After crossing Mt. Moon, Red finally arrived in Cerulean City. His first stop was the Pokémon Center, where he booked a room and entrusted his team to Nurse Joy’s care before making his customary call home to Delia.

“Red, from Pallet Town, you have a package!” the Center’s intercom announced shortly after.

Just as he’d expected, it was the antidote from Professor Oak. Red collected the package and immediately dialed the lab. The Professor’s face appeared on screen, mid-slurp of his usual instant noodles. Red was used to it by now.

“I see you’ve received it,” Oak said, wiping his mouth. “That recovery potion is a unique compound. It won’t eliminate the experimental factors in your Gyarados, but it will allow it to perfectly control them, integrating that dark power without it losing its sanity.”

The Professor explained his theory: the foreign genes had localized in Gyarados’s abdomen and flanks, which was why their color had shifted from pale yellow to pitch black. If he was correct, Gyarados could now master two distinct forms, switching between its natural Water/Flying type and the artificial Water/Dark type at will.

“Thank you, Professor,” Red said, his voice filled with genuine gratitude. He saw the deep, dark circles under the Professor’s eyes and knew this was no simple potion; it was the result of sleepless nights of dedicated research.

“If you truly want to thank me, then go out and capture more powerful and unique Pokémon for my research!” Oak joked, waving off the thanks. “I have complete faith in your talent.” In his eyes, every trainer from Pallet Town was like one of his own children, a source of pride for their small community.

After injecting his partner with the potion, Red saw that the Professor’s theory was proven correct. The Blood-Red Gyarados could now freely alter its typing. The change was visibly marked by the color of its underbelly: pale yellow for Water/Flying, pitch black for Water/Dark.

His team restored, Red made his way to the Cerulean Gym. At first glance, it looked more like a city aquarium, its walls covered with posters advertising the “Cerulean Sisters’ Sensational Synchronized Swimming Show.” It was a strange branding choice for an official League Gym, one that seemed designed to attract a very specific kind of clientele.

Upon entering, Red found the place packed. The seats were full, and over ninety percent of the audience consisted of middle-aged men, their eyes glued to the water ballet performance. Their purpose for being here was painfully obvious.

With no seats available, Red leaned against a wall, silently wishing for the show to end. His quiet muttering annoyed a man in the row in front of him, who turned with a scowl, ready to complain. He was met with Red’s icy glare. Red subtly pulsed his psychic energy, and the terrifying aura froze the man in his seat.

“Ah,” the man stammered, suddenly finding the floor fascinating. “Just stretching my legs, sore from sitting so long!”

Red ignored him, pulling his hat down to wait. After what felt like an eternity, the show finally ended. The audience began to file out, and the impatient Red made his way down to the poolside to find the gym leaders.

The three Cerulean Sisters were congratulating each other on their performance when he approached. Before he could speak, the third sister, Lily, wagged a finger at him. “Little brother, it’s not healthy to be such a devoted fan at your age! Don’t be like these creepy old men!”

“…”

Red was silent for a moment before simply taking out a Poké Ball, the universal gesture for a Gym challenge.

“Why so serious, little brother? Aren’t you afraid no girl will ever like you?” the second sister, Violet, teased, reaching out to pinch his cheek. Red dodged her cleanly.

Bored with their new toy, the sisters led him to the battle arena, a massive pool dotted with floating platforms. A referee announced the start of the 3v3 match. The eldest sister, Daisy, stepped onto a platform opposite Red.

They threw their Poké Balls simultaneously. Daisy sent out a Seaking. Red sent out his Blood-Red Gyarados.

The leviathan’s emergence caused the water level to surge, nearly knocking Daisy from her platform. Her Seaking trembled, paralyzed by the sight of the monstrous creature before it. The Gyarados let out a furious roar, its Intimidate ability crushing what little fighting spirit the Seaking had left.

“Are all new trainers from Pallet Town this terrifying?!” Daisy despaired. They had already been soundly defeated by Gary just a few days ago.

“If you won’t make the first move, then don’t blame me for being impolite,” Red said. “Gyarados, Aqua Tail!”

With a roar, the Gyarados whipped its massive tail. The torrent of water it created slammed into the Seaking, sending it flying out of the pool in a one-hit knockout. As the victory registered, Gyarados’s muscles swelled, its Moxie ability activating and boosting its attack power even further.

“We surrender!” the three sisters shouted in unison, their will to fight completely shattered.

Seeing no more opponents, the Blood-Red Gyarados let out a displeased rumble. It had been eager for a real battle.

“It seems your Gyarados really loves to fight,” Daisy said with a nervous smile. An idea struck her. “How about you guard the gym for us for a day?”

“That’s a great idea!” Violet chimed in. “It would give your Gyarados a good workout and save our gym’s reputation!”

(So you do care about your reputation,) Red thought, rolling his eyes. These three were so obsessed with their hobby that they could barely handle a third-rate trainer. They were nothing like their serious, dedicated younger sister, Misty.

Just then, the Gyarados swam over to Red, its eyes pleading with him to accept. It had been itching for a real challenge, and the thought of battling all day was too good to pass up.

“Great! This is your well-deserved Cascade Badge!” Daisy cheered, seeing Red nod in agreement. To Red’s complete bewilderment, she reached into her swimsuit, pulled out the teardrop-shaped badge, and placed the still-warm object in his hand. “And this is the limited-edition big sister version!”

“Wow! Daisy, you’re so bold!” Violet blushed.

“This little brother is quite handsome, just a bit cold,” Lily mused. Then, before Red could react, she leaned in and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. “A reward for helping us out!”

The other two sisters, not to be outdone, tried to do the same, but Red agilely dodged them. The first kiss had only landed because he’d been caught off guard, stunned by their sheer audacity. He hadn’t expected them to be so “thirsty,” as he’d heard the term used, that they wouldn’t even spare a ten-year-old boy.

“Alright, alright, we’ll stop teasing you,” Daisy laughed. “The Cerulean Gym is in your hands!”

With their duties pawned off, the three sisters happily rushed off to go shopping, leaving Red to manage the mess they’d made.

***********

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Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep