Pokémon: Simultaneous time travel, this Ash is too versatile!

Chapter 57: Xiaoxia's Choice, Sakura's Encouragement, and the Expectation of the Future Strongest Gym.

Ash earned the Water Badge, and Misty's mood improved considerably because of Ralts. Ralts seemed to notice that Misty wasn't in a good mood, so it jumped into Misty's arms to comfort her with a hug.

Although she is still young, she has a very high emotional intelligence. She will probably grow up to be a witty, intelligent, and strong woman.

Xiaoxia, holding Ralts, looked at her three older sisters with a complicated expression. Not long ago, she had boasted to them that she would show the demeanor of a true trainer.

But now that she's been beaten so badly, these older sisters probably won't miss the chance to criticize her.

The eldest sister, Sakura, stepped forward and then... placed her hand on Xiaoxia's head.

"Eh?"

"What, you didn't expect us to mock you, did you? You've done a great job, Xiaoxia. If it were us, even if we were commanding the same Pokémon, we would probably lose even more miserably," Sakura teased with a smile.

"Although you can't compare to us in terms of beauty, we acknowledge your Pokémon command skills. This battle can't be blamed on you, Misty. We've seen so many competitions, and we've never seen a trainer act as recklessly as this guy." Ayame also looked at Ash and comforted Misty somewhat awkwardly.

Xiao Zhi pointed to himself, his lips twitching slightly. What did he mean by acting recklessly like him? This was just normal, standard tactical maneuvering, okay? He was just an innocent bystander getting shot at.

"We were wrong before. Being the gym leader is really tough. You have to fight against people, guide them during the fights, and bear the pressure of being defeated. It's a very difficult job." Peony hesitated before finally speaking her mind.

Xiaoxia looked at her three older sisters with teary eyes... How many years... How many years had it been since she had seen them speak to her so kindly!
As expected, no amount of talking can compare to letting them experience it firsthand. It is only after experiencing what it's like to be a gym owner that they realize how hard it is to be one!

"No...it's okay. You sisters have worked very hard too. If it weren't for the money you earned, I wouldn't have been able to raise the gem starfish to be so strong. I also made mistakes before."

The four sisters finally opened up to each other, and the misunderstandings between them were resolved.

Then, Xiaoxia hesitated. She looked at Xiaozhi and Xiaogang, and then at Sakura and the others, feeling conflicted.

Now that her sisters have admitted their mistakes, should she return to be the gym leader? If Sakura and the others were to become gym leaders, not to mention how difficult it would be to juggle both the roles of performer and gym leader, the reputation of the Cerulean Gym would probably be ruined.

Aside from her Pokémon, the highest level Pokémon in this gym is only Advanced... To be precise, the only Pokémon she can command are Elite level.

There's a hidden gem of a Pokémon in the gym. That Pokémon is already at the professional level, but... let alone Sakura and the others, even Misty might not be able to control it.

Furthermore, Xiaoxia has a deep fear of that Pokémon and would never use it unless absolutely necessary.

Therefore, in terms of combat power, Starmie is already the strongest Pokémon he can use. Having her guard the gym would be excellent for both the long-term prospects and reputation of Cerulean Gym.

But... she was a little reluctant to leave the team. Although she had only spent a little over ten days with Ash, she felt that those ten days had been more exciting than more than ten years of her life.

Traveling with Ash seems to allow you to see many things that ordinary people can't, whether it's Ho-Oh, Shiny Ralts, or the bizarre scene of Ash physically confronting a Pokémon...

These amazing experiences are something you can't see just by staying inside the dojo.

Therefore, Misty is now very conflicted, wondering whether to go with Ash or stay at the gym. "Misty, go on a trip." Sakura seemed to see through Misty's thoughts, and with a slight parting of her red lips, she made the decision for Misty.

"Sakura-nee..."

"Only by seeing the outside world can you go further on the path of a trainer. Isn't that what you said? If you stay here, maybe one day you can become a trainer like your parents, but that's not enough... I look forward to the day when you can become the strongest Gym Leader in the Kanto region, just as you said."

Sakura smiled and encouraged Xiaoxia.

If Misty chooses to stay at the gym, it would indeed be a good thing for Cerulean Gym. In fact, it wouldn't be long before Cerulean Gym could shed its title as the weakest gym once Misty's Pokémon truly reach the professional level.

But this is definitely not good for Xiaoxia's long-term development.

That's why Sakura encouraged Misty to leave the Cerulean Gym and go out with Ash and his friends to see a wider world.

As for the mess at Cerulean Gym...

Anyway, the gym assessment isn't coming anytime soon, so let's just leave it as the weakest gym.

She believed in Xiaoxia. Once Xiaoxia returned, Hualan Dojo would definitely reach a new level. Until then, the sisters would hold on for a while.

"That's right, didn't you say you wanted to become even stronger than Mom and Dad? You haven't even reached the level you boasted about yet."

"Go ahead and go. Cerulean Gym is the weakest gym with or without you anyway. You might as well go and come back stronger."

Xiaoxia's other two older sisters made sarcastic remarks while subtly praising her.

Although they were sharp-tongued, they genuinely hoped that Xiaoxia could do better.

Xiaoxia wiped away the tears streaming from the corners of her eyes, a determined expression on her face: "I understand. I will become stronger and stronger, and then I will come back to revitalize the Cerulean Gym! Until then, you all have to hold on!"

……

"Goodbye, and feel free to come back to the Cerulean Gym sometime!"

"And Xiaoxia, remember to catch some powerful Pokémon and send them back. Your sisters don't want to lose so badly every time!"

"Yeah, right! Also, I took a picture of you crying just now, Xiaoxia. I'll send you the picture when you become a powerful trainer!"

Changpu's words made Xiaoxia, who was happily waving goodbye, freeze. She had actually felt the warmth that her sisters had given her just now. That must have been an illusion!

These older sisters still love to tease her as always!
This time, Xiaoxia left the soon-to-evolve Goldfish at home. If it is properly cared for, the Goldfish should be able to evolve into a Goldfish King within a month. At that time, even with the older sisters' command abilities, they will have some ability to fight back when facing challengers.

And so, the three of them set off again for their third gym—the Vermilion Gym!
(End of this chapter)