The Cerulean Gym had never been louder.
Not from battling—but from celebration.
Daisy squealed dramatically as she leaned on Skylar's shoulder. "You didn't tell us you could Mega Evolve!"
Lily scribbled furiously in a notebook labeled Elite Level Trainers: Emotional Archetypes. "That bond. That synchronization. I need this for my comic."
Violet circled him like a Pidgeot. "So? Got any other secret mega evolutions? Or hidden crushes? Hmm?"
Skylar stood completely still—like a deer in the headlights.
"Uh…"
Misty finally arrived behind them, still toweling off sweat from her neck.
—"Alright, alright. Enough swarming. He just survived a Mega evolution and my Milotic. Let him breathe."
The three sisters backed off with exaggerated groans.
Daisy winked. "You always bring home the interesting ones."
Skylar raised a brow. "Bring home?"
Misty groaned. "Don't give them anything. They'll turn it into a wedding rehearsal."
Daisy and Lily high-fived.
Violet muttered, "Can I be in charge of floral arrangements…"
Later that day, the celebration faded into gentle quiet.
Cerulean City's sun dipped into orange as the sky bled into the horizon.
Inside the Waterflower estate, Misty sat in the family garden, her fingers brushing the surface of the koi pond as Marina, her mother, poured tea beside her.
From the open patio, her father—Bryce—watched them in silence.
—"You did well," Marina said.
Misty looked at her reflection in the water.
—"I almost lost."
—"And you almost won."
—"That doesn't sound like you."
Marina smiled. "I've learned not to confuse results with progress. You pushed a Mega Evolution to the limit without backing down."
Misty took a sip of the tea. "He brings that out of me."
Her mother's eyes twinkled. "I noticed."
Misty looked down.
Then quietly: "Did you… love Dad like that? When you were my age?"
Marina blinked.
Then smiled again.
—"Not quite. Your father was a tidal wave. Skylar… he's more like the ocean. Calm one moment. Relentless the next."
Before Misty could respond, Bryce spoke.
—"Come here."
Misty turned.
Her father stood now by the back porch, arms folded.
She rose.
And walked toward him.
Bryce didn't speak for a long time.
When he did, his words were slow. Measured.
—"You've always had fire. Your sisters had flair. But you… you had teeth."
Misty raised a brow. "Is that… a compliment?"
—"It's a warning. Because when fire doesn't know its shape, it burns everything—including itself."
She frowned slightly.
He continued.
—"But today, you fought with heart. With clarity. I saw you."
He looked at her with rare softness.
—"And I've never been prouder."
Misty blinked.
And then stepped into his arms.
It wasn't a long hug.
But it meant everything.
Back inside, Skylar sat stiffly at the Waterflowers' dining table, still not used to furniture that didn't move or creak.
Milotic's Poké Ball rested on a glass shelf nearby. Gardevoir floated quietly beside him, already recharging her strength.
Daisy set down a steaming plate.
"Eat! You burned through, like, three days' worth of calories, Mega Boy."
Lily added, "We don't usually feed trainers, by the way. Consider yourself an exception."
Marina walked in next with a smile. "Skylar, you've earned more than a badge today. You're family here."
Skylar blinked, a bit overwhelmed.
"Thank you. Really."
Across from him, Misty had a quiet smile.
"I told you not to hold back."
"You never let me."
After lunch, as the sky grew dark and stars peeked out over the gym's rooftop, Bryce called Skylar aside.
The two walked out into the moonlit garden.
Silence passed between them for a few minutes—just the wind through the trees, the soft trickle of water.
Then Bryce spoke.
—"You know… there are very few people I've lost to who made me proud I did."
Skylar turned. "You're saying I beat you?"
Bryce gave a rare smirk. "I'm saying I saw in you what I once tried to be."
He looked down at the grass. Then back at Skylar.
—"Mega Evolution isn't just power. It's pressure. It's a test few can pass. Not physically—emotionally."
Skylar said nothing.
Bryce continued.
—"You passed."
A pause.
Then Bryce's tone shifted—slightly lower.
—"But I'm not just a gym leader. Or a trainer."
Skylar waited.
Bryce looked him directly in the eye.
—"I'm Misty's father."
Another pause.
—"And she's strong. Fierce. Too proud to ask for help. Too loyal to let anyone fall behind."
He exhaled.
—"So I'll ask where she never will."
Skylar's throat tightened.
Bryce stepped forward, placing a hand on his shoulder.
—"Look after her. Not because she's weak. But because she's the kind of person who'll fight until she breaks to protect someone she cares about."
Skylar nodded, quietly.
—"I will."
Bryce smiled again—wider this time.
—"Then I have no problem giving you my blessing… to travel with her. To fight beside her. To be beside her."
Skylar chuckled nervously. "Are we talking… journey partnership or—"
Bryce stepped past him, already walking back toward the house.
"Both."
Skylar stood frozen in place for a full minute.
Then laughed softly to himself.
—"No pressure."