On the way, the attendant explained the situation of the Cerulean Gym to Ash and Brock. She didn't mention their Pokémon lineup, but instead answered the question many Trainers had: why was Cerulean Gym often called the weakest Gym in Kanto?
Normally, for any city to be granted Gym status, it has to undergo strict evaluation by the Pokémon League. Even the lowest-ranked Gyms are expected to field Pokémon at least at the Professional level. That's the minimum qualification for being recognized as a Gym.
But Gyms are also hereditary, passed down through generations. When a new generation of Gym Leaders takes over, they aren't always strong enough right away. Their Pokémon might only be at the Advanced stage, sometimes not even that. In those cases, the parents usually act as stabilizers, keeping the Gym afloat until their children grow into capable Leaders. Against weaker challengers, the kids battle; against strong opponents, the parents step in. This gradual handoff is what keeps most Gyms stable.
Gyms are also regularly evaluated, and if they fail to meet League standards, their license can be revoked. It doesn't happen often, but it's not unheard of. Being a Gym Leader isn't just about handing out badges and living comfortably, if you don't train hard, the League will strip you of your title.
Take Brock's Pewter Gym, for example. If Brock hadn't proven himself talented enough to keep things together when his parents disappeared, Pewter's Gym status might have been revoked. Brock is already twenty, and he's trained Pokémon up to the peak Professional level, stronger than even his parents' generation. But those Pokémon are left at the Gym, used by Flint as backup. When Ash battled him, Brock only brought Geodude and Onix, his current travel partners, plus a Zubat he caught recently on Mt. Moon.
Compared to Pewter Gym, Cerulean Gym wasn't so lucky.
Cerulean Gym is inherited by four sisters. In theory, at least one of them should have shown enough skill to carry on as Leader. And in fact, one of them did, the youngest sister. From an early age, their parents secretly entrusted her with Pokémon, battle training, and Gym management knowledge. She showed astonishing talent as a Trainer, far surpassing her three older sisters.
But tragedy struck before she had the chance to grow. Their parents passed away unexpectedly, leaving the Gym entirely in the hands of the sisters.
Without the parental generation to stabilize things, and with the older sisters being little more than performers rather than serious Trainers, Cerulean Gym quickly plummeted to the bottom of Kanto's rankings. The youngest sister struggled to hold the Gym together. She could easily defeat rookie Trainers who had just set out on their journeys, but against challengers with half a year or more of experience, she almost always lost.
This weakness wasn't just about the strength of the Pokémon, it also came from the youngest sister's lack of experience. She had always trained in isolation, never once leaving Cerulean City.
Without seeing the wider world, how could she understand its vastness? How could she prepare for challengers arriving from all over Kanto and beyond?
As a Gym Leader, her knowledge and battle experience were inferior to those of the very Trainers challenging her. Aside from handing out badges, she offered no real guidance to challengers. A Leader like that was bound to fail the League's regular evaluations, with the very real risk of having the Gym's license revoked.
The youngest sister argued with her siblings over this, insisting she shouldn't be the only one bearing the Gym's responsibility. She wanted her sisters to train too.
Her older sisters pushed back. They performed water ballet every day, and the revenue they earned went straight into the youngest's Pokémon training. "We don't have the money or the time to train our own Pokémon," they told her.
Frustrated, the youngest sister finally left Cerulean Gym. She declared that she didn't need her sisters' financial support, that she would train her Pokémon by herself, and when she returned, she would be a Trainer even stronger than their late parents.
"With the youngest miss gone, Cerulean Gym has grown weaker than ever," The attendant sighed. "Before, her Pokémon could still hold the line against challengers. But now, with her gone, the strongest Pokémon we have left is only at the Advanced stage. And my three mistresses… they're wonderful performers, but in battle? Even beginner Trainers can defeat them. I don't know when the youngest miss will return…"
Ash and Brock exchanged a look. Neither had expected such a story behind Cerulean Gym's reputation.
Ash hadn't even known about the "weakest Gym" label until she explained. Brock had heard the nickname before, but he'd never known the painful truth behind it.
At the same time, Brock realized why Misty had left Cerulean City in the first place: she had been frustrated with her sisters. And she had been right to go. If she had stayed cloistered in the Gym, she never would have grown. No matter how much talent she had, without seeing the outside world, she would have stagnated.
Even Brock had traveled at fifteen before returning home. That was why, when his parents left, he was strong enough to raise nine siblings alone and still hold Pewter Gym's license.
By then, the three of them had reached the backstage door. The attendant knocked, and after hearing a "Please come in," led Ash and Brock inside.
The Cerulean Sisters had already changed out of their swimsuits and were toweling off their wet hair.
The blonde woman seated in front of the mirror looked up and, after a moment of surprise, quickly understood. "You're here to challenge the Gym, right?"
"That's right. I'm Ash from Pallet Town, and I'm here to challenge Cerulean Gym."
"I'm Daisy, the acting Leader here… but, well, battling right now may not be convenient."
"Not convenient?" Ash asked, frowning.
"Mm. Actually…" Daisy explained the situation. The Gym's official Leader was their youngest sister, Misty, but with her gone, the three older sisters had been left to manage things. None of them had strong Trainer instincts, and years of focusing on water ballet had left their battle skills rusty. As a result, their Pokémon were weaker than even many rookie Trainers'.
"Just yesterday, another Pallet Town Trainer defeated us easily. Our Pokémon are still recovering at the Pokémon Center. They won't be back until tonight, so if you want a proper Gym battle, you'll have to wait until tomorrow."
"A Trainer from Pallet Town?" Ash asked sharply. "Spiky hair, smug face, really annoying?"
Daisy nodded. "That's the one."
"That Gary, always one step ahead of me!!" Ash clenched his fists, teeth grinding.
"Anyway," Daisy continued, "although you look a bit like a greenhorn, since you're also from Pallet, you must be strong too, right? Honestly, if you don't mind… we could just give you the Cascade Badge."
Her sister Violet, with pale blue hair, opened the badge case and held out the Water Drop Badge. Lily, with red hair, nodded her agreement.
Ash: …
Brock: …
Was this really a Gym Leader? Giving out badges like candy? And what was with calling him a greenhorn?