Roy’s mother called in a tearful panic early next morning, demanding to know if he was injured, frightened, needed therapy, or his Pokémon were stolen. She’d known he was there because of the pictures he’d sent and near had a heart attack once she saw the news. It took over fifteen minutes to assure her he was okay.

    “Genny got hurt, but she’s fine too. She’s right here with me.” Roy put her on speaker. “Say hi, Genny.”

    “Hi, Mrs. Ackerman.”

    Hearing Genny’s voice, she immediately wanted to speak to her, and Roy passed the phone over to let them talk for several minutes until a nurse came in with Genny’s breakfast and Delilah had to go. But not before making Roy promise to call if anything bad ever happened, ensuring he knew he could come back anytime he missed home, and blah, blah, blah.

    “Don’t die, dummy,” said his sister’s voice in the background.

    “Molly!” Delilah said.

    “Thank you so much for calling,” Genny said. “Roy’s so lucky to have a mom like you.”

    Arm bandaged up, Genny hung up and returned Roy’s phone so she could accept the food tray and place it on her lap, thanking the nurse. Wishmaker and Graci sat beside her on the hospital bed and Genny shared bites of her toast with them, not worried at all about passing germs between them.

    Roy took a photo of Genny enjoying breakfast and sent it to his mother as a final assurance they were fine, then finally got a chance to look into the news, eager to learn how people were reacting to yesterday’s events.

    He barely lifted his phone before Genny glanced at the clock and gave an excited, “Oh!” She pulled out her own phone and leaned it against the milk carton, looking like she was setting something up to watch while she ate. Roy smiled with curiosity over what she’d be watching. Maybe he should move his chair over to join her–

    “Ello, ello! Hola! Ciao! And Bonjour!”

    Roy groaned, eyes rolling into his head. “Seriously? Iono?”

    “Yeah! She’s funny!”

    Roy shoved his phone back in his face.

    At least Genny recovered well. Cheery, bright-eyed, and energetic as ever, with a healthy glow to her skin; no one who looked at her now would think her unwell. But the doctor said she needed to stay a little longer to ensure all the poison was out. Arbok venom was nothing to sneeze at. They got here just in time.

    Trying to block out Iono’s shrill, obnoxious voice and speech mannerisms, Roy tried to return his focus to the news, refreshing the page every few minutes for updates as he scrolled through headlines.

    Pokémon Maniac Bill Sonezaki Murdered!

    Who is Team Rocket?

    Terrorists Attack Sea Cottage Laboratory!

    Is the Treaty of Castelia Done For?

    One article mentioned the Rocket grunt the cops apprehended. He’d been surprisingly cooperative, preaching the group’s goals and motives like some sort of missionary. But while he’d advertised their ambitions to the world in a clear attempt to inspire followers, he also remained tightlipped on their secrets, revealing nothing they didn’t want the public to know.

    The internet raved with online debate over the organization’s true size. In forums, people’s reactions ranged from not taking Team Rocket seriously at all to panicking over the probability of a coming world war. But the terrorists had attacked with armed vehicles, and advanced collar tech. Shock collars were nothing new, but the ones Team Rocket used had crippled a raging Gyarados like kicking over a Jenga tower. They wouldn’t have made such an attack and declaration without the confidence to back it up. People had questioned the Treaty of Castelia for centuries, with the number of critics escalating in recent decades.

    Already, debates had exploded online and in political circles. Many people detested terrorist groups such as this Team Rocket but agreed with the sentiment that Pokémon were intelligent enough to deserve certain rights. Others scorned or laughed at the idea, with some claiming granting Pokémon the right to serve would act as a gateway for other ridiculous civil rights uprisings. “Let Pokémon go to war?” one politician on the news had said. “What’s next? Are we going to let Pokémon go to the polls?”

    But whether these supporters became terrorists or not, Roy suspected Team Rocket had more supporters than were present at the lab. How big were they really? And now that they’d come out, how many more would rally to their cause?

    And who was their leader, Giovanni? Just picturing that fucker’s face had Roy squeezing his phone in his hand, the mental image of Bill falling to the ground replaying like a video on loop, the sound of that gunshot echoing in Roy’s mind.

    Bill and Giovanni had spoken with familiarity, and the witness accounts reported as much, though no one claimed to know anything of their relation–not even Freya. What involvement could a philanthropist and pro treaty man like Bill have had with terrorists? Never meet your idols, as the saying went. Was Bill not as noble as he’d appeared? Roy prayed that not to be the case. No way. Not when he’d sacrificed his life to stand up to them. Plus, Giovanni spoke of surpassing Unova as a world power, and Bill had always supported and encouraged Unovan influence. (He’d cared little for tradition–a trait that must’ve made him real popular with Johto. Perhaps that was why he’d stayed in Kanto.) Of course, that didn’t stop radicals from making wild claims about him being a fraud. Roy scrolled past occasional headlines with outlandish titles.

    Bill Sonezaki Exposed as a Terrorist!

    Sea Cottage Research Lab Possible Mass Coverup!

    Roy almost threw his phone reading these articles. Yeah, because the terrorists would attack their own base if that was the case. One day and already so much Tauros shit being spouted across the world. Claims, accusations, and conclusions being thrown left and right. Galar thought Kanto was in on it and the “terrorist” label was a clever cover up to avoid blame. Roy had reliable sources he liked to check, but these provided little information since they only discussed the known facts, which were often few. But that didn’t generate clicks, thus journalists made up, exaggerated, and speculated to draw in views. Fucking clickbait scams spreading lies.

    But for those with brains and an interest in honest discussion, what was the real relation between Bill and Giovanni? And what was that thing the boss said they were looking for? Why did he think Bill had it?

    That wasn’t the biggest worry. Other nations stood on the verge of panic, wondering if they should start training Pokémon for war before it was too late. The Kantonian government was scrambling hard to keep the peace, the prime minister making multiple speeches insisting Giovanni did not act on their behalf and would be dealt with, along with anyone associated with Team Rocket.

    The president of Unova was about as happy as a hungry Morpeko. They couldn’t seriously think Kanto wanted to start a war with them? They were allies, for fuck’s sake! And Kanto wouldn’t stand a chance against the Unovan military.

    Unless they had a sophisticated Pokémon army led by whatever unknown secret weapon Giovanni spoke of. Kanto’s strongest Pokémon were Mew and the legendary birds. But the reclusive Mew would never go to war, even if they could find it. And with or without their shock collars, how would Team Rocket capture and control the great Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres?

    Regardless, the treaty sat at greater risk than ever, teetering on a knife’s edge. Every country stood pointing guns at the other, all panicked to defend themselves, but no one wanting to fire the first shot.

    What if war did break out? Fuck, what if Roy got drafted like his father!? Failing a life long awaited dream for the second generation in a row!? Roy took a deep breath. Calm down, he thought. Don’t go jumping to conclusions. The world would have to wait and see how this played out.

    Rumors had spread over the last year of a growing crime syndicate in Kanto, but to think it was this large. How did this Team Rocket stay hidden for so long?

    Rocket…

    Roy winced in disgust. Why did they have to call themselves that of all things?

    He put his phone away, not wanting to stress any further over the news, then spent close to an hour recording the previous day’s events, pouring his thoughts out into the journal. His anger, fear, sorrow, and anxiety. But he finished just in time, closing the book as a nurse came in to announce a visitor for Genny. Two Eevee skipped into the room, followed by…

    “Freya?”

    “Hello, you two.”

    She looked good, considering everything that happened yesterday. Cleaned up nice, wearing a green dress. There was no telling what went on beneath that smile, but she at least kept herself together outwardly.

    “Shouldn’t you be at home?” Genny said. “I can’t imagine what you must be going through. Not that it isn’t lovely to see you.”

    “I’ll manage. Thanks for your concern. Honestly, I’m surprised it’s just you here, Roy. I thought I’d have to fight to get a visit.”

    Roy and Genny shared a confused look.

    “Oh, but that’s right,” Freya continued. “Your families are back in Pallet Town. It is quite a journey. Not to worry though. I’m sure your parents are rushing over this second, worried sick.”

    Genny fidgeted, head tilting down.

    “You… have told them what happened, haven’t you?”

    Genny didn’t answer.

    “It’s awfully nice of you to stop by for a couple of kids you barely know,” Roy said to change the subject. “What makes us so special from all the others you spoke with yesterday? You must be mourning more than anyone.”

    “With the Arbok bite, I was worried. And these two wanted to see you.”

    The female Eevee pounced onto Genny’s bed, bouncing and swinging in rhythmic movement to cheer her up, her ribbon flowing with the motions. Genny giggled. “You’re a real star, aren’t you?”

    “That Eevee loves to dance,” Freya said.

    “No way. Graci does too.”

    The Oddish joined Eevee at her side, and the pair twirled together on Genny’s bed.

    “Anyway, the other reason I stopped by…” Freya pulled up a seat. “I wanted to thank you for all your hard work helping everyone yesterday and for protecting Bill’s Eevee. They meant a lot to him… and… with Bill gone…” she wiped her eyes, “they’ll both need new Trainers to take care of them.”

    Roy and Genny’s jaws dropped.

    “Okay, and the punchline is…” Roy said.

    Freya chuckled. “It’s not a joke.”

    “B… but what about you?” Genny said. “Surely they’d want to stay with you? And you’ll need them now more than ever with Bill…”

    “As I told you, I’m not good with Pokémon like my husband was. I cared for them while he was away, yes, but it was a struggle between watching them and focusing on my work. I love them, absolutely, but they need attention and care I can’t give them. They need proper Trainers. The two of you did a lot to save the laboratory and everyone inside. You displayed skill, bravery, and a passion for Pokémon. I can tell you’re both capable Trainers. Professor Oak called as soon as he heard about Bill. I mentioned your names, and he had nothing but positive words. I trust you to raise these Eevee.”

    The male brushed Roy’s leg while the female finished her dance with Graci and both jumped into Genny’s arms. Freya smiled. “And they really seem fond of you two. More than any other guests they’ve met. They’ll be happier with you. Please. Take them as my thanks and as a favor to me. Care for them on Bill’s behalf. It’s what he would’ve wanted.”

    The female snuggled into Genny’s stomach while the male rubbed closer to Roy’s leg, ears drooping, big brown eyes filled with sorrow over the loss of his previous owner.

    Roy hesitated to pick him up. He felt like a hobo being handed the key to the city just for helping an old lady cross the street.

    Bill’s Eevee…

    These Pokémon must’ve held an emotional connection to Bill for Freya, and she was trusting Roy to care for him? But… vouched for by the professor or not, they’d only met yesterday. He lifted the Eevee into his lap, handling the Pokémon as he would a priceless glass sculpture. Roy patted Eevee’s soft head, and he rubbed up into Roy’s hand with affection. “Thank you. I’ll do my best to be worthy of him.”

    Genny was on the verge of tears. “I… I don’t deserve Bill’s Eevee. I was a useless burden in the lab when my Pokémon needed me. I couldn’t help them and cowered like a big baby.” She sniffed. “I’m a terrible Trainer.”

    Freya leaned forward and placed a comforting hand on hers. “That’s not true. I’d have never gotten Bill out of that fire without you. Of everyone there yesterday, these Eevee were drawn to you for a reason not even I can explain. Pokémon have a good instinct for these things. I trust their judgement, and so should you.”

    The Eevee smiled up at Genny, snuggling into her like she’d known the girl her whole life. Genny wiped a tear away. “I’d love Eevee to be a part of our family. Thank you so much. I promise I’ll do my absolute best to care for her.”

    “I thank both of you.” Fighting her own tears, Freya gave the two Eevee a last rub on the head. “Be good.” She looked at the male on Roy’s lap in particular. “Try not to cause any trouble.” Freya then took a pair of Poké Balls out of her purse and handed them to Roy and Genny. “These are their Poké Balls. I know you’ll love them every bit as much as Bill and I did.”

    “Welcome to the team, Eevee,” Roy said, and tapped the ball to his forehead to return the Pokémon. Roy now had a full party of six.

    Genny stowed the Poké Ball in her bag and squeezed her Eevee in a tight hug, scratching her behind the ear and ruffling her thick collar of fur. “Welcome to the family.” Wishmaker and Graci cried out in celebration and Eevee did another dance, which brightened Genny’s face with a giggle.

    Genny looked back and forth between Freya and Eevee, again with that look like she had a question on her mind but feared she might get berated for asking. “I… I’m so sorry!” Genny gave a traditional formal bow. “I know Eevee was Bill’s, but… with your permission, would it be okay for me to call her Ribbonstar?”

    Roy smiled at how much consideration she gave the matter. Customary politeness discouraged renaming or giving nicknames to Pokémon that originally belonged to someone else. Many believed a Trainer’s love existed in the nicknames (or lack thereof) given to a Pokémon.

    “Of course it’s okay,” Freya said.

    “Th-thank you.”

    “No, thank you. I couldn’t ask for a better pair to pass them on to. Now. I should get going.” Freya snapped her purse closed and stood. She steadied herself with a deep breath. “I have a lot of business to attend to. Be careful out there. Especially with those terrorists on the loose. I’m confident you’ll take wonderful care of Bill’s Eevee. They’re both very special Pokémon.”

    “Roy, you should get going as well,” Genny said. “You need to challenge the Sensational Sisters at the Gym.”

    The unexpected suggestion left Roy struggling to formulate a response. “Look, with everything that’s happened, I really don’t think this is the time for Gym battles.”

    “No, I agree, that’s a splendid idea,” Freya said. “It’ll help take your mind off things.”

    “I’d still like to wait until Genny’s out to make sure she’s okay.”

    “I’ll be fine. Besides, you must be itching to work with your new partner.”

    “If you’re sure…”

    “Go kick those sisters’ butts. The nurse said I should be free before the day’s over. Once I’m out, I’ll meet up with you after you have your second badge.”

    “All right. I’ll see you outside the Gym then.”

    With a last wish of good luck, Roy and Freya walked out together.

 

***

 

Once again, Roy stood outside the Cerulean Aquarium, posters promoting the three sisters and their shows plastered everywhere. He didn’t see a single one advertising the place for the Pokémon League. This was the Gym as well as the aquarium, wasn’t it? Their online website claimed they opened at eight, but no staff wandered the plaza or manned any of the outdoor stands, and the windows remained dark. But when Roy tried the front doors, they were unlocked. A man in a navy-blue polo uniform worked the counter, though only he and Roy occupied the lobby.

    Along the curved back wall, paintings of Water Pokémon swam across a coral reef backdrop. The silence amplified Roy’s every step clacking on the aqua blue tile as he approached the desk.

    “I’m here for a Gym battle.”

    The man clacked away at his computer. “One challenger registration. The Leader is out at the moment, but you’re welcome to look around while you wait. The challenger fee covers the aquarium as well.”

    Roy paid the fifty-dollar charge and had to show his Trainer license to confirm he wasn’t just trying to get into the aquarium early.

    “You Trainers are lucky. The Gym opens before the aquarium, so you’ll have a couple hours to explore before the rush. Follow the guided path through the door on your right and it’ll lead straight to the battle arena. Do enjoy.”

    Roy pushed through the doors into a long underwater glass tunnel. Reflections of watery light patterns rippled along the floor and over Roy’s body. He let out a whispered, “Whoa.” Like walking on the seafloor, surrounded by blue on all sides. A rainbow of colors filled the passage with Pokémon from all across Kanto, swimming throughout the coral reef. Vaporeon, Tentacool, Shellder, Magikarp, Horsea, and all of their evolved forms. (Save for Gyarados, which would’ve been too big, but Roy had already seen that one in action.) The tunnel also lacked a single Goldeen, which was to be expected. Aquariums had long given up on containing them–Goldeen’s nature rejected confinement and they always tried to escape. There was even a sign saying as much.

    The path led up to an artificial beach habitat, where Staryu and Starmie lay spread across the rocks while Slowpoke lazed on the sand populated with Poliwag, Poliwhirl, scurrying Krabby, and a couple Kingler.

    A glacier exhibit followed, with Seal and Dewgong, some resting on the ice while others swam underwater. Most impressive of all, a Lapras waded in the pool’s center. Roy spent extra time wowing at the rare plesiosaur, sketching it in his journal, taking pictures to send home and to Genny, thanking his blessing to not have other tourists or staff rushing him along, and not missing his chance to register these Pokémon in the Pokédex.

    One of the Dewgong splashed in play, and Roy turned away to cover the journal as frigid water soaked his back. He cursed at first, but after a violent shiver, laughed, taking off his wet jacket to wring it out and tie around his waist.

    Amazing sights, but was that it? Aside from Gyarados and Goldeen, that was every Kantonian Water Pokémon, and he’d spent maybe a half hour. Roy continued on to the pleasant discovery of several more rooms. The aquarium contained Pokémon from all corners of the globe. Lanturn, Mantine, and others from the neighboring nation of Johto. Beyond that, even more exhibits and tanks featured international species. Clamperl, Feebas, Drednaw, Lumineon, Dragalge, Finizen… far too many to name.

Toward the end, he reached the larger chambers featuring the greats like Wailord and Dondozo. Outside a tank filled with Wishiwashi, a sign informed that if guests were lucky, they might chance seeing them gather into their school form, known as the “demon of the sea”, where the hundreds of tiny fish gathered into the appearance of a giant monster to scare off predators.

    Roy was not so lucky.

    In the next room, a rectangular hall surrounded a spacious glass tank looking into an underwater concert stage. It was empty now, but hung-up flyers asked guests to visit on Lundays to observe their weekly performance by the singing Primarina. Well, fuck, Roy should’ve waited longer.

    Were these foreign Pokémon just for show or would Roy battle some of them? That could pose a challenge, as he was less familiar with non-Kantonian species. Which of the sisters would he face? The standard for official battles was three on three. Maybe he’d go up against all of them one after another. That could be problematic as well, as he’d need to adapt to changing combat styles.

    The Primarina exhibit must’ve been the end, because the path split off into the gift shop. Stairs led up to a fancy pair of double doors marked Performance Hall. But where was the Gym arena? Definitely not the gift shop, so Roy entered the performance hall.

    He walked into a massive room with bleachers rising up on all sides around an Olympic sized pool. Light poured in from an angled glass ceiling, where hung a giant speaker with four viewing screens arranged in a box below, like something you’d see hanging above a sporting stadium. Roy breathed in the smell of chlorine filling the cool air.

    Only three others occupied the room with him, the echoes of their giggling laughter bouncing off the concrete surfaces and high ceiling. A trio of girls practiced their diving and swimming routines. Roy recognized all three of their faces. Most of the Kantonian Gym Leaders were well known, but the Sensational Sisters’ performances made them by far the most famous.

    Strange. The man at the front counter said the Leaders were away, but they looked like they’d been here a while. The eldest, Daisy–blonde and green-eyed in a red swimsuit–sprung off the high board, doing several world class flips and twirls before diving perfectly into the water.

    Violet–the middle sister with blue hair and dressed in a green swimsuit–practiced synchronized swimming motions, flipping upside down to show off perfect, smooth legs.

    The youngest, Lily, in a golden swimsuit with her shorter pink hair styled in curls around her shoulders, sat to the side, leaning back on her hands, watching her sisters and giving teasing remarks.

    Roy walked along the pool’s edge, boots splashing through the wet concrete. Below the surface, he peered down on the earlier underwater concert stage.

    Lily noticed him first and called her sisters over. They climbed out of the water with flicks of their luscious hair and gathered to speak to him. They almost looked confused by his presence. “Hello,” Daisy said. “Like, who’re you?”

    Damn. Seeing them up close, those posters did them a disservice. They had to be the most stunning women he’d ever seen.

    “Helloooo,” Lily said.

    Roy cleared his throat. “My name is Roy.”

    Before he could get more out, they interrupted, speaking in valley girl accents. “How’d you get in here?” Daisy asked. “The aquarium isn’t open yet, and we, like, don’t do autographs.”

    “What? No. I came for a Gym battle.”

    A lightbulb seemed to go on in their heads. “Ooooh,” Daisy said.

    “Sorry,” Violet said. “Most people come for, like, the aquarium or to see our shows, so we kinda forget we’re a Gym too sometimes.” She laughed.

    Were these bimbos serious? “Well, I’m here for a Cascade Badge, and I challenge the three of you!” He pointed to emphasize his declaration, but the sisters shared awkward looks with each other. “What is it?”

    “So…” Daisy began, “we’re… not actually Gym Leaders anymore.”

    “What!?”

    “We’re, like, retired as Gym Leaders. And from battling in general, really. Now we only train Pokémon for our shows.” With those thick valley girl accents, they made Pokémon sound like Pokimun. “Really, battling’s just not our thing.”

    “Yeah,” Lily said. “Especially after that Brayden kid, like, totally trounced us using nothing but Fire and Ground-types. Like, talk about embarrassing.”

    Roy grimaced with clenched fists. Of course Brayden had already passed through.

    “We’re totally sorry,” Violet said. “It’s understandable why you’d, like, want to battle the Sensational Sisters. We are us after all.” They laughed with self-satisfaction. “But now that we’re retired, we’re free to focus more on our performances and making ourselves look more beautiful than ever for our adoring fans!”

    Roy retracted his early thought of them being the most beautiful women he’d seen. They were getting uglier with every word that came out of their mouths. “This makes no sense. There have to be at least eight active Gyms for the Pokémon League. How can this not be a Gym anymore? Did a replacement open somewhere and by some miracle not make top Trainer news?”

    “Oh, no,” Daisy said. “We’re totally still a Gym, we just passed the title over to our baby sister.”

    “Bout time she came of age,” Lily said. “We’ve been waiting for her to take over so we could finally focus on our careers as artistic performers.”

    “There are four Sensational Sisters?” Roy asked.

    Lily laughed as if he’d told a hilarious joke. “Oh, no, no, no, there are three Sensational Sisters and one runt.”

    Roy heard the doors open, and someone entered the pool behind him. “Care to say that again, bitch!?” He recognized the shrill, harsh voice at once. Roy turned, and it was her. The Gyarados Trainer from the lab. The girl with fiery red hair tied in a short side ponytail. Unlike the showoffy swimsuits of her sisters, she dressed in sneakers, tight jean shorts, and a white jacket over a blue sleeveless top showing off her midriff.

    After seeing her wield such a ferocious Gyarados and powerful Starmie, how odd and unexpected that the only Pokémon walking beside her now was a dopey Psyduck. The fat, yellow platypus with three hairs held its eternal headache as it stared at him with big round eyes with pinhole pupils, maintaining that blank, brainless expression.

    The redhead’s angry glare at her sisters faded when she saw Roy, eyebrows rising with recognition. “Hey, it’s you. How’s your friend? Is she all right?”

    “Genny’s fine and will be out later today.”

    “That’s wonderful! Give her my regards. After the skill you displayed at the lab, I’d wondered if I would see you here. Though I didn’t expect so soon after yesterday’s events. You must have grit. I like that.”

    “Wait, this is the guy you mentioned?” Violet said. The three sisters looked him up and down as if they’d imagined someone older, or stronger, or taller, or hotter. But Roy ignored them.

    “So you’re the acting Gym Leader here?”

    “That’s right.” She clasped Roy’s hand in a firm handshake. “The name’s Misty, the Cerulean City Gym Leader.”

    “Roy.”

    “I apologize for running late. I was out for my morning training routine.”

    “You kept up a daily training regimen after what happened yesterday?”

    “All the more reason to get stronger.”

    “I never heard of any Leader change here.”

    “We’re still finalizing things. I turned eighteen two weeks ago.” Two weeks!? Fuck, she’d been an official Trainer less than half the time Roy had. And she was already managing a Gym? “Anyway, sorry to keep you waiting and leaving you to deal with this trio. But you should be thankful you won’t have to battle these clowns.”

    “Clowns!?” Lily said.

    “Like, what?” Violet said.

    “Girls, girls, relax,” Daisy said. “Let her have this. She’s gotta be good at something. I mean, since she, like, totally can’t be as beautiful or talented as us.”

    Misty steamed, face burning red as she turned to stare daggers at them.

    Sensing a sibling fight, Roy interrupted. “Perhaps we should get this battle going?”

    “Agreed!” Misty said.

    “Where’s the arena?”

    “Right there.” Misty pointed at the pool. A few platforms floated at scattered random, but it was mostly all water. Ponyta and Sandshrew were a definite no go. Squirtle wouldn’t have any type advantage but could thrive in this kind of environment. Beedrill could fly above. Then there was Aria and Eevee. He’d like to use his new Pokémon, but it would be unwise to throw Eevee into a Gym battle without working with him first. Then again, they’d fought off terrorists together. But he’d also trained hard with Aria for this.

    “Something wrong?” Misty asked with a smirk when she noticed his silence. “If you can’t handle it, you can always walk away.”

    “Just analyzing strategies.”

    “Then let’s get this show on the road.”

    Daisy stepped forward. “I guess I’m judge.”

    Misty and Roy took their places at opposite ends of the pool. “Hope you’re ready for a real battle,” Misty said. “I may have gotten my official Trainer license two weeks ago, but don’t mistake me. I’ve been battling since I was five in order to inherit the Gym the day I came of age. As Kanto’s youngest Leader, I’ve got a lot of work to do to reverse the damage my sisters did to this place’s reputation.”

    “Damage?” Violet said. “We’re, like, totally responsible for making Cerulean the most famous Gym in all of Kanto.”

    “People flock from all over to see our shows,” Lily said. “Or perhaps you haven’t noticed our beautiful faces on, like, thousands of posters, products, and TV commercials across the nation. We’ve even started spreading internationally.”

    “We’re supposed to be a Gym, not a circus!” Misty whirled back to point an accusing finger at Roy. “Don’t you dare think me like them! My sisters were weak Trainers who practically gave out badges with their apathetic battles!”

    “Like, can we help it if we have less time to train with all our adoring fans to cater to?” Daisy said. “Not that you would understand, you being you and all.”

    The sisters laughed and Misty fumed again, fists clenched, looking like she might crack the concrete under the weight of her anger.

    “No convincing needed,” Roy said. “I can see in your eyes, you’re different. Not at all like the last Leader I fought. Brock said his challenge is more of a skill evaluation than a battle to win or lose.”

    “Brock’s a pushover!” Misty pointed at her sisters. “And those three were careless! Well, Cerulean Gym is under new management!” She held up a Cascade Badge to show him. A raindrop shaped pin colored to match the city’s name. “If you want this badge, you’re going to have to defeat me! And you’d better come at me with everything you’ve got, because I aim to give out as few badges as possible! If you can’t handle it, you don’t belong here! I’m not here to guide you or hold your hand! I’m here to be a wall for you to overcome! Trainers who can’t beat me at my best don’t deserve to challenge the Elite Four! The only mercy you’ll get from me is my sworn promise not to use Gyarados. Even I’ll admit he’s too powerful for a Gym battle.” Misty punched her palm and cracked her knuckles. “If I didn’t have a Gym reputation to restore, you can bet Gyarados and I would be up at the Indigo Plateau ourselves, kicking Lorelei off the Elite Four!”

    “No mercy at all with her challengers,” Violet said.

    “Just like her relationships, am I right?” Lily said. “She sure was harsh with how she dumped her last boyfriend.”

    “Ooo, you mean that cute musician?”

    “Yeah, what was his name? Nathan?”

    “Poor boy totally took it hard,” Daisy said. “I heard he even wrote a song about her.”

    “Keep your damn comments to yourself!” Misty said. “This is exactly why you three were never fit to run this place!”

    For a Water Trainer, she sure had a fiery personality.

    “All right, all right,” Daisy said. “Chill out, and let’s, like, start this already. You two ready?”

    Roy considered who to lead with, then readied himself. Psyduck ran forward like a schoolchild let out for recess, but Misty grabbed the scruff of his neck and pulled him back. “Oh no you don’t.”

    “You don’t use him?” Roy said.

    “Not for battle. He’s just a Pokémon I happened to catch… Kind of by accident.”

    He didn’t blame her. The Psyduck looked like it would probably knock itself out without Roy needing to do anything.

    “All right,” Daisy said. “Three on three match, Leader chooses first, only the challenger may substitute, yada yada, you both know the standard Gym rules.”

    “Then let’s get this show on the road! Come out, Goldeen!” Misty hurled a Poké Ball, and from it emerged a white fish with orange spotted patterns and a horn on its head. Its tailfin billowed out like a ballroom dress, and it spoke in an almost sensual voice matching its feminine eyes.

    “Goldeen.”

    Some might’ve laughed at its feeble appearance, but Roy knew Goldeen were a competitive, hot-tempered Pokémon. (What a fitting choice for a girl like Misty.) Best to test the waters with something that could keep its distance. “Beedrill! Go!”

    The giant wasp hovered above the water with a fierce buzz, needle arms poised for battle.

    “Start!” Daisy said.

    “Dive!” Misty called, and Goldeen submerged, out of harm’s reach.

    “Stay alert, Beedrill! Keep high until it resurfaces!”

    Beedrill hovered to remain out of range of surprise attacks, but Misty smirked. “Already underestimating me. Horn Attack!”

    Goldeen leapt high, soaring over six meters and giving Beedrill less than a second to swerve out of the way. Damn! Goldeen splashed back into the water, then, at Misty’s command, followed with a series of Ice Beams, shooting jet after frosty jet from its horn.

    “Agility!” Beedrill zipped in blurring motion to avoid every attack. Not good enough. He needed to get close. Or better yet… “String Shot!” Beedrill fired a sticky line from his mouth and latched onto Goldeen. “Now Poison Jab!” Needle arm glowing purple, Beedrill yanked the Pokémon out like a fish on a hook, reeling it toward him and hitting with a hard Poison Jab. It fell into the water. “Follow with Twin Needle!” Beedrill dove while Goldeen recovered but wasn’t fast enough.

    “Counter with Aqua Tail!” Goldeen slapped him away using a watery tailfin.

    “Don’t let up!” Beedrill closed in with a series of lunges, but Goldeen leapt and ducked in and out of the attacks.

    “Water Pulse!” Goldeen spat a ball of blue energy, which struck Beedrill point blank. The wasp retreated into the air.

    “You all right, Beedrill?” The bug’s head swayed side-to-side as if drunk, dizzy eyes struggling to focus. Shit. That Water Pulse left him confused. “Poison Jab!” Beedrill looked around, trying to find his target. He dove to attack, but through his addled vision, missed Goldeen and ran face first into a floating platform instead, hurting himself. Damnit!

    “Waterfall!”

    “Goldeen!” The fish breeched straight up in a powerful geyser that sent Beedrill plunging into the pool. He flailed and spazzed in panic, and Roy had to recall the bug before he drowned.

    “One down already,” Misty said. “You’ll have to do better than that.”

    This girl was tough and aggressive. Roy could see she refused to be a pushover. He’d have to fight her on equal terms. “Go, Squirtle!” The turtle came out and landed on a floating platform.

    Lily and Violet squealed. “My gosh!” Lily said. “Isn’t he just the cutest thing!”

    “Totally cuter than, like, any of Misty’s Pokémon,” Violet said.

    “You got this, Squirtle!” Daisy said. “Make us proud!”

    Squirtle held his head high while Roy facepalmed with a swallowed groan.

    “You’re supposed to be impartial!” Misty yelled.

    “Okay, okay,” Daisy said. “Let the battle continue.”

    Goldeen circled Squirtle’s lone platform like a Sharpedo around a man stranded at sea. “Let’s go, Squirtle! Into the pool!” Squirtle dove, engaging the Goldeen underwater. “Skull Bash!”

    “Horn Attack!”

    The Pokémon charged each other. Squirtle ducked the horn and head butted Goldeen in the gut. The fish responded with a jab in his stomach, which Squirtle’s shell protected against, but the powerful force still hit like a hard punch. “Rapid Spin!” Squirtle withdrew and spun at Goldeen, but the fish batted him away with its tail. Squirtle retreated onto a platform, and his opponent resurfaced to poke its head above water. “Again!” Squirtle whirled across the pool’s surface, spraying wakes behind him.

    “Ice Beam!” Goldeen froze the water and caught Squirtle in ice, freezing him in place. He popped out of his shell, struggling to get free but unable to move. Goldeen disappeared underwater, then with another Waterfall, came up from underneath, shattering through the ice and sending Squirtle flying up. The fish slapped broken ice shards with its tail and sent them shooting to pelt Squirtle’s body. Shit! This wasn’t looking good. The turtle crashed onto a platform. “Water Pulse!”

    “Withdraw!”

    Squirtle retreated inside and his shell glowed white to increase his defensive strength against the watery blast.

    “Water Pulse again!”

    Roy commanded Squirtle to further increase his defense. His shell glowed again to deflect the blow. A barrage of Water Pulses came and Squirtle brightened once more to protect himself.

    Misty laughed. “You can’t keep that up forever! Sooner or later, you’ll have to strike back!”

    Roy gritted his teeth, unsure what to do. Squirtle’s shell flashed white again and again as he continued trying to increase his defense, but Roy knew it wouldn’t be enough.

    “Ice Beam!”

    “Squirtle!” Roy shouted.

    The turtle’s shell shone whiter and brighter than ever with increased power, illuminating the room. Squirtle spun and deflected the Ice Beam at Goldeen.

    “Gol!” the Pokémon cried as the reflected blast pushed it through the water, its back hitting the edge of a platform. Eyes went wide on every face. Even Roy hadn’t seen that coming.

    The light faded and Squirtle popped out of hiding. His skin had turned a darker shade of blue and his eyes now held a fiercer, more mature demeanor. He’d gained fangs and claws on his hands. A pair of white ears that resembled small wings stood atop his previously bald head, and his stubby tail had grown long, white, and bushy, swirling with an ocean wave design.

    Roy grinned. “Now we’re talking!”

    His Pokémon cried out in inspired agreement. “Wartortle!”

    The evolved Wartortle leapt onto the water and his feet skidded across it as if riding an invisible surfboard. Water surged around his tail. He reached Goldeen, and, with a backflip, smacked the fish with an upward Aqua Tail that knocked it into the air. Wartortle sprung up and karate chopped Goldeen back down with a powerful Brick Break. Three new moves!

    “He’s not near as cute as before,” Violet said.

    Misty growled. “Horn Attack!” Goldeen came at them.

    “Surf!” Creating wakes for himself, Wartortle rode the water’s surface, his feet acting as natural skis, evading every danger as he Surfed circles around the opponent. “Brick Break!” Wartortle delivered a crushing blow to Goldeen’s head that sent it sinking deep underwater.

    A few seconds later, it floated back up like a dead fish.

    “Goldeen is unable to battle!” Daisy declared.

    “Yes!” Roy cried.

    Misty recalled the groaning Pokémon. “Not bad. But the battle’s just getting started.” With a twirling spin, she threw out her next fighter, which answered in a sharp, fierce voice.

    “Seadra!” The narrow-eyed blue seahorse had a long tube snout and a tail coiled up in a swirl. Pointed fin-like ridges stuck out on either side of its face, matching larger spiny pectoral fins similar to wings.

    But Roy only got a brief look at it before Misty called her first move. “Smoke Screen!” A black cloud billowed forth from its snout, spreading to darken the field in an inky fog. “Agility!” Neither Roy nor Wartortle could see, but he heard the enemy dashing through the water with the sound of a speeding jet ski. “Giga Impact!”

    Wartortle cried out from within the darkness. Roy needed to strike back, but they’d been blinded. “Withdraw! Then Water Gun!” Roy squinted through the smog to make out Wartortle’s vague shape spinning in his shell to spray in every direction like a sprinkler.

    He heard nothing else.

    Did they get it?

    Through the shadows, Misty’s confident, unconcerned voice drifted from the other side. “Dragon Pulse.” A flash of blue and purple lit up the dark cloud, and again he heard Wartortle suffer a drastic blow.

    “Hey! Are you all right in there!?”

    “Bubble Beam!”

    Several pops and pows, and the sound of Wartortle in pain. “Try to counter! Aqua Tail!”

    “I don’t think so,” Misty said, and he heard the calm smirk in her tone. “Twister!”

    The sound of Seadra swimming in circles at a rapid speed, then a gust whipped up in the center of the pool, clearing the Smoke Screen, and Roy saw Wartortle caught in a whirlwind. The cyclone sucked up water, creating a twister mixed of wind and water.

    “Wartortle!” Roy cried out.

    Misty snapped her fingers. “And Liquidation.” The twister ended and Wartortle fell, but Seadra didn’t wait for him to hit the ground. It leapt into the air, body surrounded by water. With a front flip, Seadra smacked Wartortle with its tail, sending the poor Pokémon crashing into a platform with a force that submerged the whole thing for a second before it floated back up. Wartortle lay there, groaning in pain.

    Daisy started to raise her hand, but Roy beat her to it. “That’s enough!” He fired the Poké Ball’s red beam to recall Wartortle.

    “Good call,” Misty said. Damn! Wartortle losing so badly right after he evolved really rubbed salt in the wound. “Letting a mid-battle evolution get you cocky. Typical amateur mistake.”

    Fuck. Roy had only one fighter left while Misty still had another after Seadra, who had yet to take a single hit. He desperately needed Ponyta right now, but no way she’d last in this pool arena. Sandshrew would be helpless as well. With the impressive display back at the lab, Eevee was perhaps his strongest. But they hadn’t trained together yet. And Roy had only one Pokémon that could get past that Smoke Screen. “I’m counting on you. Come out, Aria!”

    The older sisters fawned once again over how she was “totally the cutest thing ever!” Aria ignored their voices as she shuffled on her feet, throwing warmup punches at the air. She couldn’t take nor deliver a hit worth a damn when he’d first met her. They’d trained together to smooth out her weaknesses. Roy only hoped it would be enough.

    Before anything else… “Cosmic Power!”

    “Clefairy!” Aria raised her arms and sparkles of green, yellow, and pink swirled around her. She took in the energy, increasing her body’s durability.

    Misty smiled. “You’ll never win playing defensive.” Once again, she started the battle calling out a Smoke Screen, and Seadra blackened the field.

    Not this time.

    “Dazzling Gleam!” An offensive move normally, but Roy had different plans. Aria’s body shone with iridescent light. She flashed, and the blinding colors of the rainbow pierced the darkness, clearing the smog.

    “Not bad,” Misty said. “But my Seadra doesn’t need it to take down that little cutsie. Ice Beam!” Several blue jets came, and Aria flipped and cartwheeled out of the way. But every shot got closer than the previous.

    “Cosmic Power!” Roy commanded again. Aria braced herself as she absorbed light and took the next Ice Beam head on but shook it off. Yes! It was working! But he needed to go on the offensive. “All right, Aria! Charge a Moonblast!”

    “Clefairy!” She raised her arms, and pink glitter drifted through the glass ceiling in sparkling dust.

    “Not on my watch. Liquidation!” At Misty’s command, water surrounded Seadra’s body, and it dashed toward them. Just what Roy wanted.

    Seadra leapt onto the platform, but Aria braced her feet as she reached out to stop the charge. Seadra pushed, but Aria held her ground, still absorbing energy with her other hand.

    “Okay, Aria! Show that Seadra what we worked on! Moonpound!”

    “What!?” Misty said.

    “There’s, like, no such thing,” Daisy said.

    “Cleeeee…” Aria absorbed the moon’s power until her humming fist glowed with a bright pink energy. But rather than fire it at Seadra, she held onto it, then changed to a Pound attack. “Fairy!” She punched the Seadra in the face and it reeled back.

    “What in distortion was that!?” Misty yelled.

    But Roy wasn’t done. “Follow it with Shining Take Down!” Aria shone again with an iridescent glow, as if preparing a Dazzling Gleam. But instead of expelling the energy at the opponent, she kept it contained in her body, then switched to a Take Down attack, ramming into Seadra with enhanced power and sending it tumbling into the water.

    “Like, what is going on?” Violet said.

    Roy was proud to answer. “A Clefairy’s strength lies in their Special moves. But this stubborn little one wants to be a physical fighter. A good Trainer can adapt to their Pokémon’s fighting styles and personalities, so I taught her to combine Moonblast with Pound. She absorbs the moon’s energy and holds it in her fist. Rather than firing, she punches with it. I call it Moonpound. Shining Take Down is an attack where Aria charges light energy from Dazzling Gleam while she rushes the opponent and releases it as she completes the Take Down. We’ve created our own moves by combining others. Ones that act as Physical while utilizing the strength of Special.”

    “Wow,” Lily said. “This kid is good.”

    Misty smiled. “You might actually deserve that Cascade Badge. But don’t think you’ll get any handouts from me! Your Clefairy’s stubborn fighting style will work against you! Seadra’s a ranged attacker! Flash Cannon!”

    Shit! A Steel-type move would deal Aria serious damage! “Dodge it!” Silver light accumulated in Seadra’s snout, then fired in a beam, which Aria flipped over at the last second, making Roy’s heart skip a beat.

    Misty was right. He needed to get in close, but Seadra was a fast Pokémon. Especially a trained one. And Clefairy… weren’t. They really weren’t. Plus, Aria was stuck on her lone platform while Seadra maintained free roam of the pool.

    But they’d prepared for this.

    A thin smile curled Roy’s lips.

    He commanded Cosmic Power to boost Aria’s defenses a third time. While she did, Seadra attacked with another Flash Cannon, scoring a direct hit. Aria had raised her defenses thrice, but the super effective move still brought her to a knee, panting.

    Aria continued to dodge, trying to close in, hopping from platform to platform, but Seadra was too fast for her to catch and stayed well out of range while firing Flash Cannons.

    Misty laughed. “Your Clefairy doesn’t have a chance of catching Seadra! Too bad she’s too stubborn to use any of her projectile attacks! You should’ve challenged this Gym two weeks ago! Now you have to deal with the most powerful of the Sensational Sisters! My Pokémon are unstoppable in the water!” Hands on her hips, she held her head high and guffawed like some sort of comic book supervillain. “HAHAHAHAHAHA!”

    “Isn’t she, like, totally getting way too into this?” Violet said.

    “Sure does talk a lot, doesn’t she?” Lily said.

    But Roy smiled. “Are you sure about that? Seadra don’t do so well on land. One might say your Pokémon are trapped in the water.”

    “Ha! The water is Seadra’s home and gives him the advantage!”

    “I suspected our unique moves wouldn’t be quite enough. I’ve spent a week in Cerulean, and this city has a lot of good move tutors, so I taught her something else as a secret weapon. She doesn’t need to close in on Seadra. It’s right where I want it. Aria! Time to show them the attack we prepared just for this!” Roy stepped back, getting clear of the water as Aria dodged another Flash Cannon by leaping into the air.

    Misty’s eyes narrowed with suspicion, wondering what could be up his sleeve. “Without ranged Special attacks, how do you plan to hit Seadra from the other side of the pool?”

    “By attacking the pool itself!”

    Aria raised her fist, and it flashed with crackling sparks. Panic doused Misty’s face. She knew what was coming. Seadra had no way of retreating. The other sisters’ eyes widened with realization.

    “Back away from the water!” Daisy yelled.

    “Thunder Punch!” Roy ordered, and Aria dove into the pool, arm stretched out to strike the conductive water with an electrified fist. Flashing jolts shot across the water’s surface, shocking the Seadra with an amplified super effective move.

    “Seadraaaaaa!”

    The electricity died down, and the aquatic dragon twitched with damage. It wasn’t knocked out, but its chances of winning were. It couldn’t survive on land and the entire pool had just become one giant mine field.

    “What will you do?” Roy asked. “Seadra isn’t down yet, but it may as well be.”

    Misty sighed. “No. Seadra’s done. I’ve no interest in him taking any needless damage.” Forfeiting on the Pokémon’s behalf, she recalled it to its ball.

    “Aria wins by forfeit!” Daisy declared with a raised arm.

   Roy released his held breath in relief, but didn’t let Misty see she’d fallen for his bluff.

    “Congratulations. But my next Pokémon isn’t restricted to the water, and it’s my strongest yet.” Roy’s gut already knew what was coming. “I call…” With another graceful twirl, she hurled her final Poké Ball. “Starmie!”

    The purple starfish landed on the floating platform with a loud hum, red jewel shining like an eye from the center of its gold casing. Roy swallowed, and Aria raised her fists to the opponent that had overpowered several terrorists’ Pokémon solo. They were both down to their last fighter. A witness to this Pokémon’s strength, Roy prepared himself and commanded Aria to use Cosmic Power for a fourth time.

    “Let’s go! Rapid Spin!” Starmie flew through the air toward Aria like a giant shuriken. Aria ducked, and it zipped over but swerved around for another hit, striking in the back and sending her into the water. Shit! “Ice Beam!”

    “Get out of the water!”

    Starmie stopped spinning midair and fired from its jewel down at Aria. She crawled onto the platform just in time, but the freezing jet struck the water with such power it solidified the pool in seconds, turning the arena into an ice rink. Damn. There went Roy’s giant conductor.

    “Hydro Pump!” Starmie landed and tilted its top limb to aim, spraying a powerful blast that pushed Aria back. She slid and spun on the ice, falling on her face.

    “Come on, get up! Shining Take Down!” Aria absorbed energy from Dazzling Gleam and ran for Starmie, but she slipped on the slick surface.

    Misty laughed maniacally. “Hydro Pump again!”

    Aria leapt out of the way, missing the attack as water splashed over the frozen pool, but she fumbled the landing and fell again. Fuck! What did Roy do!?

    “Rapid Spin!”

    “Duck! Then Moonpound!” Aria dropped, then, as Starmie passed over, Moonpounded it in the eye. It flew up. Aria jumped to grab one of its arms and threw it down into the hard ice. “Thunder Punch!” Aria fell to attack the downed Pokémon, but it flipped onto its feet and Aria only punched the ground. She needed to stay close. “Don’t let it retreat! Thunder Punch and Moonpound!” With magical energy in one hand and electricity in the other, Aria launched a combination of alternating jabs, but the Starmie leaned aside every time.

    “Hydro Pump!” Starmie blasted Aria in the face and she slid back. She wobbled on her feet, but after some concentration, balanced herself on one foot. She put the other down and pushed off, taking control of her slide and skating over the ice. Misty’s eyes widened with a light gasp.

    “Yeah!” Roy said. “That’s it! Now go!”

    Aria skated across the arena, body crouched, arms swinging, and pushing off with powerful strides. The slow Pokémon became fast, using the stage to her advantage. Misty scowled.

    “Moonpound!”

    “Cleeeee…” Aria closed the distance between them in seconds. With the momentum of her slide, she punched Starmie in the jewel. “Fairy!” The starfish hummed in shock as it slid back, but kept its footing.

    “Ice Beam!” Starmie fired, but Aria twirled out of the way, avoiding several shots with dance-like skating.

    “Look at that kid go!” Lily said.

    “Blizzard!” Misty declared. Starmie sprung up high. Snow and ice flew from every one of its ten limbs and out of its jewel. It spun in the air. Soon, a flurrying snowstorm blanketed the field, blurring visibility. Roy shuddered in the cold.

    “Oh, burr!” Lily said.

    “Like, why does she always have to use that move!?” Daisy said. But as the sisters shivered in their swimsuits, Misty smiled across the frozen pool, looking not the least bit chilled as hail and ice shards pelted Aria’s body.

    Roy couldn’t see a distorted thing in this. “Dazzling Gleam!” Light radiated from Aria and a sparkling flash shunned the fog and cleared the blizzard. “Double Thunder Punch and Moonpound!”

    “Clefairy!” Aria leapt above Starmie and punched it in the jewel with both fists–one Electric, the other Fairy. Its back hit the ice with a pained hum and a loud crack splitting the surface. Aria landed and, before Starmie could get up, grabbed a limb and spun, swinging the starfish round and round in a circle.

    “Starmie!” Misty cried.

    “Cleeefaaaaii….RY!” Aria whirled the Pokémon around, then–her momentum built up–flung it across the arena.

    “Psyayayayayayay!” Psyduck crouched in panic as Starmie flew over its head and slammed into the wall behind. Starmie slumped to the ground, the light in its jewel eye blinking as it faded out of consciousness.

    Daisy raised an arm. “Starmie is unable to battle! Clefairy is the winner! The match goes to Roy!”

    “Yes! Way to go, Aria!” As he punched the air, Aria skated and twirled around the ice rink, crying out her name in well-deserved dancing celebration.

    Misty stood in shock as Roy and Aria cheered, then closed her eyes and mouth, smiled, and called back Starmie before offering a modest applause.

    “Poor girl totally can’t catch a break, can she?” Violet said.

    “I mean, they both did super,” Daisy said.

    “Like, especially that Roy guy,” Lily said.

    The pool heaters hummed to life. Hissing steam rose off the frozen arena as they thawed the pool, and Roy and Misty walked around to meet in the middle in front of her sisters. She clasped his hand and took out the Cascade Badge. “I didn’t think I’d have to give one of these out so soon, but you earned it.” Misty laid the pin in Roy’s palm. “I admit, I’ve never seen anyone take advantage of the ice field like that.”

    “That credit goes to Aria,” Roy said.

    “Clefairy!” Aria said beside him with a raised fist.

    “Oh…” Roy snickered. “Something you should know… Electricity spreads horizontally across water. It doesn’t penetrate very deep. You should’ve had Seadra dive and attack from below.”

    “What!?”

    Her sisters doubled over in laughter, holding their guts. “Man, he totally suckered you!” Violet said.

    Roy clutched the Cascade Badge in his fist, half worried Misty might snatch it back or demand a rematch. He’d grown tired of personal experience always beating his years of education. It was nice to finally see brain triumph over brawn like it was supposed to!

    “That was totally impressive how you created new moves for your Clefairy,” Lily said. “I didn’t know that was possible.”

    Misty gave her a look. “It’s uncommon, but it is heard of. Seriously? You were a Gym Leader–if a pitiful one. You should know these things.”

    “I never delved much into it.” Lily shrugged. “But when you’re an accident child, I guess you have to go out of your way to prove your worth.”

    Misty turned red as a pepper, veins bulging and looking ready to throw punches.

    “All right, all right,” Daisy said. “Both of you, settle down. Misty, you know we love you.”