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"That's right, we have an invitation ticket for the St. Anne!"
"It's a Mega luxury cruise ship, and it's fun to invite many Trainers to have a party on board!"
The two were talking to each other in front of Ash and his friends, and for some reason, it always seemed like they were showing off.
"Do you want it?" At that moment a female student working overtime, handed the invitation ticket to the group, her arm frozen in place.
No way... someone actually sent an invitation ticket? I took a quick glance at Ash. I was just about to mention that, when I nearly blurted out something silly. Fortunately, I hadn't finished speaking yet.
"Uh... we want it a lot, but we don't have the money," Brock said after listening.
Looking at them, they didn't seem like cruise ship staff. Maybe they were just people who got their hands on some extra tickets, and Brock thought they might be scalpers.
"Honestly, it's so crude to talk about money."
"Actually, we want to go too, but I am going on a date with my boyfriend, so if you like Pokémon, go ahead and take it!" Jessie sounded disappointed, but she handed over the tickets to the trio anyway.
"Thank you so much!" Misty said excitedly as she accepted the three tickets, her face lighting up with a smile.
"Then please enjoy!" With that, Jessie and James turned and left without hesitation, disappearing from sight in the blink of an eye.
"Wow, that was lucky!" Misty couldn't contain her excitement, holding onto the tickets tightly, as if afraid of losing them.
"You were saying... what if someone just handed you tickets?" Ash teased, clearly already aware of what had happened.
"Oh, I'm in a great mood! Don't worry about the details!" Misty quickly changed the subject, eager to avoid further teasing. "Let's find out where the St. Anne is, or we might miss the boat!" She hurried ahead.
Ash and Brock exchanged glances, feeling a bit helpless. This was Misty, after all—a girl who could change her mood faster than flipping a page in a book.
They followed Misty's lead, searching along the pier, and soon they spotted the St. Anne in the distance, towering over the crowded docks.
The ship was beyond massive. No other cruise ship at the pier could compare to the size of the St. Anne—it was like a titan floating on the sea.
Even Ash couldn't help but marvel. "The Rockets must be really loaded," he muttered.
"It's even more luxurious than I imagined! I wouldn't mind traveling the world on this!" Misty said excitedly as they approached the ship and presented their tickets. The staff politely signaled them to board.
Misty was practically bubbling with excitement. Unfortunately, this time it was just a trial voyage, with the St. Anne heading to another coastal city, Lam Pludge.
It wasn't far from Vermilion City—likely due to budget considerations, since so many invitation tickets had been handed out.
"Welcome aboard the St. Anne! We hope you have a pleasant journey. Please, come in!"
As they climbed the stairs, the staff warmly greeted them, and the three entered the main party hall. The place was packed with people.
Most of the guests were Trainers of various kinds, and many had already released their Pokémon, exchanging ideas with one another. Some had even set up stalls to sell souvenirs.
"There are so many people! I'm really looking forward to this trip," Misty said, eyes shining as she took in the scene around her.
"Yeah! Let's go!" Ash added enthusiastically.
At that moment, cheers erupted from nearby, drawing the attention of Ash, Misty, and Brock. They exchanged glances and made their way over to the source of the noise.
As they approached, they discovered a battle taking place in the middle of a large crowd. Two Trainers were facing off in a battlefield. One was a boy in a green T-shirt who looked to be about ten years old, while the other was a gentleman dressed in a suit and top hat, appearing to be around thirty.
The boy was using a Starmie, and the gentleman had a Raticate.
The trio squeezed to the front to get a better view, just as the battle was reaching its climax.
"Raticate, finish it off! Use Super Fang!" the gentleman commanded.
Raticate leaped toward Starmie, its large front teeth glowing red as it prepared to strike. With a powerful bite, it chomped down on the gemstone in the center of Starmie.
*Crack!*
The sound of the gemstone shattering echoed through the battlefield. Raticate shook its head and tossed Starmie aside. Both Pokémon landed simultaneously, but Starmie collapsed to the ground, unable to continue.
"Ah! Starmie!" the boy cried out, rushing forward to cradle his defeated Pokémon, looking heartbroken. The gentleman, however, remained unmoved.
"It seems your Starmie needs more training. Well, who's next? Anyone want to challenge my Raticate?" he asked, looking around the crowd with a smug expression.
At that moment, a woman in a purple dress, elegant and mature, walked over to the gentleman. "My dear, you were amazing!" she said softly, leaning in close to him.
"Thank you for the compliment, dear," the gentleman responded, clearly enjoying the attention.
Her arrival caught the eye of many onlookers, especially the men.
"Wow… she's beautiful!" Brock, predictably, was among the admirers.
"You guys are unbelievable!" Misty said, exasperated by Brock's lovestruck expression.
"Let's go," Ash suggested, uninterested in sticking around after the battle had ended.
The other Trainers around seemed intimidated by the gentleman's strength, and no one stepped forward to challenge him.
Just as Ash and his friends were about to leave, the gentleman suddenly called out, "Wait a moment! You, the boy with the Pikachu!"
Ash stopped and turned around. "What's up?"
"Judging by how close you are with your Pikachu, you must be a skilled Trainer. How about having a battle with me?" The gentleman's tone was full of confidence, and it seemed he was eager to show off in front of his female companion, since no one else had dared to challenge him.
Ash raised an eyebrow, sensing the man's prideful intent.