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The Cerulean City Gym had a colored, complicated history. Left in the hands of three elder siblings who were hardly suited to responsibility, it excelled as an entertainment center, but floundered terribly as a Gym; skirting the line of being condemned several times. Rumors of handed out badges and inadequately trained teams circulated, until the fourth Cerulean Sister started lending her Pokémon to the Gym. And even then, it suffered until she properly took over.
In just a couple of years, Misty catapulted a floundering Gym to high status, with a variety of powerful and diverse Water-type Pokémon, and ruthless strategies to compliment them. By proper adulthood, she'd elevated its reputation to match even the Viridian Gym; Kanto's traditional bastion of strength. But, the Gym was now facing another proper crisis.
After Team Rocket's collapse, Kanto and Johto were splitting their Leagues into two, and Ash had asked Misty to join his own Elite Four. But, that left one crucial issue on the table:
The shoulders on which the Cerulean Gym would fall. After all, the triplets wouldn't be able to maintain their younger sister's standard for skill and prestige, and they'd essentially retired from being Gym Leaders altogether, anyway.
Luckily, Lana's square and narrow shoulders had carried the burden of Kyogre, themselves. What were a couple of battles and badges to hand out, if it made her fiancée's life easier?
"Alright! I got 'em." Ash's deep voice echoed throughout the Cerulean Gym's main hall. He stepped through one of the small corridors leading to the vast open space, holding a bag of chips and bottled water. The Cerulean Gym was hot and humid, so he'd opted for a tank top with a Pokémon League emblem, swim shorts, and flip flops. His hair was a little frizzier than usual, under those conditions; not that Ash Ketchum cared about that.
He was on his way towards the bleachers, although he did stop by the battlefield; a wide open pool with rocky foundations surrounding it and jutting out of it. Misty's Gyarados was surfacing in and out of the water, offering a ride to Ash's starter, Peeks. The mouse intermittently held his breath before surfacing each time, laughing as he shook the moisture out of his glossy yellow fur. He was clinging to the fin that stood proudly on Gyarados's head like a crown.
"Ma-rina~!" Lana's Primarina cooed, beckoning Peeks and Gyarados over with a wave of her tailfin. She was reclining on one of the rocky islands, enjoying the gentle cascade of rolling waters splashing the surface under her scales. She supported herself with one fin holding up her chin, making a show of fluttering her eyelashes.
Gyarados grunted a loud sound of confusion, but obliged, lowering his head towards the water. His head still dwarfed her, and she motioned her fin for him to dip his head lower. He did so.
Peeks smiled, leaning over Gyarados's crown to meet the mermaid halfway. He leaned into her fin gently cupping his chin, and brushed noses with her giddily. "Pika-chu~" he cooed suavely.
Their little seaside affair only lasted a moment, though; Gyarados must have realized that he was being used as a third wheel, as he quickly surfaced and tossed his head, slinging Peeks off his head to crash into Primarina. They tumbled over in a pile, with Peeks landing on her belly.
"Groarh!" Gyarados grunted and swam off, as if to say 'get a room.'
Ash snorted with laughter, walking on up to the bleachers to hop his way up to where Misty sat, with Lana huddled up in her lap. He frowned, seeing that she still had her back turned to him.
Nonetheless, he held out the bag of sour cream and onion chips and the water bottle. "Here you go, Gym Leader! On the house."
"It's my Gym," Lana muttered, barely above library volume.
Lana talking quietly was standard for her. But, that particular inflection was a tell-tale sign. "You're still mad, huh…?" Even so, Ash stepped around to place the chips and water in her lap.
"Who would've thought the Devil of the Sea was also a sore loser?" Misty tutted, even as she ran her fingers along her partner's scalp to liven up her mood. "C'mon, girl. Less sulk, more bulk."
"Five times in a row," Lana replied, even as she tore open the bag, and grabbed a handful of chips, inadvertently crushing them up in her palm. "I've lost to him five times in a row."
"You do know that part of a Gym Leader's job is to lose, don't you?" Misty pursed her lips. "I understand that it's frustrating, but I told you that this was going to be a serious responsibility."
"I know that," Lana said, after eating the crushed chips. "...but I don't think your average challenger is the Champion. It's hard to find dignity in a loss when you lose this badly."
"...Mm, yeah. I see your issue, there." Misty clicked her tongue. "As much as I hate to run cover for your boyfriend, there's a reason that we picked Ash."
"...You mean besides my devilish good looks?" Ash grinned hopefully. Lana snorted. Being receptive to a joke usually meant that her mood was on the mend. "Seriously. I've got like, all sorts of Pokémon to bring over. You've got all the variety you could ever want!"
"The variety is a plus," Lana muttered around another mouthful of chips. The poor gal was stress-eating. "In that case, though, let me ask." She looked over her shoulder towards Ash, with a fearsome shadow shrouding her eyes. "Why do you keep taking type advantage?"
"That's what Gym Challengers are gonna do, babe." Ash explained matter of factly, holding a palm upward. That's one of the first things that Gym Leaders ought to be prepared for!"
"Afraid he's right. Again." Misty made a face that looked like she was ready to lose her lunch. "Being a type specialist is more than just using that type of Pokémon; it's about understanding their strengths and weaknesses to the greatest extent, and having answers to those weaknesses!"
There was nothing that Lana could deny in either of their arguments, on a purely logical level. Unfortunately, she wasn't in the headspace of 'logical,' at the moment.
"If you use Peeks again," she threatened, "I'm leaving you."
"H-hey!?" Ash was entirely disarmed, waving his hands about. "What kind of threat is that!? I know Misty called you a sore loser, but this is ridiculous!"
"...Just kidding." Lana stuck out her tongue. Getting a proper look at Ash, though, she stopped smiling. "...Oh. That was too much, wasn't it? Your feelings are actually hurt."
The proud Champion sat down on the bleachers next to her, pouting. His arms were folded over his chest, and he wouldn't quite look at her. "Just a little," he muttered. "Take it easy, will ya?"
"Yeah, even for me, that was a bit much," Misty huffed. "...Oh, great. Now I've got two sulky, salty sardines flopping on my bleachers. C'mon!" She clapped her hands. "Kiss and make up."
"Mm." Lana hummed, leaning backwards in Misty's lap so that she was looking at Ash upside down. "I'm sorry, okay?"
Ash met her in an upside-down kiss, cupping the side of her head for a gentle embrace. Pulling away afterwards, he smiled. "Apology accepted. And, sorry for taking it so hard on you. I was trying to put the pressure on to spark inspiration in you. It usually works for me, anyway."
"...I guess that makes sense." Lana sat back up. She offered Ash the bag of chips as another quiet apology for her joke. "I like to think I'm a good battler, but I'm not you, Ash. My job was to be a Trial Captain, not a battle strategist."
"She's still getting her feet wet," Misty reiterated. "I guess this was a lot to learn at once…" Misty tilted up Lana's chin, leaving a peck on her lips. "I'm sorry for expecting so much of you, too."
Finally, Lana smiled. "I'm happy to do it. I just need to adjust to the learning curve. Mmm…" She held her index finger to her lip. "...I know. I have my next condition for you, Ash."
"Mphph?" Ash asked around a mouthful of chips, and swallowed. "'Condition?'"
Lana took on a stern, intense expression, pointing at Ash. "If you're going to show off against me in our training exercises… Then show off with a type disadvantage, this time. A Fire-type."
Misty felt a creeping chill come over her; the color drained from her face. "...Girl. Bad idea."
"Bad idea?" Lana looked up at Misty, blinking. "This is a Water-type Gym. How bad could it be?"
Several minutes later, Lana stood on the Gym Leader end of the battlefield, after the group's Pokémon had cleared out for the proceedings ahead. She was ready and motivated, with her Vaporeon, Sandy, standing on one of the small islands, with his tail curled around his body.
Her boyfriend stood opposite, as he tossed a Poké Ball into the air with gusto and flourish. The light emerging from the capsule climbed towards the ceiling, taking the shape of a winged beast.
Ash's Charizard manifested, flexing his limbs and roaring mightily. A burst of hot wind cascaded across the pool, kicking up waves from the sheer pressure alone. Lana felt her hair start to frizz.
"...Ah."