"Aah, well…" Brock shook his head with a wry smile. He never imagined the first thing they'd talk about when they reunited would be who looked older! But he knew Natsui was joking to break the ice, so he spread his arms and said, "Maybe it's because I have to look after nine brothers and sisters, and that's why I'm so worn out."
"By the way," Ash asked, "do you want to come with us to the port now?"
Natsui asked in surprise, "What are you going to do at the port?"
"A little while ago, in the city center, someone gave us a ticket for a luxury cruise," Misty explained. "The person who gave it to us said there's going to be a lavish party for Trainers, hosted by a big tycoon. Lots of people will attend, it'll be a lot of fun—and it's all free!"
"Something that good exists?" Natsui said, frowning. "The way it sounds, it seems like a scam."
Seeing that Natsui didn't believe him, Ash pulled a ticket from his pocket.
"It's real—look, here's the cruise ticket. Plus, on the way here, we already saw tons of people heading to the port."
"Still…" Looking at the ticket, Natsui couldn't help but ask, "It's only one ticket—how do you three plan to get on?"
Ash opened the ticket, letting Natsui see the word "Group" printed on it.
"Heh heh, it's a group ticket, so as many people as we want can go. If you want to come too, join us."
Natsui studied the ticket closely. On the front was a picture of a luxurious cruise ship, and off to one side, in large letters: S.S. Anne.
The S.S. Anne?
Natsui was stunned. Wasn't that the famous ship that sank in the series?!
Unaware of Natsui's doubts, Ash continued excitedly without pausing, "Battling and trading ideas with Trainers from different places, and seeing a bunch of Pokémon we've never seen before, it's going to be awesome!"
"Yes, yes!" Brock nodded, his mind full of daydreams. "And I'm sure there'll be tons of delicious food and lots of beautiful girls!"
Even Misty's eyes sparkled with longing: "A relaxing boat trip, sunbathing on deck… just thinking about it gets me excited."
While the three daydreamed, Natsui's thoughts were on something else.
If he remembered correctly, shortly after the S.S. Anne set sail, it would be attacked by Team Rocket, hit by a storm, and eventually, under the onslaught of giant waves, sink to the bottom of the sea.
A luxury cruise that expensive, sunk just like that… the losses must have been billions at least…
But Natsui reconsidered: even if he wanted to warn them in good faith, he probably couldn't change their fate.
If Team Rocket had managed to infiltrate the S.S. Anne, they must have had everything well planned. Without proof, intervening hastily would not only fail to alert the captain but would tip off Team Rocket. And if it were too obvious, it could attract the attention of the party organizer—in other words, Team Rocket's secret boss, Giovanni!
As for the storm…
Although Natsui didn't know much about maritime affairs, a cruise ship that large would surely check the weather report before sailing.
If the captain allowed departure, it meant that either Team Rocket suddenly changed the ship's course, or that massive storm capable of capsizing it formed out of nowhere!
"Huh? Natsui, what are you thinking?" Misty asked, seeing that Natsui had been silent for a while. "So, what do you say—are you coming with us?"
Natsui nodded: "Of course I am. I want to see what it's like too."
The four of them arrived at Vermilion City's port. No sooner had they entered than they saw numerous ships of all sizes docked along the coast, but the largest and most luxurious by far was, without a doubt, the S.S. Anne.
With its more than ten decks, that colossus was the most dazzling and indisputable presence in the harbor.
The S.S. Anne was a world-famous luxury cruise ship. It was said to dock at Vermilion City once a year before setting off on the rest of its world tour.
Just as Ash had said, there were indeed many Trainers with their Pokémon on the pier, validating their tickets to board.
And the closer they got, the more imposing the cruise ship seemed.
"Wow, it's huge!" Misty exclaimed, looking up in amazement. "Are we really going to set sail on this ship?"
But just as Ash and the others were about to board, Natsui stopped them.
"Wait a moment, I'm going to buy a few things first."
With that, he headed to a nearby diving gear shop and, after browsing for a while, bought a pair of goggles and a simple snorkel.
That was expensive…
After buying those two items, he had just under half of his savings left from his previous jobs.
Seeing Natsui pay and tuck the gear into his backpack with a worried look, Ash asked curiously, "Why did you buy those things?"
"I'm not very good at swimming. You never know when you might need them."
Natsui decided not to tell Ash and the others the truth. After all, it was something that hadn't happened yet. Besides, considering how incredibly lucky these people were and how they always managed to get out of trouble, he was sure that even if the S.S. Anne sank, they'd find a way to escape.
Line up, validate the ticket, board.
When Natsui and the others walked up the gangplank, crossed the deck, and entered a gleaming hall.
The hall was tall and wide, with immense space. Under the gold decorations and the sparkle of countless crystal chandeliers, it was already full of tourists of all kinds. On the red carpet, long tables were piled high with abundant food, available for people to sample at any time.
Natsui plunged into the crowd, glancing around.
Whether they knew each other or had just met, people chatted animatedly, sharing travel anecdotes and talking about their Pokémon. Everyone wore a smile; they seemed very pleased with the cruise.
On both sides of the hall, there were also vendors offering all kinds of goods.
From small items like earrings and studs to action figures, to large Pokémon plushes, there was everything. The buzz of conversation, the calls of the vendors, and the haggling over prices never ceased, creating an incredibly lively atmosphere.
But what caught the most attention at that moment was, without a doubt, the Pokémon battle taking place in the center of the hall, surrounded by a circle of spectators.
The battle had been organized by the passengers themselves. The Trainers were a middle‑aged man in a suit and a young man wearing a green shirt.
And their Pokémon were a Rattata versus a Starmie.