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Since Saffron City and Vermilion City aren't far from each other, the journey didn't last as long as Sato had expected. Around 6 a.m., his bus slowly pulled into Vermilion City.
Although he had tried to get some sleep on the bus, the bumpy ride left him with poor rest, and now he looked rather exhausted, sporting dark circles under his eyes as the bus arrived at Vermilion's terminal.
After disembarking and leaving the station, Sato quickly caught a taxi to the nearest Pokemon Center. There, he fed his five Pokemon and treated himself to a hearty breakfast before heading to his rented room at the Center, where he immediately fell asleep.
By the time he woke up, it was already 1 p.m. He promptly fed his Pokemon, ordered a meal for himself, and then headed to a training field to complete his daily practice.
Once he finished training, it was around 5 p.m., and he started making his way toward Vermilion's port following the road signs.
Oddly enough, during a break in his training, he had checked the latest weather updates for Hoenn's typhoon conditions on his laptop. He expected no change, but instead, he found out that the typhoon seemed to be subsiding.
After confirming with Nurse Joy at the Pokemon Center, he also learned that last night, the ferry service from Vermilion to the ports in Hoenn had resumed, and tickets were back on sale.
Sato was surprised by this news and quickly asked how to purchase a ticket, learning that he could only buy them at the port's ticket office.
As he drew closer to the port, the view of the sea gradually opened up, and the salty sea breeze blew in from the ocean.
In addition to the sea, the port was bustling with ships of various sizes. Strong, uniformed sailors and a large crowd of disembarking passengers were visible in the distance. Judging from their appearances, many of them didn't seem to be from Kanto.
Seeing so many people from different places didn't surprise Sato much. Vermilion City, as Kanto's largest port, constantly received ships from around the world, so it was common to see people from other regions here.
Soon, after asking for directions a few times, Sato finally reached his destination. However, there was already a long line for ticket purchases.
Due to the typhoon in Hoenn, the ferries from Vermilion to various ports in Hoenn had been halted. Now that the typhoon was subsiding, the previously suspended route had resumed.
Understandably, with the typhoon weakening, the ferry would likely reach Hoenn once the storm had fully cleared.
Since the shipping pause had stranded many travelers in Vermilion, these people now flocked to the port to secure tickets for Hoenn as soon as possible.
With a limited number of ships and tickets, failing to get a ticket today could mean waiting for the next ferry five days later.
Even though there were ten ticket windows open, the sheer volume of travelers meant each line stretched long, and Sato, who received the news later, found himself at the end of the queue.
"Hope I can get a ticket; otherwise, I'll have to wait for the next ferry in five days."
Looking at the slow-moving line ahead, Sato thought to himself with a hint of resignation. The scene reminded him a bit of the crowded spring festival travel rush.
"What? Sold out? How is that possible? Hurry, give me a ticket! I have to get to Hoenn!"
Unfortunately, just as Sato was finally near the front of the line after a long wait, a man ahead of him erupted angrily at the ticket agent when he learned the tickets were all gone.
Soon, the same complaints echoed from all the other windows. Clearly, every ticket for Hoenn had been sold. Although many disgruntled people began voicing their dissatisfaction, there was no violence thanks to the uniformed, muscular sailors equipped with PokéBalls who were there to maintain order.
Like the others who couldn't get a ticket, Sato also failed to secure one. However, unlike most who left in frustration, he decided to remain near the ticket counter.
His patience soon paid off when a sturdy sailor in uniform approached him with a smile, asking which city in Hoenn he intended to travel to.
No matter where you go, whenever demand outweighs supply, there are always those who jump in to profit. With no restrictions on the number of tickets each person could buy, it wasn't long before scalpers emerged. This dark-skinned sailor standing in front of Sato was one of those seasoned ticket scalpers.
In fact, quite a few sailors at Vermilion's port were seasoned in the scalping business. Every year around this time, typhoons typically disrupt Hoenn, and the sailors here knew this well.
So, even before tickets officially went on sale, these scalpers used their connections to secure a stash of tickets, knowing that stranded travelers would need them. Now that all the official tickets were gone, it was the perfect time for them to make their move. A determined customer like Sato was just the type of buyer they sought.
"Do you have a ticket for Slateport City in Hoenn? I want the fastest ship, not a cargo vessel," Sato said, skipping the small talk and getting straight to the point with the scalper.
"Of course! We have a ticket for the S.S. Anne, the fastest, safest, and most luxurious cruise ship from Vermilion. It'll get you to Slateport in just two days. This ticket here is a premium one, so naturally, the price is high—100,000 PokeDollars."
Hearing Sato's request, the scalper's eyes lit up, and his grin grew even wider as he quickly produced a fancy-looking ticket from his pocket.
"I'll take it."
Seeing the elegant ticket in the scalper's hand, Sato didn't hesitate much, even though he knew he was being gouged for a hefty sum.
But Sato wasn't the only one ready to buy without hesitation. At the same moment, a young, sharply dressed female trainer also spoke up, saying, "I'll take it too."