"Is this really the treatment VIPs get?"
Sam couldn't help feeling speechless as he followed the attendant into his room.
His suite was located on the top deck of the S.S. Anne. There were only twelve rooms on this entire floor, and every detail—from the décor to the lighting and facilities—was far superior to the standard cabins.
At that moment, Sam could only sigh inwardly.
Having money really is wonderful.
The suite covered nearly 200 square meters. Besides the usual bathroom, living room, and kitchen, it even included a dedicated Pokémon playroom and a private gym.
The gym was designed with large Pokémon in mind—so even Tyranitar could train comfortably inside.
"Kou jie~ kou jie~"
Unlike Tyranitar and Scyther, who immediately went to train upon entering the gym, Gengar believed in balancing work and rest. It dragged the other Pokémon straight into the playroom to mess around.
With all his Pokémon busy, Sam suddenly felt a little lonely. After resting for a while, he decided to explore the ship.
After all, this was his first time aboard a luxury cruise. Not enjoying it would be a waste.
---
The S.S. Anne truly lived up to its reputation as the most luxurious cruise ship in the Pokémon world.
In addition to hotel-level suites, the ship was filled with entertainment facilities—bars, karaoke lounges, dance halls, and even dedicated Pokémon battle arenas.
Anything one could imagine existed somewhere aboard the S.S. Anne.
When Sam arrived at one of the leisure areas, he spotted several familiar faces.
It seemed that Ash had successfully defeated Lt. Surge before departure, obtained the Thunder Badge, and managed to catch up with the S.S. Anne's schedule.
"Sam!"
Ash quickly noticed him and walked over, excitement written all over his face.
"I wanted to thank you," Ash said sincerely.
"If it weren't for you, I might've actually forced Pikachu to evolve."
Thanks to Sam, Ash hadn't made a rash decision he might regret later.
"It was nothing," Sam waved it off casually.
Misty, however, was curious.
"Sam, when did you board the ship? We didn't see you lining up at all."
"Oh," Sam replied calmly, "I have a VIP package. I didn't need to queue."
Such a casual sentence—yet painfully luxurious.
Misty looked at Sam with envy. She had asked about VIP cabins before; those were basically presidential suites. Anyone would want to live in one.
"Sam, how about a rematch?" Ash suddenly said eagerly.
"It's been more than half a month since our last battle!"
The injuries from before had already healed, and Ash once again challenged Sam.
"Sorry, not today," Sam shook his head.
"Why not?" Ash asked, disappointed.
"It's not that I don't want to," Sam explained.
"I just don't have Pokémon available right now. We'll battle another time."
Then Sam changed the topic.
"By the way, Ash—have you signed up for the S.S. Anne Cup Tournament?"
"Tournament?!"
The moment Ash heard the word, his eyes lit up. His desire to challenge Sam was instantly forgotten.
"Where? When does it start?"
"Sam's talking about the cup tournament being held during this voyage," Brock said calmly. Unlike Ash, Brock always did his research beforehand.
He pulled out a booklet from his backpack, flipped it open, and explained:
"The S.S. Anne voyage lasts quite a while, so to keep passengers entertained, the owner is hosting a cup tournament. It starts tomorrow."
"Ash, you'd better give it your all," Brock continued.
"The prizes are extremely generous. Aside from the mysterious grand prize for first place, second place also receives Mystic Water."
"Mystic Water?!"
Misty immediately lost her composure.
"That's mine! I'm definitely entering this tournament!"
Compared to the unknown grand prize, Mystic Water was far more tempting to her. As someone determined to become a Water-type Pokémon master, she couldn't possibly resist it.
"Hahaha! Then let's work together and win it all, Misty!" Ash said enthusiastically.
Brock, however, wasn't nearly as optimistic.
He knew very well that many powerful Trainers were aboard the S.S. Anne. Winning wouldn't be easy.
What's more—
There was someone standing right in front of them who neither Ash nor Misty had any chance of defeating.
-------------Author---------------
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