Brilliant sunlight spilled onto the broad deck of the 'S.S. Anne', and the sea breeze, carrying a salty, humid breath, fluttered the colorful flags, making them snap in the wind.
Summer was passing, and autumn was approaching.
Coupled with being at sea, the temperature wasn't that scorching; there was even a hint of coolness.
Relying on their shiny membership status from the Vermilion City Pokémon Club, the moment Ash's trio boarded this luxury liner, they were guided by smiling servers to the VIP lounge area on the upper deck.
...Definitely not because of any special request from Lt. Surge.
Comical.
Soft lounge chairs, free drinks and exquisite snacks available at any time, and an exclusive viewing platform—everything highlighted the special nature of their VIP treatment.
Misty sank comfortably into a lounge chair, sipping fruit juice.
Brock leisurely observed the passing passengers and their Pokémon.
Pikachu even jumped onto a high stool specially prepared for small Pokémon, holding a Berry with two small paws and gnawing on it in a dignified manner, making satisfied "Pika" sounds.
In short, everyone was having a pretty great time.
The atmosphere on the ship was enthusiastic, making it seem like a moving paradise on the sea.
Notices for various activities came from the broadcast every now and then.
The most popular among them was naturally the Pokémon battle area temporarily marked out in the center of the deck.
"Is there any other trainer who wants to challenge?" The host's energetic voice spread across the deck through the microphone.
"It's an entertainment battle, winning or losing comes second, happiness comes first!"
The host kept emphasizing entertainment.
The prizes for this entertainment match were just things like free meal tickets.
It really was a purely recreational competition.
After all, most people in this world aren't very strong Pokémon Trainers.
Although they carry Pokémon, their Pokémon's strength is basically nothing special.
So, the meaning of an entertainment match is—you professional players, don't come over here to bomb the fish pond.
Comical.
But obviously, this couldn't be said directly, so it could only be expressed indirectly.
Soon, a young trainer excitedly pointed at the Pikachu on Ash's shoulder: "Me! I want to battle with that Pikachu!"
"It looks so awesome!"
Bad news: He ran headfirst into the strongest Pokémon present.
Good news: This yellow rat is an actor.
Ash smiled faintly and patted Pikachu's head: "Partner, you hear that? Pull your punches."
"Pika!" Pikachu blinked knowingly and jumped lightly into the battlefield.
Neither Ash nor Pikachu had the bad taste to enjoy crushing newbies.
This world might not be a perfect utopia.
But the vast majority of people and Pokémon are indeed very friendly.
The moral standard is still quite high.
"Go, Oddish!" The challenger sent out his partner.
"Pikachu, Quick Attack!" Ash ordered aloud.
Pikachu's golden figure rushed out swiftly, but the moment it was about to hit Oddish, it seemed to trip over something. Its movements were exaggerated as it stumbled, its speed dropping sharply, and it "barely" grazed past Oddish.
In short—act!
"Oddish, use Razor Leaf!"
A few soft leaves floated toward Pikachu.
Seeing this, Pikachu seemed to dodge left and right in a panic, even deliberately letting one of the leaves "just happen" to graze its cheek.
It immediately rolled backward cooperatively for a full turn before "thrillingly" stabilizing its body, even patting its chest with a small paw, looking as if it had lingering fears.
"Pikachu, stand up! Use... use Thunder Shock!" Ash's voice sounded very "anxious".
A spark of electricity, so weak it was almost invisible, emerged from Pikachu's cheek. It shot crookedly toward Oddish and dissipated with a "poof" while still a long way from the target.
"Good chance! Oddish, Tackle!"
Oddish charged headfirst.
As if having calculated the angle, Pikachu jumped backward.
In the air, it completed a three-hundred-sixty-degree spin that looked like it was knocked flying but was actually quite elegant, then landed lightly on the edge of the field. It shook its head, and only with great "difficulty" did it avoid falling out of bounds.
Bad news: The acting seemed a bit fake.
Good news: Most of the surrounding audience weren't professionals; they didn't notice.
After a few rounds, Pikachu was always able to "make a mistake" or "exhaust its strength" at the most critical moment.
Finally, it was "solidly" hit by a mediocre-power Tackle from Oddish. It fell backward, lying on the field with all four paws in the air.
Its small paws even twitched slightly twice, then it closed its eyes and let out even "Pika... Pika..." sounds—pretending to have lost the ability to battle.
"Wow! I won!" The young trainer jumped up excitedly and hugged his Oddish.
Ash also "hurriedly" ran over, picking up the "unconscious" Pikachu with a "heavy" expression:
"Pikachu, you've already done very well. It was my improper command... you've worked hard."
"Pika..." Pikachu quietly opened one eye in his arms, gave Ash a quick wink, and then immediately closed it again to continue its "performance".
In short, everyone was very invested in playing.
Since it was said to be play, the point was to be happy.
Of course, Ash and Pikachu liked playing this way, but Misty and Brock didn't have that kind of interest.
No matter what, Misty and Brock had been Gym Leaders... the two of them still had a little bit of an idol burden.
Losing—is okay!
But acting so fake—no way!
By the sidelines.
Misty watched this scene, the corner of her mouth twitching uncontrollably.
She nudged Brock, who was watching with keen interest, with her elbow and lowered her voice: "Hey, Brock, did you see that? That guy Ash actually threw a match! And Pikachu, that acting skills... isn't it a bit too realistic?"
Brock crossed his arms, a gentle smile of understanding on his face, and nodded: "Yeah, I saw it. Tripping on purpose during Quick Attack, controlling the Thunder Shock power to be even smaller than Ember, and that mid-air spin after being hit by Tackle... the difficulty coefficient is probably not low. Pikachu really has a talent for performing."
"What are they after?" Misty didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "Clearly, they could win with just a casual hit."
"Probably..." Brock pushed up non-existent glasses, his gaze sweeping over the young trainer who was flushed with victory and celebrating with Oddish, "It's to let the opponent also enjoy the fun of battling and the joy of victory."
"After all, it's just entertainment, there's no need to fight for dominance... Ash, you know, is actually very considerate."
Brock genuinely felt this way.
Hearing this, Misty looked toward the center of the field again.
Ash was sincerely congratulating the young winner, and the "unconscious" Pikachu in his arms lightly wagged the tip of its tail almost imperceptibly, clearly in a cheerful mood.
"Really..." Misty smiled helplessly, her tone softening, "These two guys... forget it, as long as everyone is happy."
There were quite a few matches that followed.
Pikachu wasn't losing all the time.
Basically, if Ash met someone younger or with a nice personality, he would let Pikachu yield and lose in that 'just a little bit' kind of way.
But if he met the kind with a bad temper, and arrogant too...
Although Pikachu would still be an actor.
It was indeed the kind of way where the opponent was always 'just a little bit' away; they would lose inexplicably and feel quite suffocated.
In short, piss them off~~
Hehe~
After all, coming out to play is all about being happy.
You make me happy, and I'll give that happiness back to you.
You make me unhappy, then don't you think about being happy either.
____
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