Early the next morning, after their usual morning exercise, Ash and his companions packed their luggage and left the Pokémon Center. They headed to the harbor in the south of Fuchsia City, preparing to take a boat to Cinnabar Island.
There are three ways to get to Cinnabar Island. One is to fly directly, which is convenient and fast, but the disadvantage is that you can't enjoy the scenery along the way.
The second is by boat, which takes nearly a day and a night to arrive. Although it is a bit slower, you can enjoy the scenery on the sea, and the boat will stop at a small island for two hours on the way.
The third way is naturally the most troublesome. Relying on your own Pokémon to cross the sea and go to Cinnabar Island is not only troublesome, but also the most dangerous. After all, there are a lot of Pokémon in the sea, and accidents are prone to happen.
Among the three options, Ash and his friends naturally chose the second one, which not only ensures safety, but also allows them to enjoy the scenery of the sea. The journey of one day and one night is something Ash and his friends have never experienced.
"Fortunately, because we are trainers, the S.S. Ticket only costs 30% of the original price," Ash said with relief after coming out of the ticket office.
Even though the monthly allowance was quite a lot, Ash was still used to being frugal and spending money on cultivating Pokémon.
"This is also one of the benefits that the League gives to trainers. For trainers, this is very important!" Brock held the S.S. Ticket and led Ash and Misty to the boarding area.
Walking up the stairs and coming to the entrance, a staff member was checking tickets. The ticket checking process in this era was still manual. In a few years, technology would replace this job.
"There are quite a few people..." After entering the boat, Ash was a little surprised to find that the number of people on the boat wasn't as few as he expected, but considering the particularity of Cinnabar Island, Ash nodded in understanding.
They didn't linger in the lobby. After asking the staff about the direction of their room, Ash and his friends went there first to put down their luggage. After all, they would stay on the ship for nearly a day and a night.
"We will stop at an island called Blastoise Island for two hours on the way, which is one of the stops on this itinerary," Brock explained while holding the booklet, which he had picked up when he bought the ticket at the ticket office.
"Blastoise Island...is that the island shaped like Blastoise!" Hearing about the Water-type Pokémon, Misty, who was taking care of the Pokémon egg, looked at Brock with bright eyes.
Ash was also a little curious. He seemed to have been to Blastoise Island in the anime, but he didn't remember the plot.
"No..." Brock shook his head slightly, and then showed the front of the booklet to Ash and Misty, "Blastoise Island is the island where the Blastoise family lived, and it was also cultivated by the League as a source for Squirtle given to rookie trainers."
"The Blastoise family lives there!" Misty stood up excitedly, imagining herself surrounded by a large group of Squirtle and Wartortle. She suddenly felt a sense of happiness welling up in her heart.
"So...my Wartortle also came from Blastoise Island?" Ash asked, a little surprised.
"Probably not," Brock thought for a while and said, "Ash's Wartortle was not obtained at the starting point, but caught on the way, so it may not come from Blastoise Island."
"That's true..." Ash nodded in understanding.
After a while, the broadcast sounded, reminding passengers that the ship was about to depart. Ash and his friends felt the ship move, and the scenery outside the window began to recede.
"Let's go to the deck and enjoy the sea breeze!" Misty held the Pokémon egg in one hand, grabbed Ash's hand with the other, and pulled him out of the room, while Brock could only helplessly follow.
The three of them came to the deck. The ship had just left the shore, and they could still clearly see the harbor. There were quite a few passengers on the deck, either looking at the scenery or enjoying the sea breeze.
"Pika..." Leaning against the guardrail, Ash closed his eyes slightly, and Pikachu on his shoulder also jumped onto the guardrail. Just like Ash, with its eyes closed, it faced the sea breeze blowing ahead, enjoying it very much.
A few minutes later, the deck gradually became lively, and more and more passengers came up. Although the deck was spacious, it started to feel crowded.
"Let's go back; the sun is still too hot. There are some entertainment facilities inside the boat, we can go and have fun," Ash suggested after seeing Misty carefully protecting the Pokémon egg in her arms.
"Okay!" Misty agreed, not wanting to stay there any longer. It would be terrible if someone accidentally bumped into her and broke the Pokémon egg.
"I want to stay here..." Brock, on the other hand, was captivated by some of the beautiful women on the deck. He flashed a smile at them, waved goodbye to Ash and Misty, and continued observing the women.
"Honestly..." Ash and Misty exchanged glances, shook their heads in amusement, and left Brock to his own devices. They returned to the cabin, asked the staff for directions, and headed to the entertainment hall.
The entertainment hall was on the lower deck and was divided into two sections, one for humans and the other for Pokémon.
Since most people were still on the deck, the entertainment hall was relatively empty. Ash and Misty ordered drinks, sat by the window, and chatted while watching Pikachu play in the Pokémon entertainment area.
"When do you think it will hatch?" Misty asked, stroking the Pokémon egg with a hint of dejection. It had been so many days, and there was still no sign of activity from the egg.
"It should be soon..." Ash wasn't sure; he didn't remember exactly when Togepi hatched in the anime. However, judging by the time that had passed, it should be happening soon.
"I really hope it hatches soon..." Misty's expression softened, and a maternal warmth emanated from her, momentarily captivating Ash.
Just then, the Pokémon egg twitched slightly, startling Misty. She excitedly told Ash, "Did you see that? It just moved a little!"
Although Ash hadn't seen the first movement, as he had been looking at Misty, he immediately focused on the egg. As his gaze landed on it, the egg twitched again.
"See, I told you it should be hatching soon," Ash said with a smile. Togepi was undeniably cute, and he had never seen one in person, so he was quite curious.
"Please hatch soon, Togepi!" Misty lovingly caressed the Pokémon egg, her gentle voice reminiscent of a mother soothing her child.
"Misty, you'll definitely be a wonderful mother someday," Ash remarked with a smile.
Misty blushed at his words but didn't disagree. She glanced at Ash, then turned her head to look out the window, her reddened ears visible to him.
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