A Battle to Reshape Your Outlook on Life

Rope walked across to Misty in a big, unruffled manner. It looked all but embarrassed. There was even a bit of smugness?

Misty really felt like she had to teach Rope a lesson.

"May we begin? Mr. Inspector?"

Misty's tone was full of resentment.

"Let's begin, Gym Leader Misty, let's begin a fight with Cascade Badge on the line!"

Rope grinned smugly.

"No." Misty shook her head and met Rope's puzzled look, "Anyway, there's nothing I can fault about your strength as a trainer, and even though you weren't involved in that 'big event', whether it's Lance, Red, or Brock, they're all praising your strength. I don't think your strength would fail to get the Cascade Badge."

Rope doesn't say a word. He just kept the smile on his face and didn't move.

Sue on one side and Daisy, the big sister who was the referee, also had their respective eyes and noses, not daring to speak.

"But, Rope, you've angered me, Cascade Badge I won't card you, but, I'm going to teach you a good lesson, so you'll know what it means to be, a senior."

Misty's face had a brashness and confidence unique to a trainer, in addition to her anger.

The fake smile on Rope's face changed to a real one.

He wanted to see a Misty who was full of fighting spirit, the little orange-haired beauty who could teach Red a lesson back then, not some playful mermaid-Misty.

Misty didn't even have the label "playful", her nickname was "Savage Mermaid"!

With that in mind, Rope took a Pokéball from his waist and clutched it in his hand.

"Then, let's go to war."

"Let me teach you what it means to have, the experience of a senior!"

Misty was confident in her strength. She also had the capital to be confident, as a veteran Gym Leader, a superbly gifted Water-type Specialist Genius girl, with Lorelei as her goal, how could she not work towards her goal?

What's more, she was in love with someone as outstanding as Red... how could she allow herself to stagnate?

That's why... many times, people's slackness is not something they can feel.

You never know how strong you are until you push yourself.

Rope is all about pushing Misty. Make her a little stronger.

At least not weaker than Yellow... that would be too much fun... and of course, Yellow, being the Healer, has a weird batch of strength...

Lance was all hers, and even though Lance wasn't as strong back then as he is now, and Yellow used other people's Pokémon, but... it didn't stop this Lance guy from being taken out by the newly debuted Yellow.

Lance's black history, Rope pokes fun at Lance about it every time everyone gets together.

Then again.

Rope is a Pokédex holder, what title should he be called?

Has the Professor figured it out yet?

Well, there's no need to rush, as many of the original Pokédex holders haven't made their debut yet either. It would be better to wait until he had attended the Indigo Plateau Conference.

Retrieving the many thoughts that flashed by, Rope responded with a smile.

"So, Misty, let me see your progress. Show me that you have what it takes to stand next to Red!"

Good lord, Misty sure isn't sleepy when you talk about this.

Misty knew that this scum in front of her was wearing the same pants as Red and Blue.

This can't be a request from Red, right?

As soon as the thought bubbled up from the back of Misty's mind, she couldn't take it back.

So she took a deep breath, then allowed herself to regain her composure, not letting her anger affect her command.

Then took the lead and threw her Pokéball.

"Come out Gyarados!"

With a flash of white light, a huge, ferocious-looking Gyarados came out with a sky-raising roar!

"Roar!!!! (Weakling!!!)"

Rope couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at the sight, not sure what Misty had brainstormed on her own, but it didn't look like Misty's fighting spirit had shrunk as her anger waned.

Rope threw the Pokéball he was holding.

"Prepare for battle Charmeleon!"

"Roar!!! (Fool!!!)"

Charmeleon made his entrance with the same roar.

Against Gyarados' intimidating aura, Charmeleon toppled back without hesitation, known to be so determined that Misty stared.

Misty looked Rope's Charmeleon up and down for a moment, then nodded and said, "Your Charmeleon is cultivated quite well. But, do you just want to beat my Gyarados with such a novice Pokémon? Didn't I hear that you've taken in an Entei? Why don't you send him out for me to see?"

Misty's tone was full of doubt.

It was no secret within the League that Rope had subdued an Entei. Although Entei were rare, they weren't Tier 1 Gods after all, and the shock they could cause was still limited, after all, Blaine had maintained a good friendship with an Entei, and although he hadn't subjugated it, he still didn't have a problem commanding the battle.

Rope shook his head and said, "Underestimating my Charmeleon? Misty, you'll pay for it."

Misty shrugged with a whatever-you-can-call-it stance.

Rope ignored it as well and shouted at Charmeleon, "Charmeleon, show this orange-haired Basculin what we're made of!"

"Asshole! Who are you calling Basculin!!! Gyarados!!! Aqua Tail!"

Misty's Outrage was hit by Rope's knife in one fell swoop.

"Charmeleon, dodge and hit back with Flamethrower!"

Rope also calmly continued to command.

Both Charmeleon and Gyarados received the command from their own trainer, then Gyarados gathered a huge spiral water column on its tail and flung it towards Charmeleon.

Charmeleon still tried to dodge away, but this was Misty's Gyarados, how could its moves be dodged so easily?

Its Aqua Tail immediately changed its form the moment it got close to Charmeleon, like a big hand that wanted to wrap Charmeleon up.

Charmeleon's space and angle for dodging were closed almost instantly, so it was clear that this move could only be resisted.

So Charmeleon blasted a super-small Flamethrower straight into the weakest point of the Aqua Tail, and then blasted the encirclement open, and Charmeleon dug out as fast as his eyes could see.

And Misty frowned slightly as she looked at the Flamethrower, which was thicker than normal.

It looked like this Rope guy really had a hand in cultivating Pokémon, and this Charmeleon's flames were one step stronger than a normal Charmeleon in both power and temperature.

But what happened next completely reshaped Misty's understanding of Flamethrower's move.

After Charmeleon completed the command to dodge, Flamethrower was naturally next...

And so...

A cone-shaped flame was spat out...

At its largest, it was wider than the door of the dojo...

Gyarados was just drowned in a wave of fire interspersed with white flames.

Thus, Misty, Daisy, and Sue, all had the feeling of having their outlook on life reshaped.

And at that moment, Charmeleon was narrowing his eyes and smiling.

'Little brat, want to curse me again?'