"Are you sure this is a good way to head to Vermillion?"
I was in doubt as we entered the Underground Path. An unpleasant smell surrounded the area as I briefly covered my nose with my right hand.
"I heard it's definitely faster than going through the normal route. Since we're already here, might as well!" Sip nonchalantly replied.
"I'm just scared we'll get lost in this place. It's quite dark here." I admitted.
"Are you serious, Lows?" Sip looked at me in disbelief, "The path is literally a straight line. There's no way you can get lost here."
"I've not traveled around in ages, and my sense of direction is undoubtedly terrible. Who knows, it might surprise you." I jokingly chuckled.
"Surely, it wouldn't be that bad..." Sip shook his head with a resignedly smile before we started walking along the path.
It actually took us a surprisingly long time to get through the path. As we walked up the flight of stairs, the bright light caused me to temporarily squint my eyes before getting used to it again.
"I can't believe it actually took us that long." Sip was somewhat amused.
I shrugged, "I told you. The darkness of the path was also quite the icing of the cake."
"Next time, we might as well go through the normal way. That might be even faster than this so-called 'shortcut'."
"Yeah, maybe that'd be a better idea." I nodded, as we entered Vermillion City.
Vermillion City
The Port of Exquisite Sunsets
This city honestly brought me more memories of when I first started my journey than I thought it would.
It was where I encountered my first rival, where I had to take a ship to reach Hoenn, the place where my journey began.
It only made me think of the rival more when a teenager near the entrance to the city handed each of us a flyer.
"What's this?" Sip asked.
"There is going to be a surfing competition held next month. If you're interested to conquer the waves or just watching professionals compete with each other for victory, you can contact the number given in the flyer to get more information about it!" The teenager explained.
We accepted the flyers and thanked the worker before heading towards the PokéCentre. As I read the details written on the flyer, I asked, "Sip, do you still remember Harry?"
"You mean the Harry from Hoenn?"
"That's right." I nodded.
"Of course I would! I heard he had quite a relationship with you during your journey." Sip said, "Anyways, why mention him?"
"This seems like something he would be interested in."
Harry Waves is the adopted son of Brawly, the Dewford Gym Leader. He was the winner of the Ever Grande League Sip and I took part in. His initial ways of training Pokémon were not desirable for me, but eventually, I managed to somewhat influence him in a positive way to treat his team better. After the league, he took a break and decided to switch his main focus towards surfing.
I wonder how he's doing now.
We entered the PokéCentre and healed our Pokémon. While that was happening, I was casually checking my Pokégear for any news until I noticed a missed call notification.
I called back the number and the screen revealed an all too familiar person. Wow, speak of the devil, [Lows, it's been a while!]
"Sorry for the missed call, I think the area I was at had no signal." I apologize, "Anyways, glad to see you doing well, Harry." I nodded.
[You too! I heard from my father that you will be continuing your journey in Kanto. I'm sure that you're gonna do great this time.]
"I hope so," I replied.
[Who knows, perhaps we can see each other again real soon!]
"Are you coming to the Kanto region?"
[Actually, I'll be heading there real soon! There is a surfing competition in Vermillion where I got invited to join. My father and I are about to head there over the next few weeks.]
"I knew it! The moment I learned that there is such a competition, I kinda sensed that you'll be part of it. I'm actually in Vermillion too, going for the third badge."
[Perfect timing! Lows, I have a favor to ask from you.]
"Sure, what is it?"
[I actually got two tickets to the annual S.S. Anne for my father and me, but because of transport problems, by the time we arrive there, the S.S. Anne would've already sailed off.] Harry explained, [Can you get someone along to check out the S.S. Anne for us instead?]
"What's S.S. Anne?" I asked.
"Are you kidding, Lows?" Sip, who was staying quiet and listening to our conversation, asked in surprise, "Even I know about S.S. Anne."
"I'm outdated, Sip," I replied.
[I can explain.] Harry noticed Sip and nodded lightly to greet him, [To summarise, it is a well-known luxury cruise ship which sails around the world. It stops temporarily in Vermillion on a yearly basis, which attracts several people to check out the activities and services there. You also get to stay a night there if you have a ticket.]
"I see... I'm not too comfortable in crowds, though." I confessed.
[It's alright! Overall, the atmosphere should be pretty peaceful for a decent experience.] Harry reassured, [You wanna check it out, Lows?]
"I think it'd be a good idea! Sightseeing can never go wrong." Sip encouraged.
The two's convincing eventually worked out on me, "...Sure. How can we get the tickets from you?"
[I just need to send you the QR Codes which link to the tickets online. I think you just need to show the QR Codes to the sailor, and he'll take care of it from there.]
"Wow, technology is astounding today." Sip was amazed.
[It sure is!]
"Sounds good. Thanks, Harry." I said.
[No problem! Let's meet once I reach Vermillion.] Harry smiled before ending the call. Shortly after, I immediately received the two QR Codes sent by the Hoenn native.
"I can't believe we're going on a cruise trip today!" Sip was excited.
"I guess we're lucky. Sometimes." I shrugged.
"Do we wanna head there now?" Sip asked.
"Not yet. I wanna go around Vermillion for a little while before visiting S.S. Anne."
"Take your time! Just tell me once you're ready to head there."
Sip stayed in the PokéCentre, while I walked out of the red building and looked around the city. Some people were seen surfing along the waves, while some children and teenagers are mostly enjoying fishing near the seaside. The buildings were those that can be commonly found in any area: PokéMart, houses, the Vermillion Gym...
"Hmm?" A different building caught my attention. Some adorable Pokémon faces were beside the entrance as decorations, with the display signboard with the text, "Pokémon Fan Club".
Curiosity hit me as I opened the door and entered the building. I was immediately greeted by excited voices from other people in there. If listened closely, most of them were talking about Pokémon with smiles on their faces.
I also noticed a panel where a famous Pokémon Collector was having an interview with a reporter while proudly showcasing his rare collection.
Isn't he the Collector guy? The first person to collect each Unown letter of the alphabet? I wouldn't have the dedication to do such a thing.
While observing the interview taking place, I felt something passing by me, soon to be followed by a little girl bumping into me and falling onto the ground.
Surprised and feeling awkward by the sudden incident, I offered my hand and helped the little girl back up. The little girl apologized, "I'm sorry! I was trying to catch up to my Pokémon."
"...It's not a big deal."
"Are you a new visitor? You look new here!" She asked.
I nodded, "Have you been around the Pokémon Fan Club for a long time?"
"Yeah! My mother helps the chairman of the Pokémon Fan Club, so she always brings me here to play with other Pokémon. I like the atmosphere here! Everyone is so happy to talk about Pokémon."
"...I can tell!" I gave her a light smile.
"Do you like Pokémon, visitor?" She innocently asked.
"Of course! I'm a Pokémon Trainer, after all."
"...Trainer?" She appeared clueless.
"I battle with my Pokémon." I briefly explained.
"Sounds cool! I don't know much about battling..." She explained, "Usually, the Pokémon visitors showed to me were small and cute, and some even had adorable ribbons with them!"
That gave me an idea of what she was talking about, "Did they mention about contests?"
"Now that you said it... Yeah, I think that's what the visitors usually talked about!"
"They're called Pokémon Coordinators. They usually participate in contests and... uh... perform on stage with their Pokémon!"
"Sounds exciting!" The little girl exclaimed, "Do you know anyone like that?"
"...Yeah." I grinned, thinking about a friend of mine.
Lisa would like this place... Maybe I can bring her to visit here sometimes.
...If she wants to go with me, of course.
I shook the slightly warm feeling inside of me before making an effort to continue the conversation with the little girl. After that, I was more than satisfied to leave the buildings and meet up with Sip for the cruise visit.
We reached the dock of the ship and waited for a few minutes before our turn was up. The sailor scanned our QR Codes before approving our entrance into S.S. Anne. As we climbed the stairs and entered the gigantic lobby, the luxurious decorations surprised both of us. The crystal bright lights and red carpets were the most eye-catching to us, and there were winding staircases and long corridors that I assumed led to other areas of the ship.
A female steward greeted us and explained the activities we can do: enjoying dinner service and watching a series of performances at the main hall. There would also be Pokémon showmatches from popular trainers, which excited us quite a bit.
After that, the steward led us to our rooms. I opened the door to my room and was impressed by what I saw. It was a spacious cabin with a queen-sized bed, a large-screen TV, a dark wooden desk, and a small refrigerator filled with drinks. A bathroom with white tiles was also provided.
Feeling a little hungry, I contacted Sip to meet up shortly and have dinner together. We headed towards the dining room, where a giant crystal chandelier shone its light over the wooden tables around the area. At that point, it was expected from the luxurious S.S. Anne.
We were allowed to send out one Pokémon with us, so I sent out Grace while Sip sent out Bounce to join us for dinner. Grace appeared delightful upon choosing her, "Thanks for giving me the opportunity to enjoy such a lovely experience, Lows."
The waiter serving us gave each of us a menu and meal recommendations. We were okay with anything, so we went with the recommendations and got each of us a glass of Pecha Berry juice.
Once the dishes were served after just a few minutes, our appetite got us to start eating almost immediately. The atmosphere contributed to making us develop temporary table manners as we ate the meal slowly and quietly.
While not all the dishes were not to my taste, they definitely complimented each other well to perform a grand fiesta for our taste buds. The dish that left me quite an impression was the chicken alfredo, where the specially made sauce was the main character in enhancing the flavors of the dish.
When Sip spotted the opportunity, he finally dared to start a small conversation with me, "The food is good and all, but the atmosphere definitely was something else."
Looking around the dining area, I nodded, "It's definitely different. I'm not really used to it, but it's not a bad feeling. Just feeling awkward, is all."
"Sometimes, blending in with something is not an instant process! Don't sweat it." Sip was much more adapted to the atmosphere than me. Not surprising, considering how fast he got used to living in Pallet Town.
"I guess you're right."
After enjoying a nice dinner and managing to take some desserts back to our rooms for our Pokémon to indulge in, we went to the main hall together to watch the upcoming performances. The seats were mostly occupied by other visitors, which proved the audience's excitement for these dazzling stages.
It did not take long before the performances started with a magician showing off his astounding tricks. Each performance one after the other didn't fail to keep the crowd engaged and at the edge of their seats. Famous Coordinators, such as Sandra Camellia, Penny Santos, and many more hailing from different regions also managed to bring upon exciting performances for the audience.
However, the best performances being first means the performances after might not be able to make the audience have the same reaction as before.
Unfortunately, one of them was from someone all too familiar.
I was initially surprised to see Lisa on stage. Despite being more well-known in smaller communities, she was definitely overshadowed by other Coordinators in terms of popularity in this cruise. The style of her performances was also completely different from the previous performers, and it might not garner as much attention as others.
This time, Lisa sent out Chime, the Chingling who joined her team during our Johto adventure, "It's showtime, Chime!"
The Chingling appeared on the stage as he remained floated and started jingling, producing a tune of an acoustic version of "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star".
Afterwards, Lisa commanded, "Chime, Rain Dance, then follow up with Charge Beam!"
Chime focused his energy, summoning clouds around the stage as a small downpour started to happen. Once the stage seemed to be prepared for the next move, the Psychic-type raised his ribbons as they got surrounded by yellow orbs of electricity. Chime then lightly slammed the ground with his ribbons, causing multiple small bolts of electricity to be shot towards the rain in front of them. Upon making contact with the rain, instead of an intense reaction, small sparks were instead produced from the collision of two different elements, creating a mini-fireworks display in the rainfall.
"Chime, remove the rainclouds!"
As Chime managed to make the rainclouds disappear with his psychic powers, the lights in the stage seemed to have switched off as well, which I assumed was in Lisa's plans. Lisa smiled and issued Chime's final set of moves, "Chime, use Psychic, then Wish!"
Chime quickly formed a large blast of psychic energy on top of him, which eventually released as multiple small pink orbs of energy surrounding the stage. Then, Chime put his hands together in front of his chest, looked up towards the sky, and started jingling again, repeating the tune, "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star". When it was nearing its end, a bright and sparkly aura with multiple stars appeared around the Chingling's body before the stars were fired around the stage. At first, the stars were shining bright around the Psychic type, until they collided with the pink orbs of energy and started blinking in different colors, creating an aesthetic scenery. The performance came to an end when the stars eventually made a small yet memorable explosion and the lights were switched back on.
As expected, Lisa's performance did not get as many cheers from the audience, but Sip and I gave supportive claps to our friend. According to Lisa in one of the interviews, her performances always aimed to show a message. In this case, I assumed it had something to do with never giving up during tough situations, as presented by the downpour. One's efforts will always result in something beautiful, just like the shining stars at the end of the performance.
While the performance was not as dazzling, it definitely showed her full sincerity, and I admired that.
As Lisa left the stage, I wanted to use the washroom, so I left the main hall after informing Sip. However, my sense of direction proved to me that it was extraordinary as always, as after barely being able to find the washroom, I immediately forgot the directions back to the main hall.
W-Where am I supposed to go...
I thought of asking the sailors around the area, only to feel the anxiety kicking in as I struggled to even open my mouth to ask a simple question. I stood there, unsure of what to do.
"Lows? What are you doing here?"
I looked behind me and saw Lisa together with Chime. She had a concerned look on her face.
"I-I just got lost is all," I said, feeling slightly embarrassed.
"Ah, do you want me to lead you the way?" Lisa asked.
"That'd be nice, Lisa." I smiled as she walked together with me back to the main hall. On the way, I tried starting a proper conversation with her, "It's been a while since I saw Chime."
"I'm glad, then! He apparently wanted me to let him sightsee around S.S. Anne as a reward for performing with me."
"I guess he's excited about the cruise trip, then?"
"Not exactly..." Lisa looked at the Psychic type, "Apparently, he's bored and wants to see the light of day."
"Whatever that means," Chime added.
"You're the one who said that, Chime." She chuckled.
We reached the entrance of the main hall, only to see the number of audiences increase drastically from before I left.
"...Wow, I guess people really are enjoying the performances," I said, feeling slightly uneasy about the huge crowd.
"Definitely! You don't usually get the chance to see so many famous performers on the same stage, after all." Lisa replied.
Feeling my enthusiasm towards the rest of the performances decreasing, I said, "Maybe I'll just go back to my room. Sip should be good on his own, anyway."
After messaging Sip through the Pokégear and receiving an approval reply, I was about to leave the main hall until Lisa suggested, "Lows, you wanna chit-chat for a while? We can go somewhere with lesser people."
"I don't see why not."
"Great! Let's go, then." Lisa grinned before leading me up a series of stairs and reaching the main deck. Since it was an open area with not too many people around, I sent out my Pokémon to let them enjoy the outside scenery for a while.
As we looked towards the beautiful night sky above the blue sea, Lisa said, "I'm surprised you and Sip are visiting S.S. Anne."
"It's a long story, but we got the tickets from someone and here we are," I replied.
"I see! How is the overall experience so far?"
"So far so good. I'm still not used to the atmosphere most of the time, but I enjoyed the activities on the cruise." I looked at her, "What about you?"
"Same here! I haven't really done much around the cruise due to practicing for the performance, but the ship definitely lived up to my expectations. I'm happy to have the opportunity to perform on such a big stage, even if I was nowhere the center of attention this time."
"Don't worry about the reaction of the audience, Lisa." I tried to reassure her.
"Oh, I'm not too worried about that! I enjoyed the stage, that's all that matters." Lisa smiled.
"That's the spirit. Besides..." I rubbed the back of my head, "I enjoyed your performance the most."
"Really?" She looked at me with a happy expression.
"...Yeah." I felt slightly embarrassed, "It's unique compared to the others, and I can feel your sincerity put into it."
"I'm glad, Lows!" She gave me a light hug, "Thank you."
"...It's no problem." Face turning a little red as I was not used to closer contact, I quickly changed the topic, "By the way, I didn't really ask back then, but I'm curious of why you came back to Kanto. You were doing well as a Coordinator in Sinnoh, right?"
She was initially surprised by the question, but thought about it and gave me an answer, "I had been participating in contests in Sinnoh. It just felt like... I was on the outside world for so long, that I should return home and spend time with my family again."
I nodded, "I understand. Cherish your time with the ones close to you before the chance is gone."
I slightly lowered my head, thinking about my father who I was not able to spend time with during my previous journeys as a trainer. It started getting me a little emotional, but I barely shook off the feeling to look at Lisa, who gave me a light pat on the right shoulder with a reassuring smile.
Yeah... I need to try letting the past be past...
And cherish the ones I have right now.
The couple in the team, Grace and Woody were spending time together for a little, enjoying the view of the night sky filled with shining stars.
"The stars are bright tonight," Woody said.
"For sure, you don't get to see this all the time. The night sky filled with stars... is romantic, don't you think?" Grace smiled.
"I think so too, dear." Woody put his hand on her shoulder as they stood closer together.
"You know... This reminded me of the time we watched the stars together back in Hoenn." Grace mentioned.
"I remember that. It was when Lows had to stay in the hospital."
"Oh? I thought I was silly for remembering things such a long time ago."
"Of course not, Grace. Those moments led to us eventually being together. I would never forget them." Woody blushed a little upon saying that, "...Man, that sounded cliché."
"It's okay," Grace grinned, "I like that part of you, too."
Grace looked at the Grass-type before leaning in to give him a soft kiss on the cheek. Surprised by the sudden move, Woody's face turned even redder as the Psychic-type giggled.
"You're as red as a tomato, Woody." Grace teased, "I'm going to join the girls now. See you later."
"S-See you, Grace." Woody looked at her as she became smaller in his sight, still feeling slightly dazed about what just happened.
As Grace walked closer towards the two girls, she noticed Star's dejected expression and asked, "Is anything the matter, Star?"
The Ampharos shook her head, "It's nothing, Grace. I'm just missing someone right now."
"...Ziggs?"
"Yeah... I do miss him. I was able to get used to being in the team thanks to him, after all. His energy and enthusiasm always managed to cheer me up, but now it felt different not having him on the team."
"Well, it's been years now. Everyone has changed in some way, even Ziggs became less playful and is more considerate with his actions now."
"I know... I just wish he's here right now. He would definitely enjoy S.S. Anne!"
"That's true... I know, why don't we ask Lows to take some photos using his Pokégear later? We can share the photos with Ziggs when we have the chance to do so."
"Sounds good, Grace." Star accepted the Psychic type's suggestion, while Shadow nodded in approval as well.
"Shadow, I'm impressed you're able to maintain such a relationship with Power," Star said.
"...Hmm?" Shadow was confused.
"You know, just having a platonic friendship and all after years. I-I... can't really do that." The Electric-type sighed, "Ziggs gives me a warm feeling when I spend time with him, but he doesn't seem to feel the same way. I wish I can get these emotions out of the way."
Shadow's ears perked up slightly upon the mention of feelings, but she quickly responded, "...Don't beat yourself up. Feelings are normal."
"I guess."
"I heard there will be showmatches held in the cruise tomorrow!" Power said.
"I've heard. It's definitely going to be the hot activity for everyone tomorrow." Surfer nodded.
"It's a shame that we can't really watch at the spectator seat tomorrow."
"Technically we can still watch the matches through our Pokéballs. It's not gonna be as clear, but it's not too big of a deal for me."
"Are you not excited for the matches, Surfer?" Power asked.
"Eh... more or less!" Surfer replied, "I'm definitely happy to watch a scorching match any time of the day, but watching the top battles make me feel a little envious."
"Ah! Why so?"
"It just felt like back then, we had the potential to be at the top just like those trainers too. But right now... I don't feel that my strength can reach that stage anymore." Surfer was slightly dejected.
"O-Of course you can, Surfer! You're the leader in our team, after all. Besides, we're not even that old yet." Power tried encouraging his friend.
"I guess, Power. It just felt that my strengths are reaching their limit, that even my usual jolly self can't bring me to think positively. Am I even qualified to still lead the team?"
"You're more than qualified, Surfer! You're the most considerate one when it comes to everyone's well-being, and your performance is always consistent. We can always rely on you to do your best and ride the waves." Power even referenced Surfer's previous punchline.
"...I suppose you're right, Power." Surfer forced himself to cheer up, "Thank you."
"No worries! Just glad I could help." Power smiled, "Let's not dwell on this for now. We have a cruise to look around!"
"Yeah, let's!"
"Lisa, have you heard about the Pokémon Fan Club?"
"You mean the one located at Vermillion? Definitely! Lisa's eyes sparkled with excitement, "I heard there are many adorable Pokémon at that place. After leaving S.S. Anne, I should have some time to give a visit!"
I smiled, "I'm sure you'll enjoy being there."
Suddenly, a voice was heard from the P.A. system, [Dear visitors of the S.S. Anne, it is almost time for the decks and open areas to be closed until tomorrow morning. Please start heading back to your respective rooms within twenty minutes. Be sure to learn more about the activities held on the next day through the schedule given on the table of your rooms. We hope you enjoy your stay so far at S.S. Anne and have a good rest of your night.]
"Wow, I didn't realize it's been that late!" Lisa exclaimed.
"Me neither." I agreed.
"Let's start heading back, then." We stood up from our seats, and I returned my Pokémon back to their Pokéballs. As we walked down the stairs, Lisa suddenly tripped over something and was about to fall.
Not wanting my friend to get injured, I instinctively extended my hand towards her, and luckily, I was able to catch her from her back with my arm. It would have been terrible if she fell down the stairs.
Lisa seemed to be surprised by my move as we looked at each other for a brief moment. Feeling embarrassed, I quickly helped her regain her balance and remove my hand from her.
"I-I'm sorry about that." I apologized.
"No worries... Besides, I should be thanking you instead." Lisa's face also seemed to be a little red, before she reverted her attention from me to her companion, Chime. Chime tried to make it seem like he had nothing to do with this, but the extended rope he failed to hide made it obvious.
Lisa glared at the mischievous Psychic-type, "That was unnecessary, Chime."
Chime smirked, "Just hoping for something to happen."
"That's not a good way to do so." Lisa slightly grumbled, "You're going back to the Pokéball."
Before Chime could say anything regarding her decision, a red light immediately absorbed Chime back to his Pokéball.
"...Well, that was weird," I said.
"Don't mind Chime. He's always like that." Lisa resignedly smiled.
"I see."
We continued walking and it did not take long for us to reach my room first.
"I guess I'll see you soon, then?" Lisa asked.
"Yeah, see you later." I gave her a small smile and lightly waved my right hand. She responded with her usual warm smile before going back to her own room.
I entered my room, took a shower, and wrote what happened today in the diary.
The first day of S.S. Anne... It's definitely something new, but not a bad kind of new.
I look forward to tomorrow.
As I closed my diary, it was time for me to rest up for tomorrow as I laid down on the comfortable bed and immediately fell into a deep slumber.
If part of the reason I came back is because of you...
How would that make you feel?
...It's okay.
I won't let you know about it.
Lows' Team:
Surfer (Blastoise, male) Jolly Nature, moves: Scald, Aqua Tail, Ice Beam, Iron Defense
Grace (Gardevoir, female) Calm Nature, moves: Psychic, Shadow Ball, Thunderbolt, Calm Mind
Woody (Sceptile, male) Lonely Nature, moves: Leaf Blade, Giga Drain, Aerial Ace, Agility
Power (Machamp, male) Timid Nature, moves: Submission, Cross Chop, Rock Tomb, Bulk Up
Shadow (Absol, female) Quiet Nature, moves: Night Slash, Superpower, Psycho Cut, Protect
Star (Ampharos, female) Gentle Nature, moves: Discharge, Thunder Punch, Confuse Ray, Power Gem
Sip's Team:
Magma (Magcargo, male) Relaxed Nature, moves: Flamethrower, Ancient Power, Overheat, Stealth Rock
Bounce (Grumpig, male) Lax Nature, moves: Psychic, Shadow Ball, Bounce, Teeter Dance
Max (Flygon, male) Brave Nature, moves: Earthquake, Dragon Claw, Draco Meteor, Dragon Tail
Slash (Scizor, male) Serious Nature, moves: X-Scissor, Night Slash, Bullet Punch, Swords Dance