Arden was immediately impressed with the SS Anne as soon as he entered it. The interior was luxurious and festively decorated. The floor was carpeted with soft red rugs, embroidered with pokeballs at their edges, and all the metalwork on the ship was gilded. Arden stopped a passing sailor and asked him, "Hey, where does this ship sail to, anyway?"

"It'll be making a short trip along the coast to Olivine City in Johto," said the sailor.

"Olivine City?" asked Arden, raising his eyebrows. "Well, how long will it be there?"

"The ship'll stop there for, I'unno, maybe an hour. It's a party ship. Just stops enough for passengers to sight-see."

The young trainer frowned. "Alright. Uh, thanks," he said, moving along the corridor. He came to a pair of open double doors which lead into an enormous ballroom where a party was taking place. Droves of partiers were inside, laughing and dancing and showing off their pokemon. Arden walked among them, amazed to see so many strange pokemon, whose names and origins he couldn't even begin to guess at.

He saw one man with a white, squirrel-like pokemon on his arm, eating crackers happily out of his hand.

"What's that?" Arden asked the man.

"This is my beloved pachirisu, Belinda," the man said. "She comes from a region called Sinnoh. As do I."

"Whoa," said Arden. "I've never heard of that place. So, you're visiting Kanto and Johto?"

"Yes, that's right," said the man. "Say, are you from around here? I'd like to battle a local trainer something fierce, so that I could see some rare pokemon."

"I'll battle you," Arden said. "I'm not sure how rare my pokemon are, but I caught them all in Kanto."

"Marvelous. Belinda, go!"

"Pachi!" shouted the little pokemon scurrying down from the man's arm.

"Go, Fang!"

"Golbat!" shrieked Fang as he was released.

"No, no, no," said the man. "I've seen that one before. We have those back home."

"Oh. Ah, alright, then… Return, Fang. Go, Cruelty!"

"Seen it."

"…alright. Cruelty, come back. Go, Gimpy!"

The man leaned forward. "Now that," he said. "Is a new one. My, look at that tail."

"…tortle?" asked Gimpy, looking at Arden.

"He's not from around here," mumbled Arden to his pokemon.

"Belinda," said the man. "Use quick attack!"

"Gimp—water gun."

The pachirisu struck Gimpy hard in the chest, knocking him back a bit. He fired a blast of water at her, which—though it hit her dead on—she was mostly able to shrug off. Belinda's trainer laughed. "She's an electric pokemon, kiddo. Your water pokemon's pretty strong, I'm sure—why, he looks strong, anyway—but those attacks aren't very effective against an electric pokemon!"

"I hate electric pokemon," said Arden, pulling at his hair. "Please—please tell me, what is effective against electric pokemon?"

"Well," said the man, putting a finger to his bottom lip. "Grass and rock—oh, and ground. Can't forget ground."

"Damn it," said Arden. "I don't have any pokemon like that."

The man laughed. "Don't worry about it. Belinda's not too strong. You can overcome her, I'm sure, even if you don't have any super effective moves."

"It's not her I'm concerned about overcoming," muttered Arden. "Gimp, return. Go, Gentry!"

"Niiidoran!"

The man leaned forward again. "Oh—I've seen that before, but only one," he said. "A friend of mine was traded one by a friend of hers. Oh, he's a cute little fellow, isn't he? Belinda, spark!"

"Chiii!" exclaimed the pachirisu, hunching over. Electricity shot from her cheeks and struck Gentry. He yelped and fell to the ground.

"Get up! You can take that, Gentry! Don't pretend you can't!" said Arden, stomping his foot. "Horn attack!"

"Niii," murmured Gentry, getting to his feet. He charged at the pachirisu, catching her in the abdomen with his horn. Belinda cried out in pain, and her trainer scooped her up.

"I think that's enough," he said. "Don't take it so seriously."

"I have to take it seriously," said Arden, pouting. "I'm a trainer. I've got two gym badges and I need to train up or I'll never get my third."

"Hey, I'm a trainer myself," the man told him. "I've got five gym badges. But, kiddo, part of being a trainer is understanding that some battles aren't serious conflicts. Sometimes, it's just for fun."

Arden frowned. "Yeah, I guess," he mumbled, moving away. "Excuse me."

The ship was moving ahead through the water and, though every one around him was happy, Arden couldn't seem to get into a partying mood. He stood next to a long table full of food holding Gentry against his chest as the pokemon sniffed at the dishes and quietly whined longingly. Arden wasn't paying too much attention to the nidoran, however; his thoughts were all on his destination.

"Have I ever told you, Gent," he said, absently watching the ocean through a window. "I'm from Johto, where this ship is headed."

"Nii," said Gentry, reaching out one paw toward a shrimp puff that was just out of his reach. "Doooran."

"Not, uh, not exactly where it's headed," Arden said. "Goldenrod City is where I'm from… But, I've been to Olivine. I used to go there when I was little and I'd watch the ships come in."

"Nidoran." Gentry strained to reach a fancy pastry on a metal platter, but was unable to. "Ni, nii."

"I don't really know anyone in Olivine," Arden told him, still unaware of his plight. "So I guess it won't be a problem being there for an hour. Unless she's there… But, no, I don't imagine she would be... I mean, she left home a long time ago."