It was a cool, sunny day in northeastern Kanto. Puffy white clouds drifted lazily across the azure blue sky, the sun and the gentle breeze felt good on Ethan's skin, and Eevee's soft humming was a treat to his ears.

The gang had just been admitted through one of Cerulean City's western checkpoints, and Ethan had a few things he wanted to do. One of which was to find out if the Nugget Bridge was a thing here. He wanted to get Sandshrew some battle experience and fine-tune how best to train her.

Ethan reflected on the training he had done with his Pokémon since leaving Mount Moon. Jade trained Electroweb's power to the point where even the gritty Eevee yelped in pain during their training battles. Brock's suggestion to add a pinch of a copper powder supplement to Jade's diet every other day was producing results.

Eevee learned Double Team on her own, which Ethan was happy about, and could create up to three clones without much effort. Sandshrew worked on steering her Rollout attack, which Ethan confirmed did gain more power if Defense Curl was used beforehand.

Ethan rubbed Eevee's cheeks as he glanced at Ash. Speaking of training….

"Hey, Ash? Have you trained for your next gym battle? I don't think I've seen you train your Pokémon much, if at all."

Pikachu jumped down as Ash stumbled before catching himself. "O-of course I have! We've done lots of training! Right, Pikachu?"

"Pika?" Pikachu tilted his head.

"Uh-huh," Ethan considered before shrugging. "I'm gonna have to call you out on that one, Ash. I've been with you almost every waking moment since Mount Moon and seen you 'train' maybe once outside of battles with other trainers."

"Oh yeah? Well, I haven't seen you train!" Ash argued.

"That's because you're usually asleep when he does, Ash," Brock interjected. "He and his Pokémon train early every morning before you and Misty get up. Not to mention the weighted vests during the day and his evening training sessions. Pikachu's even watched them a few times. I wouldn't be surprised if Pikachu's learned a thing or two by watching Ethan's Pokémon."

"Thanks, Brock," Ethan nodded. "Ash, you're welcome to train with me if you want. I know things you can teach your Pokémon that you won't find in the Pokédex."

"I don't need help. I can train on my own!" Ash stubbornly refused.

"Well, I tried," Ethan shrugged as he shared a piece of dried Pecha berry with Eevee.

"Have either of you seen Misty?" Brock asked.

Ethan glanced behind him and saw a hint of red disappear through an alley in the suburban neighborhood they were passing through.

"I was wondering why she was being so quiet," Ethan said as he sucked on half of the shared treat. "Ash, you challenging the gym leader today?"

"Yeah, and I'm going to beat him!" Ash declared as he raised a fist in the air.

"I'm sure you will," Ethan chuckled. "Well, I'll see you at the gym later then. I have a few errands to run while we're here. Eevee, the free ride's over. Run with me."

Eevee swallowed her treat, hopped down without a complaint, and ran with Ethan as he pursued the missing redhead.

Ash looked confused as he turned to Brock. "What was funny?"

"I don't know, Ash," Brock shrugged.

----------------------------------------

Ethan followed Eevee along a cobblestone path as she tracked Misty's scent. Truthfully, Ethan knew exactly when Misty had snuck away. Growing up, he could always get away from people without being noticed, so knowing when someone disappeared was almost second nature to him, or so he liked to think. His developing empathic abilities only further enhanced that skill.

So we've now begun the episode in which Ash challenges the Cerulean City Gym, Ethan mused. I'm sure it'll be at least a few hours until his battle starts. I should be able to find an optometrist during that time, right?

Even though his eyesight improved when Mew made him younger, he still had trouble gleaning small details on faraway objects. Thus, he made it a priority to get some new glasses.

Maybe I should get a pair of prescription shades, too, Ethan thought.

"Eeveev," Eevee called as she led Ethan off the path and into a park filled with trees, the occasional local, and their Pokémon.

After another few minutes, Ethan spotted Misty sitting at the edge of a large pond, hugging her legs against her chest as she absently watched some magikarp and poliwag swim by. Her drawstring bag lay in the neatly trimmed grass by her side, forgotten.

Her… I guess I should just call it aura. Her aura feels withdrawn and… stressed? No, anxious.

"Hey, Eevee?" Ethan whispered. "Would you mind letting Misty hold you? She could use some comfort right about now."

"Vee!" Eevee smiled. She loved being held, so she had no reservations when she dashed up to Misty and wriggled into her arms.

"Eevee? What are you doing here?" Misty asked, surprised.

"We could ask you the same thing, though I think I know why you're here," Ethan said as he sat in the grass next to Misty and set his bag near hers. "You really didn't want to come home. Sister problems?"

Misty groaned and hugged Eevee closer. "Yeah. The last time I left, I said I wouldn't come back until I became a great water Pokémon trainer. If I go back to the gym, they'll tease me relentlessly!"

"Of course they will. Remember what I said before? That's what siblings do," Ethan laughed. "But remember what else I said? Even though they tease you, they love you. They won't care if you drop by for a visit before you become the trainer you want to be. Perhaps teasing is a way they show their love and affection for you."

"Yeah, I guess you're right. Doesn't mean I like it," Misty sighed into Eevee's fur.

Ethan stared at the backs of his gloved hands in thought before looking back at Misty. "If you want, I'd be happy to help you become the water Pokémon trainer you want to be. What all does that involve? Catching, training, and learning everything you can about water Pokémon?"

Misty's eyes lit up. "It's so much more, but that's the basics of it."

"I'll have to add a fishing rod to my shopping list," Ethan noted. "Would you mind showing me around the city? I have some things I need to get done before I watch Ash's gym battle."

"Sure! He'll be waiting for a while. My sisters put on a show every weekend, and it won't end until this afternoon, so we have time," Misty informed as she and Ethan stood and shouldered their bags.

"Is it the weekend?" Ethan checked his watch. "Whaddya know, it's a Saturday."

Misty giggled along with Eevee, who was still in her arms. "That's right! So, where do you want to go first?"

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Over the next few hours, Misty showed Ethan and Eevee around the city, which was built around a large harbor that opened to the east sea. Ethan was able to get the important things done that he needed to. When he asked around about the nugget bridge, an older couple kindly informed him that the nugget bridge challenge hadn't been around for several years since it was exposed as a recruitment front for Team Rocket.

Ethan tapped the ill-fitting plastic shades he was wearing. "I forgot that optometrists like to dilate your eyes when you go in for an exam. I think I'll put off my gym challenge 'til tomorrow or Monday."

"That's too bad. At least Eevee can't get enough of your eyes," Misty smiled.

Ethan looked at Eevee, who was now in his arms, and lifted his shades, causing another fit of giggles to rack her body.

"She thinks it's the funniest thing that my eyes are as big as hers now," Ethan laughed as he put the shades back in place, then rubbed his head. "I'm going to get a migraine if I keep doing that."

Misty laughed before turning somber. "Looking at how happy Eevee is, I can't help but feel bad for that poor eevee that blue-haired jerk of a trainer has."

Eevee's ears drooped, and Ethan fell silent for a moment before speaking up. "I know we're going to see them again. I just don't know when. I'm coming up with a plan, but it's still in the works. If that was the state his eevee was in…."

"Do you think he treats his other Pokémon the same?"

"I wouldn't doubt it," Ethan said. "Let's stop talking about this for now, though. It's making us all upset."

"Okay," Misty nodded. "Well, um, we have one more stop, right?"

"Yep! We're looking for Pokém's, a Pokémon whole foods place. I gotta have the best for my girls. It should be right about… here," Ethan said as he stopped and looked at the shop in front of him.

According to the guidebook, this well-known chain had pretty much everything for a Pokémon's dietary needs. It seemed like a slow time of day, as only a few customers were inside.

"Hey, isn't that Brock?"

Ethan squinted to focus more clearly on one of the human-shaped blobs. "I don't know. My eyes are still dilated. Let's go inside."

Misty checked a nearby street clock and noticed the time. "I should head to the gym. My sisters' show should have just ended, and I want to make sure they're taking care of the place."

"Okay," Ethan nodded. "I'll meet you and Ash there in a bit then. I'll see if I can drag Brock along."

"See ya!" Misty waved, then exhaled before hurrying to the gym.

"She'll be fine," Ethan said, petting Eevee between her ears before placing her on his shoulder.

A bell jingled as Ethan opened the shop door and entered before letting it shut behind him. Eevee sniffed the air and began wagging her tail a little more fervently.

"Welcome, welcome!" a taller man greeted. "How can I help you?"

"Just browsing for the moment," Ethan replied.

"Alrighty then! Ring the bell at the desk if you need anything," he said before walking to the back.

"Ethan? What are you doing here?"

"Hey, Brock!" Ethan greeted, recognizing his voice. "Probably the same reason you're here. Gotta have the best for our Pokémon, right?"

"Right! There's an extensive selection here, but I don't know what to get. Whole foods are more nutritious but spoil faster because they don't have preservatives."

"That is a problem," Ethan pondered. "Too bad we can't take a fridge with us."

Brock chuckled. "No, we can't. But I just remembered something. You said your bag is made by the Devon Corporation, right?"

"Yeah. Why do you ask?"

"My backpack is similar, but it's made by Silph. They have the same technology as Pokéballs. They can shrink down and store tons of items, but your bag can also put things in stasis. If you carried our perishable items, they would last a lot longer."

Ethan thought that over and smacked his forehead. "Of course! How didn't I notice that the food I've had for a while is still good?"

"It's easy to overlook things when nothing seems to be wrong," Brock said.

"That's deep, man."

"Well, Ash said some pretty deep stuff earlier, and I guess it rubbed off on me," Brock chuckled.

"Eevee?"

Ethan looked to find Eevee had jumped down at some point during the conversation. He found her next to a shelf, sniffing a small paper bag of something.

"Eevee's got the right idea. Let's get everything we need, then head to the gym. You don't want to miss Ash's match against the sensational sisters, do you?"

"The sensational sisters are the gym leaders now?! You don't have to tell me twice! Let's hurry," Brock exclaimed, running from aisle to aisle and filling his basket with everything they needed.

I knew that would work. Ethan smirked as he picked up the bag Eevee was looking at and examined it. Still blurry. I just needed new glasses! How did they talk me into doing a full exam?!

----------------------------------------

As the gym came into view, Ethan was surprised to find that it looked different than he thought it would. Instead of resembling a rounded circus tent with a dewgong sign, the entire roof was made of glass, framed with metal, and the building was huge.

Wait, isn't this how the gym looked in that one episode of the Sun and Moon anime? Ethan recalled, confused. I guess not everything in this world will look exactly as I remembered it.

"Something wrong?" Brock asked.

"Hm? Oh, no. Just taking in how big the gym is."

"I… suppose it is larger than the Pewter gym," Brock acquiesced.

Ethan nodded before frowning. "Why don't you go inside and save us some seats, Brock? I want to do a lap around the building."

"You sure you'll be fine?"

"I'm not blind, Brock. Well, not completely. I'll be fine."

"Alright. See you in a bit," Brock chuckled as he walked through the automatic doors of the gym.

When Ethan was sure Brock was inside, he turned left and began walking. "Hey, Eevee, ready to mess with some bad guys again?"

"Eevee? Eev eev eevee!" Eevee cheered.

Ethan put a finger to her lips. "We gotta be quiet, though," he whispered. "We don't want them to know we're coming."

Eevee silently nodded as Ethan used his sixth sense to determine which general direction the aura of ill intent came from a moment before. I think it came from this side of the gym, he decided.

As he passed the corner of the building, Eevee gently batted his face and then pointed to the right. Ethan followed the direction of her paw and hid behind a nearby bench when he saw who he was expecting to find. The unmistakable forms of the Team Rocket trio were crouched near the gym wall, using some kind of device to listen in on whatever was happening inside.

They're distracted. I could probably take them on, but I don't want to risk it, Ethan mulled, trying to come up with an idea. Wait, maybe I could sabotage their machine! They stole a giant vacuum cleaner or something like that in this episode, right? Where is it?

Ethan silently moved from his spot, using a nearby fountain to mask the sound of his movements as he scanned his surroundings. It's gotta be nearby. They wouldn't have left it too far away.

Eevee jumped down from his shoulder and walked to the line of foliage that surrounded the gym property before hopping over. Ethan, guessing she found something, followed her.

"Good job, Eevee," he praised. "This is what we're looking for." The giant vacuum had been hidden beyond the treeline, and Ethan's temporarily impaired vision caused it to blend in with its surroundings.

Ethan adjusted his shades and reached into his bag, pulled out his multi-tool, and climbed onto the machine's deck, looking for some kind of console or hatch he could access. "Eevee, keep watch and let me know if Team Rocket's coming."

"Eev vee!" Eevee saluted before moving to where she could keep an eye on Jessie, James, and Meowth.

She's too cute, Ethan smiled. Okay, I don't see the kind of console I'm looking for, so I'll have to mess with the internals. Don't Team Rocket's machines have a tendency to explode? I wonder if they added a self-destruct mechanism.

Ethan looked around more before his foot kicked against a protrusion on the floor. Kneeling, he realized it was a handle and pulled it open, revealing a way inside. Wait, this thing has to move somehow. Maybe there are more controls below the deck.

He hopped down into the small space and brought out his flashlight. He saw a Meowth-sized driver's seat with a console that showed an image of the surrounding area.

"This looks promising," he said as he saw a big red button that said 'DO NOT TOUCH' in large letters. "Do villains always have big red buttons?"

He hesitated. Would it be right to rig this machine to explode? "Eh, they survived an enclosed self-destruct from Koffing and walked it off. They'll be fine."

With that decision made, Ethan got to work. He opened the console with his multi-tool to expose the inner wirings. After figuring out which ones he needed to work with, he cut two wires connected to the button and tied them to the ignition; one wrapped around an input wire and the other around an output wire, being careful during the entire process not to complete the circuit.

"It's a sloppy job, but I think that's how it works," he said to himself as he cleaned up.

Ethan finished packing, pulled himself onto the deck, and then jumped to the grass below. "Eevee, time to go!"

Eevee came running from the treeline and jumped to her usual position on his shoulder. After making sure Team Rocket was still distracted, Ethan left his cover and took a different route back to the gym entrance.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

"Good job, Eevee! Team Rocket's in for an explosive surprise," Ethan said with a grin as he scratched her favorite spot behind her ears.

"Ee veevee, Eeveev!" Eevee licked his cheek and matched his grin with one of her own as they entered through the gym's automatic doors.

----------------------------------------

Ethan found a directory map of the Cerulean Gym and studied it, trying to find his destination. It's hard to read, but this big area looks like it could be the gym.

"So, think Ash will win his gym battle?" Ethan asked.

Eevee looked thoughtful for a moment before shrugging. "Eevee eev, eev vee?"

"I don't know. In the original timeline, Ash's battle was interrupted by Team Rocket, and he was given the badge out of pity. Now that Team Rocket's taken care of, I'm curious to see how he'll do."

Ethan and Eevee stopped in front of the doors that led into the gym. "Time to stop talking about Team Rocket. They're probably still listening to what's happening in the gym arena."

Eevee nodded, and Ethan pushed the doors open and entered. Despite the gym's exterior looking like it did in the Sun and Moon anime, the battlefield kept the season one design with the rectangular pool and the floating platforms.

Ethan spotted Brock sitting relatively close to whom he assumed were Misty's sisters: Daisy, Lily, and Violet. Ash and Misty seemed to be having an intense staredown as they stood on their respective platforms.

Misty broke the silence. "I wasn't planning on battling you until you paid me back for my bike, but this is as good a time as any!"

Ethan raised a brow as he made his way to the stands. I either have perfect anime timing, or I'm in a poorly written fanfic.

"If you want that Cascade badge, you're gonna have to beat me!" Misty continued.

"It'll be my pleasure!" Ash said, excited and determined, before whispering something to Pikachu, who looked less than thrilled.

"Did I miss anything?" Ethan asked as he took a seat next to Brock.

"Not really," Brock greeted. "How was your walk?"

Ethan took off his bag and set it next to his feet, and Eevee jumped down to his unoccupied lap. "It was nice. There's a lot of water decor out there."

"Makes sense. This is a water-type gym," Brock agreed.

"Pikachu, I choose you!"

Ethan stifled a chuckle at the sight of Ash trying to throw Pikachu out to the battlefield like a Pokéball while Pikachu clung desperately to his fingers.

"Chuuu!" Pikachu whined as he hopped back to the ground.

"Pikachu, what are you doing?!"

Pikachu looked down for a moment, then looked at Ethan and Eevee.

"Pikachu? What's wrong?" Ash asked, concerned.

Ethan met Pikachu's eyes through his disposable shades and nodded.

Pikachu frowned in determination and jumped to a platform on the field, ready and willing to battle.

Ash grabbed the brim of his cap and moved it to the back of his head. "Alright, Pikachu! Let's do this!"

"Wow, Pikachu's battling," Ethan muttered.

"Pikachu's a great choice. He has the type advantage," Brock replied. "By the way, Ethan, did you know Misty was a gym leader? You don't seem surprised that Ash is battling her."

"Oh, yeah. I've known that Misty's family runs the Cerulean Gym for a while. My training for the past couple of weeks has been focused on preparing for my battle here."

"Good thing Jade got that move down then. It's called Electroweb, right?"

Misty sent out Staryu, and the battle began with a barrage of Water Guns against Pikachu, who couldn't move much on the limited area of the platform. He took a few hits and was knocked into the water.

"Yeah. It's a good coverage move for Jade, and I see a lot of potential for it. She's gotten really good with String Shot as well since it's kind of a base for Electroweb."

"Pikachu," Ash yelled, "try a Thunderbolt!"

Pikachu climbed back onto the platform and shook his fur dry. His red cheeks then sparked, and the smell of ozone filled the air as he unleashed a bolt of lightning from his small body, striking Staryu's core as it was coming in for a Rapid Spin attack.

"Woah! It still surprises me to see how much power can come from a small Pokémon," Ethan remarked while running his fingers through Eevee's fur.

"I know what you mean," Brock agreed. "It looks like Staryu's down, but Pikachu looks pretty wiped out too."

True to his words, Pikachu sported several bruises and was panting heavily. Still, he seemed happy to have won.

"Must have scored a critical hit. Hey, Brock, aren't official league battles supposed to have referees?" Ethan asked.

"They are, but for one and two badge challenges, it's up to the gym to decide if they employ one for the match. This way, the gym's referees aren't constantly swamped," Brock explained.

"Wow, Misty's actually doing pretty well. She, like, almost took out Pikachu," Daisy commented.

"Well, we three got the good looks in the family, so I guess she had to get something," Lily said.

Ethan groaned. I forgot they have Valley girl accents, he thought. There was no reason it bothered him. It was just one of those things that grated on his ears.

He took a deep breath before returning his focus to the battle.

"You're doing great, Pikachu!" Ash praised his starter as Pikachu rejoined him on his platform. "Think you can keep going?"

Pikachu looked ready to agree before tiredly sitting on the spot. "Chaaa…."

Ash looked at his starter in concern. "You alright, buddy?" he asked, to which he got a nod.

"Ash, Pikachu's exhausted. Let one of your other Pokémon battle," Brock yelled.

"Uh, okay," Ash replied.

"Hurry up, Ash! We don't have all day!" Misty yelled impatiently, having already sent out her starmie.

"Fine! Butterfree, I choose you!" he called as he threw the Pokéball.

Misty shivered before shaking her head and refocusing. "About time! Starmie, Rapid Spin!"

"Dodge it!"

Starmie cut through the air like a shuriken and sped towards Butterfree, who flew out of the way. Starmie came in for a few more attempts before landing back on its platform.

"My turn! Butterfree, Stun Spore!"

Butterfree rapidly flapped his wings a few times before gliding over and covering the area with a cloud of spores, causing Starmie to seize up.

"Wash it off!"

The starfish Pokémon teetered over the edge of the platform before allowing itself to fall into the water. After sinking for a few moments, it launched itself out of the water and onto the platform with no signs of paralysis.

"Ha, bet you didn't know about Starmie's unique trait! It can get rid of status effects by washing itself with water or when it's returned to its Pokéball," Misty gloated.

Oh, what was that ability called? Ethan wondered. Natural Cure? I thought it only removed status effects when returned to its Pokéball. I guess wild Pokémon with that ability don't have Pokéballs to trigger it, so it makes sense that there's another way to activate it.

Ash ground his teeth before calling his next command. "Butterfree, it's time for your new move. Use-"

A loud explosion from outside rocked the building, causing the battlefield's water to slosh around and cause those not already sitting down to lose their balance. To Ethan and Eevee, it was music to their ears when they heard the distant "Team Rocket's blasting off again!" cry from the Team Rocket trio.

"What the hell was that?!" Violet asked.

"Hey, language! There are kids here," Ethan scolded, trying and mostly succeeding in keeping a straight face. "Besides, it's not our problem, so don't worry about it."

Brock raised a questioning brow. "What did you do on your walk?"

Ethan's face cracked as he leaned closer to Brock. "Smelled the roses, made a wish at the fountain, foiled Team Rocket's plan to steal Pokémon. You know, the usual."

Brock opened his mouth, thought better of it, then sighed and shook his head.

"Hey, the battle's not over yet!" Ethan yelled to Ash and Misty, who were back on their feet.

"Right! Butterfree, use Confusion!"

Wait. What, when, and how?! Ethan choked. Butterfree never knew Confusion! Or if he did, he never used it on-screen.

Butterfree focused his energy – struggling to do so, which told Ethan it wasn't practiced much – and grabbed Starmie in his psychic grip. He then levitated Starmie up into the air, who was trying to shake itself free of its imprisonment.

Brock nodded. "This is actually a smart move from Ash. Being submerged or surrounded by water increases the potency of water-type moves. Removing Starmie from the water should put this matchup in his favor."

"I… that actually makes sense," Ethan realized. "I thought only terrain and weather-altering moves boosted certain types of attacks, but it makes sense that the environment already in place could have an effect."

"Starmie, use Bubblebeam!"

"Whirlwind!"

Butterfree released his grip as the bubbles sped toward him, and a low buzz filled the room as he flapped his chitinous wings. Winds stirred, blowing the bubbles back to their sender, inflicting minor damage to Starmie as it was violently carried through the air before coming to a sudden halt with a concrete wall.

Ethan and Brock winced at the noise as a crack appeared in its gem-like core. That had to hurt.

"Oh no, Starmie!" Misty gasped, jumping off her platform and onto the floor before running to Starmie's side.

"I think that's the match," Ethan said as Brock stood to go check on Starmie.

Ethan made his way down to the pool, where Ash was celebrating his victory with Pikachu and Butterfree. Eevee padded along behind him.

What changed to make Butterfree learn Confusion? Ethan pondered. Preventing Butterfree's early evolution that day in the Viridian Forest? I know I've seen him and Jade talk when they're both out of their Pokéballs. Maybe Jade's given him tips?

Ethan then looked at Ash. Maybe Ash is training his Pokémon, at least a little bit. Otherwise, he wouldn't have known that Butterfree knew Confusion in the first place.

"Alright! I won, I won!" Ash cheered as he jumped up and down.

"Hey Ash, the correct phrasing is 'we' won. Your win was a joint effort between you and your Pokémon. It'd be rude not to include your Pokémon in your little victory dance," Ethan chuckled.

Ash stopped and faced Ethan. "It's not a victory dance. I'm just excited that I – we won."

Eevee talked with Pikachu for a moment as she gestured to her back. Pikachu considered it before deciding he was too tired to care and climbed aboard for a free ride. Eevee looked like she barely even felt his weight.

"Eevee's a few steps ahead of us. I think we should get your and Misty's Pokémon to a Pokémon Center. Go collect your badge and do your victory pose so we can leave," Ethan said.

"Oh, right! The badge!" Ash realized. "What about you? Aren't you going to have your battle?"

Ethan tapped the sides of his disposable shades. "I'm confident I could win right now, but I'm working with a handicap at the moment, and I want to be at 100% for my battle. I understand that all of the gym Pokémon are currently being treated at the Pokémon Center. I'm going to have to set an appointment and battle either tomorrow or the next day."

"Like, the gym's closed Sundays, but I can handle your battle on Monday," Daisy said, apparently having been close enough to listen in.

Nails on a chalkboard.

"Would Monday morning work?" Ethan asked. "I'm pretty sure we want to leave for Vermilion at noon that day."

Daisy giggled. "Confident, huh? Okay, cutie, Monday morning it is."

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The walk to the Pokémon Center was filled primarily with Ethan thinking how adorable it was seeing Eevee carrying a sleeping Pikachu on her back. The mouse was really tired, and Eevee didn't seem to mind the weight.

The other less adorable thing was Ash admiring and talking on and on about his newest badge.

"We get it, Ash! Shiny badge, you beat Misty, blah blah blah," Ethan snapped.

"Hah! You're just jealous that I have it, and you don't!" He boasted.

Brock and Misty groaned behind them.

"First, I don't care that I don't have the badge yet. That'll come soon enough," Ethan dismissed. "Second, having more badges doesn't mean you're a more skilled trainer than I am. Don't look at me like that. I'm a budding empath now, remember? You feel like you're on top of the world and that no one can beat you.

"Let me tell you something you should learn sooner than later, Ash. You should never compare yourself to other trainers. It'll only hinder your progress as a trainer and as a person. The only one you should be comparing yourself to is… well, the trainer you were yesterday. You'll become a better trainer much faster if you resolve to do better than you did the previous day, every day."

Brock whistled. "Today's just the day for saying deep things, and Ethan took the cake with that one."

Whatever meaning Ethan's words were supposed to have seemed to go right over Ash's head. "Whatever. I won the Cascade badge!"

…Ash may very well have some degree of ADHD, Ethan realized. That makes so much sense!

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The next day passed quickly. Ethan used it as a rest day to plan and finish preparing for the battle ahead. He didn't want to be caught off guard if his gym battle turned out to be more challenging than he expected. It wouldn't do to underestimate anyone.

Ash was antsy to leave and get to the next gym but was talked down by Brock. "Ash," Brock had said, "we need to make sure we're rested and ready for the next leg of our journey. Besides, we should watch Ethan's battle. I haven't seen him battle seriously yet, and I'm curious to see how he performs in the gym."

On the morning of the battle, Ethan picked up his new prescriptions before meeting Ash, Brock, and Misty back at the Pokémon Center and heading to the gym.

"I'm amazed that these are already done. I thought I would have to have them shipped to the next Pokémon Center," Ethan said. "Everything looks so much clearer now."

"Why do you need glasses?" Ash asked. "I thought you could see fine before."

Ethan grabbed Eevee's paws and held them away from the black plastic frames of his glasses before answering. "It's because I'm nearsighted. I can see things up close just fine, but the farther away something is, the fewer details I can make out."

"I didn't think glasses would suit you, but they look natural," Misty complimented.

"Thank you. Honestly, I felt kind of naked without them. I wish I hadn't lost my last pair."

I'll bet Mew kept them, Ethan thought. Damn it, Mew!

He imagined Mew giggling before he shook his head and addressed Brock. "Are we ready to leave right after my battle?"

"Yep! Our bags are packed, and we've checked out of the Pokémon Center. We have enough supplies to last at least a few weeks," Brock confirmed.

"And there'll be a few places on the way to Vermilion where we can restock if need be," Ethan nodded. "Sounds like we're set."

"Let's get to the gym already! The sooner you finish, the sooner we can get to the next gym," Ash complained.

"Aww, don't be like that, Ash," Ethan said. "You love Pokémon battles, and I'm sure you'll enjoy watching my battle. I just hope I'll get a good challenge from Daisy."

"Huh? What's Daisy got to do with this?" Ash asked, confused.

"What? No, not Daisy Oak. Misty's sister, Daisy Waterflower," Ethan clarified.

"Oh, right," Ash sheepishly chuckled.

Misty sighed at Ash's antics. "Even though my sisters aren't serious battlers, they're still gym leaders. I wouldn't underestimate them."

"Don't worry about that. I'm not about to pull an Ash," Ethan chuckled as they entered through the automatic doors of the gym.

Ethan could feel the confusion of his traveling companions, and he reviewed what he said.

Ah, crap. Ash didn't show any seriously arrogant overconfidence until he battled AJ.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ash asked while folding his arms.

Ethan just smiled, covering up his initial panic. "You'll see in due time," he said.

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Ethan stood on his floating platform on the pool opposite Daisy, bending his knees to try and keep his balance. Daisy seemed to be having no such issue.

"Okay, cutie! We'll use two Pokémon each, and only you will be allowed to substitute Pokémon," Daisy called.

"You know I'm only twelve, right?" Ethan asked. "Though I do turn thirteen in a few weeks."

"Oh well," she shrugged. "Wooper, sweetie! It's your turn!"

Wooper materialized and splashed into the water before coming back up with only its head above the surface. It-he had a dopey smile that Ethan couldn't help but grin back at. Two gill branches, so it's a male.

Battle of the blondies time! Wooper's immune to electric-type attacks, and Jade's still figuring out Energy Ball. Time to set the stage.

Ethan enlarged a Pokéball and tossed it. "Jade, you're up!"

"Like, wow! Your butterfree's so pretty!" Daisy gushed after Jade materialized.

Ethan chuckled as Jade did a twirl in the air. "We get that a lot, but it's always true."

"As the challenger, you have the first move," Daisy said.

"Alright, then. Jade, time to set the field. String Shot!"

"Like that's going to hit. Wooper, underwater!"

Wooper dove underwater as Jade spat the silk from her mouth. The silk, however, went wide and hit the wall off the side of the pool. Jade continued to spit the silk, aiming nowhere near her opponent.

"What's Ethan doing? His butterfree isn't even hitting that Pokémon!" Ash said as he put his Pokédex away, disappointed that it couldn't identify the Pokémon Daisy was battling with.

"First off, Ash, that's a wooper. It's a water-type Pokémon from the Johto region," Misty informed him. "Second, I have no idea what he's up to."

"Pika pika?"

Brock crossed his arms and studied the battlefield. "I'm not sure either, but Ethan seems confident. Do you see how Jade is only hitting the floor and walls around the pool with her string shot? This is planned."

"It still doesn't tell me what he's doing," Ash said, now getting more curious.

"We'll just have to wait and see," Misty concluded.

Ethan raised Jade's Pokéball and returned her before nodding to Eevee, who jumped out onto another floating platform.

"Like, what was the point of that? All you've done is made cleanup harder," Daisy complained.

"You'll see," Ethan replied.

"Whatever. That string won't stop us! Wooper, use Slam!"

"Eevee, you know what to do."

Eevee grinned and nodded. Wooper jumped high out of the water and spun, preparing to slam Eevee with his tail. As gravity carried him down, his tail caught on a few thick threads of silk, slowing his descent before shooting him straight back up.

"What? No way!" Daisy gasped.

Eevee jumped onto another thick thread and used it as a trampoline to launch herself straight at Wooper. As she got close, her tail glowed and took on a silvery sheen. She swung around and used the momentum of her flight to slam the Iron Tail straight on the crown of Wooper's head, sending him flying to the center of the poliwag design on the wall.

Ethan winced as Wooper made impact before it fell to the ground, knocked out with that dopey smile still on its face.

"Uhh, is Wooper okay?" Ethan asked.

"As long as he's still smiling, he's fine," Daisy assured as she returned wooper to his ball. "I'm surprised. I wasn't expecting that."

Ethan scratched Eevee between her ears when she landed by his side. "I don't think anyone was. I wasn't sure if it would work, but the tensile strength of Jade's String Shot is pretty good."

Daisy sighed. "I don't think I can, like, give you a good match. So, I concede."

Ethan stood straight up in surprise at the declaration, nearly losing his balance. "What?! You can do that?"

"Eevee?!"

"It's ultimately a gym leader's decision who they give their badges to, and you are more than a match for me."

Ethan stood there in shock. "B-b-but I had so much planned for this match! Jade's gonna be so disappointed…. What was your second Pokémon going to be?"

Daisy pulled out a Pokéball and opened it. Eevee's ears perked, and she barked and bounced excitedly on the spot.

"I was going to use Vaporeon here. He's more used to battling than Wooper, but not much. He's a maintenance Pokémon trained to help keep the aquarium and pipes running between the exhibits clean."

I had a feeling I wouldn't get a good challenge no matter who I battled here, Ethan groaned. Misty's a beginner water Pokémon trainer, and her sisters are total flakes.

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Ethan stared at the Cascade badge in his hand with a pondering look as he trailed the others outside of the gym. He knew it was stupid, but his victory felt somewhat hollow.

Eevee spent some time chatting with Daisy's Vaporeon, and he could tell Eevee asked lots of questions. Vaporeon even showed off some of what it could do, including its Acid Armor move, which freaked Eevee out. That got a chuckle out of Ethan and Vaporeon when it reformed from the puddle it had melted into. If Ethan had to guess, Eevee was interviewing for her potential evolutions.

"That was an awesome battle, Ethan!" Ash said, breaking him out of his contemplative state.

"Yeah…. Eevee and Jade did well, but I was hoping for something more challenging. And longer."

"Ethan," Brock said, "are you still thinking you don't deserve that badge?"

Ethan sighed. "I don't think I do, Brock! I won by forfeit, which doesn't feel like a win to me."

Brock shook his head. "You won by forfeit after you knocked out Wooper. You showed incredible foresight by changing the battlefield in your favor, then having Eevee utilize that. You're a skilled trainer, and you outclassed Daisy by a long shot."

"I don't know…."

Misty's temper flared. "Oh, give me that!" she yelled as she snatched the badge out of Ethan's hand. "If you want to feel like you deserve it, I'll train up as hard as I can, then give you the official gym battle you want when I'm ready!"

Ethan blinked, then smiled. "You have a way with words, Mist. Thanks."