Chapter 7

The sun was high above, yet its rays were showing the first signs of weakness as the Earth began to slowly drift away from it, heralding the end of Summer. Throughout the park, a few people and most of the staff were wearing light jackets. The tourists from Cinnabar where easiest to spot, however, they were the ones who continually had to remove their Winter gloves to prove that they'd had their hands stamped.

But the cooler weather failed to stop most of the local population from showing up to the End of Summer Festival, and Misty and Miranda found themselves waiting in a rather long line up to get in.

Once at the ticket booth, Miranda paid for them both and led the way to the closest information booth. Behind the park representative, obviously paid not to look bored, was a huge map of the area, complete with tourist friendly large print and far too happy looking symbols for all the points of interest.

According to the map, the Festival used the natural lake near the center of Cerulean City, with the entrance to the festival at the South shore near the marina, which advertised a weeklong boat show with free admission to all festivalgoers. At the opposite end, the wooded parkland area at the lake's North shore was being used as a place for people to relax and have lunch. If one could ignore the omnipresent concession stands and people shouting out the days specials, while the rest of the End Of Summer Festival encircled the lake with mostly rides games on the West side, and shows and various game booths were confined to the East side. In the lake itself, however, floated the Festival organizer's huge yacht that served as their base of operations. It was also a convenient base camp for the small group of Pokeforce Officers who mostly sat in their motorboats looking bored as they kept an eye on things, waiting to back up their land bound comrades if need be.

"So, what's first on the agenda?" inquired Miranda, giving Misty's hand a squeeze.

"Well, I think we should get you signed up first," her lover offered, checking out the large plague with that listed off the times and locations of the festival's scheduled activities, "We're fairly close to where the contest's going to be held..."

"And that's dangerously close to that water pokemon show their having in fifteen minutes," added Miranda, giving Misty a knowing glance.

"Hey, I never said I didn't have an ulterior motive!" she laughed in reply, suddenly grabbing hold of Miranda's arm and hugging herself against it, "Besides, we're here to have fun, right?"

Miranda smiled, giving Misty a gentle kiss on the forehead. "How could I possibly deny you anything?" she asked rhetorically, "Besides, I don't think they have a gyarados there, and you could probably teach them a few things!"

"Hey, I'm not that good!" laughed Misty, leading the way past a group of lost looking tourists, "Besides, Professor Myria is always there to do a short talk about water types."

"Is she Cerulean's Poke' Prof?" inquired Miranda as they passed through the gates of the marina and followed the brightly coloured cutouts of water pokemon that lead the way to the area they wanted.

"Yup, our very own para-zoologist," replied Misty with a nod, "She's the one who gave me Shadow, way back when. Although I did eventually manage to catch the other two types she had available on my own later."

"The goldeen and the horsea?"

Misty nodded. "New trainers in Cerulean City can only choose water types," explained Misty as they found a good seat in the bleachers overlooking a cordoned off section of lake, "Some people might call that a weakness, but I've always thought of it as something to be proud of."

"Lav'Brats get a choice of a rattata, pidgey, or a bellsprout," added Miranda reminiscently.

"That's an odd combination. And um, 'Lav'Brat'?"

Miranda smiled reminiscently, giving Misty a sideways glance. "That's what we started calling ourselves," she explained, shaking her head at the thought, "Well, usually it's 'Lavender Brats.' I can't even remember who started it originally, but last time I checked new generations of trainers from Lavender started using the term. It's both flattering and disturbing!"

"It must be interesting to be from a small town like that," chuckled Misty, giving Miranda a playful nudge, "I'll bet it's really hard to keep secrets there too."

"Painfully!" agreed Miranda with a laugh, "Infact, Lavender's so small, that my aunt's our town's pokemon professor."

"Wow," commented Misty, looking up at Miranda with a touch of awe, "That must have its advantages."

"Oh, sure," chuckled Miranda, "If you don't mind being a guinea pig now and then."

"She didn't make you spend the night in the Tower, did she?" inquired Misty in a nervous tone as several people walked out onto the small platform at the water's edge and began releasing pokemon in the lake.

"Goodness no!" cringed Miranda, the Lav'Brat's tone serious as her complexion paled a little, "No one's THAT crazy! Well, maybe Zack... Oh, I see the show's about to begin."

Misty turned in time to see a smiling woman with long, dark green hair that was giving way to gray and emerald green eyes, partially hidden by glasses so huge they made Miranda's seem small by comparison, step out onto the stage. "Hi all!" she called out enthusiastically, waving to the group of mostly families who had assembled in the bleachers as the wind blew the hem of the long dark green dress she wore under her official looking lab coat, "My name's Professor Myria, and this-" the woman tossed a pokeball into the water, releasing a an ancient looking kingdra, "-is Waterstorm!"

"Hey, he evolved since last time I was here," laughed Misty over the applause to the crowd as Professor Myria tossed a fish to the suddenly very pleased looking water-type who snatched it out with his snoutful of razor sharp teeth.

"They're allot bigger than I thought they were," commented Miranda, glancing over at Misty, "I guess that means Poseidon's going to be a match for Leviathan when he grows up."

"Oh, ya!" laughed Misty, her sea green eyes reflecting future victories, "I'm going to show the world just what water pokemon are capable of. Just you wait!"