"Stop! No more fights! We give up!"
"Yeah, you're too strong. We won't battle you anymore."
Zephyr stood there, baffled. Wasn't this supposed to be a gym challenge?
He sighed, feeling speechless. What's going on? I'm here to earn a badge, and now they're just quitting? Why would the Indigo League approve a gym like this?
Zephyr couldn't help but chuckle awkwardly. "So... does this mean I passed the challenge?"
"Of course!" Daisy, standing across from him, nodded repeatedly.
"Then can I get the Cascade Badge?" Zephyr asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Sure, sure! Come with us," Lily said cheerfully. "You can pick one yourself. We've got plenty of badges. Take the prettiest one if you want!"
Before Zephyr could respond, the three Cerulean Gym sisters hopped off the battle platform and gestured for him to follow.
They led him inside their private living quarters, a cozy and girly space decorated in pink hues and water-type Pokémon plushies.
"Little brother, where are you from? Your Pokémon are so strong... And fierce!!"
Zephyr hesitated before answering, "Uh… I'm from Pallet Town."
At that, the sisters froze, then turned to him simultaneously.
"Pallet Town?!" they exclaimed in unison.
"Yeah. What's wrong?"
"You Pallet Town trainers are all monsters!" Violet huffed. "One's stronger than the other! The only weak one is Ash, and I have no idea why Misty decided to travel with him."
Zephyr chuckled awkwardly, recalling that the sisters had been repeatedly defeated by trainers from Pallet Town. Ash was probably the only one who didn't utterly crush them.
As if to add insult to injury, Zephyr's own battle had been one-sided, leaving them almost in tears.
While they were talking, Violet pulled out a small box and opened it, revealing a stack of Cascade Badges.
"Here you go, pick one," she said, holding the box out to Zephyr.
Zephyr glanced at the badges. They all looked exactly the same to him. Without overthinking, he grabbed one and placed it in his badge case.
"Congratulations!" Daisy said. "You've officially beaten the Cerulean Gym."
With this, Zephyr now had three badges. The Indigo League was getting closer, and he felt confident. At this rate, I might even win the championship!
---
Afterward, the sisters insisted on treating him to dinner. Zephyr happily accepted, enjoying their company and the good food.
When the meal was over, and night had fallen, he left the Cerulean Gym.
---
Zephyr wandered the bustling streets of Cerulean City, stocking up on supplies for his journey. His airship's storage was running low, and he didn't want to be unprepared.
After some shopping, he stored his items in his space backpack to avoid carrying too many bags. Then, he started planning his next destination.
Cerulean City wasn't far from Saffron City or Vermilion City. Between them lay Bill's Lighthouse, a place he remembered from his old world's Pokémon shows.
The thought of the mysterious Pokémon that appeared there intrigued him. Yeah, that's where I'll go next.
With his next goal in mind, Zephyr set off, excitement building for the adventures to come.
###
Stones.... Stones... Where is it? Gimme stones!