderbolt—those were both moves it could learn. Great coverage.
For now, though, the current that Gyarados was releasing could hardly be called Thunderbolt…
At best, you could say it had barely learned how to discharge electricity.
Move learning wasn't something that happened in a single day.
Before a move was fully learned, there was always a transition phase.
Even before LV1, there was theoretically an LV0 "half-understood" stage.
For a non-Electric-type like Gyarados, before it could use Electric-type moves, it first had to learn to generate Electric-type energy in its body.
Learning off-type moves was… a bit of a hassle.
As for why Gyarados was secretly trying to learn this?
…Obviously because it had been zapped by Pikachu way too many times and had started thinking on its own.
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