After spending the night in Vermilion City, Gary took Caitlin to the Pokémon Center first thing the next morning.
After swapping Nidoking for Nidorina, Gary set off on his journey again.
Gary had replaced Caitlin's little suitcase with a white travel shoulder bag, and she followed him like a little shadow. At Gary's suggestion, Caitlin had recalled Gothitelle into her Poké Ball.
How could she experience ordinary people's lives with a maid at her side all the time?
At first, Gary had worried that the young lady would get tired of walking. Only when he saw that this little fairy's feet never even touched the ground-she was floating in midair-did he stop worrying.
Psychic powers really were convenient...
Back at the harbor, Caitlin watched with interest as Gary bought their tickets.
"Where are we going?" Caitlin asked curiously.
"Saffron City. Once we get the badge there, we'll head to Celadon City. If we skip Saffron City, we'll have to double back later. Too much trouble." Gary shrugged.
"What are these tickets for?" Caitlin tilted her head. "Don't we just get on the ship?"
"You're thinking of a private passenger ship. We're taking the ferry. Don't worry, I bought first-class seats." Since he was putting everything on Lance's card anyway, Gary hardly needed to pinch pennies.
"Ooh~ So that's how it works~" Caitlin nodded. Another handy life tip learned!
"Sigh~ Speaking of which, Sabrina in Saffron City isn't someone to mess with. If I lose the match, she might turn me into a doll," Gary grumbled with some concern.
"Turn you into a doll?" Caitlin covered her little mouth in surprise. "Is this Sabrina a Psychic-type?"
Gary nodded. "Not just a Psychic-type, but a top-tier Psychic-type pretty girl~"
Caitlin raised her eyebrows. "Psychic-type... pretty girl?"
"Yep. Her Psychic-type rating is SSR, just like yours." Gary spread his hands.
Caitlin puffed out her cheeks and offered him an adorable reassurance. "Don't worry, I'll protect you! But you have to admit I'm cuter than her! I'm the real psychic pretty girl! In the name of the moon, I'll protect you!"
"Yes, yes, Miss Caitlin is the true psychic pretty girl~"
Gary nodded, unsure whether to laugh or cry. He hadn't expected Caitlin to have a budding taste for dramatic roleplay. If he'd known, he wouldn't have watched the Pretty Girl Squad anime over breakfast...
Soon, the ferry arrived at the harbor, and Gary took Caitlin's hand as they followed the crowd aboard.
Mostly, there were so many people that Gary was afraid Caitlin would get separated from him.
Of course, he wasn't worried about someone hurting her. He was more worried that some clueless idiot would provoke Caitlin and end up getting hurt...
It was the same principle as keeping a large dog on a leash...
Wearing a white sun hat, Caitlin stood beside Gary on the deck, admiring the beautiful ocean view.
"The sea is so beautiful~" Caitlin cheered, bouncing with delight like a little girl.
"Unova is mostly inland. It has plenty of rivers and mountains, but coastal cities like the ones in the Kanto Region aren't as common," Gary explained with a smile.
After all, Kanto and Johto occupied one landmass surrounded by ocean currents, and almost every city had access to the sea. Their marine resources were exceptionally abundant.
That was also why Lugia had settled in the Orange Islands.
With the sea breeze blowing and Caitlin asking endless curious questions, the journey was anything but boring.
At noon, the ship docked at another harbor.
"Amazing! We're here already?" Caitlin exclaimed excitedly.
"Uh... not yet. This is a stopover, Porta Vista Harbor," Gary explained. "The ship will stay here for half a day and leave again this evening. We won't reach Saffron City until tomorrow afternoon."
"Are we getting off, then?" Caitlin asked longingly as she gazed at the blue water, white sand, and bustling shore.
"Of course. Want to go swimming?" Gary asked with a smile.
"I know how to swim! I even brought a swimsuit!" Caitlin cheered and pulled Gary off the deck.
There was a Sea Cottage right by the harbor, and Caitlin and Gothitelle went to change into their swimsuits.
Wearing his swim trunks, Gary rented a beach umbrella and settled in for a nap.
Sea breezes, sandy beaches, sunbathing, and bikinis~ With such a wonderful opportunity, of course he was going to sleep!
After all, he had stayed up gaming all night. Young Master Mao felt as though he could fall asleep the moment he closed his eyes.
Leaving his Pokémon to play on the beach nearby, Gary reclined in his lounge chair and sipped his ice-cold juice.
Before I sleep~ Let's see what Caitlin's swimsuit looks like...
"Ta-da!" Soon, Caitlin ran up to Gary in a white one-piece school swimsuit, a pink unicorn swim ring around her waist, her long, lovely legs so pale they practically glowed.
Looking at Caitlin's modified elementary-school swimsuit, Gary was speechless. What was I expecting...?
"Um, it looks great. Stay safe in the water, and if you get tired, you can rest in the sun." Gary pointed to the lounge chair beside him. "I have some suntan... ahem..."
Under Gallade's dangerous stare from the side, Gary forcibly swallowed the rest of "suntan oil."
Watching Caitlin rush toward the sea with Gallade and Gothitelle accompanying her, Gary leaned back helplessly in his lounge chair.
Eevee climbed onto Gary's chest and licked his cheek.
"Mmm~ My Eevee really is the best." After burying his face in Eevee's fur for a couple of breaths, Gary contentedly stroked the little Pokémon's head.
Charmeleon and Growlithe lay in the sunshine, yawning lazily. The stronger the sun, the more active their Fire-type energy became. Aside from Grass-type Pokémon, Fire types could be said to love sunbathing the most.
Nidorina lay off to one side, a little shy, obediently staying where Gary could see her. Rhydon took a coconut and smacked it against his head, instantly punching a round hole in it.
Then he handed it to the shy Nidorina. She nodded gratefully and drank the coconut juice where she sat, narrowing her eyes in comfort.
Golduck was having the time of his life, his eyes darting everywhere. Girls, girls, nothing but~ girls!!
"Gol~ [This place is paradise...]" Golduck looked ready to ascend to heaven. Gary was genuinely afraid he might get a nosebleed~
In the Sea Cottage's kitchen, a villainous-looking chef with a knife scar on his chest was busily stir-frying noodles on a griddle.
The communicator in the corner suddenly flashed red, three long signals followed by three short ones.
The chef frowned, picked up the communicator, and switched it on.
"SOS! This is the S.S. Anne! We're about to sink! We're about to sink! All nearby Team Rocket members, come rescue us immediately! Glug, glug, glug~!"
Listening to the bubbling water over the communicator, the chef curled his lip disdainfully. "A bunch of useless idiots..."
"Um, Captain Jūbei, should we go help?" the young waiter serving food out front asked tentatively.
"Help, my ass! They're so far away, we'd be collecting corpses by the time we got there. Keep working your asses off and make money for Team Rocket!" Jūbei kept wielding his spatula, tossing the Teppanyaki Fried Noodles on the griddle until they looked, smelled, and tasted delicious~
"Yes, sir!" The waiter saluted, picked up the plates, and returned to the dining area, calling out, "Takoyaki, ice cream, Teppanyaki Fried Noodles, and freshly squeezed juice~!"
After enjoying themselves for quite a while, Gary and Caitlin entered the restaurant. Gary snapped his fingers. "One serving of takoyaki, two fresh-fruit pies with ice cream, one ice-cold freshly squeezed juice, and one Snow-Topped Coffee~"
"Sure thing~ Coming right up!" the waiter called enthusiastically.
After splashing around in the sea for so long, Caitlin was already hungry. The moment the food arrived, she picked up her utensils and dug in.
Gary smiled fondly, picked up his Snow-Topped Coffee, and took a small sip.
A strange flavor spread over Gary's tongue. He frowned slightly, picked up a napkin beside him, and discreetly spat the coffee back out.
"Delicious~!" Caitlin, meanwhile, ate with relish. After finishing, she shook her head. "They just added too much Sleep Powder. It throws off the flavor a little..."
"Pfft~" Gary nearly broke composure. He had to hand it to her-she really was one of the Elite Four. Her life experience might be lacking, but in other respects, she wasn't someone just anyone could get the better of~
As dusk gradually fell, the last batch of diners in the Sea Cottage slumped over their tables, "sleeping" soundly.
Gary and Caitlin were also playing a game of "who can pretend to sleep more convincingly," and the entire restaurant was silent.
It didn't take a genius to figure out which organization would dare run a Black Market Shop in such a busy tourist destination.
Unfortunately, these people were rather unlucky. They just had to run into Caitlin...
If you enjoyed this book, remember to add it to your bookshelf so you can find it again next time!
Before you continue