The crowd watching the idol performance instantly began to murmur.

  The idol's sudden concert at the Water Blue Show was shocking enough, but the abrupt start of a Gym Leader battle instantly drew tremendous attention, both online and off.

  People throughout the venue quickly pulled out their Rotom Phones and started recording, and a few began live broadcasting, screaming with excitement at this unprecedented event.

  These videos quickly spread across the internet and social media, and people all over the world, including the Kanto region, fixated on the Cerulean City Gym Battle.

  The world's attention shifted to the challenger, Mina. Live broadcasts debated her identity and the potential outcome, receiving far more interest than the idol performance itself.

  The altered stage was surprisingly well-suited to Cerulean City. Water flooded the Pokémon battle platform, turning it into a giant swimming pool.

  Various platforms surfaced below the stage, resembling arctic ice floes. Mina had initially planned to steal the badge secretly, but there were too many eyes and cameras on her and Misty.

  “Damn it! I have to play by the rules! Tsk!"

  Mina muttered as she jumped onto one of the platforms. She almost lost her footing when the platform swayed but quickly regained her balance and shouted at Misty.

  “I’m ready! Let's get this over with!"

  Meanwhile, Ash, Pikachu, and Serena had escaped to a safe place and were watching Mina and Misty’s battle on a giant screen throughout Cerulean City.

  "Misty..."

  Serena looked at Misty with an expression of profound sadness, her eyes slightly watering.

  Ash, unsure how to comfort her, fidgeted before smiling gently and trying to reassure her.

  "It's okay. Whether it's Misty or Mina, they'll both be fine. They’re both strong Trainers.”

  Serena wiped away her tears, her voice struggling to form.

  "I wish that were true. Mina is a friend you travel with, right? I don’t know much about her, but I’m more worried about Misty.”

  Ash looked bewildered and asked Serena.

  “What do you mean?”

  Misty, who hadn't even entered the stage yet, pulled herself up.

  She began to move unnaturally and awkwardly, as if her limbs were being manipulated by a puppet master.

  Fans felt uneasy about her actions but chose to ignore it, captivated by the sudden Gym Battle. Mina shouted at Misty again:

  “Who controls you? What are you fighting for—money, fame, or something worse?"

  Misty's expression remained vacant. She said nothing, her movements completely unchanged as she threw a Poké Ball into the water.

  Misty's first Pokémon was Gyarados. Mina instantly recalled her research: Misty was known to be terrified of Bug types and Gyarados.

  However, recent reports suggested she had overcome her fears and achieved Mega Evolution. Wait, Mega Evolution?

  Lost in thought, Mina watched as Gyarados began to resonate with the Mega Stone attached to its body.

  Yet, Misty's Keystone didn't appear to be resonating with her at all.

  Having Mega Evolved, Mega Gyarados radiated a malevolent aura like a small blue dragon, threatening to devour Mina.

  Before the bewildered Mina, Misty commanded Gyarados:

  "D.r.a.g.o.n. D.a.n.c.e!”

  Though Gyarados is not a Dragon-type, it began to dance as if a dragon were ascending to the sky.

  In response to the dance, the calm water churned into a massive whirlpool caught in a furious storm.

  Mina could no longer hesitate and called out a Pokémon from her empty Poké Ball.

  "Damn it! Come out! Rotom!"

  Her Poké Ball yielded Mow Rotom. It quickly assessed the surroundings, giggled, and entered the battle.

  Meanwhile, outside the stage, the audience cheered upon seeing Misty and Mina’s Pokémon.

  Misty’s Pokémon choice was excellent, and fans could sense its immense power based on Dragon Dance alone.

  They added cheers and support, unable to hide their excitement.

  Mina thought the announcer’s voice sounded faintly familiar, like a ghost of a memory, but she decided to focus on Misty for now.

  Serena gazed at Ash, her expression radiating a faint yet unmistakable hint of pity. However, he seemed completely oblivious. This was hardly surprising, as his eyes were entirely consumed by worry for Misty and Serena.

  Then, as if making a difficult decision, she slowly began to tell Ash the truth.

  "Ash, you might not know this, but our Four-Zero group has been subjected to continuous threats and unfair treatment from NB Entertainment. Unlike you, we had to give up our dreams and become idols out of necessity.”

  Ash couldn't comprehend what Serena was saying, Despite her efforts to stay strong, her body trembled uncontrollably, a detail that even the most oblivious Ash noticed.

  He had an intense urge to know what had happened to them.

  "I need to know! Tell me more!”

  Inside of Gym, The sight of Mina’s small, seemingly weak Mow Rotom contrasted with Gyarados, leading some to outwardly root for Mina’s victory.

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  The battle became a hot topic both offline and online.

  People debated why Misty chose to Mega Evolve, which put her at a disadvantage against Mow Rotom.

  Some suspected Misty was not the real Gym Leader. Others even sided with Mina, predicting Misty’s defeat.

  Just as Mina and Misty were about to begin the battle, an announcer came out and explained the rules with the referee.

  “Ladies and gentlemen! The Cerulean City Gym Leader Battle will now commence! Each Trainer may use up to two Pokémon. The first Trainer to defeat both of their opponent's Pokémon wins! Item usage is not allowed, and surrendering is an option. Everyone! Let the Cerulean City Gym Leader Battle begin!”

  Serena closed her eyes briefly. The mere thought of her life with Four-Zero was so terrifying that she couldn't bring herself to speak, Serena continued with a heavy expression.

  "You know I was a Pokémon Performer in the Kalos region but failed to become the Kalos Queen. You also know that I went to the Hoenn region to work as a Pokémon Coordinator.”

  Ash nodded silently, and Serena continued.

  "But working as a coordinator wasn't easy. In fact, it was harder than being a performer in Kalos. I could barely manage in the lower ranks, let alone gain popularity. Eventually, I completely failed as a Coordinator."

  Ash simply could not accept this reality. He had imagined that he and everyone else would live happily ever after now that he was World Champion. But the truth was uglier than he could ever have imagined,Ash looked genuinely shocked by Serena’s words.

  In hindsight, he thought it was strange that Serena, who had originally dreamed of being a Performer, had suddenly challenged herself as a Coordinator.

  He couldn't quite understand the connection between the two roles.

  Leaving a deeply serious Ash behind, Serena continued speaking.

  "After that, I faced financial hardship and struggled to find food the next day. Just as I was about to give up, NB Entertainment scouted me. I went through the idol trainee process and finally became an idol.”

  Ash swallowed hard and said,

  "So you never wanted to do this work in the first place? You were forced into it?"

  Serena nodded silently and continued.

  "That's right. Misty and the other members are the same. We are not you, Ash. Reality forces us to give up our old dreams and create new ones. It’s painful, but it’s the truth.”

  Meanwhile, inside the Cerulean City Gym, the stage water churned as Misty’s Mega Gyarados frantically launched Ice Fang toward Mow Rotom.

  Misty began to writhe and move as if resisting something.

  The Ice Fang attacks that missed the mark created ice floes on the stage water.

  Mina, unable to properly secure her sunglasses, stumbled and leaned on a water platform.

  Seeing the fragments of the growing ice floes heading her way, potentially dealing damage, she commanded Rotom.

  “Leaf Storm!”

  Leaf Storm hit Mega Gyarados squarely, but it countered the rapid rotation of Leaf Storm with Dragon Dance, minimizing the damage.

  Misty didn't utter any commands aloud, seemingly communicating with Mega Gyarados telepathically.

  "That's two Dragon Dances now, isn't it? Thunder Wave!”

  Rotom was too slow to dodge Mega Gyarados’s Ice Fang and took the hit.

  Though damaged, Rotom managed to deploy Thunder Wave at the last moment, paralyzing Mega Gyarados.

  Gyarados and Misty both stopped twitching and remained still like corpses due to the paralysis, causing the continuous attacks to cease.

  Thinking she finally had a moment, Mina adjusted her sunglasses and began analyzing Gyarados.

  Mega Gyarados's Ability: Mold Breaker

  Nature: Jolly (Sp. Atk Down / Speed Up)

  IVs: V V V V V V

  EVs: H6 A252 S252

  Moveset: Dragon Dance / Ice Fang / Earthquake / Aqua Tail

  Mina thought to herself:

  'A typical offensive Mega Gyarados build. The nature suggests prioritizing speed, aiming to sweep after stacking Dragon Dances. Since I managed to inflict paralysis, I should finish this easily.'

  As she predicted, Mega Gyarados's speed was noticeably reduced, and it struggled with the paralysis, unable to attack.

  “Rotom! Nasty Plot!"

  Rotom used Nasty Plot to recover the Special Attack stat lowered by Leaf Storm.

  However, like Misty, Gyarados remained immobile due to paralysis.

  Ash began to understand the profound sadness radiating from Serena’s expression, an expression that was lifeless in a way, Although she didn't say it directly, he could imagine the pain she carried, Ash apologized to Serena without realizing it.

  "I'm sorry, Serena. I wasn't there for you.”

  Serena smiled faintly at his sudden apology.

  "That's what makes you amazing, Ash. You achieved your childhood dream, didn't you? The dream of becoming a Pokémon Master.”

  "Rotom! Use Nasty Plot again!”

  Rotom used Nasty Plot again, significantly boosting its Special Attack.

  Gyarados, recovering somewhat from the paralysis, attempted to attack Rotom with Ice Fang.

  Rotom was faster, though, causing the Ice Fang to miss. The attack froze 80% of the stage water.

  "Rotom! Use Thunderbolt to knock Gyarados beneath the water!"

  Rotom unleashed a powerful Thunderbolt, striking the floating Gyarados.

  Gyarados crashed into the unfrozen part of the water with a loud splash.

  The crowd cheered as the massive Mega Gyarados plunged into the water, believing Mina was more likely to win.

  But Mina's expression suddenly darkened. Despite being submerged for some time,

  Gyarados hadn't emerged from the water. Mina commanded Rotom:

  "Rotom, go underwater and hit Gyarados with Thunderbolt!"

  The moment Rotom obeyed and dove in, Gyarados, waiting in the depths, snagged it with Ice Fang and dragged it deeper.

  The crowd erupted in excitement, acknowledging the Cerulean City Gym Leader and growing curious about the outcome of this thrilling battle.

  Rotom fought back and unleashed a Thunderbolt underwater.

  For some reason, however, the attack was nullified.

  It turned out that Gyarados had used the Ground-type move Earthquake to neutralize the Thunderbolt while deep underwater.

  Due to its Mold Breaker ability, Rotom also took damage from the Earthquake.

  Coupled with the damage Rotom had sustained from the Ice Fang earlier when Gyarados dragged it down, Rotom was considerably exhausted. Mina knew she had to make her final move.

  Misty's body was wracked with involuntary, spasmodic movements, commanding Gyarados.

  "A.q.u.a.T.a.i.l."

  Mina realized a few things.

  First, Misty was constantly fighting against someone controlling her.

  Second, Gyarados's Aqua Tail seemed more focused on pushing Rotom toward the frozen sections to finish the battle there than on dealing damage underwater.

  As luck would have it, behind Rotom was ice that would take a long time to melt. This meant that Mina couldn't delay any longer.

  "Leaf Storm!"

  Gyarados's Aqua Tail and Rotom's Leaf Storm collided underwater.

  Gyarados's Attack was boosted by two Dragon Dances, and Rotom's Special Attack was boosted by two Nasty Plots. If both moves connected, fainting was inevitable for both.

  The underwater impact limited the visible spectacle and damage, but the resulting shockwave shattered part of the pool, creating a massive bang and a cloud of dust.

  Once the dust settled and the unfrozen water drained away, Mega Gyarados's Mega Evolution had reverted and Mow Rotom was lying unconscious.

  The referee looked at both Pokémon and declared:

  "Gyarados and Mow Rotom are both unable to continue! Both trainers, please send out your second Pokémon!"

  Mina and Misty recalled their Pokémon into their Poké Balls. Who would be the victor of this Gym Battle?

  Meanwhile, seeing Ash with a serious expression for the first time in a while, Serena became curious and asked him.

  “Then let me ask you one thing. What do you think a Pokémon Master is?”

  Ash was unable to give his usual simple answer.

  He thought about Mina’s journey, Serena’s story, and Misty’s current situation.

  He began to fundamentally reconsider what it truly meant to be a Pokémon Master.

  As Ash remained silent, Serena smiled faintly and said,

  "You don't know, do you? Actually, I don’t know either. I wonder if the concept of a 'Pokémon Master' is just a fantasy and a dream created by our own imaginations.”

  Ash responded with doubt, asking himself.

  “A Pokémon Master... just a dream?”

  Suddenly, Ash recalled Mina’s disdain for him, the person who had been fooled by fake news about Pokémon Masters.

  Judging by her actions, she seemed to know what a Pokémon Master was.

  Ash was confused by Mina’s actions, Serena’s words, and the meaning of a Pokémon Master.

  "If the Pokémon Master never existed, then what have I been traveling and living for?"

  Serena tapped Ash on the shoulder and gave him a simple answer.

  “Ash, the Pokémon World Champion! You just have to redefine what a Pokémon Master is!”

  Meanwhile, MN's Ditto, having hacked the NB Entertainment computer, was about to transform into a Pidgey and return when...

  "A Ditto with free will... It’s been a long time since I’ve seen one."

  At the voice, Ditto instantly took a defensive posture, surprised by the unfamiliar words.

  The voice replied: "Don't be surprised. It's fascinating, whether that will is truly free or not. Even I don't know."

  The voice's laughter slowly grew as it revealed itself to Ditto, causing it to freeze.

  "You are...?"