Capítulo 37: Chapter no.37 Misty and Austin: Morning
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Misty woke up with a long, satisfying stretch, sinking deeper into the plush mattress as she savored the soft embrace of a real bed. After what felt like an eternity of sleeping on uneven ground, rocks poking into her back, and the occasional rain-soaked night, this felt like a dream. She'd spent countless uncomfortable nights on her journey, and even more since that ill-fated decision to bring along a water-filled sleeping bag. What a disaster that had been—especially after a mischievous Weedle decided to puncture it. The memory made her wince.
One more reason to hate bugs, she thought with a frown, shaking off the unpleasant memory.
Today was going to be a calm day. Misty had told herself that as she lingered in the warmth of her bed, stretching luxuriously under the soft sheets. No battles, no drama—just a slow, easy breakfast, maybe picking up some supplies, and then hitting the road again. Her journey awaited, after all, and she was eager to get back to it. But for once, she wanted to start her day feeling refreshed.
After drying off from a long, hot shower, she finally pulled out one of the new outfits she'd bought back in Viridian City. Her trusty orange shirt and shorts were her usual go-to, a familiar look that had practically become her signature since leaving Cerulean. But lately, with her bike stolen by those Team Rocket goons, she'd found herself wanting a bit of a change. Something new to go with this new chapter in her life, even if it was forced on her by frustration.
In front of the small mirror in her room, Misty tied her short, orange hair up into a small side ponytail with a blue hairband, brushing out the stray strands so they framed her face neatly. It was a playful style, a bit different from her usual look, and she liked how the color of the hairband matched the rest of her outfit.
Next, she slipped into a white tank top with light blue straps that contrasted nicely with her sun-kissed skin. There was a small opening on each side near her ribs, giving it an edgy feel that made her grin at her reflection. The top felt comfortable and airy, perfect for the warmer weather. She paired it with a pair of light blue shorts with white and blue detailing along the seams, just snug enough to be flattering but loose enough to move in. Finally, she laced up her red and blue sneakers, each with thick white soles that added a little extra bounce to her step.
Before leaving, she decided to put on a mask—a simple blue one that complemented her outfit.
Once she was ready, she made her way down to the Pokémon Center cafeteria and ordered her breakfast: a bowl of Magikarp scale miso soup, a side of steamed white rice, and a glass of fresh juice. Settling down at a corner table, she took her time savoring each bite, letting the familiar, comforting taste of home settle her nerves. She hadn't realized how much she'd missed this, the quiet simplicity of a meal that didn't involve rationed supplies or eating on the road.
She closed her eyes, savoring the warmth of the soup as it spread through her, letting herself just… be. She could feel the tension melting away, the weight of her journey slipping off her shoulders, at least for a moment. This was what she needed. Peace. Solitude.
Of course, it didn't last long.
"Oh, hey there, Misty!"
Her shoulders tensed at the sound of her name, her eyes snapping open. She turned slowly, hoping against hope that maybe it wasn't her he was talking to.
She exhaled, keeping her expression neutral. She supposed she should be grateful it was just Austin rather than someone who knew her or, god forbid, her sisters.
"Did you catch a cold or something?" he asked, gesturing to her mask.
She simply gave him a blank stare, silently hoping he'd take the hint and leave her alone. But Austin seemed unfazed, pulling out a chair and sitting down across from her as if they'd planned to meet up. She resisted the urge to sigh.
Misty cleared her throat, deciding she'd try a more direct approach. "Austin, I was actually hoping to have breakfast alone."
"Great!" he replied with an easy smile, completely ignoring her statement. "Me too."
She blinked, incredulous. Either he was deliberately ignoring her, or he really was that oblivious.
Misty stood up, her mind set on heading back to her room to avoid a conversation. But Austin, either oblivious or just plain persistent, decided to follow her.
"Why are you following me?"
"Oh, I'm just going to my room," he replied with a casual shrug, completely unbothered by her tone. It was like trying to push away a stubborn Psyduck.
Misty felt a little embarrassed now, her cheeks warming as she turned and started walking faster, trying to leave him behind. She was used to being independent, to making her own decisions without having to entertain anyone else's presence. This… tagalong rookie was the last thing she wanted right now.
But Austin, oblivious or not, kept chatting like they were old friends. "I'm excited to battle my second gym. I want to see how different it'll be from Brock's gym," he said, sounding almost like he was bragging. She didn't respond, hoping he'd give up and find someone else to talk to. Anyone else.
Undeterred, he continued, "I'm pretty sure I could beat the Cerulean Gym in one go."
Misty stopped dead in her tracks and turned, giving him a hard stare. "Cerulean Gym isn't that easy, newbie."
He shrugged, a smirk playing at the corners of his mouth. "I beat Pewter in one go. I'm sure Cerulean will be just as easy."
Her hands curled into fists. For a moment, Misty seriously considered giving him a piece of her mind—or even her fists. But instead, she forced herself to take a deep breath and turned away, walking faster, leaving Austin and his smug smile behind her. She had her own plans for the day, and getting into an argument with this overconfident rookie wasn't part of them.
Still, the fact that he'd managed to beat the Pewter Gym on his first try stuck with her. She didn't want to admit it, but it did show he was a cut above the usual rookie. Most new trainers barely scraped by their first badge, let alone breezed through it. But even as the thought lingered, she tried to brush it off. It's not talent that makes a good trainer, she reminded herself. It's persistence. It's endurance.
Misty had seen countless "genius" trainers come and go, trainers who seemed to win without breaking a sweat. Some of them made it far, sure, but many burned out, falling short in the end. They lacked the grit, the resilience it took to truly succeed. The trainers who made it big, who pushed through to the top, were the ones who lost, who struggled, and who rose up again and again, refusing to give up no matter how many times they were knocked down.
Maybe I'm just making excuses to downplay his feat, she thought, a bitter edge creeping into her inner voice. Maybe it bothers me more than I want to admit. She didn't like the idea of some kid waltzing into her hometown, bragging about his easy victory and acting like he could take on the Cerulean Gym without a second thought. It felt like he was undermining everything she believed about being a true trainer, everything she'd fought for.
But what do I care? she told herself firmly. Let him think he's invincible. He'll learn the hard way that it takes more than raw talent to make it in this world.
"Shame that the gym is used for water shows now."
Misty froze. She spun around, her face a mix of shock and indignation. If her hands weren't full with a food tray, she might have grabbed him by the collar.
"What did you just say?"
Austin raised an eyebrow, looking at her with feigned innocence. "The Cerulean Gym. It's being used for water shows by the Sensational Sisters, right?"
The words hit her harder than she wanted to admit. Water shows. The thought made her stomach turn. Her sisters had reduced the gym—her gym, the place she'd poured her heart and soul into—to nothing more than a performance stage, a place for cheap tricks and entertainment. The idea of the Cerulean Gym being anything less than a place of competition, of pride… it hurt more than she'd expected.
She felt herself deflate slightly, the energy draining from her as she turned to leave, needing to get away from this conversation.
"You know, I was expecting much more of a reaction, considering what your sisters are doing."
She forced herself to keep her expression steady, but her mind was racing. How does he know about that? she thought, her eyes narrowing as she studied him. Austin might have seemed like an average, clueless rookie when she first met him, but the more he spoke, the more she realized he was anything but. He was confident, too confident. And somehow, he knew things about her family that even some of her close friends didn't know.
What's his angle? she wondered, her mind whirling with possibilities. Is he trying to mess with me, to get under my skin? Or… could he be blackmailing me?
A sinking feeling settled in her stomach, a dark suspicion creeping in. She thought about her bike, how it had been conveniently "recovered" right around the same time this kid had shown up. Wait… what if he's from Team Rocket? Her imagination started running wild. They did steal my bike… maybe he's here to sabotage me, or worse, keep me from taking over the Cerulean Gym!
She clenched her fists, feeling her pulse quicken. She might have been mature for her age, but she was still only thirteen, and her thoughts spiraled toward the worst possible scenarios. This has to be it. He's here to stop me from becoming the Gym Leader. He's here to… to…
Misty took a step back, her voice dropping into a low growl. "What do you want, Team Rocket grunt?" Without waiting for a response, she released Starmie in front of her, its purple body shimmering as it spun defensively.
Austin blinked, clearly taken aback. "Team Rocket grunt?" he repeated, looking genuinely baffled. "What are you talking about?"
"I figured it out," Misty said, her voice laced with suspicion. "You're a Team Rocket agent, aren't you?"
"How… on earth did you come to that conclusion?"
"It's simple!" Misty snapped, feeling prideful at her genius intellect. "You had my bike—the one that was stolen by Team Rocket. And now, here you are, acting all mysterious, talking about my family and the gym." She took a deep breath, glaring at him. "You're here to… assassinate me, aren't you?"
Austin just stared at her, his expression somewhere between exasperation and disbelief. "Assassinate you?" he repeated, deadpan. He looked at her Starmie, which was ready to strike at any moment. "You think I'm here to… assassinate you?"
"Confess!" Misty said, her voice sharper than she intended. "Or else Starmie is going to Water Pulse you right out of here."
"Why am I dealing with this stupid kid?"
Misty's cheeks flushed, her fear quickly morphing into indignation. "Hey, I'm not a kid! And I'm not stupid!"
He sighed, crossing his arms as he gave her a level stare. "This situation begs to differ."
She glared at him, her fists clenched, but she couldn't deny the small prick of doubt creeping in. "Fine, then. If you're not with Team Rocket, what do you want from me?"
"Oh, I want you to battle me for the Cerulean Gym."
Misty blinked, taken aback.
"Repeat that?"
"I want you to battle me for the Cerulean Gym."
Her mind scrambled for a response. Is this some kind of joke? She crossed her arms, giving him a pointed look. "Look, even if I wanted to, I'm not the official Gym Leader. Battling me won't mean anything. You wouldn't get a badge."
"Oh, that's easy to fix."
Misty raised an eyebrow, part of her curious despite herself. "And how, exactly, would you fix that?"
"Let's make you the Cerulean Gym Leader."
Austin suggested nonchalantly, as if ascending to such a prestigious position was a minor, everyday occurrence.
She narrowed her eyes, giving him one last withering look. "Don't bother me with this nonsense, stupid."
With that, she opened her room door, shot him a final glare, and slammed the door in his face.
Inside her room, Misty sank onto the bed, her breakfast tray untouched beside her as her mind replayed their conversation. Each word he'd said buzzed in her head, refusing to leave her alone.
Her spoon lay idle in her hand as she stared into her untouched soup, her appetite gone, her thoughts racing. She didn't have the answers she needed, but one thing was clear.
She needed some answers.
Rising abruptly, Misty made her way towards the Cerulean City gym—a simple natatorium marked by a Dewgong silhouette at the front, now bustling and unusually vibrant.
Approaching the gym, Misty could see lines of people waiting outside.
Peeking through the windows, her heart sank. The giant indoor swimming pool where her mother had taught her everything about water Pokémon was now a stage for her sisters, who were signing posters for adoring fans. The gym was decorated elaborately for a water show, with colorful banners and shimmering lights creating a spectacle of the space that held so much significance to her.
A sharp pang of betrayal tightened in Misty's chest when she noticed that her mother's portrait, which had always held a place of honor, was missing.
In its place hung a garish advertisement for the Sensational Sisters' show.
She bit her lower lip hard, fighting the urge to burst into the facility and confront her sisters.
How could they?
Last year, when she had set out to specialize in water Pokémon and reclaim the Cerulean City gym, they had promised to preserve its legacy. Yet here they were, turning it into nothing more than a venue for their performances.
It was their right, legally speaking.
The gym wasn't provided by the league but was something her father had built for her mother when she retired as a Gym Leader.
It was their family's private property, and yet, their actions felt like a profound disrespect to both their parents' intentions and memories.
Misty, feeling a whirl of emotions, returned to the Pokémon Center determined to confront the situation head-on.
She found Austin in the cafeteria, his attention absorbed by his journal as Pikachu, Eevee, and Rattata enjoyed a meal nearby. Without hesitation, she approached and slammed her hand onto the table, making enough noise to catch only his attention.
"I am in," she declared, her voice firm.
Austin looked up, visibly surprised. "What?"
"I'm in, what's your plan to get me to be the Cerulean City Gym Leader?" Misty repeated, her stance resolute. Around them, Austin's Pokémon paused, looking up in shock at her words.
"What convinced you?"
"The universe, I guess," Misty replied vaguely, not wanting to delve into the deeper reasons behind her sudden change of heart.
Austin sighed, a knowing look crossing his features. "I figured that would happen."
Misty was puzzled by his response but chose to ignore it as Austin slid his notebook across the table toward her. It was filled with detailed plans—not just strategies to convince her but also elaborate steps to reinstate her as the gym leader. For a moment, Misty's usual tough demeanor softened; it was the first time someone had gone out of their way to help her in such a focused manner.
But why?
The question had been nagging at her for the last hour.
"Why are you going so far for me?"
Austin flashed a playful smile and replied, "You're cute, so I want to help you."
Misty's face turned a deep shade of red, resembling a ripe tomato.
Austin knew exactly what he was doing when he made the comment. He'd watched enough of the anime to understand Misty's character—prickly, insecure about her femininity, quick to react. If a well-placed compliment could throw her off balance and help him push her in the direction he wanted, then he'd play that part without hesitation.
Sorry, Misty, he thought, watching her carefully for a reaction. But you're my test subject right now. I need to know if I truly have free will.
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[ Author Note: I hope you liked this chapter. What do you think Austin's overall plan is with helping Misty, and what does he mean, in your opinion, by free will? ]
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