Chapter 17: Louder! Haven't you eaten?!

The group arrived before a massive swimming pool.

The water was about 5 to 6 meters deep. On both sides of the pool were trainer platforms, and several floats for Pokémon to stand on drifted upon the surface.

"This is the Cerulean Gym battle arena~!"

The eldest sister, Sakura, stood with her hands on her hips in a commanding pose. The aura of a powerhouse radiating from her caused a bead of sweat to roll down Ash's face, prompting him to warn himself not to be careless.

"菖蒲 (Shobu), I've decided on you!"

Sakura declared, as if throwing out her ace Pokémon.

Shobu: "?"

"Big sister is tired, and my Pokémon was completely defeated by the previous challenger; they are currently resting and recuperating," Sakura said as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"But big sister, my Pokémon were also knocked out by another challenger," Shobu replied with an innocent expression.

The two exchanged a look, and finally, their gazes converged on a third woman with pink hair.

"Third sister, I'll leave it to you then."

"The glory of the Cerulean Gym is your responsibility!"

Mudan: "???"

The problem was that her Pokémon had also been knocked out!

The three sisters, who focused solely on their water ballet performances every day, had long since cast the daily training of trainers to the back of their minds.

The rumors currently circulating in the Kanto region about this being the weakest Gym were not just rumors, but a fact.

Now, it was Ash's turn to be bewildered.

How was this supposed to work? Was there even going to be a battle?

"Oh well~ After all, the performance is more important. Gym battles are just something to do for show~"

The three of them reached a unanimous conclusion.

These nonchalant words infuriated Ash.

This was the Gym challenge he had always dreamed of; how could he allow people to treat it this way?

He grabbed Brock, attempting to have this strong man teach these three ignorant women a lesson.

"He is a trainer from the Pewter Gym, a man with the will of rock! Brock, hurry and show your rock will to conquer them!"

Brock frowned. Looking at the three beauties before him, his shoulders slumped slightly, and his tone grew weak.

"Actually, I think..."

"Louder! Did you not eat breakfast!?" Ash roared.

Brock: "..."

After a moment of internal struggle, Brock finally snapped his neck straight, opened his eyes wide, and said in a deep voice

"This is wrong! One must not be indecisive in their actions!"

Ash nodded with satisfaction. *As expected of the man I acknowledge.*

"Our Pewter City has a large area of vacant land for development. If you three sisters don't mind, you could move the Gym there. You could focus entirely on water ballet, and forget about the Gym altogether. I'm sure it would be wonderful..."

Ash: "?"

"Furthermore, I am a man with official Pewter City residency. If you three sisters wish to become Pewter City residents, you only need to add your names to my household register. As for me personally, I don't mind..."

The three sisters: "..."

After a discussion, the three Cerulean sisters helplessly released a single Pokémon, indicating this was their final line of defense.

*Splash, splash...*

It was a pink and white Magikarp, with a single horn on its head and thick lips that looked as if they had been made up. It was performing the "Splash" move on the shore.

"Beep beep. Magikarp, a common, run-of-the-mill fish Pokémon. Steaming is the best way to prepare it."

The Pokédex did not miss a single opportunity to assert its presence.

"Is it this one...?"

Ash's brow furrowed deeply.

In this situation, even if Pikachu didn't step in, Magikarp would eventually exhaust itself and lose its ability to fight just by using Splash.

On this rare occasion of a Gym challenge, he wanted to follow the type-advantage tactics he had just memorized yesterday and send out his Electric-type Pikachu for a fair and honorable battle.

Was fate determined to deny him type advantages?

Dammit!

Sakura, the eldest, also felt somewhat helpless and could only clap her hands.

Immediately, a cute little Seel popped out of the adjacent pool.

This was the mascot; it wasn't for fighting.

As it opened its mouth, an exquisite, water-drop-shaped badge could be seen held on its tongue.

"I observe that your Pikachu has extraordinary bones. I suspect we are no match for you. Therefore, please simply accept the proof of our defeat: the Cascade Badge."

Ash: "..."

He hesitated. Receiving a badge so easily made him feel uncomfortable.

To be honest, if it was going to be like this, he would rather not have the badge at all.

After all, as an established region, Kanto had many things, and one of them was an abundance of Gyms.

At worst, he could just challenge a different Gym...

Just as Ash was about to refuse, a sharp cry came from the far end of the pool.

"Sakura-姐姐 (Sister), let me take your place in the Gym battle!"

Everyone looked toward the sound and saw Misty standing there, having appeared out of nowhere.

"Did you not eat breakfast? Louder! We can't hear you over here!" Ash shouted back.

He truly couldn't hear her.

Misty: "..."

She quickly dashed and ran toward the group, snatched the Cascade Badge from Sakura's hand, and held it high in front of Ash.

"There has never been a precedent in the Cerulean Gym of handing over a badge without a battle. Let me complete the Gym challenge in their stead."

"That's not right. I gave one away for free yesterday," Sakura interrupted.

Misty: "..."

*Which family do you belong to?*

After some explanation, Ash finally learned that Misty was actually the fourth sister of the Cerulean quartet. Because she hadn't "fully developed" yet, she was often selectively forgotten.

"By the way, Misty, didn't you say you wouldn't return to the Gym until you became a powerful trainer? How are you back in less than two weeks?" Sakura asked.

"Even so, we won't let you perform water ballet~"

"You're too green~"

Her older sisters teased her repeatedly.

"Who wants to do water ballet! You're all neglecting your duties!"

Misty's face flushed red, and she shot a resentful glare at her three sisters.

*I, Misty, would rather starve to death or jump off this ledge than perform water ballet!*

"Small chest, but a big temper," Mudan added a finishing blow.

Misty: "!!!"

Just as a classic scene of "plastic sisters" tearing into each other was about to unfold, Ash and Brock quickly pulled everyone apart.

"It doesn't matter, as long as someone fights me!"

That was Ash's thought.

The group finally snapped out of it.

Before long, Ash and Misty were standing at opposite ends of the battlefield.

Brock, meanwhile, continued to try and recruit them from the sidelines

"Three sisters, are you sure you won't reconsider? Pewter City has great development potential. Last year, it was one of the top ten cities in Kanto..."

"Kanto has an eleventh city...?"

Brock: "?"

At opposite ends of the pool.

"Pikachu, I choose you!"

Ash commanded, taking the lead.

As a trainer who had spent a whole day studying type-advantage tactics, he felt confident today!

"Pika..."

However, this time, Pikachu's expression was somewhat weak, as if it were hesitating about something.

In the end, it simply ran behind Ash's leg, indicating it was only there to spectate.

It wouldn't shock its own kind—except for Ash.

That was "loving" electric therapy.

"As expected of Pikachu, you haven't forgotten the Rare Candies I feed you!"

Seeing this, Misty put her hands on her hips and laughed triumphantly.

She was very familiar with Ash's Pokémon, but he had yet to see her fight. Without the general Pikachu...

She was the one with the advantage today!

"Dammit!"

Ash rubbed his hair. Pikachu always dropped the ball at critical moments.

Ash was used to Pikachu's daily incompetence, so he directly released another Pokémon.

With a flash of red light, a green Pokémon appeared on the float, motionless and steady as a mountain.

Cascoon. Nickname: Rayquaza. Currently undefeated. It had saved Ash from danger many times; it could not be called anything less than strong.

"Then I shall send you out!" Misty shouted.

A Poké Ball flew out, a red light flashed, and another Pokémon appeared on the float...

It had a strange appearance, shaped like a brown starfish with a ruby embedded in the center.

"Beep beep. Staryu, a decent Pokémon. Hermaphroditic; it can create an entire race by itself."

Misty: "..."

*Damn it!*

*I forgot about the Pokédex's disgusting way of being provocative!*