>>52592395I think its a bit more than just a cute funny haha moment, its more about Misty grappling with what she wants to do. As technically nothing is stopping her from abandoning the gym again and just pursing her romantic interests with Ash or whoever else. But she decides to stay at the gym as her main dream is she wants to be the best water pokemon trainer. And in this mini-season we do get an episode with Misty winning over Gyarados's trust in her, which would later in S&M lead to it being able to mega evolve.
