The sea around the S.S. Anne was crowded with ships. Judging by their sheer number, it was obvious that Team Rocket had come fully prepared this time.
But none of that mattered to Sam anymore.
He had already escaped.
Team Rocket clearly had absolute confidence in this operation. Several ships had been left unattended on the open sea, with no guards assigned at all.
That worked out perfectly for Sam.
He selected a small, single-person motorboat equipped with navigation controls and left on his own.
Behind him, explosions continued to echo from the S.S. Anne, and the battle had clearly reached its climax—but it no longer had anything to do with him.
This trip aboard the S.S. Anne had been more than worthwhile.
Charmander had successfully evolved into Charmeleon, and the mysterious grand prize of the S.S. Anne Cup was now in his possession.
No matter how he looked at it, this trip had been extremely profitable.
---
Rampurchi was a beautiful coastal city, located between Pokémon Park and Yumachi Pier. It was also one of the most famous tourist destinations in the Kanto Region.
Seaside cities had an eternal theme.
Beautiful beaches—and beautiful people.
Lying on a beach chair with black sunglasses on his face, Sam watched graceful women in stylish, revealing outfits walk past from time to time.
This place really is paradise, he thought sincerely.
"Clefairy! Clefairy!"
Not far away, Clefairy was happily building a sandcastle, her joy written all over her face.
Ever since Sam had taken her to the beach in Cerulean City, Clefairy had fallen in love with the ocean. Now that she was back at the seaside again, she was clearly having the time of her life.
The boys' idea of fun was completely different.
Unlike Clefairy, Charmeleon, Ivysaur, and Gengar had zero interest in sandcastles. They were currently locked in a three-on-three game of beach soccer.
Their opponents were clearly fans of the sport. Whether it was individual skill or teamwork, they completely crushed Charmeleon's side.
If Sam remembered correctly, the score three minutes ago had already been 10–1.
Ten… to the other side.
"Scyther, Tyranitar," Sam said helplessly, "we're finally on vacation. Stop training and relax a bit."
Scyther and Tyranitar completely ignored him.
Training was far more appealing to them than playing games. There was nothing more exciting than feeling their strength increase day by day.
Sam sighed, feeling both helpless and reassured.
Since they refused to stop, he decided to let them be.
"Sam? You're here too? That's great!"
Sam opened his eyes and looked in the direction of the voice.
"Ash? You made it out too?" he asked with a smile. "Did you escape from Team Rocket safely?"
Sure enough, the protagonist was still the protagonist.
Team Rocket had practically laid a net over the S.S. Anne, yet Ash and his group had still escaped without a scratch.
Of course, that also had something to do with Team Rocket's priorities.
Their main targets were wealthy passengers. Ash and the others didn't exactly look rich.
"Yeah," Ash nodded, still shaken. "Misty, Brock, and I escaped pretty easily."
"Ash, what's that flyer in your hand?" Sam asked curiously.
"We… we lost our wallets," Ash said weakly.
As expected, Misty and Brock were right behind him.
After hearing Sam's question, Misty explained with an aggrieved expression.
"Want me to lend you some money?" Sam joked with a smile.
Brock shook his head immediately.
"No need, Sam. We've already taken on a job. The money we earn should be enough to last us until next month."
After thinking it through, the responsible Brock refused Sam's offer.
Since they had already accepted the work, there was no reason to give up halfway.
Brock might not talk much in the group, but he was clearly the backbone. Once he made a decision, neither Ash nor Misty would object.
Sam glanced at Brock with genuine admiration.
Aside from his occasional strange behavior around pretty women, Brock was nearly flawless—he could cook, was responsible, knowledgeable, and an excellent Pokémon Breeder.
Finding a partner like that was incredibly rare.
Ash was truly lucky.
Without Brock, Sam couldn't even imagine how Ash would have survived his journey so far.
Sam took one of the flyers Ash was handing out, pointed at the picture of grilled corn on it, and said:
"Bring me seven skewers of grilled corn."
Supporting his friends' business was the least he could do.
Ash and Misty continued handing out flyers, while Brock immediately got to work at the grill.
He fanned the fire steadily while turning the food with practiced precision.
In all honesty, Brock was the kind of person who seemed capable of doing anything.
-------------Author---------------
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