The rest of the journey went smoothly.
Thanks to the "Friend of Nature" aura, random ambushes from irritable wild Pokémon dropped sharply. Without any major disturbances, Yuuto's group of three soon emerged from the mountainous region and reached a wide fork in the road.
A clear road sign pointed in two directions: left toward Vermilion City, right toward Cerulean City.
Misty's eyes lit up instantly.
"Let's go this way! This way!" She pointed frantically at the left path to Vermilion City, practically bouncing on her toes. "Vermilion City is amazing! It has a huge pier and luxury cruise ships!"
"Every evening the sunset paints the sea gold—it's super romantic!" She waved her hands dramatically, trying to paint the scene. "We can walk on the beach, listen to the waves… maybe we'll even see a Lapras!"
Then she spun toward the right path and made an exaggerated grimace. "But Cerulean City… is awful! It's small and old… and… and I heard it's been haunted lately!"
"Strange shadows float around at night. It's terrifying!"
She even gave a theatrical shiver for effect.
Delia checked the map, then looked at Misty with a hint of hesitation. "But… Vermilion City is three full days away. Our supplies might not last. Cerulean City is only half a day from here—we could rest properly there…"
"If we run low on supplies, we can pick berries along the way!" Misty said quickly. "I can catch fish too! It's way better than going to that broken, haunted old city, right?"
She turned to Yuuto with big, pleading eyes that practically screamed *Choose Vermilion City!*
Yuuto suppressed a laugh, stroking his chin as if deep in thought.
He knew exactly why Misty was so desperate to avoid Cerulean City.
The three Gym Leaders of the Cerulean Gym—her older sisters—came from a "Water Ballet" background. Misty had grown up in their dazzling shadow and always felt her dream of becoming a true Water-type Master wasn't taken seriously. That was why she had stormed out of the house, vowing to surpass them.
She hadn't been gone long. Returning now would mean facing their endless teasing and nagging.
Still, the main mission in Cerulean City was to help Misty build confidence in front of her sisters. They had to go there first.
"Hmm…" Yuuto drawled.
Misty's heart jumped into her throat.
"I've decided," Yuuto finally said, flashing a gentle smile. "We'll head to Cerulean City."
"Eh?!" Misty's face fell instantly.
"First, our supplies really won't last another three days," Yuuto explained logically. "Second, Cerulean Gym is an official city Gym. It makes sense to clear it while we're passing through."
He paused, his smile deepening as he looked at her. "And third… I'm curious what kind of 'ghost' could scare our fearless Misty this badly."
"N-No, that ghost, it's…" Misty stammered, completely flustered.
"It's settled," Yuuto declared, already starting down the right path.
"Wait! Yuuto! Let's talk about this!" Misty lunged forward and grabbed his arm with both hands, practically hanging off him. "Vermilion City is really fun, I swear!"
"Misty really doesn't want to go to Cerulean City," Delia observed, blinking thoughtfully. "Is there a reason?"
"There's no reason! I just don't like it!" Misty insisted, neck stiff, but her hands still death-gripping Yuuto's arm.
Yuuto let her cling to him but didn't slow his pace at all.
"Let's go. The sooner we reach the city, the sooner we can have a hot meal. Right, Pikachu?"
"Pika-pi!"
Pikachu hopped onto Yuuto's shoulder and waved its little paw energetically, full of spirit.
"See? Even Pikachu can't wait."
"Pikachu, why are you siding with him?!" Misty wailed.
---
The half-day trek passed with Misty's nonstop "persuasion" and "intimidation."
"I heard the rivers in Cerulean City have Muk! They're super smelly!"
"The pool water at the Cerulean Gym only gets changed once every three months!"
"The Nurse Joy there is super mean and doesn't treat Pokémon properly!"
And so on.
Yuuto let it go in one ear and out the other. Delia's expression slowly shifted from mild confusion to a knowing, mischievous smile.
By afternoon, the three finally reached the entrance of Cerulean City.
"Wow…" Delia couldn't help but gasp in admiration.
Before them lay a classic waterfront city. A clear river wound through it, crossed by elegant arched bridges. Most buildings had light-blue or white walls and dark-blue tiled roofs, giving the whole place a fresh, bright atmosphere.
The streets were clean and tidy, pedestrians strolled leisurely, and along the river several Trainers were exercising their Water-type Pokémon. Water sparkled like scattered gold in the afternoon sun.
There was absolutely no sign of the "small, old, haunted" city Misty had described.
"Cerulean City… is actually very prosperous and beautiful," Delia said, turning to Misty with a playful glint in her eyes. "Misty, it doesn't seem as scary as you made it sound, does it?"
Misty's face stiffened like it had been coated in paste.
Her eyes darted around as she forced a dry laugh. "M-Maybe I remembered wrong… haha, hahaha…"
The laughter was painfully unconvincing.
"Anyway!" She suddenly raised her voice and tried pushing both Yuuto and Delia forward. "Let's hurry to the Pokémon Center to heal up! Once we restock supplies, we can leave right away. Pikachu's probably exhausted too!"
"Pika?"
Pikachu tilted its head on Yuuto's shoulder and patted its little chest, clearly full of energy.
Yuuto stopped, turned around, and gave Misty the exact playful, knowing smile she least wanted to see right now.
"No rush."
He spoke unhurriedly. "Pikachu and the others barely battled today—they have plenty of energy. I think… we should head to the Gym first."
"The sooner we get the Badge, the sooner you two can go shopping and have fun, right?"
"Pika-pi!"
Pikachu puffed out its chest in perfect cooperation, tiny sparks crackling cheerfully from its cheeks.
Misty's face turned white.
"Th-The Gym… isn't it too late to go now? The Gym Leader might have already finished for the day!" She made one last desperate attempt.
"It's still afternoon. How could the Gym be closed already?"
"Even if it is, we can still take a look around."
"Wait! Yuuto! There's really no need to rush!"
Misty lunged forward again in panic, grabbing Yuuto's arm with both hands and practically hanging off him, trying to use her body weight to slow him down.
"Let's talk about this! At least wait until tomorrow! I'll treat you to Cerulean City's most famous floating restaurant! I heard it's delicious!"
Yuuto felt the soft warmth of her body pressed against his arm and the obvious panic in her grip. The amusement in his eyes only grew stronger.
He knew exactly what Misty was afraid of.
And because he knew, they had to go.
So Yuuto continued walking toward the Cerulean Gym, dragging a desperately clinging Misty along with him…
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