As the match between Sabrina and Morty was finishing up, Misty sat on the back bench, tapping her foot and stressing a little. She was biting her bottom lip, wondering if she could really do this.

Her opponent was Chuck, and well... let's just say things weren't really looking all that good for her. For one, she was technically one of the weaker ones in this tournament. She and Brock had only just trained their Pokémon to Gym Leader level, just barely.

If you think a Gym Leader just trains their team once and the Pokémon stay at that level, never getting stronger, you're wrong. It's really hard to find a Pokémon that's satisfied with its strength. Just like how humans always want more, more power, more success, Pokémon want the same.

That's why, usually every year or so, the Pokémon need to level up or be rotated out. The reason she was thinking about all this was because Chuck is one of the older Johto Gym Leaders, meaning he had far more experience, strength, and Pokémon. Misty only had about six, maybe seven, Pokémon she could rely on.

But even that wasn't consistent, since part of her plan had included having a Keystone. She had the Starmie Mega Stone, too bad she didn't have a Keystone. And she couldn't borrow Ash's, not this time. So she didn't even have a consistent strongest member of her team.

She wasn't going to use Suicune, that wasn't the reason Suicune chose her. In fact, that's probably exactly why Suicune did. Misty wouldn't use her. She didn't know what Suicune's mission was, but if she could help, she would. So Suicune was out of the question, even though with Suicune, she could easily win.

If she had to choose, it was probably Gyarados. But even she had her downsides. Misty sighed, not knowing what to do. She leaned back on the bench just as Sabrina won, and the crowd erupted in cheers.

She wondered if she could really hold her own. Right now, she had no faith that she could win. This was the first time she would go up against someone like that. (Never mind that she'd managed to beat Nessa, who was also a Gym Leader-ranked trainer, but with all this going on, she wasn't thinking about the fact that she was already Gym Leader level.)

She sighed again and leaned forward, elbows on her knees, resting her chin on her hands.

"Why did I even agree to this?" she muttered under her breath.

Then she heard a certain high-pitched voice.

"Because you're like, totally stronger than us put together," Misty heard.

She turned and saw Daisy walking over, speaking in her overdramatic valley girl voice.

Daisy sat next to Misty, dropping the exaggerated accent and talking normally. "Hey Mist, how you feeling?"

Misty gave a small, humorless chuckle. "Like I'm gonna throw up," she admitted quietly, not meeting Daisy's eyes.

Daisy didn't say anything at first. She just nodded, looking out at the arena where the stagehands were clearing away the aftermath of the previous battle. The stadium was buzzing, the energy still high after Sabrina's win.

"You know," Daisy finally said, "remember before the Whirl Cup? Your friends told me you were pacing so much they thought you were gonna wear a hole in the floor."

"That was different," Misty muttered.

Daisy raised an eyebrow. "Really? How?"

"I… um…" Misty started, but looked down without finishing. "It just is, okay?"

Daisy frowned a bit, but then scooted closer and gave Misty a quick hug.

"You know, Mist, no one's telling you to win. Just do your best, okay?"

Misty flinched slightly, then lowered her arms a bit. "Since when did you get good at being a sister?"

"Since I learned how terrible we were," Daisy said, pulling back. "So, just do your best. Win or lose, you're still our sister, and you're still the one who's gonna take over the Gym, aren't you? You know we're hopeless."

Misty let out a short snort. "Yeah, you really are. I'm surprised you didn't get us shut down."

Daisy dramatically swiped her hair. "Must have been our good looks," she said with a smile. "Or maybe it's because they knew someone better was coming to take our place soon."

Then, as Daisy stood up to head back to the stands, she pulled out a small box. "By the way, here, take this. It's from Dad. He said he's watching all the way from Alola, with Mom. So we'll all be watching, okay?"

Misty blinked and took the box. Before she could ask anything, Daisy ran out of the locker room, leaving Misty alone.

For a moment, Misty looked down at the box. She debated whether she should open it. It could be anything, a letter, maybe a Poké Ball her dad wanted her to use. But probably not. He wasn't really like that.

She left it on her lap and sighed.

Then her phone buzzed.

She blinked, reached into her pocket, and pulled it out. A message.

From Ash.

Misty hesitated. She didn't know if she should open it. But then she took a breath and tapped it.

It was a picture, Ash with one arm around Yellow and Chuchu, and the other holding Pikachu and Vee, both giving her a peace sign. At the bottom, it simply said:

"Good luck."

No dramatic speech.

No strategy advice.

Just… wishing her luck.

And right now, that was enough.

It made her start smiling again.

She remembered the journey, all of it, with her friends. She had to admit, the day she met Ash was the day her life changed. The good and the bad, the fun and the sad, all of it. She wouldn't trade a single moment.

Then she remembered the Molly incident. She remembered how she felt when she was getting boosted, like that was her peak, like her potential had been unlocked. She'd been working toward feeling like that again. She knew Brock had been trying too.

She was getting closer. The way she battled had completely changed. She didn't think she could've beaten Nessa if she hadn't had that boost.

She put her phone down and took a deep breath. Whatever happened, happened. But she'd do it her own way.

She looked down at the box… and finally reached out to open it.

When she did, her eyes widened at what was inside, and a small smile crept onto her face.

Looks like things were going to get interesting.

–

"Match 5: Misty of Cerulean City vs. Chuck of Cianwood City!"

The announcer's voice rang out across the stadium as Misty and Chuck stood across from each other on the battlefield.

"Are you ready for this, Misty?" Chuck asked. He still remembered how strong she was during the Black Tyranitar incident. He respected her for helping in that fight. That just meant he was going all in, no Mega Evolution, no Z-Moves. Just him and his Pokémon.

Misty adjusted her jacket. Except now, it felt like it finally fit her, better than it did last year.

"Let's do this, Chuck."

Chuck wasted no time, "Breloom, go!"

A flash of light, and Breloom emerged, spores already wafting gently from its cap, tail bouncing as it hopped in place.

Misty held her breath. This was it.

She tossed out her first Pokéball. "Politoed, let's set the stage!"

The green frog Pokémon appeared with a cheerful croak. The moment it hit the field, it began dancing and clapping, and rain began to fall, thanks to her ability, [Drizzle].

Chuck watched the rain fall. "So that's how it is…" Then he smirked. "Alright then, [Spore]!" he commanded.

But Misty was ready. She smiled. This was one she learned (stole) from Ash. "Now, [Counter Shield]!"

Politoed jumped on her back and began spinning, kicking up water into a vortex that dispersed the spores, making them useless. The swirling water then shot toward Breloom, picking it up and slamming it down on its head against a rock.

Yep. Last time she tried that was back in the Crystal Castle. She'd tried to copy Ash's move, but hers wasn't as good, still, it got the job done. Since then, even though she never asked Ash for help (or accepted it), he may or may not have left a few pointers on how to use it.

Chuck folded his arms, raising an eyebrow, but he didn't say anything. "Alright then. Guess it's gonna be more tricky than I thought, huh?"

Misty smiled. "Didn't think I was just gonna let you win, did you?"

Chuck laughed. "Haha, no, not at all. Fine then, [Mach Punch]!"

Breloom jumped back to its feet, pulled its fist back, and then launched it forward, the arm stretching like a spring.

The punch landed in Politoed's stomach, knocking her back, but she recovered, bouncing back to her feet.

Chuck didn't give her a moment to breathe. "Breloom, [Leech Seed]!"

Breloom leapt back and launched a burst of tangled vines aimed at Politoed.

"Dodge and [Ice Beam]!" Misty shouted.

Politoed sidestepped, barely avoiding the [Leech Seed], and fired a light blue beam of ice. The move connected, catching Breloom in the leg and freezing part of its cap.

But Breloom's hands were still free.

"One more [Mach Punch], now!" Chuck ordered.

Before Misty could react, Breloom launched its fist forward again, landing a quick punch to Politoed's chest. The frog croaked in pain and slid backward.

Misty quickly pulled out the Pokéball again. "Politoed, return!" she said, letting the frog rest.

Then she pulled out her next Pokéball. "Lapras, you're up!"

With a cry that echoed through the stadium, Lapras materialized in the rain, water droplets rolling down his shell. The moment he landed, the crowd let out a small cheer, until Lapras looked around, glaring at them, making the audience fall silent and sit down.

Chuck knew better than to leave Breloom out. For one, it was weakened. And for another, Lapras was an Ice type.

He returned it and held the Pokéball. "You did good."

Breloom was withdrawn, and Chuck replaced it with Hitmontop, who spun into the field.

"[Fake Out]!" Chuck ordered instantly.

Hitmontop lunged and slammed into Lapras before she could move, flinching as the impact rang out.

"Now, [Thunder Punch]!" Chuck continued while Lapras was still flinching.

Hitmontop spun around and delivered a flying punch to Lapras's face, but even though it was super effective, Lapras didn't move. In fact, it didn't even flinch from the punch.

It just stared directly into Hitmontop.

Yeah, Lapras usually wouldn't listen to Misty, but it looked like he was willing to make an exception. And Misty could tell, as she called out, "Alright, [Freeze-Dry]!"

Lapras smashed his head into Hitmontop, sending it stumbling back. Then, before Hitmontop could recover, he unleashed a blast of cold air directly at it, freezing its legs.

Chuck's eyes widened as he swiped his arm. "Break out with [Rapid Spin]!"

Hitmontop flipped onto its head and began spinning, too bad Lapras didn't do that whole "fair" thing. Without even waiting for a command, he fired a powerful [Hydro Pump] into Hitmontop, launching it straight into a rock.

Hitmontop fell to the ground and struggled to get up. Chuck noticed and gritted his teeth.

"Hitmontop, return," he said, pulling it back into its Pokéball and holding it tightly.

"Alright then," Chuck smiled. "Looks like things are getting interesting. But now I've gotta get even more serious. Sorry about this."

He reached to his belt and pulled out one more Pokéball, tossing it onto the field. From it emerged Conkeldurr.

Chuck grinned. "Let's see how your Lapras handles this, [Bulk Up]!"

Conkeldurr flexed and let out a roar, muscles bulging as both its Attack and Defense stats rose.

Misty narrowed her eyes. "[Scald], let's go!"

Lapras opened her mouth and unleashed a stream of boiling water, hitting Conkeldurr square in the chest. The big fighter staggered slightly, but didn't dodge. It didn't want to. Because that hit caused a burn.

But as the steam rose, Conkeldurr stood taller. Its body began to glow red-hot, its ability, Guts, had activated.

"Ohhh… no…" Misty mumbled.

Chuck smirked. "Oh yeah." He raised his hand. "Conkeldurr, [Drain Punch]!"

The giant lunged forward and slammed a glowing fist directly into Lapras's side, sending him flying back and skidding against the rocks. Lapras groaned, clearly hurt, while Conkeldurr's body glowed, the attack had healed it right back up.

Misty bit her lip and quickly returned Lapras to his Pokéball. She held one last Pokéball in her hand.

"Okay then… all or nothing. It's your turn, Gyarados."

A mighty roar shook the stadium as the massive Water/Flying-type descended in a flash of red light. But what caught everyone's eye was the stone resting on its head, like a crown.

Misty took a breath, then reached up to her hair, tied in her signature sideways ponytail. She pulled on the band holding it in place, letting her hair fall loose. Embedded in the band was a small, rainbow-colored stone.

Back when she got that box, Inside the box… were two stones.

A Keystone, and, more importantly, a Gyaradosite.

They had once belonged to her father.

Now, he had given them to her.

And she was going to use them.

Misty held the Keystone high.

"I may not be a Gym Leader yet… but I promise you, I am Misty, and I WILL take over Cerulean Gym! And I WILL win, right now, my own way!"

She closed her hand around the stone as it began to glow.

"Mega Evolve!" Misty shouted.

The crowd erupted into screams as Gyarados's body expanded, glowing brilliantly. Her form bulked up, fangs grew longer, and her scales shifted to a dark sea-blue and black.

Mega Gyarados.

Chuck's eyes widened. "Well, I'll be…"

But Misty wasn't done.

"Mega Gyarados, use [Dragon Dance]!"

Even as the rain poured, Gyarados twirled powerfully, her massive tail whipping up water as she glowed with a swirling purple aura.

Chuck snapped out of his awe. "Not gonna let you get another one off! Conkeldurr, [Stone Edge]!"

Conkeldurr slammed one pillar into the ground, sending jagged stones flying toward Gyarados.

Misty shouted, "Counter with [Waterfall]!"

Gyarados slammed her tail into the water, causing a wave to shoot down and catch the rocks, breaking them before they reached her. Then the water smacked against Conkeldurr, knocking the Fighting-type back, and it was still taking fire damage.

Misty felt her heart beating quickly. This was it.

"That's checkmate," Misty whispered as she held her arm out and snapped her fingers.

"[Ice Fang]!" she ordered.

Gyarados dashed forward as her teeth began glowing blue. She bit down onto Conkeldurr's arm, and Conkeldurr was too weak. After a yell of pain, the yelling stopped as Conkeldurr went limp, with spirals in its eyes.

The crowd erupted. The rain finally started to disperse as the referee raised the flag. "Match over! The winner is Misty!"

That was it. Misty was breathing heavily, half-expecting Conkeldurr to stand up, but it didn't, even as Gyarados fell back to base.

Chuck watched on, clapped his hands, and laughed. "That was a great battle."

Misty still took a breath, then began to laugh. She really did it. As she looked out, she saw her friends, and gave a smirk and a peace sign into the crowd.

—

With Misty and Chuck finished, next up was Brock's battle. He took a breath. He was way less stressed, considering he'd been in one of these before, but this time… he really did think he could win.

But also, there was a problem. Since he was representing the Pewter Gym, he could only use his Rock-types, which also meant, unfortunately, Steelix had to stay back. Even though Steelix was his first partner, he couldn't use him.

His options were Golem, Kabutops, Aerodactyl, Rhydon, and of course, Tyranitar, not even a full team of six.

He sighed. At least these weren't meant to be 6-on-6, so he had a better chance. He was waiting for his name to be called out. Not to mention, after the Crystal Castle stuff, his potential had also been unlocked, just like it did with Misty.

As he was waiting, he scrolled through his phone. People were wishing him luck, mostly his family, like his siblings and parents. Uncle Curator sent his regards.

Apparently, Wilohema found out about this and sent him some words of encouragement. And even Yui wished him luck, even if it was in the most tsundere way possible.

But just as Brock was about to put it down, he saw one last text, a picture of Ash and Yellow copying the stance he did when he crossed his arms on his chest. The caption said, "Good luck."

That made Brock smile even more as he put his phone down and stretched his arms. It's time to do this.

–

"Match 6: Brock of Pewter City vs. Whitney of Goldenrod City!" The announcement rang out across the stadium as Brock stood up, rolling his shoulders once. The crowd roared with excitement, the energy still crackling after Misty's surprising win over Chuck. Now, it was his turn.

As Brock stepped onto the field and took his spot, he looked down at his Pokémon belt, thinking about who he was going to use.

Across the battlefield, Whitney gave a big wave to the crowd, blowing a few kisses, "Yay! I'm up! Hi everyone~!" she chirped with her usual bubbly energy.

Then she jumped onto her spot and waved at Brock. Brock exhaled, trying to stay focused. He gave her a nod. "Good luck out there, Whitney."

Whitney smiled. "Aww, that's sweet. But I should warn you, just because I'm cheerful doesn't mean I'm not gonna crush you!" She winked.

"Right…" Brock said. Maybe before, he might have started Flirting, but right now wasn't the time for that. He wasn't a slave to his simping.

The announcer called out, "If both trainers are ready, you may begin!"

Whitney spun her Pokéball in her hand, almost dropping it, but caught it and threw it out. "Let's go, Cinccino!"

A fluffy white Pokémon emerged onto the field, twirling on its toes as it landed with a sparkly flash.

Brock tapped his Pokéball. "Kabutops, let's go!"

The ancient shellfish Pokémon emerged with a hiss, its sickle-like arms gleaming.

Whitney grinned and gave a playful point. "Alright, Cinccino, let's start off strong! [Tail Slap]!"

Cinccino dashed forward with speed that surprised even some of the crowd, her tails whipping around and striking Kabutops multiple times in rapid succession. Thanks to her ability, Skill Link, it guaranteed she landed the max amount of five hits.

The fifth strike sent Kabutops skidding back a few steps, claws digging into the dirt to stay upright.

Brock winced slightly but didn't waver. "Use [Aqua Jet], and follow up with [X-Scissor]!"

Kabutops surged forward in a flash of water, slamming into Cinccino and disrupting her follow-up move. Before Cinccino could recover, Kabutops's claws crossed in an X-shape and sliced forward in a powerful strike that sent Cinccino flying backward.

Whitney caught her breath. "Eek! Okay, okay, you're sharp and scary, got it!"

Cinccino struggled to get up, shaking her head with a dazed sparkle. Whitney quickly acted. "Now, [Sing]!"

Kabutops tensed as Cinccino let out a soft, melodic hum that shimmered across the field.

But Brock raised his arm quickly to counter. "No, counter with [Metal Sound]!"

Kabutops raised its metal claws and rubbed them against each other, causing a loud screech that was way louder than the singing, making it useless, and forcing Cinccino to cover her ears.

Whitney pouted as she saw her strategy fall apart. "Aw man, you're no fun!" she said, then grinned. "Okay then, let's turn up the cute and the crazy! Cinccino, [Encore]!"

Cinccino clapped her little hands, applauding Kabutops's last attack and locking him into it again. But then Whitney smiled wider. "Now, [Bullet Seed]!"

From its mouth, Cinccino spat a barrage of glowing green seeds like rapid-fire bullets. They pelted Kabutops hard, and since this was a Grass-type move, it was 4× effective against Kabutops.

Brock frowned as he quickly returned him to the Pokéball. If Kabutops couldn't use any other move, he was just a sitting duck, especially if Cinccino did that again. He grabbed another Pokéball.

He swapped Pokéballs quickly. "Aerodactyl, time to fly!"

With a shriek, the fossil Pokémon took to the skies, wings outstretched. He soared upward, looked around, and glared back at Brock.

Whitney gasped. "Oooh, no fair! I didn't know you had a flyer!"

"Yeah, well I didn't know you had a Cinccino," Brock jabbed back in a comeback that sounded way too much like one of Ash's.

Whitney pouted, "Fine, but I'm still gonna beat you. Cinccino, [Bullet Seed] again!"

Cinccino jumped up and again shot out five glowing green pellets, but Brock was ready.

"Aerodactyl, dodge, then [Sky Drop]!"

Aerodactyl launched itself into the air, dodging the seeds as they tried to follow him. Then he turned in the air and swooped down, grabbing Cinccino by the scruff of her fur and lifting her off the ground and into the sky.

"Wha, HEY! That's cheating!!" Whitney called out, flailing.

Too bad Aerodactyl didn't seem to care. But then he heard Brock: "Now drop her!" Brock ordered.

Aerodactyl rolled his eyes. In his time, he remembered he would grab the Pokémon, take it to his nest, and eat it. But then he got revived, and now he had to listen to Brock. Besides, he preferred his prey with less fur.

So with a roar, Aerodactyl released Cinccino. The small Pokémon tumbled through the air and landed hard into the cracked rocks below with a heavy slam.

Cinccino was barely up, still groaning, and Whitney winced as she held up her Pokéball, returning her before she was actually knocked out. "You did great, just rest up, okay."

Then Whitney pulled out her next Pokéball. "Okay then, let's see how much you like it. Mil Mil, your turn!"

Whitney threw a finger forward dramatically, her expression suddenly sharper than before. "Mil Mil, [Thunderbolt]!"

Before Brock could call a move, a crackling bolt of lightning shot from Miltank's body into the sky, before arcing down and striking Aerodactyl dead-on. The ancient flyer screeched and spiraled midair, wings spasming from the impact. Super effective.

"Aerodactyl!" Brock called out.

The pterosaur managed to stabilize, though he dipped low toward the ground, breathing heavily.

"He's still up!" Whitney blinked, then beamed. "Nice! But not for long. Mil Mil, [Rollout]!"

Without hesitation, Miltank tucked in and began spinning, a pink and white blur streaking across the field

"Aerodactyl, get out of the way and [Rock Slide]!" Brock commanded.

Aerodactyl took off, just barely avoiding the steamrolling Miltank as it zoomed past beneath him. With a screech, he called down chunks of rock from above, sending them tumbling toward Miltank.

But Whitney grinned. "[Defense Curl], then [Rollout] again!"

Miltank unfurled just long enough to absorb the hit, curling up again immediately, tanking it completely. Then she started rolling again, this time even stronger because of [Defense Curl]. Mil Mil bounced against a rock, launching herself into the sky and crashing against Aerodactyl, knocking him out of the sky.

Brock's eyes widened as Aerodactyl crashed into the ground. It let out a pained sound, so Brock quickly readied its Pokéball. "Return!"

Brock put Aerodactyl back in the ball. He knew that Aerodactyl would keep fighting, but he wouldn't stay up for long.

So that meant Brock had one last chance. He held his last Pokéball and clenched his hand around it.

"It's time. Let's do this," Brock said under his breath. "Let's go, Tyranitar!"

The moment the Pokéball hit the ground, it exploded open as Brock's Tyranitar emerged with a roar, slamming a foot into the earth as a sandstorm began swirling in the stadium. His eyes glowed with intensity, already glaring down at Mil Mil.

Whitney grinned nervously. "Ooooh boy. Alright, Mil Mil, let's keep rolling, [Rollout], again!"

Mil Mil didn't hesitate. She curled up and came barreling in again.

But Brock swiped his arm through the air. "Tyranitar, [Iron Defense], then [Payback]!"

Tyranitar crouched low, his rocky hide glowing silver as his body hardened. The [Rollout] hit him hard, but this time, it barely pushed him back.

The moment Miltank bounced off, Tyranitar's body shimmered with dark energy, and his tail came down and slammed Mil Mil into the ground again.

Mil Mil hit the ground and staggered to her feet, clearly bruised, but still up.

Whitney quickly called out, "That's the Mil Mil I know! Now, [Milk Drink]!"

Mil Mil stood up and started healing herself. Then Whitney continued, "Okay, now [Rock Smash]!"

Mil Mil's fist started glowing as she ran forward and jumped up, punching Tyranitar in the stomach, sending the big Rock-type sliding back, since Tyranitar was 4× weak to Fighting, but still, he stayed standing.

Brock winced when he got hit. He could see how much that hurt him, but even then, Tyranitar refused to go down. He looked at him, how he was fighting with everything he had, and somehow, it reminded Brock of himself.

Brock took a deep breath and reached under the collar of his shirt, pulling out a necklace made from string, and on it was a rainbow-colored stone, a Keystone.

In the box Flint gave him back then, inside was a Keystone. But not just that, there was a Mega Stone. Specifically, a Mega Stone for Tyranitar.

"Tyranitar!" he shouted. The massive beast turned his head to look back at him, breathing heavily, growling low, but Brock saw the spark still in his eyes.

"Let's show them who we are," Brock declared, as he pulled and snapped the string holding the Keystone. He clenched it in his hand as it began to shine. "Mega Evolve!"

Tyranitar was engulfed in light as he began to glow. The earth trembled slightly as Tyranitar's body expanded and mutated, more armor plates grew along his back, spikes sharpened.

When the light faded, Mega Tyranitar stood tall and roared into the air.

Brock's eyes narrowed. "Time to end this. [Stone Edge]!"

Mega Tyranitar slammed his foot into the ground, sending massive jagged stones erupting up from the earth, spiraling around him as they all aimed at Mil Mil.

Whitney gasped. "Mil Mil! Dodge it-!"

But it was too late.

The stones shot forward like missiles, and several struck Miltank directly. And before Mil Mil could be launched away, Tyranitar slammed his tail into the ground, making a giant rock spike shoot out behind her. She crashed into that, and the rest of the stones kept shooting into her, one after the other.

As the last stone came, it hit so hard that Mil Mil was sent through that rock, ragdolling onto the ground.

For a moment, Mil Mil tried to get up, but then her arms gave out on her, and she fell into the ground with spirals in her eyes.

The referee raised a flag. "Miltank is unable to battle! The winner is Brock of Pewter City!"

Whitney blinked, stunned. "...Wha, Mil Mil…? We lost?" She looked down, then smiled softly. "Well... you did great." She returned Miltank and held the ball, 'definitely' not trying not to cry.

Brock exhaled and looked up at Mega Tyranitar, who let out a triumphant snarl before returning to base form in a flash of light. The sandstorm began to fade.

Brock took a breath as he looked up to the crowds, who were clapping. He smiled, seeing his friends and family sitting there, so he did the only thing that seemed reasonable, he raised his arms and crossed them across his chest, using his signature pose as the crowd went wild for it.

---

Alright guys bad news, looks like the uploads will come to an end, this is the last week of extra chapters, because, i'm starting college on monday, so i can probably give you guys the chapter tomorrow, but after that, its back to 3 chapters a week for a bit at least untill i get the hang of my new scedual