They sped all the way to the S.S. Anne boarding gate.
At the bottom of the boarding ramp, a sailor built like an iron tower blocked their path.
"Sailor: Welcome aboard the S.S. Anne! Please show your tickets."
Rei and Red showed their S.S. Tickets!
"Sailor: Enjoy your voyage! Oh, and bicycles are not allowed on board."
"Ah…"
Red instantly deflated.
He hadn't even had enough time to enjoy riding it.
But with someone watching, he had no choice but to dismount.
The cool cycling combat suits receded like a tide, while the bicycles folded and compressed in an unbelievable way, turning into compact square storage boxes.
The two stuffed the boxes into their backpacks and stepped onto the boarding ramp.
As they entered the S.S. Anne, luxury greeted them immediately.
The first thing that caught their eyes was the enormous open-air swimming pool on the deck.
Sunlight shimmered across the water's surface. Around the pool stood several beautiful women in bikinis, chatting and laughing, fully displaying the extravagant atmosphere of the luxury cruise.
Rei Akagi immediately spun Bai's camera 180 degrees away while muttering:
"Family-friendly content! Family-friendly content! The wind is strong on the deck—you'll catch a cold! Let's head to the living quarters and check out something nice while challenging a few Trainers."
"Hey! I want to see the pool! Who cares about the living quarters?! Turn back!"
"Teacher Salted Fish is hogging the view! Unfollow warning!"
"Covering it up from the family! Shameful behavior!"
"'Family-friendly content' = Teacher Salted Fish's automatic eye censorship."
Ignoring the protests in chat, Rei Akagi controlled Rei and marched straight into the residential corridor.
Red followed excitedly, his battle radar fully activated.
The moment they stepped inside, an intimidating figure approached from the other end of the hallway.
The man was tall and muscular, wearing a brightly colored camouflage military-style short-sleeve shirt.
His spiky hair stood upright like a hedgehog's quills, and his sharp eyes resembled those of a hawk. His entire presence radiated the toughness of a battle-hardened veteran.
"Lt. Surge: New faces, huh… just boarded?"
"I'm Lt. Surge, the owner of this S.S. Anne!"
"Hahaha! Don't be nervous! My ship doesn't just carry passengers—we also run cargo transport! If you need to ship something valuable, just talk to the sailors!"
"I won't chat long! I've got urgent business!"
"If you run into trouble, just say my name! On this ship—I've got your back!"
Lt. Surge quickly pulled out two business cards from his shirt pocket, stuffed them into their hands, and then hurried down the gangway.
"Who was that? Pretty imposing!"
"The big boss of Vermilion Harbor! Transport fleet leader Lt. Surge!"
"Wait, isn't he also listed in League records as the Vermilion Gym Leader?"
"Uh… maybe the shipping business is more famous than the Gym?"
"Lt. Surge, Vermilion Gym Leader, Electric-type specialist, a retired soldier who served in Unova. Known for his bold personality."
Seeing the confusion in chat, Rei Akagi casually explained.
"Unlike Misty or Brock, he doesn't stay at his Gym year-round. More than half the year he's out sailing or traveling, so it's normal if people don't recognize him."
"Lt. Surge, huh…"
Red repeated the name thoughtfully, then quickly forgot about it.
After entering the residential area, the two completely let loose and began "friendly exploration."
In other words—
They rummaged through luggage and cabinets as if they owned the place.
Naturally, some Trainers couldn't stand it and foolishly challenged them to Pokémon battles.
But with Red around, Rei Akagi didn't even bother lifting a finger.
They gained quite a bit of loot.
Most were valuable items like Star Pieces, but they also picked up several Ultra Balls, which would come in handy later.
They moved on to the dining area.
Red was still reminiscing about the earlier battles, while Rei Akagi controlled Rei and pounced toward a trash can like a hungry tiger.
After all, he was controlling a game character—embarrassment only applied to Bai.
Unlike the poor NPC areas in the residential section, the trash cans here were practically treasure troves.
Cheri Berries, Pecha Berries, Rawst Berries…
All kinds of berries that cured status conditions kept appearing.
Their backpack quickly filled up, saving them a fortune on medicine purchases.
Red followed behind while muttering:
"Too late… not even soup left for me…"
They continued exploring until they reached the lower cargo hold.
The place was filled with passengers' checked luggage and numerous sealed wooden crates.
Strangely enough, despite sailors patrolling nearby, several suspicious individuals—clearly not crew members—stood guard beside the crates.
"Red."
Rei Akagi's voice suddenly turned serious.
"I think it's time for you, champion of justice, to do something."
Red froze for a moment.
Then something clicked.
He immediately controlled Red to rush past the guards and pointed dramatically at the crates.
"Pikachu! Thunderbolt! Smash those crates open!"
"Pika—CHUUU!!"
BOOM—
Electricity exploded as wood splintered apart!
Under the stunned gaze of the guards, the shattered crates revealed—
Not cargo.
But Pokémon bound in restraints, trapped in deep sleep.
"Damn it! Illegal smuggling!"
Red's anger instantly ignited.
His Poké Ball flew from his hand.
"Charizard! Fire Spin! Free everyone!"
"Wait! That's the flammable storage area—"
Rei Akagi's warning came half a second too late.
Charizard roared.
The flames on its tail surged as scorching fire spiraled outward, instantly engulfing the crates.
Burning fragments scattered everywhere—
And ignited the flammable storage warehouse nearby.
BOOOOOM—
A terrifying explosion tore a massive hole through the ship's hull!
Smoke and flames erupted upward like demons unleashed.
"Oh no—this is bad! We messed up big time! Why wasn't the flammable warehouse door closed?!"
Red's voice cracked as he stared at the uncontrollable inferno.
"Poliwrath! Quick—Water Gun! Get the sleeping Pokémon out first!"
Rei Akagi sighed.
Then he calmly took out the Poké Flute.
A gentle, ethereal melody echoed through the burning cargo hold.
The sleeping Pokémon stirred.
Their eyelids trembled before slowly opening.
Though frightened, they began escaping in an orderly manner.
"The Poké Flute! I almost forgot about that!"
Red exclaimed with excitement.
"That helped a ton, Teacher Salted Fish!"
But the relief was short-lived.
Fueled by the explosion and flammable materials, the fire spread wildly.
Blazing flames surged upward through the ruptured hull toward the upper decks.
"Dragonair! Use Rain Dance to cool things down!"
"Gyarados! Full-power Hydro Pump to suppress the flames!"
Rei Akagi acted instantly, summoning both Pokémon.
Dragonair gave a soft cry as pale blue energy spread outward.
A small cluster of dark clouds formed above the cargo hold, and rain began to fall.
Gyarados roared beneath the rain.
With the Rain Dance boost, its massive Hydro Pump blasted forward like a high-pressure water cannon, smashing into the raging flames.
Red quickly joined in.
"Poliwrath! Hydro Pump support!"
But the fire was simply too large.
Even with two Hydro Pumps and Rain Dance, they could only barely slow the spread.
Extinguishing it completely was impossible.
"Ah! If only we had a Water Stone!"
Red's anxious voice rang out.
"Then Poliwrath could evolve into Poliwrath's alternate evolution—Politoed… no wait—"
He corrected himself in frustration.
"If it evolved into Poliwrath, it could definitely put out the fire!"
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