Pokémon: An Unexpected Odyssey

Chapter no.46 Wipe That Grin Off Your Face

Misty stirred awake to the sound of loud voices coming from downstairs. Groggy and with her hair unkempt, she shuffled out of bed, rubbing her eyes as she descended the stairs. The sight that greeted her was unexpected: Daisy, Violet, and Lily huddled together, their hands trembling as tears of joy streamed down their faces.

"We got it. We finally got it!" Lily cried, hugging Violet tightly.

"What's going on?"

Daisy, clutching a piece of official-looking paper in her hands, turned toward her, her face glowing with disbelief and excitement. "Misty, we got it! The Pokémon League approved our sponsorship request!"

"What? Seriously?"

Daisy cleared her throat, still shaking as she read aloud from the letter:

Dear Waterflowers,
We are pleased to inform you that your sponsorship request has been approved upon recommendation. Please contact the League office for further details regarding this partnership. We look forward to working with you to grow the future of Pokémon competitions in Kanto.

For a moment, the sisters were silent as the reality sank in. Then all three erupted into cheers, laughing and hugging each other.

"This changes everything!" Daisy said. "With League backing, we can finally hire professionals to help with the shows. No more doing everything ourselves. We can expand—bigger stages, better effects..."

"And more Pokémon!" Violet added. "Imagine the contests we can create now!"

"It's all finally happening," Lily said, almost whispering as she wiped tears from her cheeks. "After everything we've worked for..."

Misty watched her sisters, a small smile forming on her face. Then a thought crossed her mind.

"Do you know who recommended the sponsorship?"

The question made the older girls pause. Daisy glanced down at the letter, reading it again. "It doesn't say," she murmured. "Just says it was approved with a recommendation."

Misty's eyes flicked to the cluttered table, where more letters sat in a messy pile. "Maybe there's something in the rest of the mail."

Without waiting for a response, she began sorting through the envelopes, pausing when her fingers brushed against another official-looking document.

"Did you three apply for something else?" Misty said, holding up the second letter.

Daisy, Violet, and Lily leaned in, reading over her shoulder. Their jaws practically dropped.

It was a tournament permit. Not only was their event sanctioned by the League, but it also included glowing recommendations from Professor Samuel Oak and Bill Montgomery.

The realization hit Misty like a thunderbolt. Without another word, she bolted upstairs, her sisters scrambling to follow. Reaching the guest room, she pounded on the door. "Austin! Open up!"

"Wait a second, I'm coming," his voice called from inside.

A soft click came from the lock before the door creaked open. Austin stood there, looking slightly disheveled but calm as ever. Behind him, an Umbreon lounged on the windowsill, its golden rings glowing in the morning light.

"Oh my gosh, why didn't you tell us you had this cutie?" Violet squealed, rushing forward to pet the Umbreon, followed quickly by Lily. "You've been hiding this from us?"

Umbreon huffed in annoyance but tolerated the attention, his red eyes narrowing slightly as the sisters showered him with compliments. The smug look on his face was unmistakable as he glanced at Pikachu, who had been basking in his morning massage from their trainer.