What are your thoughts now that Misty can travel freely whenever?
For years and years I suffered because Misty was tied to the Gym out of obligation while May, Dawn, Iris, and Serena were free to travel to their hearts content in order for them to reach their own goals. While for Misty, the sole reason she returned to the Gym was out of obligation at the end of Johto, not wanting to leave in the first place later on staying though due to her sisters incompetence. (AG-XY) She was almost like a Cinderella like character in a way...
Becoming a Gym Leader was NEVER her dream in any way shape or form. Misty's story NEVER received closure with the writers leaving many things open around it, like her goal of becoming a Water Pokemon Master/one of strongest Water Trainers in the world (which you clearly can't become at the Gym) And let's be honest, if ANYONE was capable of actually journeying without Ash, it's Misty. She literally WAS already journeying well BEFORE Ash started his first day as a trainer (she was already between Viridian and Pallet when she first met Ash...)
By SM you could tell that the writers made Misty's sisters competent again, (aleluya!) but it wasn't until MPM where Misty finally gained enough inspiration from watching Ash's battle with Leon that she too now set out on a journey AGAIN to become a Water Pokemon Master. She was originally just going to go off by herself, and only serendipitously decided to join Ash after Clauncher and Corphish.
As a huge Misty fan, the fact that Misty is now free from the Gym means that she can finally travel freely to pursue her goal... just like the other pokegirls... and that brings me so much joy and happiness...!! FINALLY Masamitsu Hidaka and Takeshi Shudo's worst mistake has been fully undone...!!