After waking up, I packed my bag and headed straight to the Cerulean Gym. Whoa—this place looks more like an aquarium than a gym! It doesn't even feel like an official Pokémon League Gym. There were posters everywhere promoting the water ballet and the "Sensational Sisters." Honestly, a place like this mostly attracts one kind of crowd...
When you enter the Cerulean Gym, the first thing you see is the performance—Misty and her sisters performing an elegant water ballet in front of a full audience. Unsurprisingly, over 90% of the audience are older men. Heh... everyone knows what really brings them here.
Since there were no empty seats, Sam had to lean against the wall, muttering for the show to end already. His whispering annoyed one of the uncles nearby, who turned around with a scowl—only to be met with a death stare from Sam. The man froze, startled, and quickly looked away. As the show went on, Sam quietly observed and planned how he'd counter the Cerulean Gym's Water-type advantage.
After what felt like forever, the show finally ended. As the announcement played over the intercom, Sam dashed toward the backstage area like a student racing to the cafeteria after class. The three sisters were still bickering about a mistake during the performance when Sam approached them confidently.
"Your show was amazing. I'm a Trainer here to challenge the Cerulean Gym. Can we battle now?"
"Aww, a little fanboy looking for a battle? That's cute! Thanks for the compliment. Come on—we'll take you to the battlefield."
The sisters led Sam to the rear of the gym, where the battlefield was set—essentially a giant swimming pool with several floating platforms for Trainers and Pokémon to stand on.
"Now announcing: Sam from Pallet Town will challenge the Cerulean Gym. The battle format is 2-on-2. Only the challenger may switch Pokémon. There is no time limit. Begin!" the referee declared.
Sam and one of the sisters—Misty's older sister, Daisy—sent out their Pokémon simultaneously. Daisy sent out Goldeen, while Sam released his newly evolved Charizard.
"Charizard? You sure about that, little brother? Fire-type's at a disadvantage here~"
"Really? Well, my Charizard's got a little surprise."
Goldeen
Base Stats Total: 320
Ability: Water Veil
Level: 45
Nature: Adamant
Moves: Waterfall, Water Pulse, Aqua Ring, Horn Attack
> [Elite Mission Detected: Win the Cerulean Gym Battle]
Type: Elite Quest
Difficulty: Elite
Reward: 1x Elite Draw Ticket
Time Limit: 1 day
"Battle, start!"
"Charizard, use Scary Face!" Sam called out.
Charizard glared fiercely, lowering Goldeen's speed sharply.
"Goldeen, Aqua Ring, then follow up with Waterfall!"
Goldeen surrounded itself with healing water and leapt forward on a surging current, aiming to slam into Charizard with a boosted Horn Attack.
"Charizard, Thunder Punch!"
"Wait—you taught your Charizard Thunder Punch!?"
Sam had used a TM the night before. Charizard's claw crackled with electricity as it countered Goldeen mid-charge. Both attacks landed, but thanks to the Electric-type advantage, Goldeen took massive damage. Though hurt, Charizard hung on through sheer determination, recalling the struggles he and Sam had endured.
"Charizard… you're incredible. Let's show them what we've got! Use Flamethrower—give it everything!"
"Goldeen, Water Gun, quick!"
The two attacks collided, creating a thick cloud of steam. Out of the mist came glowing eyes and a crackling yellow fist—Thunder Punch! It hit its mark.
"Goldeen is unable to battle. Charizard wins!"
Charizard, now weakened and struggling in the water after diving in for the hit, was quickly recalled by Sam and treated with a bit of energy from his Evergreen Aura, slowly recovering on the shore.
"You're good, little brother! Alright, go! Starmie!"
Sam smiled and returned Charizard.
"Come on out, Magneton!"
Starmie
Base Stats Total: 520
Ability: Illuminate
Level: 45
Nature: Timid
Moves: Psychic, Swift, Water Gun, Rapid Spin
Magneton
Base Stats Total: 465
Ability: Magnet Pull
Level: 40
Nature: Quiet
Moves: Discharge, Electric Terrain, Electro Ball, Thunder Wave
"Magneton, set up Electric Terrain! Electrify the field!"
Sparks crackled across the water. Any Water-type in the pool would now take passive shock damage.
"Starmie, jump onto the platform and use Swift!"
Starmie leapt out and fired a barrage of stars. Magneton dodged and responded with a pinpoint Thunder Shock, amplified by the terrain—super effective!
"Starmie, Rapid Spin! Get in close and use Water Gun!"
Sam recognized the combo—straight out of the anime. But he was ready.
"Thunder Wave!"
The spinning Starmie was paralyzed mid-rush. It was wide open.
"Discharge, go!"
The paralyzed Starmie couldn't move. The full-force electric blast landed.
"Starmie is unable to battle. Magneton wins! The victory goes to Sam from Pallet Town!"
"You're seriously strong, little bro. Your tactics were spot-on. Here—you've earned the Cascade Badge. You've got a bright future ahead."
Sam accepted the badge with mixed feelings—he had won, but just barely. His gaze drifted toward Daisy's, uh, prominent figure.
"Thanks, Big Sis Daisy. And I'm not a 'little brother' anymore."
"Haha! You're just like those middle-aged uncles in the audience! Want to prove you're not a kid? How about you act as Cerulean's Gym Leader for the day?"
"Uh… I don't have enough Water-types. I only have one, and it's not that strong."
"No worries! We've got a Water-type Pokémon cavern just for Gym staff. As acting Leader, you can catch one Pokémon as a reward."
"Seriously? Alright, I'm in. So… where are you three going?"
The sisters winked.
"Beauty treatment, of course! Our skin gets so dry from swimming all day."
Sam sighed, but he didn't mind—this was a golden chance to train his Froakie. After getting a crash course on running the Gym, Daisy escorted him to the entrance of the Cerulean Cavern.
"Hope you find a partner that fits you," she said.
Sam stepped into the dark tunnel.
"This isn't just a cave… it's a whole new world in here."