MasteringAMuggleLife asked me to turn the baby-fics from my Ipod shuffle challenge into full stories. I was really excited for the feedback and wanted to start right away. I started with my favorite one that was inspired by Closing Time by Semisonic and I'm really proud of how it panned out. I plan to turn the rest into full-fledged one-shots at least, slowly but surely in no particular order. They will probably take more time to make than this one though, thanks to school starting next week. Junior year hooray! Can't you just feel the sarcasm?

Disclaimer: I own NOTHING! I don't know how I can make that any clearer. I might as well be living in a cardboard box.

That being said, enjoy!

Misty did not want to get up. Red was home for the first time in weeks and she would have loved to close down the gym for just a few days to soak him in before he had to leave again. But the League would have none of that. Marriage or no, she and Red both had their duties, and there would be no impromptu vacation just because they were in the same city at the same time for once. After all summer was just beginning and all the young new trainers who had waited until the end of the school year to start their journeys would be leaving their hometowns in hoards, itching to earn their badges. The alarm clock blared in Misty's face and she squeezed her eyes shut. Red's arm reached over her and tapped the snooze button. He dutifully dragged himself out of bed. He threw a one-piece swimsuit, Misty's usual attire, on top of her curled up form. She groaned and pulled the blanket tighter around her. "Rise and shine, Sleepyhead. You've got challengers waiting," Red called.

She shook her head. "Come back to bed."

"I know it's hard Misty, but think of all the little me's out there, dying to get their cascade badge and catch a glimpse of the prettiest gym leader in Kanto," he coaxed.

"Only in Kanto?" She popped one eye open accusingly.

He smiled. "Don't you want to crush their dreams?"

Misty sighed. "I guess so." She pulled on her swimsuit and jacket and Red followed her down the stairs from the residential part of the gym into the lobby. "What are you going to do all day?" she asked him.

He shrugged. "I'll think of something. Wander in the aquarium, maybe watch a few of your battles."

Her shoulders slumped. "I'm sorry. I really wanted to spend some time with you."

"Hey, I understand. All we wanted was to be good trainers and now we're the League's slaves. Happens to the best of us."

"Well since I'm basically chained to this place, do you think you could run out and pick up some super potions?" she asked guiltily.

"No problem." She unlocked the door and saw that there was already a trainer waiting outside. Red grinned at her. "Have fun," he said as he disappeared down the road on his errand.

The young baby-faced boy looked up at her curiously. "Is this the Cerulean Gym?" he asked.

"Sure is kid," she said, letting him in. "I assume you want a cascade badge?" she droned, searching through her jacket pockets to be sure she had a few on hand.

He nodded. "Yep! So where's the gym leader?"

"You're looking at her," Misty said with a smile.

The kid's head quirked to the side. He looked her up and down and erupted in peals of laughter. "That's funny!" he squeaked between laughs. "Seriously, where is he?"

Misty sighed. Yet another naïve young trainer who hadn't done his homework. Probably hadn't even recognized one of the world's top trainers pass him on the way in. She didn't know where they got the notion that all great Pokémon trainers were men. She guessed it had some thing to do with their own masculine pride. But it wasn't as though the identity of the gym leaders was kept some big secret. They were commonly on television or featured in magazines – Misty especially, thanks to her water type preference, had been spotlighted in many a swimsuit issue. The Pokémon world had not been solely dominated by men for decades so all these assumptions were founded in pure misguided imagination.

She didn't lose her temper this time. She was resigned to it. "No joke kiddo. I've been gym leader here almost as long as you've been alive. Name's Misty. They call me the Mermaid of Cerulean City. And if you knew anything about the Pokémon League, you'd know that."

His face turned bright crimson and he cast his eyes on the tiled floor. "I- I'm Bryce from Vermillion City and I'd like to challenge you to a gym battle, M- Miss."

"I'm happy to accept. Right this way please."

Bryce had high hopes and a magnemite that – to put it nicely – was pitiful. Staryu had a stronger thunder shock. Misty defeated him and sent him in the direction of the Pokémon Center with a generic "maybe you'll do better next time" message.

Being a gym leader was not like any regular nine to five job. Indigo League Gym Regulations mandated that all official Pokémon gyms must be open five days a week for a minimum of ten hours between six A.M. to midnight, and one day for at least five hours, with one day off. Leaders were obligated to accept all challenges issued during those hours. The Cerulean Gym was open eleven hours Monday through Friday and five on Saturdays, totaling a sixty hour work week. Not counting the time spent filing League paperwork. Number of wins, number of losses, hours worked, badge order forms, promotional event notices. All of which had to be completed and sent to the Plateau each month or Misty did not get paid.

She soldiered through the day's battles, the lobby incrementally filling up with trainers, and when Red returned, he came into the arena and planted himself on the bleachers to watch her battle. Half way through her sixth battle that day, Red's phone rang and he left the room to take the call. This made Misty nervous. Was it the Plateau? Would he have to leave early? Would she get to say goodbye? The anxiousness took her mind off the match that she had previously been winning.

Red came back in as she was handing the first Cascade Badge she had surrendered all morning to the rejoicing trainer. "Hey, I missed it?" He looked at the girl of maybe twelve. Her azure eyes sparkled as she took the badge from Misty. "You must be some trainer if you can beat Misty," he told her.

Misty smiled at him with humor. "Congratulations, you have earned your Cascade Badge. A symbol of honor and skill. Wear it with pride. Good luck on your journey," she recited. And for good measure she added with a hint of scorn, "And always remember to keep your head in the game during a tough match."

"Thanks a lot, Miss Misty. You're my hero, you know. The boys from my town all say that girl trainers can't be any good. But you're one of the toughest trainers out there. I want to be just like you when I grow up."

Misty laughed. "Thanks." This was where it all balanced out. Whole she may have been a joke to the boys, she was a hero to the girls. "Keep up the good work." The girl nodded and scurried out of the gym.

"What happened?" Red exploded with curiosity the moment she was out the door. "She was practically done for when I left!"

Misty ignored him. "What was the phone call about?"

"It was someone from the League calling to ask calling to ask about rooms for the Elite Conference at the Plateau next month."

"Just a question?" she asked. "No surprise helicopter ride to Johto?"

He shook his head. "No, just the question. The conference is next month, remember? You and me, five-star hotel, four mandatory sessions all week. No gym battles, no press conferences. Just us." Red wrapped his arms around her and searched for her lips. A cough echoed through the tiled room.

A boy around sixteen stood in the doorway, shuffling his feet awkwardly. Misty shut her eyes, stifling her frustration and the urge to smack the boy, and reluctantly pushed Red away.

"Let's get on with this then," she said, and took to her platform.

Misty handed out two more badges that day. One to a boy who had sincerely bested her with an over-charged Electrode and an impressively agile Scyther, and one to a giggly little girl whose Jigglypuff had put her Starmie to sleep when she was looking at Red. After the Jigglypuff incident she had told Red he had to leave so she could focus. Her jacket pocket was still full of badges when the clock struck nine.

Misty couldn't even fake sympathy as Starmie's thunderbolt knocked her opponent's Pidgey out of the air, ending the match. She sprinted to the P.A. Room with the last of her energy and practically crushed the button under her finger.

"All remaining challengers please vacate the gym. Gym hours for today have ended. Hours tomorrow are from ten A.M. to nine P.M. Feel free to return and challenge the gym leader tomorrow during those hours. The Cerulean City Gym is now closed. You don't have to go home but you can't stay here. Thank you." The announcement ended with an electronic beep. The trainers in the lobby all groaned and shuffled out the door. The gym leader giggled and ran out of the P.A. Room. She climbed the steps back to her room, and collapsed into her bed, exhausted. A pair of strong arms wrapped around her.

"Are they all gone?" Red asked hopefully.

"Mmhmm. I'm all yours now." She turned toward him and hugged him.

"I'd like to submit a challenge to the Cerulean City Gym Leader," he murmured into her neck.

"Challenge accepted."

Being a gym leader was rewarding. It opened up all sorts of opportunities Misty would never have otherwise. Still closing time was her favorite part of the day.

~fin~

Yay! I love this story. It just makes me smile. I was thinking about doing a fic on the Pokémon League and their slave-driving regulations. Maybe one about the League Conference. Reviews would be much appreciated. It would definitely help me churn out a story faster, or better if you have a critique on my writing style. All you have to do is press the pretty purple button. You know you want to. ;)

Much love guys.