While Roy and his companions were searching for the Cinnabar Gym, three other old friends had also arrived on Cinnabar Island.
The Team Rockets trio had also arrived on Cinnabar Island at this moment.
Jessie, James, and Meowth had secretly snuck out of the cargo hold of a freighter.
This was the same freighter they had used to deliver supplies to the Boss.
According to the original plan, they were supposed to return the way they came after delivering the supplies and continue on their next run.
However, while on the boat, Jessie had flipped through a travel brochure for Cinnabar Island and spotted an advertisement for a hot spring.
Since then, she had adamantly refused to leave.
The pier was packed with people.
The three of them were being jostled about.
James, while guarding his backpack, shouted at Jessie at the top of his lungs.
"Hey, Jessie, why do we have to stay on this island?"
He looked around; everywhere he turned, there were tourists and vendors.
"Didn't the Boss tell us to hurry back after delivering the supplies to New Island?"
"If we waste time here, the Boss is going to lose his temper again when he finds out."
Jessie wasn't listening at all.
Her eyes were already fixed on an advertisement for a hot spring hotel near the pier.
The advertisement featured a beautiful woman soaking in a hot spring, her skin so smooth it was practically gleaming.
Jessie touched her own face.
They had been drifting at sea for quite some time, braving the wind and rain.
Her skin had definitely become much drier.
The more she thought about it, the more she felt she was missing out.
"I heard they've developed a huge hot spring here!"
Jessie pointed at the advertisement excitedly.
"I heard that soaking in a hot spring is super good for your skin!"
"We've been working so hard out at sea lately, running back and forth to deliver supplies for that secret project of the Boss's."
"Just look at my skin!"
Jessie leaned in close to James and pointed at her cheek.
"My face has been ruined from all this exhaustion!"
"Look here at the corner of my eye—aren't there fine lines appearing?"
"What's the harm in taking a dip in a hot spring?"
James examined Jessie's face carefully.
He couldn't see a thing.
But he didn't dare say so.
Meowth, perched on James's shoulder, looked equally confused.
"But..."
Meowth scratched his ear.
"Isn't it because we've failed too many times lately that the Boss gave us this simple supply-delivery job to let us make amends, Meowth?"
"Is it really okay for us to Slack Off halfway and come to this vacation island, Meowth?"
"What if the Boss finds out..."
"Then it won't just be a simple delivery job anymore, Meowth."
Jessie cast an impatient glance at the two of them.
"Ugh, you two are so thick-headed!"
Jessie slapped James on the back, making him stumble.
"Look."
Jessie pointed at the sea of tourists around them.
"With so many people here, isn't this a perfect opportunity to make some money?"
"All these tourists must have brought plenty of gold coins, right?"
"If we use a few tricks, couldn't we make a fortune?"
James and Meowth followed Jessie's finger and looked.
Indeed. People were everywhere.
There were the bulging backpacks of hikers, the thick wallets in the hands of parents with children, and the customers coming in and out of the shops.
With just a little effort, they could probably scrape together quite a bit.
Seeing that the two were tempted, Jessie upped the ante.
"Besides, who knows? Maybe there's something related to Pokémon on this island. If we get lucky and snag a bunch of Pokémon, then send them to the Boss..."
Jessie grew more and more excited as she spoke.
"Isn't that way better than drifting around on the sea delivering supplies all day? When is this supply-delivery gig ever going to end?"
"If the Boss sees that we've delivered a batch of powerful Pokémon, he might be so pleased that he lets us return to our core missions!"
Hearing this, James's eyes instantly lit up.
"Ah, that's right!" "With so many people, there must be tons of gold coins, Meowth!"
Meowth's pupils transformed into the shape of gold coins.
James clenched his fists as well.
"That's right, that's right!" "If we send a batch of Pokémon to the Boss, we won't have to do this menial labor anymore!"
He gritted his teeth as he spoke.
"Just a few days ago, we were mocked by those hateful Cassidy and Butch! Those two, just because they've racked up a few achievements lately, look at them! Especially Butch, saying all I know how to do is come up with failed operation plans! It makes me so mad!"
The more James thought about it, the angrier he became, his face flushing red.
"This time, we're going to get a batch of powerful Pokémon to take back! Let's see if they dare to mock us again! Jessie, you're so thoughtful!"
James was completely fired up.
"Let's go, let's go! Let's get moving!"
Jessie nodded with satisfaction.
The old tricks really do work best.
As soon as Butch and Cassidy were mentioned, James became incredibly motivated.
"Since it's settled!" Jessie waved her hand. "We'll find a place to stay first. Then, while we're making money, we'll scout for clues about Pokémon on this island! As for the hot springs, we can soak at night. Business first!"
The three reached an agreement and happily surged into the bustling vacation island, quickly disappearing into the crowd.
Meanwhile, Roy and his companions were still searching for the Cinnabar Gym.
This was the fourth person they had asked.
The directions given by the first three had been increasingly absurd.
The first had led them to a commercial street. The second had directed them to a brick wall. And the third, after much difficulty, led them to a crooked tree and some stone steps, only for the steps to end at an observation deck.
The view from the observation deck was quite nice, offering a look at the entire beach and the volcano in the distance, but there was no sign of the Gym.
Misty's legs were already sore from all the walking. Togepi, on the other hand, was quite happy, looking around the whole way and finding everything fascinating.
"Where on earth is it..." Misty sighed, holding Togepi as she followed listlessly behind Roy.
"Is the Cinnabar Gym really this hard to find?"
Delia took out the travel manual again and flipped through it. The entry for the Cinnabar Gym consisted of only two short lines: "Cinnabar Gym, a Gym specializing in Fire-type Pokémon. The Gym Trainer is Blaine." There wasn't even an address.
Delia felt a bit helpless. "There's no more detailed information in the manual." "Could it be that the Gym has moved?"
Roy stopped and looked around. This road seemed familiar; he felt like they had walked it before. They had circled around and ended up right back where they started.
"Let's find someone else to ask." Roy looked around, searching for a target.
This time, he chose an elderly man sitting by the side of the road drinking tea. The old man had gray hair and was wearing the loose, traditional clothing common in the area. A Growlithe lay at his feet, squinting its eyes as it basked in the sun. He looked like a local, and being of an older age, he was surely familiar with Cinnabar Island.
Roy walked over and asked politely, "Sir, could you tell me how to get to the Cinnabar Gym?"
The old man held his teacup, raised his head to look at Roy, then glanced at Misty and Delia standing behind him.
"Cinnabar Gym?" The old man set down his teacup. "Are you here to challenge it?"
Roy nodded. "Yes, we are."
The old man paused, stunned. "The Gym? Hasn't it been shut down?"
As soon as he said this, the three of them were taken aback.
"Shut down?" Misty's eyes widened. "How could it be shut down? Isn't the Cinnabar Gym a high-level Gym?"
The old man waved his hand. "Cinnabar Island has been pushing tourism development in recent years, and land prices have skyrocketed."
"The plot of land where the Gym stood caught the eye of developers, and they bought it for a high price. It's said that the Gym Leader didn't really care about such things, so he just took the money and agreed. They're planning to turn it into a hot spring hotel now."
Misty's jaw dropped after hearing this. "Then... does that mean there's no Gym on Cinnabar Island anymore?"
The old man thought for a moment. "However, there doesn't seem to be any major construction going on yet. If you go now, you might still be able to run into the Gym Leader."
The old man pointed toward the volcano. "It's over that way. As for the specific location, you'll have to ask some of the Trainers nearby. I'm just an old man who drinks tea; I don't really pay attention to those things."
Roy thanked him after hearing this; at least they had gotten some useful information this time. With the right direction in mind, the three continued on along the path the old man had indicated.