Always appreciate readers and especially those who give input (even if I don't end up using them), or find little errors here and there that improve the narrative.

S. S. Anne (Part 1)

I mentioned before that I felt like I didn't need to board the S. S. Anne because I didn't feel like I needed the HM01, Cut. Still, I felt like it was such a big part of the game that I needed to check it out. There were also other reasons I needed to board the ship.

First, I had a free VIP ticket from Bill, and I could stuff myself with the nice food they supposedly served on the cruise ship. Two, there were opportunities to battle many trainers for money and experience. Third, Lt. Surge, the Vermilion City Gym Leader, was supposed to be secretly supplying Team Rocket with stolen Pokemon, and S. S. Anne was used to deliver them to Cinnabar Island.

The employee at the docks checked my ticket and then looked at me suspiciously because I had a VIP ticket.

"DO I HAVE TO STAND HERE ALL DAY? IS THIS HOW YOU TREAT YOUR VIP GUESTS?" I bellowed out.

The man started panicking and started leading the way into a room. It was a super awesome suite with a huge bathroom and enough room for most of my Pokemon.

"Haha, no problem!" Bill said, when I called him to thank him for the awesome room. "According to the schedule, the ship should stay docked until tomorrow night. I hope you get an opportunity to enjoy the buffet, and umm… maybe DON'T get lost near the engine room on floor B4."

"Gotcha. I'll be careful not to uhh… get lost there."

I really enjoyed the buffet, too. It was served outside on the bow of the ship, where they laid out tables in the open air. It was awesome.

After dinner, I went to one of the areas on the ship where the "fitness center" was. It turned out to be an area where trainers could battle each other. This totally made more sense than the game, where trainers fought INSIDE THE DAMN ROOMS. How was insurance going to cover the damage to the rooms caused by Pokemon?

It was fitting, on a cruise ship, that many trainers had Water types. Many of them also had Fire and Electric types, and I got experience battling them. My boys Rattata and Sandshrew evolved into Raticate and Sandslash, respectively. I was already thinking about my upcoming battle at the third gym.

After about two hours of battling different trainers and getting as much money as I could from them, I "got lost" on my way back to my suite and found myself on floor B4. It was below the decks where regular rooms were located, so there were no guests there. And it wasn't as brightly lit. I started sneaking around, trying to open the steel doors to see inside, or look into doors that were already ajar. Most were storage rooms for bunks for sailors, and were vacant. Once I heard a sailor walking towards me, so I hid myself in the shadows and waited until he passed by.

I finally got to the end of the stern of the ship, where the big boxes are stored. I snuck and looked around the large crates covered with dark fabric. They were hoisted on the ground and there seemed to be noises coming from inside. I wanted to unfasten one of the covers to inspect what was underneath when I heard noises of several people talking coming into the room.

There were several Team Rocket goons in their uniforms, and leading them into the room was… Lt. Surge. He had the black combat boots, the camo pants, and military tank top with his dog-tags hanging from his neck. His blonde spikey hair was hard to miss.

"Look," Surge said, gesturing towards the large crates that I was hiding behind. "I've met the quota for this month, and then some. Where the hell is my payment, and why isn't this ship leaving on schedule?"

"I- I'm sorry, Lt. Surge. We got reports that our team from Cerulean didn't show up. Someone wiped them out. Probably the same guy that hit our team in Mt. Moon," The leader amongst the Team Rocket uniforms responded. He was very clearly afraid of Surge.

"I'm not interested in tales of your incompetence," the Lieutenant shoved a finger into the guy's chest. "Do you need me to remind you that I don't work for you people? This is a business. And if you can't keep YOUR end of the deal, then the deal's off. For good."

The Team Rocket leader seemed to imagine this predicament. I wondered what that meant for this guy. Probably being eliminated from the gang. And I'm not talking about just being fired.

"I've sent TWO teams up to Cerulean," he tried to appease Surge. "As soon as they arrive, the ship can leave. They'll bring what you've asked."

"Good," Lt. Surge said. "But this is already delaying my own operations. I need extra cash, otherwise I won't allow this nonsense to happen again in MY city."

After a few more minutes of macho words from Lt. Surge, the group left the room, leaving me in peace. It gave me an opportunity to look under the tarp. I discovered various Pokemon all in individual cages, knocked out by some drug they had been given. They were no doubt being transported to some secondary location, where Team Rocket was going to conduct their mad experiments.

In the video game, S. S. Anne didn't depart Vermilion until you "rubbed the captain's back" and he felt better. He gave you HM01 as a gift. It was clear from overhearing Lt. Surge and Team Rockets, however, that they somehow controlled the schedule of this cruise ship. I obviously needed to deal with Team Rocket and Lt. Surge, but had to see the captain first.