"Welcome to Cerulean City, y'all!" Georgia said.

The others and I gasped in awe at the sprawling city with silvery-blue buildings.

"Wow, this place looks beautiful!" Nina commented.

"I agree!" Eric said.

I smiled as I admired the sprawling metropolis. When I turned to Georgia, my smile fell when I saw a concerned look on her face.

"Is everything alright, Georgia?" I asked.

The cowgirl hummed her reply and shook her head.

"No..." she muttered, "Somethin' ain't right,"

"What is it?" Kat asked.

"Let's head into the city and find Misty and her sisters. I'll explain on the way."

The others and I glanced at each other worriedly as the cowgirl walked ahead.

What's the matter?

As we approached the city, I noticed a lot of canals weaving throughout the city streets, but they were all dried up.

"I knew something' wasn't right." Georgia said aloud.

"What is it?" I asked.

The cowgirl sighed before crouching beside a dried-up canal.

"Cerulean City prides itself on having a flowin' source of water from the river behind it that feeds into the sea," Georgia said, "Because of this, a lot of folks 'round the parts rely on said water. Out of all the times I've been here, I've never seen not one canal full to the brim."

When Georgia glided her hand on the side of the canal, the cowgirl sighed heavily before dusting off her hands.

"Yup, these canals are dryer than haybales," Georgia said as she stood up.

"So, what do we do?" I asked.

"First, we gotta find Misty and her sisters. They'll have a better grasp of the situation.

Nodding to the cowgirl, we followed her further into the city along the white marble streets. I glanced around me to see numerous canals and fountains drained and dry. My heart clenched when I saw a Mudkip paw at the canal's edge with a concerned expression.

Undoubtedly, these Pokémon rely on the water here, especially Water-type Pokémon.

When we reached the gym, I gasped in awe at how big the building was. Looking ahead, I noticed a pearly white bridge with a dried-up canal underneath.

"I'm guessing there used to be water here, too, huh?" I questioned.

"You got that right." said an unfamiliar voice.

When I looked up, I saw a girl with fair skin, orange hair, and green eyes. She wore a yellow crop top with teal shorts, red suspenders, and matching red and yellow sneakers.

"Howdy, Misty," Georgia said, tipping her hat.

"Howdy, Georgia," Misty said, glancing at us, "Who are your friends?"

"Right. Misty, meet Eragona, Kat, Eric, and Nina. Y'all, this is Misty, Cerulean City's Water-type Gym Leader."

The orange-haired girl smiled and waved at us.

"It's very nice to meet you all," she said, "I wish we could've met under better circumstances, but we're dealing with a major crisis right now."

"What's going on?" Kat asked.

Misty sighed before gesturing for us to follow her.

"I don't know when it all started, but one day, I noticed the water level in the canals around the city began to lower," Misty began, "I didn't think much of it; that was until I noticed the water level in the river beyond Cerulean City was getting lower, too."

When we walked into the gym, I marveled at the enormous battlefield with an empty pool surrounding it.

"The water supplied here comes from the river behind the gym," Misty explained, "But when the river's water started to lower, so did the water in our pool."

"Our?" Eric parroted.

"Misty!" cried an unfamiliar voice.

When we looked ahead, three girls were jogging up to us. One girl had blue hair, another had blonde hair, and the other had pink hair.

"Everyone, these are my sisters," Misty said, "This is Violet."

Misty proceeded to place a hand on the blue-haired girl's shoulder.

"Daisy." Misty said, pointing to the blonde.

The blonde girl smiled and waved.

"And Lily." Misty said, gesturing to the pink-haired girl.

"Hello, and welcome!" the three girls said, "We are known as the Sensational Sisters!"

The three girls proceeded to strike poses as if there were cameras around. Misty hung her head and groaned.

"Excuse them," Misty sighed, "They're always like this."

As if that needed to be said...

"There's nothing but a tiny stream of water in the river under Nugget Bridge," Lily said, "We just got back from rescuing the Water-type Pokémon that resided in the river and moved them to the tank."

"That's good," Misty said, "We got to figure out what's causing the water to stop flowing into the city."

"Is there anything we can do to help?" Nina asked.

Misty smiled and nodded as she patted her pocket.

"My hunch is that something or someone is causing a backup," she began, "If there are multiple of them, I'd love for you and your Pokémon to help me out."

"You can count on us, Misty!" Eric said.

Libby and Angel smiled and let out confident cries.

"We'll head into town to see if we can help out anyone." Daisy said.

"Thanks, you guys." Misty said with a smile.

After walking out of the gym, we went our separate ways. When Misty led us to a gate out of the city behind her gym, my eyes widened at a long white and gold bridge outstretched across a dried-up river.

Lily was right. There's nothing but a tiny stream here.

Misty vaulted over the bridge and landed in the small stream; the others and I followed suit.

"Georgia mentioned that this river connects to the sea," Kat stated, "Maybe if we head towards the sea, we'll find the problem."

"Smart thinking," Misty said, "Follow me!"

Misty turned on her heel and started sprinting downstream with the others and me in tow. I took out a Pokéball and tossed it in the air.

"Jet, take flight!" I called out.

At my command, my Garchomp appeared.

"Jet, fly ahead and see if anything is blocking the water flow!" I said.

Jet let out a cry before flying ahead. As we approached the sea, the tiny stream became more potent with water.

"The sea is just up ahead; come on!" Misty exclaimed.

The other and I nodded as we picked up the pace. When I heard a familiar cry, I turned to my side and saw Jet. He let out multiple cries as he pointed ahead.

"Jet's found something up ahead, and by how he's reacting, it can't be anything good."

When we reached the sea, we gasped when we saw large boulders blocking the way to the sea.

"These boulders were never here before," Misty said, "And they're not supposed to be here."

Meaning, someone must've placed them here...

"Hey! What do you kids think you're doing?" asked a stray voice.

When we looked up on the riverbank, a man wearing a red shirt and combat boots glared down at us with a Poliwrath beside him.

"Can't you see we're working here?" another man with a green shirt said.

Beside him was a rabbit-like Pokémon with large ears.

"That's a Diggersby," Kat said, "It's a Pokémon native to Kalos. They can easily heft a ton of boulders with their big ears. I've seen them around at construction sites back home."

So that Pokémon, along with the Poliwrath, must've been blocking the source of the water.

"What are you doing?" Misty asked, "And who are you?"

"The name's Donovan," said the man in the red shirt, "That there is Ricco."

The man in the green shirt bowed his head with a slight grin.

"That's Tyler," Donovan said, pointing to the man in the blue shirt, "And that over there is Harley."

The man in the yellow shirt smiled and gave a two-fingered salute.

"You kids can call us the Pokémon Pirates." Donovan said.

The Pokémon Pirates?

"What are you guys doing here?" Nina asked.

"What does it look like, lass?" Tyler asked, "We're looking for Dratini to sell 'em."

Sell Dratini?

"Dratini are extremely rare 'round these parts, and if we can catch one, we'll be rich!" Harley exclaimed.

They're pirates, alright. A better term for them is poachers. I had never met one in person before until now. They're horrible people who prey on rare Pokémon to sell for a quick buck.

"Dratini don't even live in this part of Kanto," Misty claimed, "You're blocking Cerulean City's vital water source for a Pokémon that doesn't even live here."

"Is that so?" Donovan, "How's about we make a deal then?"

The man slid down the riverbank into the dried-up canal with his Poliwrath in tow.

"If you tell us where Dratini resides, we'll happily remove these boulders for ya," he said, "What do you say?"

The man held out his gloved hand and sported a toothy grin. Misty growled ad swatted away his hand.

"Forget it! I'm not telling you anything," she protested, "People like you make me sick; capturing and selling Pokémon for your own selfish gains."

The man pulled back his hand and glared down at the gym leader.

"Fine, have it your way," he said, "Poliwrath, use Dynamic Punch!"

The Tadpole Pokémon let out a cry before rushing over at us with a glowing fist.

"Jet, counter with Dragon Rush!" I said.

My Garchomp roared as his glowing horns cloaked him in a purplish flame. When he charged at the Poliwrath's attack, a small explosion occurred. When the dust settled, Jet and Poliwrath pushed each other back and forth.

"Ice Punch, Diggersby!" Ricco said.

The Diggersby let out a cry before hopping off the boulders with one of its hand-like ears in an icy fist.

"Jet, get out of there!" I cried.

"Grab it, Poliwrath!" said Donovan said.

Before my Garchomp could move, the Tadpole Pokémon grabbed onto his horns and held him in place. When the Diggersby was in range, it slammed its icy fist into Jet, blowing him back.

"Jet!" I exclaimed.

Misty growled before pulling out a Pokéball.

"Two against one is hardly fair," she said, tossing her Pokéball, "I choose you, Gyarados!"

At her command, the Atrocious Pokémon appeared and roared.

"Jet, can you stand?" I asked, kneeling beside my fallen Pokémon.

My Garchomp groaned before hopping to his feet with a growl.

"You guys want in on this?" I asked, looking back at the others.

"Don't have to ask me twice." Eric said, pulling out a Pokéball.

The other girls grinned and did the same. The other men growled before tossing Pokéballs.

"Exploud, get out here!" Tyler said.

"Come on out, Machamp!" Harley said.

At their command, the two Pokémon appeared with loud cries. My friends glanced at one another before throwing out their Pokéballs.

"Samurott, let's go!" Eric said.

"Center stage, Angel!" Kat exclaimed.

"Go, Mawile!" Nina cried.

"Let's do this, Herdier!" Georgia cried.

At their command, their Pokémon appeared and growled.

"Ice Punch!" Donovan, Ricco, and Harley exclaimed.

"Ice Fang!" Tyler cried.

Their Pokémon cried out before charging at us with Ice-type attacks.

"Protect!" Georgia said.

The Loyal Dog Pokémon barked before jumping in front of the others and putting up a barrier, rendering the opposing moves useless.

"Flamethrower!" Misty, Nina, and I exclaimed.

When Herdier dropped the protect, Jet, Mawile, and Gyarados growled before releasing powerful ribbons of fire at the Pokémon, blowing them back. Donovan growled as he clenched his fists.

"Dual Chop on that Garchomp!" he and Harley said cried.

The two Fighting-type Pokémon let out cries before charging at Jet with glowing green fists.

"Angel, defend Jet!" Kat said.

When the two Pokémon were in range, Angel used her ribbon-like feelers to grab the Poliwrath and Machamp's fists.

"Rain Dance, Gyarados!" Misty said.

When the Atrocious Pokémon roared into the sky, rain started falling.

"Now, Eric!" Misty cried.

"Thanks!" Eric said, "Now, use Razor Shell!"

The Formidable Pokémon unsheathed its seamitar, and it started glowing a bright blue. The Samurott rushed over and brought down its seamitar on the immobile Pokémon. The Tadpole and Superpower Pokémon stumbled backward and let out strained cries.

With the rain up, Razor Shell does much more damage than before!

"Use Hyper Beam, Exploud!" Tyler said.

The Loud Noise Pokémon growled before roaring out a golden beam of light.

"Counter with Flamethrower, Gyarados!" Misty exclaimed.

The Atrocious Pokémon soon roared out a ribbon of fire, canceling the powerful Normal-type attack.

"Dragon Pulse!" I cried.

Jet growled as he fired a multicolored shock wave at the opposing Pokémon, causing it to fly back into the boulders.

"Earthquake, Diggersby!" Ricco exclaimed.

The Digging Pokémon let out a snarky cry before slamming one of its hand-like ears into the ground, causing the ground to rumble and break underneath us.

"Quick, Protect!" Georgia said.

Herdier backed as it set up a barrier around us.

Georgia got lucky using Protect twice in a row. Hopefully, when she needs to, it won't fail her a third time.

Donovan growled as he glared at us.

"You annoyin' lil' kids!" he exclaimed, "Poliwrath, use Dynamic Punch!"

The Tadpole Pokémon growled before charging at us with a glowing fist.

"Counter with Bite!" Misty said.

The Gyarados roared before propelling toward the Machamp and chomping down on the Poliwarth's fists.

"Throw it!" Misty cried.

The Atrocious Pokémon growled before throwing the Poliwrath against the boulders. Donovan growled as he glanced at his Pokémon.

"Get up, Poliwrath!" he demanded.

At his command, the Poliwrath stood up as if nothing had happened.

That is one bulky Poliwrath.

"Hyper Voice, Exploud!" Tyler exclaimed.

The Loud Noise Pokémon jolted up before letting out a deafening yell, causing the others and I, along with our Pokémon, to cover our ears.

"Shut it up with Iron Head!" Nina cried.

Her Mawile uttered a small cry before charging over at the opposing Pokémon with a silver head. The Loud Noise Pokémon tried to dodge the attack but got hit with the attack instead, soon falling to one knee.

"Dual Chop!" Harley said.

The Superpower Pokémon let out a cry before rushing over with glowing green fists.

"Fire Fang!" Georgia exclaimed.

The Loyal Dog Pokémon barked before jumping in front of Jet and chomping down on the Superpower Pokémon with flaming fangs. The Machamp winced in pain as it tried to shake off the dog-like Pokémon.

"Shake it off, Machamp!" Harley growled.

The Machamp groaned as it grabbed the Herdier, tore it off its fists, and slammed it to the ground.

"Herdier!" Georgia cried.

"Ice Punch!" Harley cried.

The Superpower Pokémon let out a cry as it pulled back an icy fist.

"Defend Herdier, Jet!" I said.

Jet growled as it jumped in front of the Loyal Dog Pokémon, raising his claws to block the Ice-type attack. Jet winced in pain as he pushed against the Machamp's attack.

After getting slammed to the ground like that, Herdier was a sitting Ducklett if I didn't step in.

"Flamethrower!" I cried.

Jet nodded before roaring a ribbon of fire on the Machamp's chest. The Superpower Pokémon slid backward before gaining its footing once more.

"Diggersby, use Stone Edge!" Ricco said.

The Digging Pokémon snarled before slamming its hand-like ears into the ground, causing sharpened stones to sprout.

"Cut them down with Razor Shell!" Eric cried.

The Samurott unsheathed its other seamitar before both started glowing. The Formidable Pokémon then started slicing down every sharpened stone near us.

These guys are a lot tougher than I thought...

"Ugh, this is getting us nowhere," Misty said, pushing back her hair, "Time to get serious."

When I looked closer at her ponytail, I noticed a glittering stone hanging from it.

No way! Is she about to...?

"Strong, valiant, and powerful," Misty said, tapping her Key Stone, "And now, my beautiful blue sweetheart, Mega Evolve!"

When her Key Stone glittered, Gyarados's Mega Stone became visible and started glowing as well. That same light soon cloaked the Atrocious Pokémon and caused it to grow. When the light died down, the Gyarados was now black, red, and navy blue with bigger fins.

Whoa! Mega Gyarados looks fantastic!

"What the? What even is that thing!?" Ricco questioned.

"I'll take it from here, guys," Misty said, winking back at us, "Now, Gyarados, blow these guys away with Hurricane!"

The Gyarados growled before roaring out a mighty whirlwind. The fierce wind wrapped around the poachers and their Pokémon and raised them into the air. The men and their Pokémon struggled to escape the winds, but their attempts were in vain.

"You haven't heard the last of us, ya annoyin' brats!" Donovan cried.

When the winds died, I watched as the poachers landed in the water far away.

Whoa. I knew Gyarados was powerful, but Mega Gyarados is a whole different story.

When the Atrocious Pokémon reverted to its normal form, the rain cleared.

"Good job, everyone!" Misty said with a wide smile.

The others and I, along with our Pokémon, cheered.

"Thanks for your help, everyone," Misty said, "Now, we can clear away the boulders so the water can flow into Cerulean City!"

Nodding to the gym leader, we climbed up the side of the canal and stood on its edge.

"Use Dragon Pulse, Jet!" I said, "Libby, use Shadow Ball!"

"Flamethrower, Gyarados!" Misty exclaimed.

"Shadow Ball, as well!" Kat, Georgia, and Nina cried.

"Ice Beam!" Eric said.

When our Pokémon unleashed their attacks, they merged into one and blasted the boulders into pebbles. The water from the sea came rushing out and filled the river to the brim, flowing down toward Cerulean City.

"Come on, everyone!" Misty said.

As we ran ahead, Samurott and Gyarados jumped into the river and swam ahead of us. Garchomp let out a friendly cry before diving after the two Water-type Pokémon.

I didn't know Jet could swim.

I glanced at my Garchomp swimming beside the two Water-types, chuckling as I watched them race one another.

If I didn't know any better, I'd say he looks like a Sharpedo with his fin poking out of the water.

When we arrived at Cerulean City, Jet, Samurott, and Gyarados hopped out of the river and let the water flow into the various canals. When the canals were full, the surrounding people and Pokémon cheered. The Mudkip I had seen before smiled before jumping into a nearby canal.

"This is what Cerulean City is supposed to look like." Misty said, gesturing to the city.

I smiled when I saw the various canals and fountains full of water as they once were, the clear blue water sparkling off the marble roads.

"It's beautiful!" Nina said.

"I'll say!" Eric exclaimed.

"Misty!" cried a familiar voice.

We turned to the side and saw Misty's sisters run up to us.

"The water in the gym is filling up again," Daisy said, "And the water under Nugget Bridge is filling up, too!"

"We should be able to release the Pokémon back into there shortly." Lily said.

"You did it, little sister!" Violet said, "We're so proud of you!"

Misty chuckled and shook her head.

"Well, I couldn't have done it without these guys," she said, looking at us, "If it wasn't for their help, I don't even want to begin to imagine what could've happened."

"What even happened?" Daisy asked.

"Some poachers calling themselves the Pokémon Pirates were blocking the way to the sea to catch and sell Dratini." Kat said.

"Catch and sell Dratini?" Lily parroted, "You can't even find Dratini around these parts. You have a better chance of spotting a Dratini if you head further south."

"Thankfully, those poachers don't know that," Eric commented, "And they never will."

The others and I agreed with firm nods. I turned my attention back to the city and watched as children and their Pokémon played in the canals.

With a city that prides itself on its abundance of water, fighting those poachers was worth it to see this city in its full glory.

"Well, we better hit the road," Georgia suddenly said, retracting her Herdier, "I promised to take 'em Pallet Town to my uncle's ranch,"

"Ah, so that means you'll be passing through Pewter City," Misty said, "If you get the chance, say hi to Brock for me, will you?"

"You can count on me, Misty."

The gym leader smiled and nodded.

"Thanks again for the help, you guys," Misty said, "You guys are always welcome here in Cerulean City."

"Thanks, Misty." Nina said.

"We'll be back to visit," Kat said, "Promise."

"And when we do, I'd like to battle you and your Mega Gyarados, Misty." I said boldly.

Jet looked up at the Gyarados and let out a friendly roar. The Atrocious Pokémon smiled and let out a loud roar.

"And a battle you shall get, Eragona," Misty said, "I've seen the way your Garchomp battles, and I'd love to test my mettle against the granddaughter of the Dragon Queen."

My eyes widened when she mentioned my grandmother.

I never told her who I was or told her about Grandma Eli.

"You knew who I was?" I questioned.

"Of course, I knew. I listen to PokéTalk every day," she said, "When Georgia introduced us, I was trying really hard to contain my excitement."

"Looks like you're becoming just as popular as your grandmother, Era." Kat said, bumping my arm with her elbow.

I smiled sheepishly and placed a hand on the back of my neck.

"I'd love to have a battle with the infamous Eragona the next time we meet." Misty said with a smile as she held out her hand.

I smiled and grasped her hand with a nod. After releasing the gym leader's hand, the others and I retracted our Pokémon before heading for the city's western gate.

"Safe travels, everyone!" said the Sensational Sisters.

"Come back soon!" Misty called out.

The others and I waved goodbye as their voices faded away.

"So, where to next?" Eric asked.

"To get to Pewter City, we have to head through Mt. Moon," Georgia said, "Apparently, it's known for its frequent meteor falls. And, if we're lucky, we may see some wild Clefairy."

"Clefairy? Really?" Nina asked, her eyes sparkling.

I couldn't help but chuckle at Nina's excitement.

"Come on, guys! What are we waiting for?" Nina questioned as she sprinted ahead.

"Nina, wait for us!" Eric called out.

The others and I laughed as we sprinted after the redhead.

Mt. Moon. A place known for its meteor falls and Clefairy. I can think of one other person who would love to visit a place like that.