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Daisy was in a bad mood, and her two sisters, Violet and Lily, looked equally dejected.
"Maybe it's because our recent performances have been repetitive, and fewer people are attending our shows. Over the past few days, the auditorium has been almost empty, and there's no cheering anymore," Daisy lamented.
As they spoke, the atmosphere grew heavy. Even Misty hadn't anticipated such a drastic change for her family.
Kai stood to the side, thoughtfully stroking his chin.
Although their situation sounded sympathetic, Kai had previously seen the Sensational Sisters' water ballet. Having spent some time behind the scenes while travelling in Kalos, he quickly identified the root of their problem after a moment of reflection.
"The reason things have turned out this way is likely because the focus of your performances has shifted," he said.
Everyone turned to look at him in surprise. Daisy, Violet, and Lily exchanged confused glances.
"Huh? What do you mean by that?"
Kai spoke calmly, "The last time I came to the Cerulean Gym, before battling you, I watched your water ballet. To be honest, while it was visually stunning, the performance itself was far too simplistic. By the end, the only thing I remembered was... well, your long legs on the water."
Misty shot him a sharp glare, while Daisy, Violet, and Lily froze, glancing at one another in disbelief.
The sisters had always been confident in their water ballets, and they enjoyed showcasing their beauty to their audience.
But hearing that someone's main takeaway was merely their appearance stung.
Though they hated to admit it, the dwindling audiences proved that something needed to change.
Lily hesitated before asking, "So, what exactly do you mean by 'shifting focus'?"
"I mean understanding your audience," Kai clarified. "From what I've observed, the majority of your viewers are adult men, and their primary interest is simply admiring your beauty. While it's appealing at first, the novelty wears off quickly, and they lose interest. Naturally, fewer people keep coming back."
His words struck a chord. Even if they didn't want to hear it, they realized Kai wasn't just making an offhand remark his observations were spot-on.
Lily's eyes lit up as if confirming her own suspicions. "See? I've been saying this all along!"
Daisy nodded and turned to Misty. "That's why we've decided to have you take on the role of the mermaid princess! We believe this will help save the Cerulean Gym!"
"What? No way!" Misty quickly refused. "I can't do something like that!"
"But…" Daisy frowned, looking puzzled. "We've already posted the announcement. Everyone knows there's going to be a brand-new performance tomorrow, and the tickets are already sold out!"
"Tomorrow?!" Misty slammed her hands on the table, standing abruptly. "You're telling me you expect me to perform tomorrow without even asking for my consent? Are you kidding me?!"
Lily quickly pressed her hands on Misty's shoulders to calm her down, while tossing a small script onto the table. "Relax! This is the script we wrote for you. Just follow the lines it's super easy, even for someone without any acting experience like you."
Misty shook her head vehemently.
Seeing her resistance, Daisy pleaded, "Please, Misty! You're our sister. Do us this one favor!"
Misty hesitated. Growing up, Daisy had always been the gentlest of her sisters and was the one Misty admired most. Seeing her now, Misty found it hard to outright refuse.
Even Ash and Brock joined in to persuade her.
Ash said, "C'mon, Misty, just give it a try."
Brock added, "The tickets are already sold, and cancelling the show now isn't realistic."
With so many people pressuring her, Misty's resolve began to waver. Seeing this, Violet and Lily turned to Ash and Brock with grateful smiles. "You're such good friends. Misty is lucky to have you!"
Eventually, Misty sighed in resignation. She glanced at Kai, who gave her a slight nod of encouragement and finally relented. "Fine, I'll do it…"
Hearing her agreement, Lily pumped her fist in triumph, grinning smugly. "I told you it'd be fine! Misty can never refuse Daisy's requests!"
Violet ignored her, instead urging Misty, "Alright, let's go over the script quickly. If there's no problem, we can start rehearsing right away!"
Misty rolled her eyes. While she'd agreed, she was still reluctant. Skimming through the script, she found it to be a cliché story about a prince defeating villains to save a princess.
"Can this kind of plot really save the Cerulean Gym's reputation?" she muttered under her breath.
Suddenly, she remembered something and turned to Kai.
"Hey, Kai, didn't you once tell me about a story you wrote that became popular? Why don't you help us revise this script?"
Misty was referring to Kai's adaptation of the Maiden's Peak legend into a manga. After being published, it became a bestseller and even gained popularity in neighbouring cities.
Misty had overheard Kai mention it while they were at Cinnabar Island's hot springs, and it had stuck with her ever since.
Kai shook his head. "I don't think I can. While the Maiden's Peak manga did well, that was mostly thanks to the artist and publisher. Writing a story is one thing, but adapting a script is another."
"Wait, you wrote the story for the Maiden's Peak manga?!" Violet's eyes sparkled with excitement. "We read that manga just a few days ago! The story was so moving we thought it was written by some famous female author! I can't believe it was you!"
Daisy clasped her hands together. "If that's the case, please help us revise the script!"
Kai hesitated. "Writing and scripting are completely different skills. I've never worked on a script before. I might just make things worse."
"Don't worry about that!" Daisy said earnestly. "The manga was already amazing, so your storytelling skills are solid. Anything you come up with will be better than what we've got now. Please, give it a try!"
With Misty having already agreed and the sisters pleading so sincerely, Kai couldn't refuse. He sighed and nodded.
"Alright, I'll give it a shot. But don't get your hopes up too high I can't guarantee anything extraordinary."
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