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"Have you heard? The newly built, super-large cruise ship, the St. Anne, is about to start sea trials!"
"I heard about it! They say it's the most luxurious cruise ship in Vermilion City so far. Apparently, special invitation tickets are required, and those must be really expensive!"
In a seaside city, a boat parade is naturally one of the most exciting attractions. Many tourists come just to see it, and even traveling trainers don't want to miss the chance.
"Hmph! You don't know anything! Because it's a sea trial, they're holding an event to celebrate the St. Anne's sea trial, giving out free invitation coupons!"
"What? Really? Where can I get one? I want to check it out too!"
"They're handing them out randomly! You can only get one if you're lucky! I just got one myself!"
Ash and his friends were eating in a nearby restaurant and couldn't help but overhear the conversation. Misty paused to listen, casting an envious glance toward the group.
"A luxury cruise! How amazing! Why can't we be that lucky?"
For someone like her, who loved Water-type Pokémon, anything related to the sea was a dream. She had been walking for days, and it would be so nice to take a break and enjoy something special.
But unfortunately, the tickets were probably too expensive to buy. As for the free ones being given out, that sounded more like a publicity stunt, with not many being available.
Ash kept eating, barely paying attention. The St. Anne? If he remembered correctly, it was all just a trap set by Team Rocket to lure trainers and steal their Pokémon during the trip.
"Ash, why aren't you saying anything?" Misty asked, noticing the silence from both him and Brock.
"Say what?"
"Don't you want to go on a luxury cruise?" Misty looked irritated by Ash's indifference, though she was clearly eager to go herself.
"It's fine! Walking while traveling is just as good as taking a cruise," Ash said nonchalantly.
Truthfully, he could afford it, especially since he earned a small reward after catching that Pokémon hunter earlier. But he didn't see the point in spending money on something like this, especially since he knew it was a trap.
Whether they went or not didn't matter—Team Rocket was bound to show up eventually. Even if Ash didn't go looking for trouble, trouble would find him.
"Hmph! You really don't understand anything about romance!" Misty turned her head away, annoyed, while Brock chuckled at their usual bickering.
"Maybe you wouldn't find it romantic if you actually went," Ash said casually, putting down his fork.
He wasn't sure about other cruises, but he was certain the St. Anne wasn't the romantic experience Misty imagined. Even the most romantic cruise stories he had heard usually ended in disaster.
"How could it not be romantic? Enjoying gourmet food on a luxury cruise, watching the sunset over the sea... maybe even having a charming encounter. A cute girl like me would surely have lots of handsome gentlemen coming up to chat!"
Misty clasped her hands together, already lost in her daydream of the perfect cruise.
"Alas!" Ash and Pikachu both shook their heads with a sigh.
"What's with that reaction? Ash, you're so annoying! And why is Pikachu doing it too?" Misty grumbled.
"Alright, alright! If you want to go that badly, I have a feeling you'll get an invitation coupon soon," Ash said, standing up and heading to the front desk with Pikachu.
"Huh? What does he mean by that? Is Ash really going to buy tickets just for me?" Misty wondered, resting her chin in her hands with a shy smile. Maybe, just maybe, this "wooden head" was finally starting to get it.
"Well... you're going to be disappointed!"
Brock, standing next to Misty, watched her fall deeper into her daydreams, sighing and shaking his head. He knew Ash too well—Ash wouldn't be so romantic or open-hearted.
Ash reached the front desk, made sure his Pokémon were in good health, and then called Misty and Brock over. After packing up, they all left the Pokémon Center.
They headed for the pier. Vermilion City's pier was the largest in the entire Kanto Region, with more than a dozen cruise ships docked. People bustled about, though the pier still didn't fee crowded, even with a daily flow of visitors exceeding six figures.
"Ash, where's your invitation ticket?" Misty asked excitedly when she saw Ash heading to the pier. If they weren't going on a cruise, there'd be no reason to come here, right?
"Invitation ticket? I don't have one," Ash replied calmly.
"What? You... Didn't you just go to buy one?" Misty's excitement quickly turned to confusion.
"Nope! I'm not wasting my money on something like this," Ash said, his face serious.
"Then... why did you even bring it up?" Misty stammered, her dreams of a luxurious cruise crumbling. She had been right—Ash was still as clueless as ever.
"Didn't I say someone might hand them out?"
"What! That's just a gimmick. If someone really gave you one, I'd—"
Before Misty could finish her sentence, a loud "bang!" echoed, followed by a burst of confetti and ribbons flying through the air. Misty and Brock jumped in surprise as two figures with heavy makeup and tanned skin suddenly appeared in front of them.
"Congratulations! You seem to be the lucky winners of the day!" one of the strangers announced.
"What... what?" Misty looked at the two women in confusion, unsure of what was happening.
Ash, however, instantly recognized them. He thought to himself, *It's these two...* In this version of events, he hadn't lost to Lt. Surge yet, which was why they were showing up here.
Ash had come to try his luck because he knew that, even if Jessie and James didn't show up, some Team Rocket members would likely be handing out invitation tickets. Sure enough, the duo in front of them was none other than Jessie and James—though James, dressed as a woman, was a little harder to look at this time around. Still, Ash had to give him credit for his dedication.