Misty took a slow breath, steadying her heart as it was beating quickly.
BumBumBum
She glanced down at Psyduck's Pokéball, then took a breath and put it back on her belt. She looked at her belt, considering who she should use next. She had one last Pokémon, and Nessa would definitely use Dynamax here.
And she still didn't understand the thing Ash gave her, but right now she wasn't thinking about that. She hovered over each Pokéball, but she knew there was only one choice right now. She didn't even have to look as she grabbed it.
"Okay," she whispered, gripping the Pokéball as she felt her heart race. "Now it's your turn."
She took one last breath and looked up, throwing it. "Starmie, let's go!"
With a flash of red light, the star-shaped Pokémon spun into the air, landing on the water's surface. The gem pulsed a few times as it stood at the ready. This was technically Misty's starter Pokémon, so it was the one she'd had the longest.
Drednaw stomped once, snorting steam from its nostrils, muscles tensed beneath its shell. Starmie stood across from him.
Nessa's gaze narrowed, and she smiled. "This is it, Misty."
"Yeah," Misty said, pointing straight ahead. "Let's make it count, because I won't let you stop me. I won't let anyone stop me. I will be the greatest Water-type trainer, and winning this is the first step!"
"Ha, alright, show me what you've got!" Nessa threw her arm forward. "Drednaw, [Rock Tomb]!"
Drednaw stomped on the little platform he had, as massive slabs of stone erupted from the water, hurtling toward Starmie in an attempt to trap and crush it.
Misty's response was instant. "Starmie, [Rapid Spin], now!"
Starmie's arms blurred into a whirl as it began to spin rapidly, launching forward like a buzzsaw, ricocheting between the falling rocks like a pinball, then slamming into Drednaw before bouncing into the sky.
"Follow up with [Scald]!" Misty waved her hand immediately.
Still in the air, Starmie stopped and shot a jet of superheated water from its core, slamming Drednaw in the chest. Steam hissed into the air, and Drednaw grunted, digging its claws in to stay upright.
Nessa grit her teeth. "Push through! [Ice Fang]!"
Drednaw lunged forward, jaws wide as they were covered in ice.
Misty smiled. "[Teleport]."
In a blink of light, Starmie vanished just as Drednaw snapped down, biting on nothing.
"What?!" Nessa blinked.
"I've learned a thing or two from Ash," Misty said as Starmie reappeared high in the air above Drednaw. "Now, [Thunderbolt]!"
Starmie spun as it let out a bolt of bright electricity into Drednaw, and since he was covered in water, it did extra damage.
The turtle howled and stumbled, its claws carving deep lines in the stone beneath the water as it barely stayed up.
Nessa winced. "We're not done yet! Drednaw, [Superpower]!"
Drednaw roared, muscles bulging as it launched itself forward in a sudden burst of brute strength. The water exploded around it as it shot forward.
"[Protect]!" Misty shouted.
A glowing shield burst around Starmie just in time. Drednaw slammed into the barrier so hard that the water rippled from the force.
Misty held her hand out, heart pounding in her ears.
'You can do this, we're so close…'
But that hope was immediately popped.
Nessa exhaled sharply, sweat and water from the splashes falling from her brow as she raised her wrist. Her Dynamax Band shimmered.
"Alright, Misty. This is where we take it to the next level!"
She returned Drednaw to his Pokéball as the crowd watched, holding their breath. Her band pulsed with light as the Pokéball in her hand expanded to giant size. She raised her arm high.
"Drednaw, let's finish this!"
She spun and threw the Pokéball into the air.
The ball flew high above the stadium before bursting open in a flood of red light. The glow stretched and expanded until—
CRASH!
The towering form of Gigantamax Drednaw landed in the water, making everything shake and sending waves crashing outward. It glared down at Starmie.
And the crowd was loving it. After all, most people had never seen a Gigantamax Pokémon, so they were cheering, and the whole thing was being televised.
Nessa didn't waste any time. She only had a few seconds at best, so there was no time for banter.
"[G-Max Stonesurge]!"
Drednaw slammed its legs into the ground, creating a shockwave that raced toward Starmie.
Misty immediately called out, "Quick [Protect]!"
Starmie formed another barrier around itself as the shockwave reached it. A massive burst of water exploded from the ground beneath. The shield blocked some of the damage, but then it cracked and shattered, and Starmie took the rest of the hit.
As the mist from the attack cleared, Starmie was still there, leaning against a platform. Its gem glowed faintly, showing it didn't have much strength left.
Misty watched with wide eyes. Nessa was already readying Drednaw for another attack Gigantamax wouldn't last much longer. But Misty could barely hear her.
She watched as Starmie, despite everything, still got up. It stood ready to keep fighting, all for her sake. She felt it again, her heart pounding in her chest like it was about to burst.
BumBumBum
For a moment, all the doubt came rushing back to Misty. Did this matter? She's going to lose. She can't do anything…
She clenched her fist.
Then she felt something else. A pulse, in her pocket, Time seemed to slow down. She blinked and reached into it, pulling out two stones.
The first was the Mega Stone she'd gotten from Looker all that time ago. She had forgotten about it, thinking it would never be useful.
But now, looking at it, red with purple lines, she felt it. This was the moment. Looking at Starmie, it just felt right, But she never had a Keystone.
And that's when the second stone came into play.
Ash's Keystone.
Ash had given it to her when he took her hand, right before she came here.
Did he know?
He couldn't have.
And yet, why else would he give her this?
But right now, none of those questions filled her head. She had only one thought, She would win.
Time seemed to start again as Misty smirked, taking off her jacket and tying it around her waist.
"Hey Nessa! I don't think that's very fair! I think it's time I even the odds!"
Nessa flinched, surprised by Misty's sudden change in demeanor. Before she could react, Misty looked at Starmie and threw the purple stone.
"Starmie catch!"
Starmie's gem blinked as it caught the stone with its Psychic energy, floating it next to its core.
Misty held out the Keystone.
"It's my turn!" she shouted, pressing the Keystone as it began to glow, "Starmie, Mega Evolve!"
A pulse of blinding light erupted from Starmie as its body began to shift. The light was so bright it forced the entire stadium to look away.
When it finally dimmed There it was Mega-Starmie, it floated above the water, gem blazing, form sleek and radiant.
Nessa's eyes widened in disbelief. "Since when could it—!?"
Misty smirked as her hair tie slipped free, her long hair tumbling down in the breeze, "Since now. Let's go, Starmie!"
Mega-Starmie hovered above the water, spinning slowly, its gem pulsing like a heart, beating in time with Misty's own.
"[G-Max Stonesurge], again!" Nessa commanded, her voice edged with desperation.
Gigantamax Drednaw roared, slamming its massive feet into the arena once more. Another giant wave surged toward Starmie, but Misty didn't flinch.
"[Teleport], then [Thunderbolt]!" she snapped.
In a blink, Starmie vanished, It reappeared midair behind Drednaw, electricity bursting from its gem in a crackling spear of lightning. The bolt struck between the massive turtle's neck and shell, causing it to convulse with a guttural cry.
"Okay, let's end this, [Max Darkness]!" Nessa shouted.
Misty took one last deep breath. This was it.
"Cut through it! [Rapid Spin] into [Scald]!"
Drednaw opened its jaws wide, dark energy spiraling into a vortex before it launched a roaring blast of [Max Darkness]. But Starmie was already spinning, becoming a gleaming blur of prismatic light. It launched forward like a meteor, diving straight into the wave of shadow.
Misty clenched her fists, whispering, "Come on…"
Mega-Starmie tore through the vortex like a comet, its form flickering, cracked but holding together, spinning with relentless speed.
"[Scald]!"
Starmie's gem flared bright, and a burst of scalding water erupted from its core.
At point-blank range, the jet struck Drednaw square in the face, just as Starmie crashed into it with the force of a cannonball.
Steam exploded upward in a hiss as the two collided. Then—
BOOM.
The battlefield was swallowed by mist and water, Drednaw's massive form began to collapse backward, its Gigantamax energy unraveling as it shrank back to normal size, Starmie, no longer glowing with Mega energy, spiraled back as well, both Pokémon crashing into the water at the same time.
For a moment, everything was still. The crowd held their breath, waiting, watching.
Two silhouettes floated up from the surface. Both Drednaw and Starmie had swirls in their eyes.
Wallace and Maya exchanged looks at the commentator's desk.
Wallace stepped forward, raising the mic.
"Both Pokémon are unable to battle. The match ends in a draw!"
A stunned silence fell over the stadium.
'After all that... a draw?' People whispered, unsure what came next, when suddenly, a soft sound echoed across the field.
"Pi?"
Misty's Pokéball opened again, and out waddled Psyduck, looking around, confused as ever.
Gasps echoed through the stands.
"Wait… Psyduck?" someone muttered.
Wallace blinked, then laughed as realization struck, "Well, it looks like in all the excitement… we forgot about little Psyduck. That means—"
The big screen flickered, shifting to display Misty's picture with bold golden letters:
WINNER: MISTY – CERULEAN CITY!
The stadium erupted into thunderous applause. Cheers echoed from every corner, drowning everything else out.
The camera zoomed in on Misty, who stood frozen, eyes wide, chest rising and falling.
Her hands trembled slightly.
She'd done it.
She'd really done it.
Misty stared ahead, stunned.
"I… won?"
Psyduck turned to her, blinking as he tilted his head and rubbed it like he had a headache. When he saw Misty staring at him, he looked around, then pointed at himself, like he was asking, 'Did I do something wrong?'
Misty let out a breathless laugh, then suddenly ran forward, almost slipping on the soaked platform, as she scooped Psyduck into her arms and hugged him tight.
"You… You actually won me the match, you doofus!"
Psyduck blinked, then slowly smiled, his face turning red from all the attention. He gave a small, dazed "Piii…" as Misty hugged him tighter.
Nessa was still stunned, standing frozen before she suddenly burst out laughing.
"Haha, That was so stupid, Hahaha! I knew I loved that duck when I saw him!"
She wiped a tear from her eye and walked over to her shrinking Drednaw, kneeling beside him. She gently patted his jaw, her voice soft.
"You were amazing."
Then she returned him to his Pokéball.
Nessa stood, walking toward Misty, the two of them soaked head to toe. The crowd's cheers swirled around them like the sea spray. Nessa grinned.
"Well, looks like you really proved yourself, to everyone."
Misty chuckled, brushing her wet bangs out of her eyes, "Nah. I already proved myself to everyone that mattered."
She glanced back and saw Ash, Yellow, Brock, and her sisters all cheering in the stands and she smiled.
"Yeah," Nessa said, following her gaze. "I guess you did."
She turned back and raised her hand. "Soooo… remember that offer I made yesterday? About being friends? Do you still want that?"
Misty crossed her arms, Psyduck still nestled in one of them.
"Don't be ridiculous."
Then she broke into a playful grin and took Nessa's hand, "We're already friends."
—-
A short while later, after the battlefield had calmed and the roar of the crowd began to soften, Wallace stepped back into the center of the stadium. Maya stood beside him, her eyes alight with joy.
"Ladies and gentlemen," she called out, her voice carrying across the waves and stands, "with this, the Whirl Cup has officially come to a close!"
Wallace raised a hand toward the victor as the screen and cameras focused on her.
"And now, it is our great honor to officially declare the winner of this year's Whirl Cup…"
He paused, the crowd holding its breath, Wallace beamed, "Misty of Cerulean City!"
Cheers exploded anew as Wallace approached her, holding the ornate Whirl Cup Trophy in both hands. Embedded at the top was a glowing Mystic Water charm.
"Misty," he said warmly, "you've given us a beautiful display of passion, strength, and heart. It is with great pleasure that I announce you as the winner of this year's Whirl Cup, and the Wallace Cup."
He offered her the trophy. Misty's hands trembled slightly as she accepted it. It was heavier than she expected, or maybe that was her heart pounding in her chest.
She stared at it, then raised it above her head.
"This is real… I actually did it."
The crowd's cheers became deafening. She could hear her sisters screaming her name from the stands. She didn't know whether to laugh or cry, so she just smiled.
Beside her, Nessa gave her a double thumbs-up with a grin.
Wallace followed her gaze and chuckled gently.
"But perhaps your greatest achievement wasn't just your newfound strength."
Misty looked up at him, truly meeting his eyes.
"I'm immensely pleased to have met you," he said. "May we cross paths again, and if you make it far enough… I'd love to have a real battle with you someday."
He stepped back, and Maya took the stage to bring the event to its close.
"And with that," she announced, "we end this year's unforgettable Whirl Cup! Thank you all for joining us, and please, enjoy the rest of the festival!"
With a graceful turn, she walked to the edge of the cliff overlooking the sea. She raised her staff high as the sun dipped below the horizon. The gemstone at its tip caught the last rays of light, scattering them into a dazzling display that shimmered over the ocean.
—-
A little while later, the sun dipped lower, casting warm golden light over the festival grounds. People were beginning to enjoy the last stretch of celebrations, music played, stalls reopened, and colorful lights blinked to life. As Misty walked through the crowd, a few people began to approach her.
"Congrats, Misty!"
"That Mega Starmie was insane!"
"You're the real Sea Empress!"
Misty blinked, unsure how to react. She'd spent so long being underestimated or overlooked, that all this praise felt… strange. Nice, but strange
Eventually, she found a spot to breathe, slipping away to a quiet patch near the cliffside. The wind off the water was cool against her damp clothes.
But just as she exhaled, thinking she was alone—
"MISTYYYY!"
She barely had time to turn before she was tackled by a flurry of pastel color and perfume. Her sisters threw their arms around her in a group hug, nearly knocking her off balance.
"Misty, you did it!" Daisy squealed, jumping up and down, carefully, trying not to mess up her hair even as she clung to her sister.
"I told you you were amazing!" Violet added, dabbing at her eye.
"You're so the boss now," Lily grinned, already filming with her phone. "Wait until the whole town sees this. You totally upgraded."
Misty laughed breathlessly, still clutching Psyduck between them like a squishy trophy. "Okay, okay, guys! You're gonna crush Psyduck. Again."
"Pssiii…iiiii…" Psyduck mumbled, his eyes swirling, but even so, he smiled faintly, basking in the chaos.
Behind them, Brock, Yellow, and Ash caught up. Brock was the first to speak, smiling proudly.
"You crushed it, Misty," he said, patting her shoulder. "That was one heck of a battle. You've come a long way."
Yellow bounced on her toes, beaming. "You were incredible! We knew you could do it!" Chuchu echoed her trainer's excitement with a cheerful, "Pika!"
Misty's cheeks flushed pink. She rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly. "Thanks, guys."
Then she heard familiar footsteps behind her. She turned, and there was Ash, hands in his pockets, smirking, with Pikachu on his shoulder and Vee padding along beside him.
"Told you you'd do great," Ash said simply, clapping his hands as he stepped closer.
Misty stared at him for a moment, then without warning, threw her arms around him in a tight hug.
Ash blinked, caught off guard. "Uh-hey!"
"You knew," Misty murmured into his shoulder. "You gave me the Keystone, you idiot."
Ash gave a lopsided, cheeky grin. "I have no idea what you're talking about~"
Misty pulled back and rolled her eyes. "Ha… yeah. I should've expected that."
She took his hand, turning his palm up, and gently placed the Keystone back into it,
"But… thank you. For talking some sense into me."
Ash grinned, curling his fingers around the stone. "Hey, you're always the one stopping me and Brock from doing dumb stuff. Someone's gotta return the favor. Even if you were having a world-class temper tantrum."
Misty raised an eyebrow, before she would have tried to punch Ash and defend herself, but instead of snapping back, she actually smiled, "Yeah… I guess you're right."
That alone made her sisters freeze. Daisy stepped in cautiously, putting a hand on Misty's forehead.
"Are you okay? Did all that sea water boil your brain?"
She squinted. "You're not burning up… but Misty not being angry all the time? That's like, super suspicious."
"Alien pod," Lily whispered behind her phone, still recording. "We're calling this 'The Misty Clone Saga'"
Misty groaned, rolling her eyes. "Oh, come on…" But she couldn't hide the smile on her face.
Ash chuckled and held his fingers up like a frame around Misty. "Nah, I like it. Who are you, and what did you do with the angry Misty? What's next, you gonna start acting like the big sister of the group?"
Misty smirked. "Not a bad idea. Maybe then I'd actually get some respect for once."
Psyduck blinked up at them, raising a hand. "Psy…?"
"Not you," Misty said, rubbing his head affectionately. "You're off the hook… just don't push your luck."
Then came the sound of footsteps approaching. Misty turned, prepared to smack Brock out of reflex, but stopped when she saw her sisters, Violet, Daisy, and Lily, intercepting him mid-step and dragging him away.
"We got this one, sis!" Violet called with a wink and a thumbs-up.
"Wait am I supposed to be happy or offended?!" Brock shouted, just before he vanished around the corner, flailing helplessly.
Ash gave Misty a playful nudge with his elbow. "Guess it runs in the family."
Misty snorted. "Yeah, I guess it does."
Just then, Nessa walked up, waving. "Yo! Finally found you, Misty."
Misty turned to face her with a playful grin. "Don't tell me you're salty I beat you."
Nessa laughed. "Not at all. I mean, I wouldn't mind a rematch someday… but actually, I came to say goodbye. Tournament's over, I've gotta head back to Galar. Still got a Gym to run, remember?"
Misty's smile faded a little. "Oh… right. I kinda thought we'd get to hang out more before you left."
Nessa softened, gently nudging her shoulder. "Hey, there'll be plenty of time for that. Knowing my dumb chairman, he's probably already plotting some 'redemption match' nonsense."
Misty's grin returned. "When you put it like that… almost makes me glad that guy's a moron."
"Oh, you have no idea," Nessa said with a roll of her eyes and a smirk. "But seriously, thank you, Misty."
Misty blinked. "For what? I mean, besides yelling at you, then not yelling at you, then beating you up a little… I don't think I did much."
Nessa shook her head. "Nah, you did more than you know. You helped me figure something out."
She flashed a wide, confident grin. "When I get back, I'm gonna march straight into that smug Chairman's office and tell him I'm gonna be a great Gym Leader and a model. And there's nothing he can do to stop me."
Misty paused for a beat, then laughed. "Wow… I guess I really did help, huh?"
Nessa nodded, and chuckled a little then she reached into her bag and pulled something out, a small Polaroid photo.
"I had someone from my team take this during the battle," she said, handing it to Misty.
Misty blinked as she looked down. It was a shot of her hugging Psyduck right after it was announced she won,
"You should frame it," Nessa said, "Proof you're more than just 'the girl who yells a lot.'"
Misty shook her head, and huffed, "Okay, you're lucky I like you now, or I'd dunk you in the water."
They both laughed. Then Nessa gave her one last quick hug. "I'll see you again, Misty. And next time, I'm winning."
"You can try," Misty smirked.
Then Nessa looked at Ash, "You know, i still think your crazy, but i guess your craziness saved our lives, so thanks, and also thanks for the charge, even if I didn't end up winning,"
Ash chuckled, "Well, sometimes that's just how it goes, and by the way good luck with the situation with your Chairman, he sounds like a real piece of work,"
Nessa laughed, "You have no idea, and thanks, maybe next time i'll have a battle with you,"
"Maybe i'll pass by Galar one day," Ash shrugged as Pikachu already signed, already knowing Ash was already thinking about going
With that, Nessa waved to the rest of the group, and headed down the path toward the docks where her team was waiting for her in their ship.
Misty stood watching her for a moment, holding the photo to her chest. Then she turned as her sisters ran back over.
"Okay, you have to tell us everything," Daisy gushed. "That was, like, a full-on movie moment."
"I swear," Lily said, still filming, "if you don't post a picture of that trophy, I will."
Misty rolled her eyes. "You guys are relentless…"
"Yeah, we learned from you," Violet shot back with a grin
Ash watched as Yellow ran over and slowly helped Brock stand up, as he let out a helpless sigh, "Well besides treating Brock's brain damage, we got one last day, lets go enjoy the rest of it,"
----
Ok you know how it is, 1 chapter every 500 stones