As a world-class cruise ship, the S.S. Anne naturally had a Trainer battle platform—and of course, facilities for healing Pokémon.
Unsurprisingly, it also had medical services for humans.
Satoshi carried the unconscious Ash on his back and arrived at the medical bay, protected closely by Riolu and Greninja.
Although chaos still reigned outside, the doctors and nurses remained at their posts. Their dedication was truly admirable.
He handed Ash over to the staff for emergency treatment, then leaned back against the wall nearby to rest.
Satoshi himself was injured too, but he insisted Ash be treated first. He could hold out a little longer.
As for Team Rocket's earlier bombing of the ship, he wasn't particularly worried.
Their goal had clearly been to create a diversion so Lt. Surge could escape.
Now that they had achieved that objective, they wouldn't continue to attack. Most likely, they'd just stage a fake skirmish with the Trainers and retreat.
And that was exactly what happened.
Team Rocket pretended to fight and fled shortly after.
However, those unfortunate enough to be targeted by Mega Charizard X and Mega Sceptile didn't fare well. Nearly twenty Rocket Grunts were defeated or captured and turned over to ship security.
By now, the explosions had stopped, and Satoshi could finally take a moment to breathe.
"Come out. I know you're there," Satoshi suddenly called out, eyes narrowing slightly.
The hallway was empty—quiet—deceptively so.
No reply came.
"You're really not coming out, huh? Riolu, Force Palm."
Riolu instantly raised its arm and aimed at a section of the nearby wall.
"W-Wait, wait, wait! Hey! Is this how you treat your savior? That's cold! If I'd known, I wouldn't have helped you just now."
The wall rippled and twisted, accompanied by a protesting female voice—soft like a spring breeze, light as a songbird's trill. Her tone was melodious yet teasing, alluring in a way that made one's heart flutter.
There was unmistakable mischief in it. Just the sound alone was enough to stir up a vivid image of her charm.
Satoshi blinked. That voice sounded familiar. He'd definitely heard it before—before his rebirth, even. But for now, he couldn't recall exactly where.
Then again, it didn't matter. The person was here in front of him. He could just look.
The distorted wall finally morphed into a soft, purple blob—complete with small round eyes and a cheery smile.
"Ditto?" Satoshi muttered. "But not just any Ditto…"
It wasn't just a Ditto that could mimic Pokémon. This Ditto had transformed into an inanimate object—a wall, no less.
There were rare variants of Ditto capable of mimicking more than Pokémon, even copying humans or objects down to the finest detail.
And combined with that voice… Satoshi already had a good idea of who was behind this.
As the Ditto returned to its base form, it revealed the woman hidden behind the disguise.
She looked young—but her beauty was already mature.
Her long brown hair cascaded like silk, and gym badge earrings hung from her ears—Boulder Badge on the left, Cascade Badge on the right.
She wore a soft water-blue dress that hugged her petite frame, though her curves defied her size, drawing attention to her figure. Her face was gentle and seductive at once, framed by large, bright eyes that sparkled with mischief.
Her name was Blue—known to many as the clever, sly, cheerful Pokédex holder.
In the original timeline, she was the third to receive a Pokédex. Though with Satoshi's interference, he now ranked third. Blue had been pushed to fourth.
"Savior, huh? So that Water Stone earlier… you threw it?"
Satoshi's expression remained flat. She was beautiful, yes—but he wasn't new to this. He'd seen her type before. And knowing Blue's nature, letting his guard down around her was never wise.
"That's right!" Blue huffed, puffing her cheeks. "That Water Stone wasn't cheap, you know! It saved that Politoed's life! It even turned the tide of battle. If you ask me, that's worth triple the price!"
She folded her arms, clearly annoyed at what she perceived as ingratitude.
Satoshi didn't flinch. "You want compensation? Name a price."
He wasn't surprised Blue would try to profit from the situation. But truth be told—she wasn't wrong.
Had it not been for that Water Stone, Politoed would have died.
And Ash—who had ordered it to sacrifice itself to protect them—might not have lived with the guilt. Ash had risked everything for Satoshi. The least he could do was repay that kindness.
Blue blinked. "So straightforward?" She was genuinely surprised. She'd expected a negotiation, maybe some teasing banter.
But if he was willing to pay…
Never one to miss an opportunity, Blue's eyes gleamed. She pulled out a pocket calculator from her satchel and started tapping quickly.
"Alright, let's tally it up. Market value of a Water Stone—25,000 Pokédollars."
"Now add the fact that it saved Politoed's life… double it. Then, since it turned the battle in your favor… double that again. Final total: 100,000 Pokédollars."
She said it with a shameless grin. That kind of money could support an average family for years.
Without a word, Satoshi pulled out the 100,000 Pokédollars he'd won from betting on Ash earlier that morning. He slapped the bills into her hand like a seasoned gambler.
"Here. Just don't lose it."
Thanks to the Evergreen system, Satoshi didn't need much money for healing or essentials. And since defeating Trainers granted him more income anyway, he wasn't concerned.
Especially since he'd won the exact amount from betting on Ash's match.
It felt oddly poetic.
Blue stared at the bills in disbelief. "He… he really just handed me a hundred grand."
"I, Blue, have been 'working hard' all this time and never even saw this much…"
She muttered to herself with mock frustration. "Damn rich guy…"
"Hm? You say something?"
"No, no. Thank you for your generous patronage~!"
With a twirl, Blue quickly stashed the cash into her bag as if afraid he'd change his mind.
End of the Chapter.
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