"Pidgeotto, Gust!"
Powerful winds howled across the pool. Staryu was blasted backward and slammed hard into the far wall with a heavy **THUD!**
The starfish Pokémon slid down the tiles, its red core flickering weakly like a fading warning light.
*Is the light… gone?* Alex thought, the Ultraman comparison popping into his head.
Staryu's core dimmed completely. It had lost the ability to battle.
"I lost…" Misty recalled her Pokémon with a helpless sigh. "All those moves I practiced in Viridian Forest… and you turned them right back on me." She hadn't battled Alex before, so she had no idea how strong he really was. Now she understood—he didn't fight like a rookie at all. Maybe every Trainer from Pallet Town was just built different?
Alex had mentioned learning from Professor Oak, but most of his real knowledge had come from Delia, the professor's student. Delia wasn't just an amazing cook; she knew Pokémon inside and out. She had stayed home to run the family restaurant instead of traveling, but she had taught Alex everything with patient, hands-on lessons—repeating things until he got them perfect. Alex already loved Pokémon, and meeting someone as kind and attentive as Delia had made him study even harder. His talent shone through, and Delia had constantly praised him for being so "teachable."
"Not bad—you lasted a long time," Daisy said, genuinely acknowledging Misty's effort. The real problem was that Alex was simply on another level. The previous Pallet Town challengers had never been this dominant.
Violet and Lily exchanged glances. When battling Alex, the entire rhythm of the fight stayed completely under his control.
**BANG!**
A deafening crash suddenly echoed from the stands beside the battlefield.
Everyone turned just as a massive drilling machine burst through the seating, sending debris and smoke flying everywhere.
"What's going on?!" the Cerulean Sisters cried in unison.
"Since you asked so sincerely!"
"Then we'll mercifully tell you!"
"That's how it is—meow~!"
From the smoke and wreckage, three familiar figures dramatically posed.
"It's you again…" Misty groaned, rolling her eyes. She couldn't believe the Team Rocket trio had followed them all the way from Viridian City.
**Ding! New mission triggered: Protect the Cerulean Sisters and cherish them with all your might!**
**Mission Reward: 'Friend of Water' title (Water-type Pokémon will develop a deep fondness for the host. Water-type Trainers will feel the same. It also has wondrous uses at certain times… you'll discover them in practice!)**
The title sounded useful, but Alex didn't need a system prompt to act. As a righteous League Trainer with a strong sense of justice, he was already stepping forward.
"You dare show up here and cause trouble again? Want another shock?" Alex moved in front of the four sisters, shielding them completely.
"Pika~ Pikachu!" Pikachu planted itself beside him, cheeks sparking dangerously, electricity ready to fire.
"It's you again, you hateful brat!" Jessie snarled. This time the trio had come purely for revenge.
"Let me protect the Cerulean Sisters!" Alex ordered, his stance rock-solid like an unbreakable tree stump.
The four sisters quickly huddled behind him. Their wet bodies pressed close—soft, full breasts brushing against his back and shoulders, slick skin and clinging bikini fabric leaving warm, damp trails across his shirt. Violet's heavy tits squished against his left arm, Lily's against his right, while Daisy's curvaceous hips nudged his side and Misty's smaller but perky chest pressed right between his shoulder blades. Every breath they took made their soaked chests rise and fall against him, hard nipples clearly outlined through the thin, wet material. The scent of their skin mixed with chlorine and arousal hung in the air.
They all felt an overwhelming sense of security with Alex standing there like a shield.
Alex didn't care about anything else right now—he just wanted to end this quickly. "Pidgeotto, maximum power Gust!"
Pidgeotto flapped its wings with everything it had. A ferocious tornado of wind slammed into the Team Rocket robot.
"Staryu, Water Gun!" Misty caught Alex's glance and immediately ordered her Pokémon. A high-pressure stream of crystal-clear water shot forward, hammering the machine against the wall.
"Pikachu, Thunderbolt!"
Pikachu's cheeks flared bright. A thick, crackling bolt of electricity fused with Misty's Water Gun in mid-air. The combination attack hit the robot dead-on.
**KABOOM!**
The entire machine exploded in a shower of sparks and smoke. Jessie, James, and Meowth were launched skyward in the classic Team Rocket fashion.
"What a nasty feeling!" the trio wailed in unison as they vanished into the distance.
"Have a nice journey," Alex muttered with a smirk, watching them disappear.
"All right, it's over!" He turned back to the four sisters and looked them over carefully. Their hair was messy, clothes disheveled and still clinging wetly to every curve, but none of them were hurt.
"Thank you, Alex!" Daisy said generously. She took out the gleaming Cascade Badge and placed it in his hand. "This is proof that you've defeated the Cerulean Gym."
Alex accepted it without hesitation. He had now earned his second badge.
"Misty, when you're traveling, be careful of weirdos like those three," Violet warned.
Lily looked around at the damaged stands and pool. "Those Team Rocket idiots wrecked the venue. We can't open the gym or do performances for days while it's being repaired. So annoying…"
Alex saw the perfect opening. "How about using these next few days while the gym is closed to train your Pokémon properly?" he suggested.
All four sisters turned to look at him at the same time.
"Isn't the Cerulean Gym always called the weakest gym in Kanto?" Alex continued, reading their expressions. "If you train seriously, the next challengers will actually have to work for their badges. That way you can finally shake off the 'weakest gym' label for good. You don't want to keep that reputation forever, right?"
The four women stared at him in silence for a long moment.
"Sister Daisy!" Misty called, noticing Daisy deep in thought.
Daisy looked at her sisters, then back at Alex. Her eyes brightened and a faint, determined smile curved her lips. "You're right. The Cerulean Gym can't keep carrying that title forever. It's time for a change!"
The sisters' fighting spirit had been reignited—partly by Team Rocket's attack, partly by Alex's words. Their own gym had been wrecked so easily, and their Pokémon had barely been able to resist. That wouldn't happen again.
Misty looked at Alex with a soft, genuine smile, her rosy lips parting. "Thank you, Alex," she said quietly, eyes warm with affection.
**Ding! Mission complete: Strongly defeat the Cerulean Gym Sisters and ignite their fighting spirit!**
**Mission Reward: Junior Rare Candy × 3, four Great Balls**
Rewards received.
*Four Great Balls… perfectly matching the four Cerulean Sisters,* Alex thought with a hidden grin. He wasn't keeping them for himself. It would be much better to give the Great Balls to Daisy, Violet, Lily, and Misty so they could bond even more closely with their Water-types… and maybe exchange a few "battle techniques" while they trained together.
After all, sisterly affection ran deep. It wouldn't be right to separate them.
(End of Chapter 21)