Chapter 17: Painting Dreams and Chasing Shadows
A City Left Behind
Holly sighed as she leaned against a cool stone railing overlooking the Cerulean River. The city bustled with activity around her—trainers chatting about upcoming gym battles, kids racing through the streets with Poké Balls in hand, and the occasional water Pokémon splashing in the canals that wound through the city.
But for all its beauty, Cerulean was a bust.
Ash had already come and gone.
She should've known. Brock was keeping him on track. No more getting lost every five minutes or distracted by random battles.
Still, that meant she had to pick up the pace if she wanted to catch him before he pulled too far ahead.
But first—there was work to be done.
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An Easy Win at Cerulean Gym
The battle against Misty's sisters had been laughably easy.
The Elite Badge challenge required her to fight two of their strongest Pokémon, but with Gyarados towering over the battlefield, it had been a complete sweep.
Their Starmie barely lasted two Hydro Pumps, and Seaking was wiped out by a single Hyper Beam before it even had the chance to land a hit.
By the time the battle was over, the gym leaders had handed her the Elite Cascade Badge without much fuss, making vague comments about how they weren't really fighters anyway.
Holly wasn't complaining.
With four badges under her belt, she was already halfway to complete travel freedom.
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Stocking Up on Art Supplies
With the gym challenge over, Holly headed straight for the art depot, her heart practically thrumming with excitement.
The store was massive, shelves stacked with every kind of paint, brush, and canvas imaginable.
She grabbed:
A set of rich watercolors, perfect for capturing soft natural landscapes.
New acrylic paints, bold and vibrant—ideal for when she wanted to create something dramatic.
A variety of canvases, ranging from small travel-sized ones to larger stretched frames for when she finally had time to sit down and paint properly.
Her fingers itched to get started, but she knew she wouldn't have time to truly lose herself in painting until she completed her gym circuit.
She sighed as she packed her supplies.
Soon. Once I get my badges, find Ash, and finally get some breathing room, I'm going off-grid for at least two months.
She could already picture it—a quiet, peaceful place deep in the wilderness, just her, her Pokémon, and an entire canvas waiting to be filled.
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An Unexpected Surprise on Her Blog
That evening, Holly sat cross-legged on her Pokémon Center cot, scrolling through the comments on her blog post.
She had expected a few people to enjoy her photography, but the response had exploded.
Hundreds of comments.
People were sharing her photos, praising her ability to capture Pokémon in their natural state, and even discussing what species she should photograph next.
One comment, however, made her pause.
"Not bad, Ketchum. Never thought you had a knack for this."
Her eyes narrowed as she read it again.
The username was vague, but something about the wording felt familiar.
Gary?
She frowned. Gary never paid attention to her. His world revolved around one-upping Ash and proving himself as the superior trainer.
So why the hell was he suddenly commenting on her blog?
Weird.
Still, she couldn't help but smirk.
If it really was Gary, he must've been impressed.
She updated her profile and added a link to sell prints of her photography, realizing that if her blog continued to grow, she might actually be able to fund her journey through her art.
Of course, that meant she'd have to stop in cities more often, which was a pain. But money was money.
And a girl had to make a living somehow.
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Bill's Lighthouse – The Search for Beauty
With her errands done, Holly called Pidgeot from his Poké Ball, feeling the rush of wind as his massive wings expanded.
She swung onto his back, gripping his feathers tightly. "Alright, let's fly."
With a powerful beat of his wings, they were airborne, soaring over the vast landscape toward the famous lighthouse of Kanto's northern coast.
Bill's Lighthouse was a mystical place, perched atop the cliffs, standing tall against the endless expanse of the sea.
Ash had already been here.
But Holly wasn't here for him.
She was here for the view.
She arrived just as the sun was setting, the sky exploding into a masterpiece of colors—deep purples, fiery oranges, and streaks of gold reflecting off the waves.
She snapped dozens of photos, capturing the way the lighthouse stood against the dying light, its beam cutting through the coming night.
Then she waited.
As dawn approached, she found a higher vantage point and set up for another round of shots.
When the first rays of morning light crested over the horizon, turning the sea into a molten mirror of gold and pink, she knew she had it.
The perfect shot.
She grinned. This would be an amazing painting.
With her camera secured, she climbed back onto Pidgeot, patting his feathers. "Let's go. Time for our next challenge."
---
Holly arrived in Saffron City, only to discover that Ash had already come and gone again.
Damn, he's getting fast.
What a little punk. She felt this chase was getting tedious. There are other things she could be doing. Sigh. Brothers are troublesome.
Her journey was far from over.
But with every battle, every challenge, and every moment captured through her camera's lens, she felt herself getting closer to her true goal.
One step at a time.