Kanto Region, Vermillion City…

"Come on Ash, let's hurry!"

It was rather unusual for Misty to feel this much excitement. Obviously she was happy for Ash's victory at the Vermillion Gym (even if that purple-haired guy and his bad attitude soured it a little), but who would have guessed that she would have the chance to travel aboard the famous deluxe cruise ship, the S.S. Anne?

As soon as they stepped outside the gym, a pair of hyperactive schoolgirls showed up, tossing confetti and streamers over them, and after saying a lot of stuff Misty didn't pay any mind to, they handed them a couple of tickets for a three-day trip aboard the ship, setting sail that same afternoon from the Vermillion port. The redhead's eyes gave off dream sparkles at the idea of traveling aboard the famous S.S. Anne, and she quickly grabbed her companion's hand and dragged him all the way to the port in a single run, before he had the chance to object. Right now, they were crossing the Vermillion Bridge to get to the aforementioned port.

"Oof… Misty… there was no need… to drag me like that," Ash panted as he tried to catch his breath.

"Sorry, but I can't help it," said Misty. "Do you have an idea on how long I've dreamed to travel on this ship? How many times did my parents take my sisters to cruiser trips like this, leaving me alone to clean up the mess at home?"

"Yeah, but… don't you think it's a little weird?" Ash asked. "There was something funny with those two, and why would they give us those tickets out of the blue?"

"Who cares?" Misty shrugged. "Ash, the S.S. Anne is like paradise for Pokémon trainers: it has the best food you could imagine, you can have all the Pokémon battles you want, and we could buy some stuff we need. There's an infinity of items sold in there that trainers like us could only dream of."

"I don't know," said Ash. "In my experience, when something seems too good to be true, it usually is."

"Pikachu." The electric rodent agreed with his trainer.

"How can you be so sure of that?" asked Misty. "Hey, in the hypothetical case something goes wrong, our Pokémon can handle it. And if push comes to shove… you know, so do we."

Ash looked like he wanted to object somehow, but the words got lost in his throat. Misty stared at him, her expression turning almost supplicant.

"Ash, if you have an issue, just tell me. If you get seasick or anything, I get it, but please, I really want to travel on this ship. Can't we do it just this once?"

The trainer remained silent, still meditating on the answer. Misty had the strange feeling that Ash had some hidden reason for not wanting to travel on that ship, something he either didn't want or couldn't share with her, and that it wasn't precisely seasickness. Whatever it was, the raven-haired young man simply sighed in resignation and shook his head.

"Alright, I cave," he finally said, regaining his usual smile. "What's the worst that could happen?"

"Thank you so much." Misty smiled too. "In that case, let's get moving; the ticket says the ship sets sail in half an hour."

The port was huge, and with the amount of ships all over the place, they took a while to find the right one. The ship wasn't the largest of all, but it still was impressive. After getting their tickets checked, the pair entered a large hall full of people and Pokémon all over the place. Like a big convention for trainers, breeders and many more from all over the world. Excitement got the best of Misty, to the point that before she realized, she had separated from Ash to check out everything around her.

"Hey, hey, lass." Someone suddenly called out to her. Misty turned around to see a middle-aged man by a stand with a water tank, like a fish salesman. "Yeah, I'm talking to you, come over here. Take a look at this Pokémon here! You know what it is?"

The man pointed at the red fish floating inside the tank. Of course she knew what it was, but she decided to play along and pretend she didn't.

"This is a Magikarp, lass!" he said as he pulled him out of the tank. "Look, you'll never find a healthier one!"

"Is it special somehow?" she asked.

"Don't you know? Magikarp could be a Pokémon gold mine!" he whispered like it was some grand secret. "One single Magikarp can lay a thousand eggs at once, each of which can lay other thousand, and that makes one million, which then will lay a thousand more each, and so on."

'What's this guy getting at?' the redhead thought. Even she knew Magikarp didn't breed that fast, or they could easily give Misty's Poliwrath a run for his money in offspring, if what he said was true (Professor Oak did tell her there were documented cases in that evolutionary line).

"You can sell one of these Magikarps in a hundred bucks, and when it lays its thousand eggs, you can sell each of those in a hundred more each. You can grow rich with zero effort, lass! And just because it's you, I'll cut the price in half, what do you say?"

The redhead had to hold back the urge to jump on the man. Did he really think her stupid enough to fall for that scam? Anybody with a fishing rod could easily catch Magikarp in just about any river, lake or seaside coast without effort (then again, she never got herself one for some strange reason during her travel alone). Not to mention that what he was doing was illegal. Then again, these scammers weren't usually very bright themselves, and the redhead suddenly got an idea to turn his little game around.

"I'm not interested in raising so many Magikarp, but I could use one for my goal of catching every single Water Pokémon in the world," said Misty, trying to sound as naïve as possible. "Still… I think half the price is still too high for me. Can't you give me a better discount?"

"Better? Listen, you're never getting a better bargain, trust me!"

"You know, this could turn into a better profit for both of us… if you can make me a little favor."

"Oh, and that would be?" the salesman asked.

"One day, I'll become the greatest Water Pokémon Master in the world," said Misty. "When I do that I'll be famous, but I can't properly thank you for helping me reach my goal… unless you give me your name or how I could contact you."

"Are you serious?" The man's eyes widened and Misty could swear she saw some shiny coins in them.

"Just think about it, you could become famous too." Misty was trying her best to imitate her sisters' melodramatic voice whenever they rehearsed scenes for acting. "I can see it: the man who helped Kanto Elite Four Misty Waterflower, by giving her the first of her Magikarp! For something like that, it's a small price to pay, don't you think?"

The man didn't need to be told anything else: he quickly pulled out a pocket notepad and a pen, quickly wrote something down and handed it to her. The girl barely could hold back the creeps she felt down her spine with those greedy eyes, but she grabbed the paper and realized it had a name, phone number and home address. That had been easy.

"You get your special discount, lass. I seriously hope you succeed in your goal," he said with that silly grin. "Don't forget about me when you're at the top, alright?"

"Of course not," Misty said as she pulled out her money to pay, smiling as best as she could. "Pleasure in doing business with you."

And then, she walked away, making a gesture of disgust as soon as she was out of the guy's vision range. For now, until she found Ash again, the best she could do was checking out the goods for sale and buy what she could. She'd deal with that Magikarp salesman later, especially now she had his contact info.

Later at the cabin…

As much as they loved camping and sleeping under the stars in the middle of nature, and as comfy the beds at the Pokémon Centers were, nothing could compare to those fluffy mattresses in this super-deluxe cruise. Misty was almost disappointed that they would only get to enjoy them for two nights.

After spending most of their afternoon with Pokémon battles, bobbing for Pokéballs in that tank and enjoying their greatest feast since their visit to the Pokémon Tech, the two trainers decided to go to their cabin to rest for a while. Misty was in their bathroom, just coming out of the shower and brushing her hair, stopping for a bit to glance on the mirror.

Ever since she could remember, she had always kept her hair short and tied in that side ponytail. At first, her parents were the ones forcing her to wear it like that, maybe to keep her looks plain compared to her older sisters, but over time she got used to it and even came to like it, becoming a sign of her identity. Even so, looking at herself now, she couldn't help but wonder if she should let it down more often, or maybe grow it a little longer. What would Ash think of that?

'Why do I care about Ash's opinion all of a sudden?' she wondered with a smile in her face.

After tying her hair back, she glanced one last time and left the bathroom. Ash was resting on the bed, checking out the cruise guide they were given in the main hall. Luckily for them, since the ship was so big they would have taken forever to find their cabin, as well as the onboard Pokémon Center where they had left their teams to rest after so many battles. Until the checkup was over, they had plenty of free time.

"Can I borrow it for a bit?" Misty asked.

"Huh? Yeah, sure." Ash handed her the guide, and she began skimming through it. "Looking for something in particular?"

"I wanted to go sunbathe for a bit, but my bikini is getting a bit too small," the girl replied. "Maybe it's time to buy a new one."

Through the corner of her eye, the girl caught that Ash lifted an eyebrow at the mention of the word "bikini". Was he picturing her wearing one? She kept skimming through the guide until she found what she was looking for: a shopping area on the second deck, very close to their cabin, with several shops of beachwear and gear.

"Say, why don't we go together?" Misty proposed. "We have nothing else to do until our Pokémon are checked up. Maybe you could buy something for yourself too?"

"I guess so." He stood up. "But let's not take too long, ok? Just what you need and we come back."

"Hey, do you think I could be like one of my sisters?" she asked, taking a little offense at that. The trainer smiled sheepishly and shrugged.

…

It might not seem like a big deal, but considering Misty's parents had never taken her to a shopping spree, and most of her clothes were hand-me-downs her sisters had outgrown, it felt rather nice to do this. Ash wasn't particularly enthusiastic, but she didn't intend to nag him too much. As promised, she'd find what she needed and they'd leave, but in the meantime, there was no harm in checking out the goods.

Before they reached the swimsuit area, Misty passed by a rack full of beach gear, including among other things floaters of different colors, shapes and sizes, and she spotted one with a Psyduck head. The redhead wondered if she should buy it for her yellow duck, recalling how he almost drowned when she fished him that day. How could a Water-type Pokémon not be able to swim? He'd look pretty funny with a second head in front of his belly.

They finally reached their destination. Plenty of mannequins and racks full of swimsuits of all models, colors and designs they could imagine. A paradise for her sisters if they were here, Misty thought. Not wanting to make Ash wait more than necessary, the redhead checked out some of the models, debating between buying bikinis or one-pieces. A specific mannequin caught her attention: it displayed a particular sling bikini that left very little to imagination, of a dark blue, almost black tone, and a PM logo on the left breast. Something not even her sisters would wear; surely even they would find it too indecent, though the Pokéball belt it included didn't look too bad.

When she glanced at Ash, Misty noticed he discreetly alternated looking between her and that rather bold swimsuit. The redhead tilted her head and arched an eyebrow.

"You're not picturing me wearing that, are you?" she asked with her hands on her hips.

"What?" Ash suddenly turned redder than a Slugma. "No way! Of course not!"

"You sure?" she insisted.

"Hey, do you think I'm some kind of…?" The boy slapped his forehead. Evidently that single comment was enough to create the mental image. Misty suddenly felt a strange urge to keep playing along.

"Do you think I'd look good in that?" she asked directly.

"Yeah, I mean no, I mean… aw, just listen at what you make me say!" He turned even redder and a bit annoyed. "I don't know what I'm thinking."

"Hey, easy, I was just teasing you." She giggled a bit after seeing his face. It was fun to see him lose control just for a moment… and even kind of adorable. "That's not my style, nor my color anyway. Come on."

Misty kept chuckling inside, trying to record the mental image of Ash's face. She wasn't lying when she said that model wasn't her style, especially because it would definitely drag too much attention (despite what her sisters told her, Misty was aware that, at least for normal standards, her figure wasn't bad). If it was only for Ash, though… she wouldn't mind that much.

The redhead tried several swimsuits, between bikinis and one-pieces. With the former ones, she seemed to have a preference for shorts rather than thongs, since she didn't like to show too much down there. After several rounds of going in and out of the dressers, the show finally ended with the redhead wearing a red one-piece with a white flower pattern. Maybe the least revealing she had tried until then, but it certainly highlighted her figure.

"So?" she asked, making a slight pose.

"It looks nice," said Ash, though that wasn't the answer she expected.

"You've said the same thing with all of the others," she said a little frustrated.

"Hey, with a body like that, any of those looks good," said Ash, and upon realizing what he had said, he covered his mouth blushing slightly. "Just saying…"

Misty chuckled again, that expression was priceless. After meditating for a bit, she finally decided, why should she stick to just one? She had enough money to buy three or four. That would leave nothing for Psyduck's floating ring, but then again, you can't learn how to swim if you depend on a floating ring. Too bad for him.

As they approached the cash register, Misty took, aside from the flowered swimsuit, two bikinis, a dark blue one with a strapless top, and another with green and white horizontal stripes. She had it hard to pick the last one, but she finally chose a white one-piece with blue edges. After a lot of insistence, she convinced Ash to buy two pairs of trunks for himself, one blue with a white stripe on the side, and a red one with a blue stripe on the lower part and V-shaped lines on the side. They both left the store in time to hear an announcement through the speakers:

"Calling Mr. Ash Ketchum and Miss Misty Waterflower, please come to the Pokémon Center on the second deck. Your Pokémon have been checked and they're in perfect condition. Please come to pick them up."

"Well, doesn't time fly when you're having fun?" asked Misty. "Let's go."

Not too bad for her first shopping spree with someone else. Or rather, her first shopping spree ever. It had been fun; if she had the chance to do this again, she'd definitely take it.

The next day…

The trainers weren't the only ones enjoying their trip. The Pokémon were also enjoying their R&R time. One of the perks of having a Gyarados under your command was that they came in pretty handy to keep curious people at arm's reach and having the pool's area just for you and your friends. While Ash and Misty enjoyed some cold drinks, their Pokémon were hogging the entire area: Misty's Water-types along with Ash's Squirtle were all inside the water, except Psyduck, who was still next to his trainer out of fear of drowning, until she told him to step away for a bit and give her some space.

"Watch your step, little yellow squirt," said Gyarados' deep and angry voice. "Misty wouldn't like it if you drowned, and I would be mad to see her sad."

"Urgh, check that temper," replied Psyduck. "Do you have a problem?"

"Not with you, but yeah," said Gyarados. – "I still don't get it; why did she buy that useless fish when she has me?"

"The Magikarp?" said Psyduck, still recalling she forced him to carry said fish, along with everything else she had bought. "Do you have something against him?"

"Isn't it obvious? I thought I had left behind those days of being a puny fish! Do you have any idea of how much I hate to be reminded of them?!"

Psyduck didn't have a particular enthusiasm for evolving, so he effectively didn't know what was going on in Gyarados's mind. As for the latter, that living reminder of having been a small fish used like a soccer ball was not funny at all. He worked hard for years, swimming against currents, ramming against rocks to harden his scales, climbing up waterfalls, dodging the fishermen's hooks to avoid getting caught, or worse, cooked for lunch… everything to become the leviathan he was now, all the while awaiting the day he'd meet the young woman who saved him, that human he felt a special connection with. If he was going to have a trainer, he wanted her and nobody else.

His wish came true, and he even had the chance to return the favor. That was exactly why he didn't hesitate to help the boy cross the river when she was in danger. He couldn't imagine that after so long and even after changing his form so drastically, she still knew it was him.

…

"Good to see you again, old friend…"

…

Those were her exact words. He couldn't believe Misty had recognized him. It had been so embarrassing: he didn't want her to remember that weakling fish he had been, but seeing her so happy and grateful for saving her life helped him cope with it. Though he did ask her to never mention that incident, ever again. That had to be kept between the two.

Meanwhile, Psyduck was smart enough to try and take the conversation away from that topic Gyarados didn't want to talk about, and focus on something that, to his judgment, was a lot more important.

"Do you think Misty will finally mate with him?" the duck asked as he stared at the couple.

"I wouldn't mind if she did. That boy was willing to fight me to save her. Any human who does that definitely earns my respect," said Gyarados.

"I don't get why they don't just get started," Psyduck commented. "It's kind of annoying having to build separate nests, why can't they share one?"

While Psyduck and Gyarados discussed their enigmas about the human's courting rites, Butterfree had perched on the ship's handrail, staring at the ocean and feeling the sea breeze in his wings. That brought him memories of what looked like a distant life now. Of the first time he crossed the ocean… with her.

"Hey, are you ok?" asked Pikachu, jumping on the handrail as well.

"I'm fine," said Butterfree.

"Don't lie to me. Since we saw Burgundy you've been very distant with all of us."

"All those Butterfree were taken by criminals. My mate could be among them."

"You can't be sure of that," said Pikachu. "She might still be with her trainer."

"That still doesn't make me feel at ease. Who knows what could happen to her now?"

Pikachu looked back, seeing Squirtle having fun along with Misty's Pokémon. He felt tempted to tell Butterfree that he wasn't the only one who had lost someone important. The turtle Pokémon had been trying to keep an optimistic attitude for Ash's sake, after telling them of how he lost the rest of the Squirtle Squad. They might be gone, but Squirtle still had them, and Ash, and so did Butterfree. Still, the electric mouse thought maybe it was best to leave him alone with his thoughts for now.

A bit later…

After lunch, Ash was more than ready to go back to the main deck and find good Pokémon battles. Aside from his habit of seeking challenges to keep himself and his Pokémon active, the trainer from Pallet found it an excellent way to keep his mind focused and distract himself from the mental images brought by the shopping spree and the morning by the pool with Misty.

'What's wrong with me?' he thought. 'Was Misty always this… eye-catching?'

Admittedly, in the previous timeline Ash never actually thought of Misty as "ugly", even if he said otherwise, but any physical appeal she had tended to be downplayed by her explosive temper and tomboyish attitude. While she still kept them to an extent (he had seen it with Psyduck a couple times), when she was around him she tended to show a sweeter side. Maybe it had to do with Ash saving her life and all. Then again, her height and the fact she had a rather shapely figure certainly didn't hurt. His mother would probably say that his hormones were just going a little crazy, nothing wrong for a teenage boy. Misty was his friend, so there was nothing weird with him appreciating her qualities, physical or otherwise, right?

When they passed through the main hall, they noticed the tank for Pokéball bobbing was unusually crowded. Maybe some people wanted to find those Master Balls, or perhaps they wanted to break the 51-win record Ash had set the previous day. Unable to find a place to spar with each other, they went to the lower deck, where they found more duel arenas of varied fields, including rock, grass and ice.

"Hey Ash, look over there." Misty pointed at a particularly crowded arena. "Let's check it out."

At first glance, it seemed like just another duel, taking place on an ice field. On one side, there was a guy with a training gi, black belt and a red headband holding his black hair upright, commanding a Hitmonlee. On the other side… there was a face extremely familiar to Ash. Even though he never learned the name of that gentleman, it was hard to forget that day, and the fact he was wearing the same suit, top hat and held the same cane made him stand out even more. To top it off, he was commanding the same Raticate from before.

"Hitmonlee, Jump Kick!" the gi guy ordered.

"Raticate, Me First!" the gentleman replied.

Hitmonlee and Raticate simultaneously jumped in the air, but Raticate was faster and landed his foot right on Hitmonlee's chest, making him fall on his back. Next, he finished with a Super Fang on the stomach, forcing the gi guy to recall him.

"Me First?" Ash wondered upon seeing that. His Pokédex conveniently decided to answer.

"ME FIRST, A NORMAL-TYPE MOVE THAT ALLOWS THE USER TO STEAL AN ATTACK FROM THE OPPONENT AND DELIVER IT WITH SOME ADDITIONAL POWER. ONLY THIS WAY COULD A RATICATE USE JUMP KICK LEGITIMATELY."

'Not from what I remember', Ash thought. People around began clapping while the gentleman courtly bowed.

"You put up a good fight, your Hitmonlee is well-trained," he said to his opponent, who also bowed, acknowledging his defeat with dignity before leaving. The gentleman began looking around the crowd. "Does someone else wish to challenge me? You, the young man with the Pikachu, perhaps?"

"Huh? You mean me?" The call snapped Ash out of his trance. The gentleman probably noticed he had been staring at him intently.

"Come on, Ash, what are you waiting for?" said Misty giving him a little shove.

Normally Ash would never reject a challenge. On the one hand, that time the man called it off when he was about to win, which kind of annoyed him. On the other hand, there was the reminder of that brief yet stupid trade he accepted in the heat of the moment, never considering how Butterfree would feel about it. But well, Misty had already pushed him forward and everyone was looking at him. He didn't want to come across like a coward or something.

"Alright, you're on," said Ash. "Do you want to set the rules?"

"How about we battle using two Pokémon?" the gentleman proposed. Ash nodded. "Alright, I will continue with my Raticate."

"Butterfree, I choose you!" Ash threw his Pokéball.

"Free, free!" Upon coming out, Butterfree glanced at his opponent, tilting his head upon recognizing him. "Hey, Ash, isn't that…?"

'Yeah, that's him,' Ash replied mentally. 'For now focus on the battle, we'll talk about it later.'

Butterfree wanted to say something else, but then the gentleman opened the fight calling for a Super Fang, and Raticate charged baring his teeth. Fortunately, Ash reacted immediately and called his own command. Whatever issues he had, the heat of the battle would help cast them aside for a while.

"Butterfree, Confusion!"

Activating his psychic power, Butterfree stopped Raticate in midair before he could sink his teeth, and then pushed him back. The Normal-type rodent righted himself in the air and landed on his feet.

"Now, use Gust!" Ash called.

"Raticate, Me First!" the gentleman replied.

Before Butterfree could begin his flapping, Raticate inhaled and blew a wind current that shook the butterfly around the air. It took a few seconds to wear out enough for Butterfree to stabilize again.

"Super Fang!" the gentleman called, pointing forward with his cane.

"Raticate!" The rat Pokémon jumped again, his incisors glowing to deliver a huge bite.

"Butterfree, Sleep Powder!" Ash called.

Butterfree began flapping his wings, releasing a cloud of blue spores above Raticate. The rodent began feeling his eyelids heavy and stumbled around, but the gentleman didn't seem worried about this, not even when he fell asleep, though he still remained standing.

"Raticate, Sleep Talk!" the gentleman called. Instantly, even with his eyes shut, Raticate jumped to bite Butterfree, his teeth glowing more intensely than with the Super Fang, as well as moving much faster.

"SLEEP TALK HAS JUST SUMMONED HYPER FANG. I SUGGEST EITHER A QUICK COUNTEROFFENSIVE OR A STRATEGIC RETREAT IF YOU DON'T WANT YOUR POKÉMON TO SUFFER THE AFTERMATH OF A GUTS-POWERED BITE."

"Thanks for telling me," Ash replied. "Butterfree, use String Shot and direct it with Confusion!"

With the power and speed boost, their best chance was to restrict Raticate's movements. Butterfree began firing thread after thread, and used his psychic power to move it around Raticate to tie him from all sides. Being asleep, the rat couldn't quite feel the sticky silk enveloping him, though after using Sleep Talk again he began chewing on the strings he had in the face, but they fell faster than he could cut them, and soon enough he ended up more wrapped than an ancient mummy.

"Pull back and spin him around!" Ash called.

"Free!" Butterfree pulled with all his body and began spinning the wrapped Raticate in the air. Round and round until the thread snapped and the rodent was sent flying, crashing right into an ice pillar. The impact didn't knock him out, but it did wake him up. He quickly began chewing on his binds faster than before, trying to break free of them.

"Butterfree, keep up with String Shot and give him another tug with Confusion!" Ash shouted.

Not wanting to risk another Me First, Ash had Butterfree tie up Raticate again and pull him back to ram him in the stomach, knocking the air out of him. The Normal-type fell on his back, his hands, feet and tail all spread to the sides, and his eyes spinning. Butterfree returned to perch on Ash's shoulder, who congratulated him with a smile and a nod.

"Raticate, return!" The gentleman recalled his fallen Pokémon. "Well, young man, you and your Pokémon are very skilled. Let us see what else you can do. Wartortle, go!"

With the gentleman choosing his second Pokémon, Ash weighed his options. Butterfree was still fit to continue, but after settling the unfinished score with that Raticate, plus that last bite he managed to land, Ash decided to give someone else the chance.

"Butterfree, good work, now take a rest," said Ash. "Squirtle, I choose you!"

"Squirtle, squirt! Squirtle?" The turtle Pokémon saw his opponent, who studied him intently.

"Wartortle? Tortle, wartortle!" All of a sudden Wartortle began laughing while pointing at Squirtle, who just stood there in confusion. The gentleman placed a hand on his forehead.

"Please forgive me, young man, but my Wartortle has become rather… conceited since he evolved," the man apologized.

"Don't worry," said Ash, and then he added mentally, 'Hey, what's he saying?'

'He's laughing because he thinks I'm too tiny,' said Squirtle. 'What do you say we shut his big mouth?'

'Alright,' Ash replied. Squirtle pulled his shades out of his shell and put them on, catching Misty's attention.

"Where did he get those shades?" she asked.

"He… he already had them when I found him?" Ash replied.

"They look rather cool." The redhead glanced at him with interest.

"Well, shall we get started?" the gentleman said. "Wartortle, Bubble Beam!"

"Wartortle!" The evolved turtle inhaled and fired of a stream of bubbles against his opponent.

"Squirtle, Water Gun!" Ash commanded.

Squirtle quickly followed suit and fired off a stream of high-pressure water to stop his opponent's bubbles. The two were evenly matched for a while until they finally stopped.

"Aqua Jet!" the gentleman called. Wartortle coated himself in a water veil and shot forward like a living torpedo.

"Withdraw!" Ash managed to call out. Squirtle retracted into his shell to protect from the impact. Wartortle rammed him head on and sent him spinning around the air and the gentleman saw his chance to press on the offensive.

"Ice Beam!"

Wartortle formed a white-blue energy ball in his mouth and fired the freezing beam against the still airborne Squirtle.

"Squirtle, Counter-Shield!" Ash yelled.

While still in midair, Squirtle began firing water from the inside and spin faster to create a spiraling barrier. The Ice Beam hit the streams instead of Squirtle, and frozen shards fell around him as he landed, having to balance with the tail to keep standing. Wartortle then began inhaling for another Bubble Beam.

"Use Tackle!" Ash called.

While Wartortle inhaled, Squirtle charged and shoulder-tackled him in the stomach, causing him to stumble back and fire the bubbles to the air, and then followed with a point-blank Water Gun to knock him back a few feet, making him fall on his shell.

"Tortle, tortle!" Wartortle began screaming while shaking his arms and legs until he managed to right himself. He couldn't see the smaller turtle with mockery; he had to take Squirtle seriously.

"Wartortle, use Ice Beam again!" the gentleman ordered.

"Counter-Shield!" Ash replied again.

Squirtle jumped on his back and once again retreated into his shell, spinning while launching water, but this time he charged forward like a flying saucer towards Wartortle. On top of that, the Ice Beam helped him drag a few frozen streams to slam another solid hit. Upon landing on the other side, Squirtle fired another point-blank Water Gun to make Wartortle fall belly first and charged with another Tackle for good measure. The gentleman called for another Aqua Jet, and Wartortle managed to turn around and launch himself enveloped in water against Squirtle. In that clash there was no contest, and it was Squirtle who was sent flying backwards.

"Bite, now!" the gentleman called, and Wartortle charged with his jaws opened as wide as possible go give Squirtle one big chomp…

*CRUNCH!* Wartortle violently shut the jaws when he jumped on Squirtle, but his teeth found something cold and hard instead. Upon opening his eyes, he realized Squirtle had shielded himself with an ice shard and used the shock to get away, though not before grabbing another big shard, which he proceeded to use like a snowboard.

"Squirtle, squirtle!" he shouted in excitement while sliding across the floor, much to the amazement of Ash, Misty, the gentleman and the crowd. He seemed to be having a blast.

"Where did he learn that?" Misty asked.

"No idea, but I like it." Ash smiled. If he didn't know better, he might have thought he learned it from Chimchar.

The gentleman called his Wartortle for another Aqua Jet attack, but Squirtle used one of the ice pillars to quickly change direction and made Wartortle crash against it. On the way, Squirtle grabbed the ice shards scattered around and pelted Wartortle with them to provoke him, goading him into attacking and crashing into the ice again. He kept up until Wartortle got tired, and Ash saw his chance to end the battle.

"Squirtle, Water Gun!" Ash called.

"Wartortle, Ice Beam!" the gentleman exclaimed.

Both attacks clashed in the middle creating a huge ice block, but the Ice Beam drained Wartortle's remaining energy, and he started panting heavily. Squirtle used the momentum with his ice board to ram the block, which slid towards Wartortle, crushing him against one of the pillars. Seconds later, the block shattered and they could see the result. Wartortle was left slumping against the pillar, immobile. The battle was over.

"We did it!" Ash cheered.

"Pi-pikachu!" Pikachu added with a V-sign.

"Squirtle!" Squirtle smiled with confidence, placed his arms akimbo and puffed out his chest. Nobody should underestimate him for being small.

"UPDATING DATABASE. MY TRAINER SEEMS TO HAVE A PARTICULAR KNACK FOR DEFEATING POKÉMON USING PRE-EVOLVED FORMS. FURTHER ANALYSIS IS REQUIRED TO CLEAR THIS NON-SENSICAL PHENOMENON."

"Wartortle… well, there is no shame in losing to this," the gentleman said as he picked up his fallen Pokémon. "Good work."

While Ash cheered with his Pokémon and Misty, the gentleman walked around the icy field to properly congratulate him. The boy couldn't help but feel glad that this time he at least had the dignity to not to leave the battle halfway when he was losing, plus he fought better than the previous time. The man extended a friendly hand.

"You have raised some fine Pokémon, young man. You have great talent."

"Thanks, yours gave a good battle too," Ash replied, accepting the handshake. For some reason he felt what was coming next, and he had his answer in the ready.

"Listen, young man, would you be interested in a Pokémon trade?" the man asked.

"A trade?" Misty was surprised at this. Ash however didn't even budge.

"I love to raise rare and unusual Pokémon, and I have travelled across the world to see them," the gentleman continued. "I have made many friends this way, sharing my Pokémon with others. Yours really impressed me, and I would certainly love to see what else they would be capable of."

"I appreciate the offer, but no thanks," the trainer replied without a second thought.

"Are you sure?" the man insisted. "I could offer you a very rare Pokémon. Not long ago, I managed to get my hands on a couple of Dratini. I would gladly offer you one for your Butterfree or Squirtle."

"Dratini?" Misty gasped. She wasn't sure if she should be more shocked at the offer, or at the fact that Ash showed no reaction to it. The people around also was left with their jaws dropped.

"It's very kind of you, but no," said Ash. "Each one of my Pokémon is unique in their own way, and they're irreplaceable to me."

People around Ash began muttering; they thought it was insane to pass over a deal like that. Misty herself was surprised, but maybe not as much as them. After everything she had seen Ash do so far, this wasn't such a big deal.

"As you wish." The gentleman respectfully bowed. "I thank you for this excellent battle, and I hope we will meet again for a rematch one day. I wish you the best of luck."

After being defeated, the gentleman walked away, leaving behind the icy field and the crowd around, who still muttered that Ash was a fool or insane for passing over such an offer. After all, what kind of trainer would turn down just like that a Dratini, offered in a silver tray?

That night…

Ash was now at the observation deck. The second night had fallen with nothing bad happening at all, and the ship would reach its destination the next day. Maybe Misty was right; he should've just enjoyed the rest of the trip. The sea breeze felt really good, so he decided to let Butterfree out for a bit. The two had some things to talk about.

Leaving aside the worries for his mate, Butterfree had another question in his head. Back then, the trade was so brief he hadn't given it much thought, but now, he couldn't help but feel a little… he was unsure as to how to describe it. Maybe it was the feeling that Ash had been so willing to part with him at the time and just let himself get carried away.

"Hey Ash. I know there's not much point in asking now… but why did you accept that trade the last time?" he asked.

"To be honest, I don't know," Ash admitted. "I think I just didn't get the implications back then. Leaving one of my partners in the hands of a stranger."

"Hey, in his defense, at least he realized right away," Pikachu intervened. – "And we probably got enough punishment for it the last time, don't you agree?"

"That's all on me." Ash smiled sheepishly.

"If it makes you feel any better… I never held it against you," said Butterfree. "Up to that point, it wasn't like I was of much use to you."

"How can you say that?"

"Think it over," said Butterfree. "How many battles did I win for you after I evolved? Who knows, maybe you'd have been better off with that Raticate."

"No way," Ash said. "Like I said before, you and all of the others are irreplaceable to me. Maybe I wouldn't have learned the lesson otherwise."

Butterfree couldn't actually smile, but he gave a hearty chuckle. Regardless of how he did it, at least Ash took that lesson to heart: since then he never showed particular enthusiasm for Pokémon trading. At least not on the same level as the people in that festival in Johto.

"Here you are." He suddenly heard Misty's voice. "I've been looking all over for you."

"Sorry, I just wanted some air, that's all," said Ash.

The redhead stood next to him by the handrail. "Hey Ash, are you sure you didn't want to make a trade? It would have been a unique chance. A Dratini, no less; many trainers would die for a Pokémon like that."

"Perhaps," the trainer admitted, "but my Pokémon are my friends, not collectible cards to go trading around so lightly. I wouldn't part with my friends just like that. Would you?"

The redhead remained silent. Ash just needed one glance to know what she was thinking. Even if she didn't say it upfront, and despite how she got along with her Psyduck, she loved all of her Pokémon, even those she spent less time with, and she wouldn't let them be taken so easily.

"No… I suppose not," Misty replied. "Then again, I've never done a trade in my life, so I can't have a say about it, I guess."

"Hypothetically speaking… if I ever trade a Pokémon, I won't do it with a perfect stranger," said Ash. "I'd do it with someone I can trust, someone who I'm sure can make my Pokémon happier and give them something better than me. In return, the other person has to trust me to do the same for the Pokémon they give me."

Pikachu looked at him sideways. He knew exactly what Ash was talking about: the only serious trade he ever made in the entire previous timeline. Dawn was able to give Aipom a lot more fun in the Pokémon Contests than he ever did in battles, not to mention she evolved under Dawn's care. In return, Ash gave Buizel the chance to fight many good battles, since he was more a fighter than an artist. It had been a benefit for both parties, but it didn't happen overnight. They both took their time to consider it, as well as their Pokémon's thoughts about the matter.

"Hmm… if that were the case… would you accept a trade with me?" The redhead gave him an inquisitive glance.

Ash raised an eyebrow, but managed to keep his cool. The answer to that was obvious, but he couldn't blurt it out just like that. Just like Dawn, the circumstances for Ash to trade a Pokémon had to be extremely specific. Not that Misty didn't fulfill a few of those already, but she didn't need to know that, for now at least.

"Hmm… I don't know," he said.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Misty frowned slightly and placed her hands on her hips. "At least give me a 'maybe', will you?"

"Hey, maybe not now, but in the future… perhaps," he replied. "We'll just have to wait and see."

That answer seemed to leave the redhead satisfied, since she softened her expression and smiled at him again. The two continued to enjoy the night sea breeze until their stomachs growled loudly. After everything they did, they deserved a good feast, so they went to the dining hall.

It was hard to believe, but the trip had turned out really nice in the end. With some luck, maybe some of their worst experiences in the past timeline would turn out similar. At least, he hoped so.

FIN.

OMAKE (by Ander Arias)

Ash and Misty were on the ship's prow deck, enjoying the cool sea breeze, and admiring the gorgeous oceanic scenery in front of them.

"This is really nice, isn't it?" Misty asked, as she enjoyed a deep breath of sea breeze. "I needed this so much."

"Yeah, me too. You were right about coming here," Ash agreed.

"And you didn't want to come," Misty said, shaking her head. "Really Ash, what was that about? Why were you so reluctant to get on board?"

"Well it's just..." Ash rubbed the back of his head. "Last time I went on a cruise... it was attacked by a criminal organization, which ended up sinking the ship, and most of us nearly drowning."

"Oh... sorry, I didn't know that," Misty replied. Even if Ash seemed to tell the truth, she didn't remember hearing about such event happening. Something like that was news worthy.

"But it's okay, just because it happened once it doesn't mean it'll happen again," Ash stated, letting go of his past fears. "Hey look at that, several Seel and Dewgong!"

"And there there are some Shellder and Cloyster!" Misty pointed out.

"And there are a school of Lapras in front of us!" Ash noticed.

In fact, a lot of Water and Ice-type Pokemon started to gather in front of the ship. To an onlooker, it appeared as if those different Pokemon were planning to do something together, something that needed a large number. And they would be completely right.

The gathered Pokemon then fired at the same time Ice Beam at a single spot in front of the ship, creating a massive iceberg in only a few seconds.

"WHAT THE HELL?" Misty yelled in shock.

"...this has to be a joke..." Ash whined.