"Bulbasaur, use Vine Whip!"
From the bulb on Bulbasaur's back, two vine whips suddenly sprouted, fiercely lashing at Eevee.
However, this Eevee was clearly fast. With a quick movement of its four paws, it easily dodged the Vine Whip attack.
Looking at Bulbasaur, Eevee let out a taunting cry.
"Saur!" Hearing its cry, Bulbasaur looked very angry, but just as it was about to act, Natsui stopped it in time.
"Bulbasaur, don't be swayed by its howl—keep attacking with Vine Whip!"
Obeying Natsui's command, Bulbasaur's two whips launched a continuous offensive, as if they would never tire.
"Good, keep up that attack rate to wear down its energy!"
At first, Eevee moved with ease, trying to dodge the vines with its speed. However, as its energy waned, Bulbasaur finally seized an opportunity and struck it with a strong lash.
Eevee cried out in pain and, suddenly charging with force, rammed its body into Bulbasaur.
"You like a direct clash, huh!?" ordered Natsui. "Bulbasaur, don't let it beat you—use Tackle!"
Bulbasaur shifted its four legs and, running at high speed, lunged at Eevee. A moment later, the two Pokémon collided, and with a loud crash, each fell to one side.
The impact seemed to have wounded them both severely. They fell to the ground and struggled to get up.
However, due to their energy levels, Bulbasaur recovered first. It extended its vines and whipped Eevee directly.
Eevee, unable to dodge, took several lashes and completely lost the ability to fight.
Seeing this, Natsui threw a Poké Ball without hesitation and easily caught it.
Third Pokémon obtained!
...
Cerulean City Pokémon Center.
After eating the free breakfast provided and thanking Nurse Joy, Natsui left with his three Pokémon.
After a night's rest, they had all recovered to their best condition.
Moreover, through play and training, their bond had grown stronger.
However, just before leaving, Natsui saw a notice posted on the door. Looking closely, it turned out to be a "Wanted" poster!
And judging by the blurry photo on the poster, the fugitives were clearly Jessie and James of Team Rocket!
At the counter, Nurse Joy warned him, "Trainer, there are Pokémon thieves in the area—please be careful."
Natsui nodded: "Thank you for the warning, Nurse Joy. I'll be careful."
Following the main street, he arrived at the Cerulean City Gym.
The Cerulean City Gym looked more like a huge circus, and under its round, colorful tent roof hung a giant sign of a Dewgong—very eye-catching!
According to Nurse Joy, the gym leader at this moment was not Misty, but her three older sisters, known as the Water Flowers and hailed as the three beautiful sisters of Cerulean City: Daisy, Violet, and Lily.
However, at that time, a large crowd had gathered in front of the gym's entrance. When he asked, he learned that today was the synchronized water ballet show by the three beautiful sisters, and all these people had come to enjoy the spectacle.
Men, it seems, remain boys until the end.
It looked like to challenge the gym, he would have to wait at least until the show ended.
Natsui looked around. This was just a medium‑sized coastal town, with scenery very similar to elsewhere—nothing special to see. Since he had nothing else to do, he bought a ticket and joined the crowd to watch the show.
The performance venue was at the pool on the first floor, and just as Natsui sat down, the entire hall suddenly darkened.
The voice of an announcer reached everyone's ears through the speakers.
"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for your patience! The synchronized water ballet show by the three beautiful sisters of our city is about to begin!"
With the announcer's words, the surrounding spotlights simultaneously lit up and focused on the springboard by the pool.
There, three beauties in swimsuits waved to the audience.
Seeing them, the crowd burst into thunderous applause and cheers. It seemed these three beauties were truly very popular.
It must be said, the three were indeed very beautiful, especially their long, white legs, which attracted most of the gazes.
As the music played, the atmosphere suddenly shifted. The three dove into the water at the same time and began a magnificent aquatic dance.
The dance was a feast for the eyes, capable of drawing one into it. And with the change of music, when they finally climbed back to the pool's edge to bid farewell to the audience, Natsui suddenly realized how quickly time had passed! In the blink of an eye, more than an hour had gone by!
Incredible!
Although the show had ended, the audience still seemed to want more, and they continued praising the performance.
"Daisy is so pretty and so sweet—she's the perfect woman!"
"Nonsense! Violet is clearly the most beautiful! Ah, her blue hair and dark red eyes have captured my heart!"
"Hmph, you really don't know how to appreciate things. If you ask me, Lily is the cutest of all!"
Overhearing the discussion beside him, Natsui couldn't help but smile.
Now that the show was over, it was his turn!
Descending the stairs on one side, he reached the basement and soon found the three sisters in the aquarium.
The three were walking and laughing, clearly very pleased with today's performance.
"Did you see the audience's reaction? Today's performance was a huge success."
"I know, it seems our special training all this time wasn't in vain."
Seeing the three about to disappear at the end of the aquarium, Natsui quickly approached and called to them.
"Excuse me, miss—please wait a moment!"
At Natsui's voice, the three sisters stopped and, turning to look at him, showed expressions of surprise.
"Sir, the show is already over. If you want to see it again, you'll have to wait until tomorrow."
Natsui shook his head: "Ah, no—I am…"
However, before Natsui could finish, Violet interrupted him: "Are you a reporter? I'm very sorry, but if you want to interview us, you'll have to make an appointment through our manager."
"A reporter?" Natsui shook his head again. "I'm not a reporter, I came this time only to…"
"You're not a reporter?" Lily crossed her arms and smiled. "Then do you want our autograph?"
What a nuisance—these girls wouldn't let him speak.
Seeing Natsui's exasperated expression, only Daisy seemed to realize the situation and asked: "Sir, did you come to challenge the gym?"