That night, Natsui and Misty, having missed the chance to reach the next town, had no choice but to camp beside a small lake.
Natsui set up the tent and invited Misty inside. Of course, unlike sharing the same blanket with Sabrina or Erika, they placed a lantern between them and slept on opposite sides, leaving plenty of space. The tent was just to shield them from the wind and rain.
Even so, Misty's face flushed red, her mind racing with thoughts of what might happen.
With Erika gone, Natsui naturally took on the responsibility of making dinner.
Although his cooking skills were average, he had learned a thing or two from spending so much time with Erika. After some effort, he managed to make a seasonal stew as the main dish, and it actually turned out quite well.
At the very least, he was satisfied with it, and Misty praised it nonstop.
The two of them, along with their Pokémon, ate until they were full. When the sun finally set and the surroundings darkened beneath the high moon, they cleaned the dishes and sat in front of the tent, chatting idly while watching the calm lake.
The campfire crackled, and starlight shimmered on the surface of the lake like a galaxy reflected in water.
Nearby, Eevee, Torchic, and Misty's Pokémon played together, while Gengar sat off to the side like an old monk, quietly admiring the starry sky.
Natsui poked at the fire with a stick, then turned to Misty. "I'm surprised your sisters actually agreed to let you leave so easily this time."
"What's the big deal?" Misty replied with a smile, though it looked a little forced. "They support my journey. And even if they didn't, I wouldn't listen to them!"
In truth, after returning to the Cerulean Gym, Misty had stayed home for a few days. When she announced she was leaving for Hoenn again, Daisy and Violet strongly opposed it.
The three Cerulean sisters were now completely focused on their water ballet performances and wanted Misty to take over the gym as soon as possible.
Fortunately, Misty secretly went to her oldest sister, Lily. After a sincere and emotional talk, Lily convinced Daisy and Violet to let Misty travel just a little longer.
But once that time was up, she had to return and inherit the gym.
She didn't tell Natsui any of this. Even though there was an agreement, she already knew her sisters had no real ambition to stay as Gym Leaders. The gym was their home, one they couldn't abandon. Misty understood that eventually, she would need to take on that responsibility.
Being able to delay it even a bit longer was already lucky.
Natsui didn't overthink Misty's answer. Having watched the anime, he already understood even without her saying it. It wouldn't be long before she had to return to the Cerulean Gym and officially become a Gym Leader.
But speaking of Cerulean Gym…
Remembering Misty was a Water-type specialist, Natsui took out a Poké Ball and released the Feebas he had recently caught on the beach outside Petalburg City.
Seeing the mud-colored, ugly little fish Pokémon, even Misty—who loved Water-types—couldn't help but frown.
"Natsui, is this a new Pokémon you caught? Why does it look… so… so…"
Knowing exactly what she wanted to say, Natsui laughed. He pulled out his Pokédex, showed her a picture of Milotic, and said:
"Don't judge it by the way it looks now. Its evolution is very beautiful."
After listening to his explanation, Misty realized she had spoken too soon and stuck out her tongue sheepishly.
Then, Natsui asked Misty for advice on how to train this type of fish Pokémon.
Although he had experience raising Magikarp, picking it up and slamming it into opponents clearly wouldn't work for Feebas.
Hearing Natsui ask her for advice, Misty was thrilled and felt proud.
She held back her excitement and taught him all she knew—every little detail. As expected of someone raised in a gym, she brought up many points Natsui had never considered. Their discussion helped him tremendously.
And not just that. With Misty's help, Natsui even tried out some more professional Water-type training methods in the lake, and the results were great.
By the end of it, he felt much more confident about raising his Feebas.
…
The next morning, they packed their bags, buried the ashes of the fire, and set off.
After another hour of walking, they left the plains behind, and Natsui arrived in Rustboro City for the second time.
With Misty accompanying him, he didn't wander around this time. Instead, he headed straight for the Rustboro Gym.
The Rustboro Gym, an official League gym, sat in an open area of the city. It was surrounded by earth and rocks, clearly designed that way to contrast with the modern urban surroundings. It almost seemed like the architect wanted to tell challengers the gym's type as plainly as possible.
The building itself was shaped like a massive mountain, as if carved from a giant boulder.
The Gym Leader, Roxanne, specialized in Rock-type Pokémon and was known as a top student obsessed with rocks. In addition to being a Gym Leader, she also worked as a teacher at the Pokémon Academy. Both professions were highly respected, giving her a great reputation in Rustboro City.
Natsui took a deep breath to steady himself and entered the Rustboro Gym with Misty.
After checking in with the receptionist, they were taken straight to the battlefield.
Before they even arrived, Natsui saw a girl in a gray-blue dress, red leggings, and a matching red bow tie and headband. She was instructing a group of uniformed students as they cleaned the rocky field.
Honestly, guessing Roxanne's age was difficult.
Judging from her outfit, she looked like a girl around seventeen or eighteen. But looking at her face, she seemed about the same age as Natsui.
If he had to describe it, he'd say she simply dressed young.
Of course, this wasn't an insult to her style. It just meant she had a youthful personality and a charming way of presenting herself.
Hearing footsteps, Roxanne looked up and noticed their arrival.
She walked up to Natsui and curtsied gracefully.
"Hello. I'm Roxanne, the Gym Leader here. Welcome to the Rustboro Gym!"
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