AUTHOR'S NOTE: Greetings, readers! I know it's been awhile, but here is Chapter 13 of the continuing adventures of Tristan, Hillary, and Pikachu, as they make their way through the Kanto region. As always, please read, review, enjoy, and ask questions.

TEASER: Tristan and his friends have been invited to a party on the S.S. Anne. But when the Captain gets seasick, the ship's doctors get some seafood. To make matters worse, Tristan's rival, Blue, joins in on the fun. Will Tristan be able to help out the Captain? And why is a Squirtle following Tristan?

Chapter 13. THE S.S. ANNE

(Music Cue: Route 1: The Road to Viridian City (M18A))

Tristan and his friends continue their journey. Hey, wait a minute! Where are all the trees? And where's the sky?

Tristan and Hillary continued on their way to Vermilion City on a beautiful sunny morning, except they weren't travelling outside. Just as they reached the northern entrance to Saffron City, they entered a building and went down some stairs to the underground tunnel with flashlights in hand.

"This place sort of gives me the creeps," said Hillary nervously. "Don't you think so, Tristan?"

"As long as nobody else is here, we should be okay," replied Tristan. "Besides, we'll be out of here soon."

Pikachu agreed with Tristan.

Just then, Tristan spotted light and a flight of stairs at the end of the tunnel.

"Quick, Hillary, up the stairs!" said Tristan excitedly.

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" called Hillary as she and Pikachu tried their hardest to keep up with a very excited Tristan.

As they climbed up the flight of stairs, they saw the exit from a different building and dashed through it. Then they put their flashlights away and continued walking on Route 6.

"That underground tunnel seemed to be man-made," remarked Tristan.

"You're right, Tristan," agreed Hillary. "But at least we're enjoying the nice sunshine again."

Tristan took out his map and compass. "Now, if I'm studying these correctly, and if we're heading south on Route 6, we should make it to Vermilion City," he said.

"Let's hope so," replied Hillary. "I want to see what a party full of Trainers from around the world is like."

Presently, Tristan and Hillary saw a luxurious ocean liner off in the distance. It was about to dock at the next harbor.

"That must be the S.S. Anne!" said Tristan.

"That means we're just about to Vermilion City!" added Hillary. "Let's hurry!"

And so they hurried along to Vermilion City and the S.S. Anne just as it docked at the harbor, little suspecting that a light blue bipedal turtle Pokémon was still quietly following them.

"Squirtle?" it whispered.


(Music Cue: All's Well That Ends Well)

"So, this is Vermilion City," said Tristan as he and Hillary made it to town.

"It sure is," added Hillary. "And it's beautiful."

"You're right," said Tristan. "Let's see if we can get on the ship."

Tristan and Hillary made their way to the harbor where a sailor was standing by, waiting for incoming Trainers.

"Welcome to the S.S. Anne, Trainers," he announced. "May I see your tickets please?"

"Yes, sir," said Tristan and Hillary together. They showed him the S.S. Tickets that Bill gave them earlier at his lighthouse.

"Thank you very much," said the sailor. "Welcome to the S.S. Anne. Go on in."

Tristan and Hillary walked up the gangplank onto the ship. They were most impressed. The ship contained many cabins, a deck, and a large dining hall.

"I've never seen such a large ship," said Tristan.

"Pika," added Pikachu.

"Me neither," said Hillary. "There must be at least a hundred cabins in this place."

"Forget that, there's food to chow down on!" said Tristan as he made a mad dash toward the dining hall to get some food.

"Well, that's typical," said Hillary. "When Tristan gets hungry or sees food, he can't help but get some." And she followed him to the dining hall to eat with Tristan.

Tristan gathered item after item and sat down at one of the tables with Pikachu right behind him.

"You know, Pikachu," he said as he ate, "this is one of the best parties I've ever gone to."

"Pika!" said Pikachu in agreement.

As Hillary joined them in the feast, an announcement came on the public address system.

"May I have your attention please? The Captain of the S.S. Anne is experiencing seasickness. As a result, this ship will remain in Vermilion City until further notice."

(Music Cue: No Way, No How!)

Tristan stopped eating long enough to listen to the announcement. The other passengers were getting worried because the ship wouldn't get them to their destinations.

"Seasickness?" said Tristan. "Isn't that what happens when you get sick out at sea or something?"

"This is awful!" gasped Hillary. "We need to do something!"

"Doesn't this ship have any doctors on board or something?" asked Tristan.

"See for yourself," said Hillary disdainfully as she pointed at 23 of the ship's doctors stuffing their faces full of food.

"That's disgraceful!" said Tristan. "And not only that, their table manners are terrible!"

"It's like they don't care what happens to their captain!" said Hillary.

"Come on, we've got to search the ship and find him!" said Tristan as he and Hillary quickly made their way out of the dining hall, never suspecting that the same Pokémon who had been following them had become a stowaway.

"Squirt, Squirtle!" it smiled.


Tristan and Hillary searched cabin after cabin for the seasick Captain, but didn't find a trace.

"This ship is huge," said Hillary. "He could be anywhere."

"Maybe he exited the ship?" suggested Tristan.

"I don't think so," replied Hillary. "Otherwise, why would we be here in the first place? Besides, there's a lock on the door, and I suspect the Captain has the key."

"Good point," said Tristan. "So let's keep searching."

Presently, Tristan and Hillary opened the door of one of the cabins and saw a smartly dressed gentleman. He didn't look very friendly at all.

"What are you doing in my cabin?" he demanded.

"We're just looking for some friends who can help us find the Captain," answered Hillary innocently.

"Pikachu," added Pikachu.

"If you want to know my name, my name's Thomas," said the gentleman. "I travel alone on my Pokémon journeys. My Pokémon is my only friend!"

"Get a life," said Tristan. "You need more friends than just your Pokémon."

Hillary turned to Tristan in a hushed voice and said, "I'm not sure you should have said that."

"I'll make you pay for that comment, kid!" said Thomas angrily. "Go, Growlithe!" He threw a Pokéball.

The white light that shot out of it materialized into an orange quadruped canine Pokémon with black stripes on its back and legs, and a teal-colored muzzle, chest, belly, and tail.

Tristan scanned the Pokémon using his Pokédex, named Dexter.

"Growlithe: The Puppy Pokémon," it said. "This Pokémon is loyal to its Trainer and will drive enemies away by barking and biting."

"That sounds like an intelligent Pokémon," remarked Tristan. He turned to Pikachu, who was standing beside him. "Are you ready to go, Pikachu?"

(Music Cue: Kanto Wild Pokémon Battle (as heard in "Snack Attack"))

"Pika!" replied Pikachu as it jumped in front of Tristan, ready to face Growlithe.

"Growlithe, Bite attack!" yelled Thomas.

Growlithe barked and charged toward Pikachu with its canine teeth, ready to bite it.

"Pikachu, use your Quick Attack now!" ordered Tristan.

Pikachu sped out of Growlithe's way with a white line trailing behind it. It zigged and zagged to confuse Growlithe, who wasn't sure where Pikachu's attack would come from.

"Growlithe, Ember!" shouted Thomas.

Little balls of fire shot out of Growlithe's mouth.

Pikachu was hit by one of them; it was driven backward, but it hung in there.

"Don't give in, Pikachu!" commanded Tristan. "Give it your Thundershock!"

"Pikachuuuuuuuuuuu!" shouted Pikachu as a yellow bolt of lightning shot out of its body toward Growlithe.

"Growlithe, look out!" yelled Thomas.

But it was too late, for Growlithe got zapped by Pikachu's attack and fell on the ground. It struggled to its feet, but collapsed and fainted shortly thereafter.

"My...my friend," sobbed Thomas. "You should be nice to friends."

"I always try, Thomas," replied Tristan, "but I'll be your friend if you want me to."

"Maybe you should leave," said Thomas.

"Are you sure?" asked Tristan.

"I'm sure," replied Thomas sadly. "However, I will consider being your friend...someday."

"We'd like that, Thomas," said Hillary, as she and Tristan left the cabin.

"I feel sorry for Thomas," said Tristan. "I guess he doesn't have any human friends to keep him company."

"Maybe he had friends, but maybe they turned on him," added Hillary. "But you know what they say: 'misery loves company.'"

"Misery..." said Tristan. Then he suddenly remembered. "Misery! The Captain is in a whole lot of it right now! Come on, guys, let's hurry and find him!"

"Right behind you!" called Hillary as she and Pikachu ran after Tristan.

They didn't run for long when Tristan stopped at another passenger's cabin. He opened the door and burst into the room, much to Hillary's dismay.

"I don't think this is the Captain's room, either," she said.

Like the last cabin, this one, too, was occupied by a gentleman, and he was just as unfriendly as Thomas if not more so.

He turned to his unwanted guests. "You impudent kids!" he shouted. "How dare you barge in!"

"We're sorry," said Tristan, "but we thought this was the Captain's cabin."

"Spare me your lies!" shouted the gentleman. "Go, Nidoran!" He threw his first Pokéball.

Nidoran materialized from the white light that shot out of the ball, and was in a light blue color.

Tristan remembered that there were two species of Nidoran and were in different colors. "That one must be the female," he said.

"It's also a Poison-Type Pokémon, too, so be careful," added Hillary.

"I've got it covered," replied Tristan. He turned to the gentleman. "By the way, we don't know your name."

"Well, if you must know, you nosy kid, my name's Arthur," he replied. "Now send out your Pokémon!"

"Butterfree, I choose you!" shouted Tristan. He threw Butterfree's Pokéball and out it came from the white light that shot out of it.

"Nidoran, Poison Sting!" yelled Arthur.

(Music Cue: Let's Run!)

A barrage of darts shot out of Nidoran's mouth toward Butterfree.

"Butterfree, dodge and use your String Shot attack!" instructed Tristan.

Butterfree flew from side to side, avoiding Nidoran's Poison Sting attack, then it shot a thin, sticky thread from its mouth toward Nidoran, who soon found itself all tied up.

"Pierce through the string with Poison Sting, Nidoran!" shouted Arthur.

A barrage of darts shot out from the pile of string, breaking it instantly. Nidoran had broken through, and was ready to attack again.

However, Tristan had a backup plan. "Use your Confusion, Butterfree!" commanded Tristan.

Butterfree's eyes and Nidoran's outline glowed in a purple color, and Nidoran was lifted off the ground.

Nidoran struggled to break free, but it only seemed to make it worse for it.

"Tackle attack now!" ordered Tristan.

Butterfree charged toward Nidoran at a high rate of speed and rammed into it, sending it flying.

"My Nidoran!" cried Arthur.

Nidoran lay in a heap with swirls in its eyes. It had been knocked out.

"Good job, Butterfree," said Tristan.

Butterfree replied happily.

Arthur returned his Nidoran to its Pokéball. He was getting angrier for losing to Butterfree. "Fine, I'll just send out my second Nidoran! Go!" he yelled as he sent out another Nidoran, but the one that materialized was a light purple color with a larger horn.

"That must be the male," said Hillary.

"Right, and I'll beat this one, too," said Tristan. "Go, Butterfree, String Shot!"

Butterfree shot another silky thread from its mouth toward the male Nidoran.

"Nidoran, pierce through with your Horn Attack!" shouted Arthur.

Nidoran charged toward Butterfree and its String Shot with its horn as the driving force. Its horn broke through Butterfree's attack like it was nothing. It successfully scored a clean hit, giving it some damage.

"You can do it, Butterfree!" encouraged Tristan. "Confusion!"

Butterfree's eyes and the male Nidoran's outline glowed in a purple color.

Nidoran was lifted into the air, and it struggled to break free from Butterfree's attack, but couldn't. It soon collapsed from exhaustion, causing Arthur to lose the battle.

"Hmph!" he grumbled. "You two are such rude children! First you barge in, and now you had the nerve to defeat both my Nidoran!"

"I'm sorry you feel that way, Arthur," said Tristan, "but remember, you were the one who challenged me to a battle in the first place."

Butterfree agreed with Tristan.

"I wish to be left alone," said Arthur sternly. "Now get out."

"He's right, Tris," said Hillary. "Let's go."

She, Tristan, Pikachu, and Butterfree made their way out of Arthur's cabin.

"I didn't know what I was doing," said Tristan. "I truly thought that it was the Captain's cabin.

"Well, don't worry about it," replied Hillary. "You're still getting a little workout before your next Gym Battle."

"I guess that's true," said Tristan. "Anyway, let's continue the search."


Still trying to search for the Captain, Tristan and Hillary found themselves on the S.S. Anne's deck where another portion of the party had just ended.

Tristan found a nearby sailor and asked him, "Is the party still going on?"

"Sorry, kid," he replied. "The party's over. The ship will be departing soon."

"That's too bad," said Tristan.

"We were spending so much time trying to find the seasick Captain that we forgot that there was a party going on," said Hillary.

Just then, the little light blue bipedal turtle Pokémon who had been following the kids showed up. It hugged Tristan's leg very tightly. Of course, that took Tristan so much by surprise that he fell backward into Hillary and Pikachu, causing them all to get shocked.

Tristan scratched his head. "Sorry about that," he said. "I wasn't expecting this Pokémon to get attached to me." Then he noticed the Pokémon and asked it, "Have you been following us all this time?"

"Squirtle!" it replied.

Hillary noticed the Pokémon, too. She got up excitedly and said, "Wow, it's a Squirtle!"

"Squirtle?" repeated Tristan. Then he suddenly remembered. "Oh, yes, I remember now!" He took out his Pokédex.

"Squirtle: The Tiny Turtle Pokémon," it said. "Squirtle shoots water at prey while in the water. It withdraws into its shell when in danger."

"But why would a Squirtle be following us?" asked Hillary.

Squirtle suddenly jumped up and down while pointing in the direction where Tristan and Hillary had just come from.

"I don't know, but I have a feeling that we're about to find out," said Tristan. He turned to Squirtle. "Are you saying that we should go that way?"

"Squirt, Squirtle!" replied Squirtle as it started to run in that direction.

"Come on, let's follow it," said Tristan as he motioned Hillary and Pikachu to follow him.


Squirtle led Tristan and Hillary from the deck to the basement of the ship. They were hopeful that it would get them to the Captain's room so they could help. But presently, there was a surprise at the end of the hall, and it was one Tristan wasn't looking forward to seeing.

"Bonjour, Tristan! Imagine seeing you here!"

It was Blue, Tristan's rival.

"Blue?! What are you doing here, anyway?" demanded Tristan.

"I was invited to this great party," answered Blue. "Were you really invited, too?"

"Yes, so what?" said Tristan, who was a little confused.

"I just wanted to see how your Pokédex was coming along," said Blue. "I already managed to catch 40 kinds, pal! Ha!"

This made Tristan upset. "I'm doing just fine, but if you're going to mock me, you can do it somewhere else!" he shouted.

"It's time to put that aside and battle!" said Blue as he sent out his first Pokémon from its Pokéball.

The Pokémon that materialized had a light brown body and pale red wings.

"It's that same Spearow I battled before!" exclaimed Tristan.

"If there's one thing I'm happy about in you, it's that you have an easy time remembering all the Pokémon I have that have been the bane of your journey time and time again," taunted Blue.

"We're in a real big hurry here!" said Tristan. "The Captain is sick and he needs help!"

"Oh, so are you being a coward?" mocked Blue.

Tristan's face grew redder as he got madder. Being called a coward always set him off. "All right, you're on!" exclaimed Tristan.

"Oh, boy," said Hillary. "This is going to get ugly."

"Pidgeotto, I choose you!" shouted Tristan as he threw its Pokéball.

Pidgeotto materialized from the white light that shot out of it. It looked like an avian bird with red feathers on its head and an alternating pattern of pink and yellow tail feathers.

"Are you still depending on that pathetic birdbrain to win your battles for you?" mocked Blue.

"I don't care what you think because Pidgeotto can defeat that Spearow without even trying!" countered Tristan.

"Blah blah blah," said Blue. "Spearow, Peck attack now!"

(Music Cue: Let's Run! (as heard in "Volcanic Panic"))

Spearow charged toward Pidgeotto as its beak glowed, ready to peck Pidgeotto.

But Tristan had no patience for that. "If you think that I'm going to fall for a Peck and Fury Attack combination from that Spearow, you'd better think again!" shouted Tristan. "Pidgeotto, Gust attack now!"

Pidgeotto gained altitude and furiously flapped its wings as a big gust of wind blew from them. Spearow's beak stopped glowing as it slowed down from the gust of wind. Spearow fell down to the ground.

"Quick, Spearow, get up!" yelled Blue.

"No, you don't!" shouted Tristan. "Pidgeotto, Quick Attack!"

Without missing a beat, Pidgeotto mercilessly charged toward Spearow with a white line trailing behind it. It successfully landed a clean hit, knocking Spearow out.

"Spearow, return!" called Blue as he aimed the Pokéball's button toward Spearow.

It transformed into a red energy field and disappeared inside.

"Good work, Pidgeotto!" praised Tristan. "You showed him what you could do."

Pidgeotto squawked happily.

"Not bad, Tristan," said Blue, "but that's just the beginning because I will have Eevee deal with this!" He threw Eevee's Pokéball.

Eevee materialized from the white light that shot out of it.

Tristan was surprised. He wasn't expecting Eevee to show up until later in the battle.

"What's the matter, Tristan, did Eevee's sooner-than-expected appearance leave you speechless?" taunted Blue.

Tristan shook it off. "No way, Blue," he replied. "In fact, I'm just getting started, too. I'll keep Pidgeotto out for now."

Pidgeotto squawked with enthusiasm.

Squirtle seemed to like Tristan's fighting spirit.

Hillary bent down to talk with it. "Do you like it so far, Squirtle?" she asked.

"Squirtle!" replied Squirtle happily.

"This is one example of what a Pokémon battle is like," Hillary told Squirtle. "Tristan gets into battling so he can work together with his Pokémon."

"Squirtle?" asked Squirtle.

"I'm sure Tristan can explain it to you better than I can," said Hillary. "But for now, let's keep watching."

"Squirtle, Squirt," agreed Squirtle.

(Music Cue: Raid!)

"Okay, Eevee, Tackle attack now!" commanded Blue.

Eevee did a full-body charge toward Pidgeotto, but Pidgeotto was ready for it.

"Climb, Pidgeotto!" instructed Tristan.

Pidgeotto gained altitude and seemed to get out of Eevee's way, but instead, Eevee jumped upward and scored a hit on Pidgeotto, much to Tristan's surprise.

"Can you keep going, Pidgeotto?" asked Tristan.

Pidgeotto was a bit shaken, but it squawked and shook off the damage.

"Yeah, that's the spirit!" said Tristan. "Show Eevee your Gust attack!"

Pidgeotto once again quickly flapped its wings, creating another big gust of wind, but Eevee stood its ground.

"Eevee, Quick Attack now!" yelled Blue.

Eevee quickly ran toward Pidgeotto with a white line trailing behind it and scored another hit, but because of the headwind from Pidgeotto's Gust attack the damage was halved.

"Pidgeotto, give it your Quick Attack!" ordered Tristan.

Pidgeotto dove down on Eevee and charged with a white line trailing behind it.

"Eevee, Quick Attack!" shouted Blue.

Eevee charged at Pidgeotto, just as Pidgeotto charged at it. Both Quick Attacks collided in midair as a result, but due to Pidgeotto's weight advantage, Pidgeotto's Quick Attack won out, sending Eevee flying backward toward the wall.

"Eevee!" cried Blue.

Eevee struggled to its feet, even after getting sent flying. Its legs wobbled, but then gave out, causing Eevee to collapse and faint.

"Way to go, Pidgeotto," said Tristan.

Pidgeotto squawked a positive reply to Tristan.

"Well, it looks like your Pidgeotto has been trained well," said Blue. "But it won't be able to stop my Sandshrew!" He threw Sandshrew's Pokéball.

Sandshrew materialized from the white light that shot out of it; it looked like a brown mouse with a brick pattern on its body.

Pidgeotto had the type advantage, but it was getting very tired by this point after two hard-fought battles: one with Spearow, and the other with Eevee. The latter proved to be much more challenging because Eevee matched Pidgeotto matched it move for move, and Tristan knew that he needed to switch Pokémon.

"Pidgeotto, return!" called Tristan as he aimed the Pokéball's button toward Pidgeotto.

Pidgeotto transformed into a red field of energy and disappeared inside.

"That was a good call, Tristan," said Hillary. "Pidgeotto was exhausted from its battle with Eevee."

"I know," replied Tristan. "Blue seems to get stronger with each battle."

"Don't forget, you and your Pokémon have gotten stronger, too," added Hillary. "Blue's got nothing on you!"

"You're right," said Tristan. He soon felt motivated and took out another Pokéball. "Bulbasaur, I choose you!"

He threw Bulbasaur's Pokéball.

Bulbasaur materialized from the white light; it looked liked a small quadruped with blue-green skin and a green bulb on its back.

"So, you still have a Bulbasaur," said Blue.

"Bulbasaur's done a great job so far," replied Tristan. "Let's see what you've got in the meantime."

(Music Cue: Wreakin' Havoc! (as heard in "The Song of Jigglypuff"))

"Sandshrew, Scratch attack!" yelled Blue.

Sandshrew lunged toward Bulbasaur with its power focused in its claws.

"Bulbasaur, grab it with Vine Whip!" ordered Tristan.

Bulbasaur shot two green vines from its bulb and wrapped them around Sandshrew.

"Sandshrew, don't let that little dim bulb beat you!" commanded Blue.

"Now, Tackle it, Bulbasaur!" shouted Tristan.

With its vines still extended, Bulbasaur charged toward Sandshrew and scored a clean hit. Sandshrew was sent flying, and was knocked out.

"Return, Sandshrew!" commanded Blue as he aimed the Pokéball's button toward it.

Sandshrew transformed into a red field of energy and disappeared inside.

"I have to say, I'm pretty impressed," remarked Blue, "but my newly evolved Raticate will be able to stop you!" He threw Raticate's Pokéball.

Raticate materialized from the white light that shot out of it; it looked like a big rat that was mostly tawny-colored with a cream underside.

"Let's see what Dexter says," said Tristan as he scanned Raticate with his Pokédex.

"Raticate: The Mouse Pokémon: The evolved form of Rattata," said Dexter. "It uses its whiskers to maintain its balance. Apparently, it slows down when they get cut off."

"Blue's Rattata must have evolved just recently," said Hillary. "So you'd better be careful."

"Don't worry about that, sis. I've got it covered," replied Tristan. He turned to Bulbasaur. "Bulbasaur, return!" He aimed the Pokéball's button at Bulbasaur, which transformed into a red field of energy and disappeared inside. Then he turned to Pikachu. "This is a job for you."

"Pika!" replied Pikachu as it jumped in front of Tristan, ready to face Raticate in battle.

(Music Cue: Kanto Trainer Battle (as heard the first time in "Princess vs. Princess"))

"Raticate, Tackle attack!" yelled Blue.

Raticate charged toward Pikachu full-body style.

"Pikachu, use your Quick Attack now!" ordered Tristan.

Pikachu sped toward Raticate with a white line trailing behind it, causing it to get the first hit on Raticate.

But Blue wasn't having any more of that. "Now, Raticate, Hyper Fang attack!" he shouted.

Raticate charged toward Pikachu, but this time, with its teeth bared. It bit hard on Pikachu's tail, making Pikachu shout in pain.

"Pikachu!" exclaimed Tristan.

"Looks like Pikachu's tail is the most sensitive spot!" laughed Blue.

I really hate to do this, Blue, thought Tristan. Then he ordered out loud, "Pikachu, give it the shock of its life with your Thundershock!"

"Pikachuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!" shouted Pikachu as a large stream of electricity shot out of Pikachu's body and coursed through Raticate's body, causing it to lose its grip.

Raticate screamed the whole time during the shock.

"Raticate, no!" cried Blue as he watched with worry.

Raticate struggled to stay on its feet. The static from Pikachu's attack was sparking throughout its body. Eventually, Raticate collapsed and fainted.

"Good job, Pikachu," praised Pikachu. "Is your tail okay?"

"Pika, Pika," nodded Pikachu.

"Hmph!" said Blue. "At least you're raising your Pokémon!"

"Of course," replied Tristan. "What did you expect?"

Squirtle seemed to be pleased with Tristan's win. "Squirtle, Squirtle!" it said happily.

Tristan turned to Squirtle. "Did you like the battle, Squirtle?" he asked it.

"Squirtle!" nodded Squirtle.

"You know," said Blue, "I heard that there was a master Captain on board, but he was just a seasick pathetic old man!"

"Hey!" shouted Tristan and Hillary together.

"Pika!" growled Pikachu.

"I'll let you take care of him while I try to take care of my Raticate," said Blue. "Smell ya!" He laughed and raced away.

"That Blue!" grumbled Tristan. "He burns me up!"

"Just like what the Captain's doing," said Hillary. "Burning up."

"That's right!" gasped Tristan as he suddenly remembered the Captain's seasickness. "Thanks to Blue, I'd forgotten all about that!"

Suddenly, Squirtle raced toward the stairs.

"Wait, Squirtle!" called Hillary.

"Let's follow it," said Tristan. "It may be leading us to the Captain." And he, Hillary, and Pikachu ran after Squirtle to the Captain's cabin.


The Captain's cabin was a large room with a big steering wheel. Inside it, he was trying to get himself comfortable, but couldn't find a way to do so.

"If only there was someone on board who could help me (hic)," he said.

Just then, the door burst open, and in came Squirtle.

"Squirtle, Squirtle!" it called.

"Hello?" said the Captain.

"We're coming, Squirtle!" The voice who called to Squirtle belonged to Tristan with Hillary and Pikachu in tow.

Then, they rushed into the room at once.

"The Captain doesn't look too good," said Tristan.

"He looks very sick," added Hillary.

"Oh, I feel (urp) awful..." said the Captain weakly. "All the ship's doctors abandoned me."

"Maybe we can help," said Tristan. He walked over behind the captain and began to rub his back.

The Captain's seasickness began to dissipate with each rub.

Tristan continued to rub his back for the next ten minutes.

At last, the Captain said, "Ahhhh, I feel much better. Thank you kindly, young children. You helped me out."

"I was just glad we could help," replied Tristan. "It was thanks to Squirtle that we were able to find you."

"Squirtle!" added Squirtle.

"I thank you all for your help," said the Captain.

Just then, the 23 doctors who ate at the party earlier came to the Captain's room. "We're ready to help you, Captain!" they said.

"Too late, guys," replied Tristan. "The Captain's all better now."

"How did we miss that?" said one of the doctors.

Hillary turned to the doctors with an angry expression on her face. "You should all be ashamed of yourselves!" she scolded. "The Captain felt really sick and none of you bothered to check on him. Instead, all of you stuffed your faces full of food without caring about what happens! And what if you had no Captain at all? What would happen then, huh?

"I never thought of that," said one doctor.

"Neither did I," said another.

Then the other doctors realized their mistake. "We're very sorry for abandoning you, Captain," they all said. "We promise to make passengers, and especially, you, our first priority from now on."

"That's quite all right," replied the Captain. Then he turned to the steering wheel. "Now that I'm not sick anymore, I guess it's time."

"Before we go," said Tristan, "could you tell us where to find the Vermilion City Gym?"

"I'd be happy to give you directions to the Gym," replied the Captain happily. "You can get a good view from it right out this window."

Tristan and Hillary looked out the window, and sure enough, the Gym was just a hop, skip, and a jump from the harbor.

"Well, it's time for us to cast off," said the Captain. "I'll have our announcer make an announcement."

"Thanks very much, Captain," said Hillary and Tristan.

"Thank you, kids, for your help," replied the Captain.

"Come on, guys, let's get going," said Tristan to his friends. And they left the Captain's room.

It wasn't too long after that another announcement came over the intercom. "May I have your attention please: The Captain has recovered from the seasickness. The party on board the S.S. Anne is now officially over. All guests are asked to disembark, as the S.S. Anne will be departing shortly."

"I guess we'd better get off," said Hillary.

"Right," replied Tristan.


(Music Cue: Surf (The Sea) 1997-1998 (M40A)

A few minutes later, after Tristan, Hillary, Pikachu, and Squirtle got off, the S.S. Anne's whistle blew, and it slowly took off from the harbor, making its way to its next destination.

"I wonder where the S.S. Anne will go for its next party?" said Tristan.

"Who knows?" replied Hillary. "But one thing's for sure: We'll be doing our own travelling around the world."

"That's right," added Tristan. "But first, there's a badge with my name on it waiting inside the Vermilion Gym."

"Pi-Pikachu!" agreed Pikachu.


After emerging victorious over Blue once again, and helping out a seasick Captain aboard the S.S. Anne with a little help from Squirtle, Tristan and his friends now focus their attention to his third Gym Battle. What surprises will be waiting for him as he faces off against the Vermilion Gym Leader? Stay tuned to find out!

► TO BE CONTINUED