Artist's commentary
Misty's travel kit
Ever wondered what sort of items Misty carries in her backpack or bike? Obviously this is pre-anime Misty (one year before the bike is destroyed) so there is still time to make memories with that bike. Sometimes they show her using certain items but we don't really know where they came from. Apparently everything is in her tiny little satchel including a big sleeping bag and pillow. I've made the backpack a bit bigger here so that it makes more sense and less like Harry Potter's magical sack or endless items.
1. Fishing rod
The only explanation for how this massive item appears and disappears out of nowhere is that it is a telescopic fishing rod that contracts back down to the handle size. That way it would easily fit inside that backpack. For someone who loves fishing she must have her own fishing rod that can at least fit inside her backpack during her travels instead of making a random new one out of tree branches every time she needs to fish.
2. Spare clothes (bikinis, undergarments, shirts, dresses)
Even though they show that she's already wearing the bikini under her yellow t-shirt and shorts in one episode, you can't really believe that all her outfits are just layered over top of each other and she just removes the number of layers to reveal a different outfit beneath. She carries them all in her (now a bit bigger and not magical) backpack. Keeping that aside, what sort of irresponsible parent lets a 9 or 10 year old go out into the wild for days on end without provisions just to catch wild animals? Pokemon trainer parents apparently. Remember when Ash's mom is packing him a mountain of clothes and spare underwear along with other stuff? Well Misty most likely has a few spare undergarments, bikinis, shirts and dresses that she left home with in her backpack rather than buying a new one every time she needs to change outfits.
3. Pokeballs
She may have at least 3 pokeballs before the start of the anime with possibly 2 Pokemon inside (Staryu, Goldeen and an empty one). This is still one year prior to the first appearance so she still has time to catch that Starmie! But keeping that aside, there is no way she fits three pokeballs in the pockets of those tight little jean shorts even though I've drawn the pockets a bit looser now. Anyone who owns these shorts will know that you can't even fit money in those kind of pockets. She obviously carries those pokeballs in the backpack as well even thought they magically appear out of nowhere during battles.
4. Backpack
In my opinion this is her most important travel item as it carries almost all of her belongings. Now with a Cerulean City patch because where else would she get her first travel backpack. Dragon Ball fans will probably recognize that patch. She probably replaced this with a smaller, magical Harry Potter satchel just before episode 1 because now it needs to be able to fit not only all her belongings but also a Togepi egg which is as big as the satchel itself.
5. Towel
You actually see her using a full body pink towel in an episode. Some people might assume that this towel was provided by the bath house she's visiting. I think she probably has one of her own even if she uses random ones provided by pools, saunas and baths. How else would she get dry after swims at random beaches. She carries this in her backpack as well.
6. Bug spray
For someone who hates bugs but chooses to travel around in random forests which are always full of bugs, she must have a bug spray of some sort hidden away in that backpack.
7. Staryu Food
This is food for the Staryu and not food for the trainer made out of real Staryus. Can also be fed to Starmies. Of course she would have food pouches for her Pokemon companions. It is shown in multiple episodes that Pokemon need to eat just the same as trainers. She can't be traveling for days without having provisions for her Pokemon.
8. Fish bait
I think most of her own food is gathered from fishing those delicious fishmons. For someone whose main source of food during travels is acquired from fishing then they must have a container to carry live fish bait even if she doesn't always use it. This was most likely carried in the front basket of her bicycle and not inside the backpack. She probably digs around for worms just before fishing, then says eww, then pokes it with the hook. Either that or buys live fish bait or just prefers to use her own handmade lures most of the time but keeps this box anyways.
9. Tackle kit
A box of hooks, wires, pliers and other pieces she uses to make her very own Misty head lures. Those items don't just freely float in the backpack among the undergarments ripping them to shreds and they are certainly not kept in her pockets. They are in the tackle box which is then kept inside the backpack.
10. First aid
It is shown in an episode that she takes a bandage from a strip of bandages that is magically produced from nowhere. I think she keeps a mini first aid or bandage box in her backpack as well.
11. Bicycle repair kit
You don't really think a 9 year old walks for miles and miles from one city to another on foot. Even though they make it seem that way after her bike is destroyed. Her main travel vehicle is obviously her bicycle. So she must have some kind of small tool to make quick repairs. But these are most likely easy repairs such as tightening a screw or bolt. This kit won't help if your bike explodes! This box is also kept inside her backpack. The front basket of the bike could carry this as well but she keeps that basket mostly empty other than an empty fish bait box.
12. Hair ties
A girl can't travel for months in the wild with only 1 hair tie. It is shown in some episodes that when she sleeps or swims, she take the hair tie out. If it's being taken off all the time then there is a high chance of it getting misplaced or lost. That is why she must have a small packet of extra hair ties that she carries in a small inner pocket of her backpack.
13. Gym badge case
A small leather case that holds her gym badges. This case hangs from the middle bar of the bicycle which is not usually present in girl bicycles. In the anime though they show that her bike has this middle bar. The only explanation for this could be that she preferred to get a boy style bicycle because she wanted that extra beam to hang her gym badge case.
14. Maps
I don't think a Pokedex worked like a gps back in those days so she would have to be carrying maps to know where she's going and how to return back home. She keeps this in a small net pocket inside her backpack.
15. Coin purse
Money is mentioned a few times in the anime and one time she even comments that she is doing something degrading because needs the money. The pokeball style coin purse carries what ever few coins she owns. She needs it for buying snacks mostly. Sometimes she earns that money by selling the fish she catches. Since she treats it as a source of income and food during her travels, she's gotten really good at catching those fishmons.
16. Toiletries
She tries her best to practice good hygiene even when out and about in the wild landscape. Often times taking a shower under a waterfall to wash her hair with the bubble soap or brushing her teeth by a stream. Probably has other items in a little blue sack that carries all her toiletries such as 1 roll of toiler paper or perhaps folded stacks of tissue paper, travel toothpaste and sunscreen. This little toiletries pouch is kept inside her backpack.
17. Flint and steel
No, this is not a made up Minecraft item. Flint and steel is a real tool for starting fires. It creates little sparks that can light up dry leaves to create a camp fire for cooking all those fishmons. This item is small enough to be carried in her shorts pocket. She usually loops the strap around the belt loop of her shorts and sticks the metal portion in the pocket which is right under the belt loop. If they could draw anime with this much detail I'm sure it would be in there. But a lot of items and character designs are super simplified to speed up the animation process.
18. Skillet and spatula
For cooking all those yummy fishmons of course. Did you think she just eats them raw? You can get all kinds of diseases from that. This small skillet and spatula is kept in a zippered compartment inside the backpack.
19. Sleeping bag and pillow
We often see her in the anime with a sleeping bag and pillow that magically shows up at night time. Apparently it still fits inside that tiny Harry Potter satchel. I've made my version as compact as realistically possible and the backpack is actually big enough to hold it with all the other items.
20. Pokedex
Pretty sure she has one since she's a Gym leader even thought we rarely ever see her using one. It's also kept hidden away in her backpack since she can't really fit anything in those tight pockets.
21. Goldeen food
Like big clumps that are generally fed to koifish. For health, color and vitality. The bag isn't full to the top and can be squished down a bit to fit inside her backpack. She has tasted one before just out of curiosity but immediately spat it out.
22. Bicycle
This is actually a sports bike which can also shift gears by turning the grips on the handle bar. Baskets are not usually a part of sports bikes so she purchased the basket a little later. Upon purchasing the basket she also got some Akira bike style stickers to decorate it but they were all scratched, ripped or peeled off by episode 1. The basket's original color was beige but she spray painted it red to match the rest of the bike. In a year that red color is mostly faded as well and is back to the original basket color by episode 1. She's a bit of a tomboy and wanted to go for the boy style bike. Because of this there is the extra pipe along the middle of the frame which is not typically present in girl bikes. Also the girl style bikes just didn't look cool enough for her because they didn't come in the colors she wanted. Notice that most of her main belongings are red. I think red might be her favorite color. This bicycle is her most favorite belonging and her main means of travel.
It's big enough to use as a wallpaper if you like.
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