Pokemon: Trait Master

When Ash and Serena arrived at Cerulean Gym, 

Misty ultimately couldn't hold back—she fled at the last moment. 

She really didn't want to hear her sisters call her an ugly duckling in front of Ash. 

So, she made up an excuse, pretending to temporarily leave Ash's group, 

but in reality, she was following behind him. 

Ash and Serena, meanwhile, bought two tickets and entered Cerulean Gym. 

At this moment, the Water Ballet performance was in full swing. 

This was Cerulean Gym's main source of income. 

The Cerulean Sisters, while not very strong in battle, 

were renowned beauties throughout the region. 

As soon as Ash entered, he saw three pairs of long, fair legs swaying on stage. 

Three stunning women, each with their unique charm, 

were gracefully moving across the water, their synchronized dance mesmerizing the audience. 

Their one-piece swimsuits accentuated their slender arms and long legs, 

their fair skin shimmering under the stage lights, 

as if bathed in a soft, ethereal glow. 

"Ash, you're staring~" 

Serena, standing beside Ash, teased him in a soft voice, 

her tone carrying a hint of jealousy. 

Because at this moment, Ash's gaze was dazed, 

locked onto the three sisters performing— 

completely unable to look away! 

Realizing this, Ash awkwardly snapped out of his trance, 

scratching his head in embarrassment. 

Watching beautiful women was a natural instinct for any man.

Even though he was only ten, 

his physical development and mental maturity far exceeded that of an average ten-year-old. 

It was perfectly normal to be momentarily captivated by a performance featuring three curvaceous women dancing in water ballet. 

After all, who wouldn't at least steal a glance? 

Judging by the overwhelming number of male spectators— 

a solid ninety-five percent of the audience— 

this was already well proven. 

"Ahem, I was just watching from an appreciative perspective, Serena. Nothing more." 

"I'm not saying you did anything wrong~ Even I couldn't look away from those legs, 

let alone you." 

"But don't forget our main purpose for coming here, Ash!" 

Serena knew she had no real right to scold Ash. 

After all, their relationship was still just travel companions. 

But still, watching was one thing— 

they couldn't forget why they were really here. 

And that was to challenge Cerulean Gym. 

Ash nodded, indicating that he hadn't forgotten. 

He then took Serena backstage and found a staff member. 

Upon learning that they had come to challenge the Gym, 

the staff led them to the rest area. 

The battle arena of Cerulean Gym was none other than the pool currently being used for the Water Ballet. 

So, they had to wait for the performance to finish before they could begin their challenge. 

A Water Ballet performance wasn't too long, 

and since it was already halfway through, 

they didn't have to wait very long. 

Soon, the three fair-skinned, beautiful sisters entered the rest area, 

wiping their damp hair while chatting and laughing. 

Upon seeing Ash and Serena, 

they paused momentarily before the eldest sister, a golden-haired woman, stepped forward. 

"You're here to challenge the Gym, right?" 

"That's right. I'm Ash from Pallet Town, and I've come to challenge Cerulean Gym!" 

"I'm Daisy, the current Gym Leader of Cerulean Gym… But, I'm afraid we're not in a position to accept a challenge right now." 

The golden-haired woman, Daisy, explained their Gym's current situation. 

Due to their parents' sudden disappearance, 

most of their battle-ready Pokémon had been taken away with them. 

They were left with only their own Pokémon. 

And after facing a wave of challenges from Pallet Town's rookie Trainers, 

their Pokémon were now wounded and exhausted, currently recovering at the Pokémon Center. 

Although the Pokémon Center in this world had advanced technology, 

ordinary injuries and fatigue could be healed quickly. 

However, for serious injuries or extreme exhaustion, 

recovery usually took more than a day. 

As a result, Cerulean Gym currently had no Pokémon available for battle. 

"…How about this? We'll just give you the Gym Badge. 

After all, every Trainer from Pallet Town seems ridiculously strong." 

The blue-haired sister, Violet, suggested nonchalantly. 

After being beaten down repeatedly by Pallet Town's Trainers over the past few days, 

she had completely lost the motivation to battle. 

"Yeah, yeah! The result would be the same anyway. Just take the Badge!" 

The youngest of the three, Lily, nodded vigorously like a pecking chick. 

Ash: … 

Serena: … 

The sisters' words left both of them speechless. 

Though Ash had heard rumors about Cerulean Gym's reputation, 

"Seeing is believing." 

Today, he had finally witnessed the truth. 

After a moment of silence, 

Ash's expression became slightly serious. 

"I don't agree with this." 

"The League established Gyms to test Trainers, 

to hone their tactics, willpower, and battle skills." 

"Not just to hand out Badges." 

"If every Gym was like yours, there would be no point in holding the Indigo League." 

Now, it was the three sisters who fell silent. 

Of course, they understood this. 

But becoming Gym Leaders was never their dream— 

they had been forced into the role by circumstances. 

If they had a choice, 

they would much rather live a carefree life, 

performing the occasional Water Ballet instead. 

At that moment, the restroom doors suddenly burst open! 

Misty, who had temporarily left Ash's team, 

stood there with an angry expression! 

"Ash is right! Sisters, you've completely failed as Gym Leaders!" 

"Do you even realize that throughout Kanto, 

people are saying that 'Cerulean Gym Badges are free giveaways'?!" 

"Can't you at least have some self-respect?!" 

Misty's sudden outburst startled the three sisters, 

but soon, they turned the tables on her— 

as older sisters should. 

First, they mocked her for being childish, 

then, they lectured her about the burdens of running the Gym. 

In the end, Misty—who had charged in with confidence— 

was completely shut down by her three older sisters, 

shrinking into a tiny, defeated mess. 

"…Ash, did you know Misty was one of Cerulean Gym's Gym Leaders?" 

Serena, noticing that Ash didn't look surprised at all, 

leaned closer and whispered in his ear. 

Feeling the warm breath against his ear, Ash felt a slight tickle, 

but still calmly replied. 

"Yeah. Based on her behavior and expressions before, I already had a good guess." 

Then, Ash stepped forward, looking seriously at Misty. 

"Let's battle, Misty!"