Chapter 25: The St. Anne

"Oh, as for that..." Brock shook his head with a wry smile. He hadn't expected the first thing they would say to each other upon reuniting would be about who looked older. However, knowing that Sayo was joking—a way to bridge the distance between them—he spread his hands. "Perhaps it's because I have nine younger siblings to take care of, so I'm just overworked."

"By the way," Ash asked, "are you coming with us to the harbor now?"

Sayo asked in confusion, "What are you going to the harbor for?"

"Earlier in the city center, someone gave us a ticket for a luxury cruise ship," Misty explained. "The person who gave it to us said that a major conglomerate is hosting a grand Trainer party there. A lot of people will be attending, it’s going to be a lot of fun, and everything is free!"

"There's such a good deal?" Sayo frowned. "How does that sound like a scam?"

Seeing that Sayo was skeptical, Ash pulled a ticket from his pocket.

"It's real! Look, this is the ticket for the cruise ship. And on the way here, we already saw many people heading toward the harbor."

"Even so..." Looking at the ticket, Sayo couldn't help but ask, "But there's only one ticket. How do the three of you plan to get on board?"

Ash unfolded the ticket, pointing out the word "Group" to Sayo.

"Heh heh, this is a group ticket! As many people as we want can go. If you want to come along, just join us."

Sayo examined the ticket carefully. On the front, there was a picture of a luxurious cruise ship, and next to it, a large line of text read: "S.S. Anne."

The S.S. Anne?

Sayo froze. Wasn't this the famous shipwreck from the anime?

Without noticing Sayo's hesitation, Ash continued in an excited tone, "Battling and socializing with Trainers from all over, and seeing so many Pokémon we've never seen before—it's going to be amazing!"

"That's right, that's right!" Brock nodded in agreement, his mind wandering. "And there's bound to be plenty of delicious food and beautiful young ladies!"

Even Misty had a look of longing in her eyes. "A relaxing cruise, lying on the deck sunbathing—just thinking about it is exciting."

While the three of them were daydreaming, Sayo was pondering a different question.

If he remembered correctly, not long after the S.S. Anne set sail, it was attacked by Team Rocket and hit by a storm, eventually sinking to the bottom of the ocean under the force of massive waves.

Such an expensive cruise ship, just sinking like that—the property loss alone would be in the billions...

However, Sayo realized that even if he kindly offered a warning, it probably wouldn't change its fate.

Since Team Rocket was able to infiltrate the S.S. Anne, they must have made thorough preparations. Without hard evidence, interfering rashly wouldn't just fail to catch the captain's attention; it would alert Team Rocket. If it were too obvious, it might even draw the attention of the event's host—the mastermind behind Team Rocket, Giovanni!

As for that storm...

Although Sayo didn't know much about maritime affairs, a cruise ship of this size would surely monitor weather forecasts in advance.

Since the captain allowed it to sail, it meant that either Team Rocket had suddenly changed the ship's course, or that the massive storm capable of capsizing the ship had formed suddenly!

"Huh? Sayo, what are you thinking about?" Misty asked, seeing Sayo silent for a long time. "Well? Do you want to come with us?"

Sayo nodded. "Of course, I want to go and see it for myself."

When they arrived at the Vermilion City harbor, they saw ships of all sizes docked along the coast, but the largest and most luxurious of them all was the S.S. Anne.

Standing dozens of stories high, the massive vessel was the undeniable centerpiece of the harbor.

The S.S. Anne was a world-famous luxury cruise ship. It was said that it docked in Vermilion City once a year before heading out for a world tour.

Just as Ash had said, many Trainers were lining up with their Pokémon to have their tickets checked and board the ship.

The closer they got, the more staggering the ship appeared.

"Wow, it's so huge!" Misty looked up, letting out a gasp. "Are we really going to sea on this ship?"

Just as Ash and the others were about to board, Sayo called them to a halt.

"Wait a moment, I need to buy something first."

He walked to a nearby diving supply shop, searched for a long time, and finally purchased a pair of diving goggles and a simple respirator.

It was so expensive...

After Sayo paid and tucked them into his backpack with a heavy expression, Ash asked curiously, "Why did you buy those?"

"I'm not a very good swimmer. Who knows when these might come in handy."

Sayo chose not to tell Ash and the others the truth. After all, it was something that hadn't happened yet. Besides, considering their luck, they were the type of people who could always turn danger into safety; even if the S.S. Anne really did sink, they would surely find a way to escape.

They lined up, had their tickets checked, and boarded.

As they crossed the gangplank and passed through the deck, they arrived at a magnificent grand hall.

The hall was vast and soaring, adorned with gold and illuminated by countless crystal chandeliers. It was already crowded with all kinds of tourists. On the red carpet, long tables were set with an abundance of food for people to sample at any time.

Sayo walked into the crowd and looked around.

Whether they were acquaintances or strangers, people were enthusiastically chatting, sharing stories of their journeys and talking about their Pokémon. Everyone's face was filled with smiles; it seemed they were all very satisfied with the cruise.

On both sides of the hall, vendors were selling various goods.

From small items like studs and earrings to figures and large Pokémon plushies, everything was available. The sounds of conversation, hawking, and bargaining filled the air, creating a lively atmosphere.

However, what drew the most attention was the Pokémon battle taking place in the center of the hall, surrounded by layers of onlookers.

The battle was organized by the passengers themselves. The two Trainers were a middle-aged man in a suit and a young boy in a green shirt.

Their Pokémon were a Rattata and a Staryu.