Gym Leader Bulk Up: Improving Cerulean Preview (Patreon)

Not great… Misty sighed. Still, it'll work for now. She scratched her face. Joy has to have something else. If they want us to wear uniforms, they have to have something official for a swimsuit or shirt. Something…

She looked back at her shorts, gently tugging them up. She then looked at herself, looking over everything. Don't get it. I don't get it. How are these supposed to make a difference?

I'm still me. Misty frowned. Same-as-always me. …Arceus, I'm nearly thirty and I still look the same when I started doing this. It was a bit of an over exaggeration on her part, but all things considered, she did still look and feel like she was nineteen. She did not mature into a “beauty” as Erika or Sabrina have. She still had the Tomboy Mermaid look as always.

Maybe if I ditch the ponytail? Misty glanced at her scruffy ponytail, the one she always had for the past… twenty years or more, even before she became a gym leader? It certainly made her look younger than she was.

Though, even if I do… Her eyes fell slowly, falling onto her chest. It barely pressed against her shirt. I'm still scrawny… scrawny and-

She snorted and shook her head. Whatever, being stupid here. Better just go see Joy and see if this satisfies her. She frowned. Probably has some other hoop to jump through as well.

With a sigh, Misty turned away.

Or she tried to. Her eyes glanced back at the mirror one more time as she left. She immediately stopped. Scrawny. She began to turn. Tomboy Mermaid scrawny. She stood in front of the mirror once more. Will I always be this scrawny? Scrawny young, scrawny old.

Scrawny. Scrawny. Scrawny.

Misty bit her bottom lip, hands clenching tightly. I'm not that scrawny. No, I'm not scrawny at all! Even if I don't have it in the curves, I'm plenty fit and toned!

The gym leader felt her arms and legs, slowly running her mitts over them and gently caressing them. She could feel the muscle in them, perfectly firm and strong. After all of the swimming she did over the years, of course she would be in great shape. It's something she should be proud of!

Though, looking up at her reflection, something irked her regardless. As fit and in shape as she was and could feel, she still looked small. Sure, she didn't need an overly muscled body like Chuck over in Johto had, but there was something here that got under her skin.

Maybe if she was buffer she wouldn't feel so small. Misty huffed, shaking her head again and scowling. This is so stupid! Uggggh, I can't just stop thinking about it though! Scrawny, scrawny, scrawny!!

She pouted, folding her arms and hunching over. I'm not some small teenager anymore. I'm a grown adult and… and…

A tremble went through her. With a heavy grunt and huff, she stood up straight again and held out an arm. Her hand clenched again, tighter than before. I am… I am strong!

Misty flexed. Tha-thump. Goosebumps ran up her back. Wow… that felt good!

Tha-thump, tha-thump, tha-thump!Whooooa… Her eyes fell back to her arm. She had just felt her arm a moment. She knew how big it was, and what the size of her muscles were. However, flexing her arm, her limb told a different story.