Under Ash's influence, Misty's fate—the fate of the original heroine herself—had undergone a complete transformation.
Now—
She was Ash's girlfriend.
And with his guidance, her talent and strength as a trainer had already begun to shine brilliantly.
Cerulean Gym had never declined to the miserable state where Misty's sisters needed to perform water ballet and rely on charm and appearance just to maintain public support and avoid League closure.
Instead—
Thanks to Ash's help—
Misty had already built a reputation for herself within Cerulean City.
People now knew that although the previous Gym Leaders had passed away and the Gym was currently supported by four girls—
The youngest among them—
Was a genuine prodigy.
Given enough time—
Cerulean Gym would not only return to its former glory under Misty's leadership—
It might even surpass it.
And now—
Standing before the Cerulean Gym—
Everyone immediately realized how different it was from the original timeline.
There was no circus tent.
No giant Seel balloon.
Instead—
Before them stood a proper Pokémon Gym.
Grand.
Modern.
Majestic.
Cerulean Gym was located in the city's eastern coastal district.
A wide pathway several hundred meters long stretched across neatly trimmed lawns.
Small pine-like trees lined both sides of the road, their emerald-green canopies looking soft and delicate.
At the far end of the avenue—
Stood the Gym itself.
The building's silver-gray walls combined with glass roofing gave it an advanced, futuristic appearance.
Its enormous size and angular architecture made it resemble a cutting-edge research facility more than a traditional Gym.
Compared to the solemn temple-like atmosphere of Viridian Gym—
Cerulean Gym's technological and aquatic aesthetic was equally breathtaking.
"Ash, Clarissa, Gary, Green—I'll show everyone around."
Misty walked ahead, smiling as she gestured invitingly.
"Alright~"
As they carried their Pokémon toward the entrance—
The Gym's automatic glass doors slid open with a soft mechanical hiss.
Inside—
The Gym was astonishingly spacious.
It resembled a small indoor plaza.
At the center stood a massive circular Water battlefield.
Floating platforms made of durable impact-resistant material drifted atop the pool, allowing non-Water-type Pokémon to stand and battle without issue.
"This is the Gym battle arena…"
"Behind it is the residential area where my sisters, I, and the Gym staff live…"
"Over there is the Aqua Cube. Sometimes my eldest sister, Daisy, teaches water ballet classes there…"
"And that's the swimming center. My second sister, Violet, occasionally teaches swimming lessons…"
"And besides the battle arena, the third most important place in Cerulean Gym is our Water-type Pokémon Conservation Center."
"We cooperate with marine rescue teams. Injured Water-type Pokémon are brought here for treatment and rehabilitation before being released back into the ocean."
"During rehabilitation, my third sister Lily often brings kindergarten children here for visits and teaches them how to care for Water-type Pokémon and respect Pokémon life."
As Misty guided everyone through the Gym—
She carefully explained each facility in detail.
Compared to most Pokémon Gyms—
Which usually consisted of little more than a battlefield and living quarters—
Cerulean Gym felt incredibly complete.
It had educational facilities.
Community spaces.
Conservation centers.
A true civic institution.
"Misty," Green said curiously, "from what I know, most League Gyms don't have this many facilities. Why does Cerulean Gym have so many interesting places?"
"Umm…"
Misty smiled slightly.
"Actually… this was all inspired by Ash."
"Ash's idea?!"
Gary, Green, and Clarissa all looked surprised.
Seeing their reactions, Misty couldn't help smiling proudly.
"It happened when I was worrying about Cerulean Gym's decline. I contacted Ash and asked if he had any suggestions."
"Ash told me that Pokémon Gyms exist not only to protect their cities, but also to evaluate traveling trainers during League challenges and help the League identify talented trainers."
"But right now, Cerulean Gym isn't strong enough."
"We can't effectively maintain city security yet."
"And we're not in a good position to evaluate trainers either."
"So Ash suggested…"
"That until I grow strong enough as a Gym trainer, Cerulean Gym should temporarily shift its role."
"From being a city protector…"
"To becoming a city service provider."
Misty's eyes sparkled as she spoke.
"Even if we aren't strong enough yet to protect everyone or fully fulfill League duties, Cerulean City already has relatively good public safety."
"And the League Conference season hasn't started yet."
"So my sisters and I discussed it and transformed the unused areas of the Gym into the Aqua Cube, swimming center, and marine conservation center."
"My eldest sister teaches water ballet."
"My second sister teaches swimming."
"My third sister teaches kindergarten children about Pokémon conservation."
"And sometimes I teach younger kids how to command Water-type Pokémon in Water-field battles."
"Because of this…"
"Cerulean Gym's reputation among the city's residents improved dramatically."
"The League even increased our funding to support the Gym's development."
"You could say…"
"The reason Cerulean Gym was able to stop its decline…"
"Was all because of Ash."
As she spoke—
The admiration in Misty's eyes became impossible to hide.
"Ash not only gave us incredibly valuable advice for solving Cerulean Gym's crisis…"
"He also helped guide my Pokémon training."
"And even caught an extremely talented Marill for me."
"He helped strengthen my team."
"And there's more!"
"At first, when I started battling publicly and teaching younger children, some people mocked me because of my age and because I was the Gym heir."
"But whenever I used Ash as an example…"
"They instantly had nothing left to say."
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