Misty had been feeling rather troubled lately.
For a trainer who had vowed to raise the strongest Water-type Pokémon, constant training and real battles were always the most important things.
But… recently, she felt as though she had hit a bottleneck.
Reality, after all, was not like a video game—there was no such thing as endlessly leveling up just by fighting.
If it really worked like the games—where you could grind experience by battling wild Pokémon or any opponent—then the real world would already be overflowing with Champions, with Elites roaming the streets like stray dogs.
That's why many trainers, once they reached a certain level, eventually stagnated. Sometimes it was because their Pokémon's potential had hit its ceiling, other times it was because of their own personal limits.
And Misty was now stuck in that exact kind of state.
If she wanted to push herself further, what she needed was either some kind of extraordinary opportunity… or a brand-new powerhouse of a Pokémon.
Either way, she'd have to leave her hometown and search for chances farther away.
The problem was… her three beloved sisters were the reason she could never set her mind at ease about leaving for too long.
Cerulean Gym was the most famous gym in Cerulean City—but its reputation was hanging by a thread.
After all, the purpose of a regional Gym was to filter out the strongest trainers and help them grow.
If a Gym's pass rate became too high, people would start questioning its legitimacy.
A Gym that couldn't produce strong trainers… did it even deserve to exist?
That was Cerulean Gym's greatest problem.
Misty's three sisters were just too weak—and what's worse, they didn't really care about Gym battles at all.
Today, Misty had wanted to do some special training with them. She'd worked really hard to convince them to cancel their water ballet performance just for it.
But from the moment her sisters said they needed to change clothes, a full half hour had passed—and not one of them had come out of their room.
Naturally, Misty was getting impatient.
The fiery-tempered girl marched up to the sisters' changing room door and knocked. "Are you three ready yet?"
"Ju… just a moment!"
It was Daisy, the eldest, who answered. But Misty couldn't help noticing—her voice sounded oddly rushed, almost like she'd just been startled or had done some kind of vigorous exercise.
Still, Misty didn't think too much of it, and got straight to the point:
"Why does your voice sound so weird? Did something happen?"
"N-no, it's nothing. I just slipped barefoot a second ago, almost fell."
"Geez, be more careful, will you!"
Another twenty minutes later, Misty finally saw her three sisters emerge from the room.
By then they were in swimsuits, ready for Water-type Pokémon battles.
But strangely enough, they looked more like they'd just come out of a long, hot bath—skin flushed red all over.
"What were you three even doing in there? Don't tell me you actually spent forty minutes soaking in the tub?"
Hands on hips, Misty glared at them in exasperation.
"Ah, well, um…"
The three sisters stammered, clearly hiding some little secret.
But they quickly changed the subject:
"Speaking of which, Misty, do you know a trainer named Haru?"
"I know of him, but he probably doesn't know me."
"He's been all over the net lately—traveling with both a Legendary and a Mythical Pokémon."
"So envious… a trainer like that probably never even hits bottlenecks."
Misty's voice was full of longing.
After all, in her whole life, she'd never once seen a Legendary with her own eyes.
Right then, her third sister, Violet, suddenly pulled out an invitation from who-knows-where and handed it to Misty.
"So… would you like to watch his upcoming battle against Blue?"
"Huh? Where did you even get this? I heard it's nearly impossible to get a spectator's pass."
"Don't worry about that. Anyway, let's hurry up with training."
"…This feels fishy. You three were so reluctant just a moment ago…"
Suspicious, Misty eyed her sisters. But in the end, she stuck to the plan and headed toward the battle arena.
Lily, Violet, and Daisy exchanged strange glances before following her—faces looking more peculiar than ever…
---
Meanwhile…
Near a park in Cerulean City, Haru and the others collapsed onto benches with exhausted sighs, every one of them wearing an expression like they'd just survived a disaster.
Even Cynthia—who was usually the picture of grace and elegance—looked a little rattled.
To her, what had just happened was far scarier than crafting a hundred thousand TMs for Dragon Dance out of Gible scales.
They had thought something terrible had happened at Cerulean Gym and rushed in to rescue survivors.
But instead of finding a murder scene, they'd barged in on the sisters while they were changing—just as Misty herself was about to walk in. If they'd been caught on the spot, that really would've been the end of their reputations as trainers.
Thankfully, Haru had reacted quickly—slamming the door shut, bribing the sisters in every way possible, and finally using Mew's invisibility and teleportation to smuggle everyone out before Misty could notice.
If they had been caught, their careers might really have been over.
Especially Cynthia—she felt like her reputation was completely ruined already. Just standing next to Haru now felt awkward.
As for Haru, well, he had seen many great mountains today—but he had also lost something in exchange.
Things like… dignity.
Luckily, Violet had been easy enough to talk to, and helped him deal with her two older sisters.
But it wasn't over. They'd still have to find time to explain themselves properly to the Cerulean sisters—because none of them, whether Haru, Cynthia, Liko, or Korrina, wanted the label of "pervert" trailing behind them.
After that little disaster, no one was in the mood to wander anymore.
They found a restaurant, grabbed a quick lunch, and parted ways.
Before leaving, Cynthia mentioned she'd be returning to Sinnoh for a few days to study some ancient murals she still hadn't deciphered.
She promised she'd come back in time for Haru's battle with Blue—and when she did, she'd introduce him to a friend who owned a Gardevoir.
Whether Haru could catch it would depend on him.
After all, in the real world, capturing a Pokémon was always about the bond between trainer and Pokémon—it wasn't as simple as throwing a ball.
Haru already had a hunch about who this "friend" of Cynthia's might be.
But he said nothing, quietly bidding her farewell while planning his next steps.
---
Days passed.
As the end of the month arrived, the long-awaited battle between Haru and Blue was about to begin.
It was originally supposed to be nothing more than a private exhibition match at Blue's Gym.
But thanks to the media—and certain unnamed individuals like Red, Leaf, a certain Sinnoh Champion, and even the trending streamer Iono—this "small exhibition" had been blown up to ridiculous proportions. Sponsors even got involved.
The venue had shifted from Blue's Gym to the grand central arena in Celadon City.
Celadon, the largest city in Kanto, was packed with residents and had the biggest arena around—but even so, tickets had sold out instantly.
Just as Misty had said, invitations were nearly impossible to get.
Thankfully, Red had personally pulled strings with a TV station, ensuring the battle would be broadcast live, down to every detail, on both TV and the internet.
So even those without tickets could still witness the match.
The advertisements splashed in bright red letters:
"The Former Strongest Trainer VS. The Strongest Mythical of the Modern Era!"
Overblown or not, the hype was maxed out.
All kinds of trainers, from other cities and even other regions, flocked to witness it—including celebrities and elites.
Even Leon, the undefeated Champion of Galar, had considered coming… though his schedule was too packed, so in the end he didn't make it.
But his younger brother Hop did, along with Sonia—the granddaughter of Professor Magnolia, and a researcher of Galar legends.
They were joined by many other "big names" from around the world.
And for some, watching wasn't about "research" at all… but about seeing someone crash and burn.
In short, the stage was set.
The lights flared, the music boomed, and the stadium roared with excitement.
Amid the dazzling neon, a flamboyant girl appeared atop the stage.
Spinning once in place, she raised her voice through the speakers:
"Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, good morning, noon, and night—Ciallo～（＜·ω＜)☆ It's your host, Iono!"
"The thrilling moment is here, and I'll be your commentator for this clash of titans!"
"The Former Strongest Trainer versus the Strongest Mythical—who will have the last laugh?"
"Let's welcome our ex-Champion, Blue, and the trainer of Mew—Haru!"
At her words, the entire arena erupted in thunderous applause.
From opposite tunnels, Haru and Blue emerged, stepping into the light.
Haru wore an outfit styled after Seto Kaiba, while Blue had chosen flashier clothes than usual.
But their demeanor was starkly different.
Haru looked calm, not the least bit nervous.
Blue, however, was stiff-faced.
He had actually been thinking earlier that maybe losing wasn't such a big deal—he was fighting with a freshly trained team against a Mythical and a Legendary. Losing was normal.
So what if Red and Leaf mocked him for a year? He could just go hide in some mountain like a hermit.
But then he realized… the host was Iono.
Iono. Of all people, it had to be Iono.
As a hardcore "oshi" of hers, the thought of losing miserably in front of his favorite streamer was unbearable.
No way. Not like this. Not in front of her.
"Help me up. I'm not done yet!"
Damn it all, he was fired up again!
What Blue didn't know, of course, was that this arrangement had been deliberate.
A certain fellow Iono-fan friend of his had worried he might lose motivation—so they'd brought in the "human cheerleader" herself to keep him from giving up.
From behind the scenes, they patted themselves on the back. The world still has good people, after all.
Meanwhile, from Azusa's perspective, Blue's shifting expression just looked… strange.
He couldn't help recalling what had happened at Blue's house the other day, and once again wondered if the former Champion was secretly learning stage acting.
"I can see resolve in your eyes… but this is just an exhibition match. Is it really that serious?"
Azusa chuckled as he pulled out a Poké Ball.
He genuinely didn't understand what was going on behind the scenes—and was puzzled by Blue's intensity.
After all, even if Blue lost… wouldn't it just be a little embarrassment? Why treat it like life or death?
And wasn't this whole battle Blue's idea in the first place? Why did it feel like Azusa was somehow forcing him into it?
"An exhibition? No! Don't take this so lightly, kora!"
"I'm going to win. I have to win!"
Blue's fighting spirit had maxed out, his voice booming louder than ever.
At that moment, Iono spun in place again, flashing her shark-toothed grin.
"Alright, both trainers are ready! Time for me, Iono, to explain the rules!"
"Each side may use six Pokémon. The match ends when one side's team is completely unable to battle."
"Pokémon that leave the arena will be considered unable to fight!"
Of course, in the wild such a rule didn't exist. But this was an indoor stadium with thousands of spectators—if a move went astray into the crowd, it would be disastrous.
"Also… according to the records, Azusa has only registered four Pokémon for this match?!"
"Does he really think just four are enough to beat a Champion who's lasted over five minutes?!"
"Let's find out!"
The arena exploded with noise.
Four Pokémon versus six. Against a former Champion.
What kind of arrogance was this?
***************************
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