Back in the cabin, Ash was ready to go to sleep.
Brock was sleeping beside his pillow.
"This ship… isn't peaceful."
Half-asleep, Ash heard a voice suddenly echo in his mind. He steadied himself slightly and replied reassuringly,
"Don't worry, Brother Red. You know my personality—safety first in all things."
Red: "?"
Thinking of something, Ash's eyes suddenly lit up with mischief as he teased,
"What—are you scared or something?"
Red: "…"
It seemed necessary to find a day to properly educate this ignorant kid about how he had once single-handedly overturned Team Rocket Headquarters.
Judging by the ship's route—from Vermilion City out to open sea, looping around most of the Kanto region, and finally approaching the outskirts of Lavender Town in the northeast—
Then heading west would lead straight to Saffron City, where Team Rocket's headquarters was located.
Who knew what tricks this world's Team Rocket HQ might have up its sleeve?
Maybe he'd even bring Ash along someday to take a little "tour" of Team Rocket Headquarters.
A playful smile appeared on Red's face.
As for this ship, Red didn't really care much about it. In the eyes of the other two beings, it probably amounted to nothing more than children playing house.
What he truly feared was—
Ash doing something suicidal.
"Well… Mewtwo's still with him. It should be fine."
With that, Red—still in his soul form—slowly drifted into sleep.
Late night. 3:00 a.m.
Sure enough, Ash began showcasing his unique interpretation of the situation.
He had put on a black stealth suit that covered him from head to toe, leaving only his mouth exposed.
His lean build wrapped in a tight black outfit somehow made him look even more like James than Jessie.
This black bodysuit was actually provided in every cabin for guests—advertised as "romantic wear."
Ash didn't understand what kind of romance this was, but Brock, standing nearby, had already turned bright red.
Seeing Brock just holding the outfit, dark-skinned yet blushing, Ash asked curiously,
"Brock, aren't you going to wear it?"
"No need," Brock replied confidently. "I just need a pair of black boxers, and I'll merge perfectly with the night."
Brock turned off the lights to demonstrate.
Sure enough—once he closed his mouth, he practically vanished into the darkness.
They turned the lights back on and checked the time. Ash straightened up and said seriously,
"Alright, here's the plan. There may be criminals on this ship. Our mission is to locate their base and figure out their objective."
Brock nodded. "Over."
Ash asked again solemnly, "This mission could be dangerous. Even so, will you continue, partner?"
Brock nodded again. "Yes, bro."
As a righteous Gym Trainer, if criminals were really plotting something aboard this cruise ship, he couldn't turn a blind eye.
Though he had no idea where Ash's intel came from—
Nor where he'd learned this strange way of speaking. Maybe from one of Professor Oak's lectures?
The two pushed open the door, ready to become shadows in the night—nameless knights of darkness.
Creak.
They stepped into the corridor.
The next second, however, the brilliantly lit, gold-plated hallway made the two pitch-black figures stand out like beacons, instantly becoming the most eye-catching presence around.
A few passing party boys even whistled at them suggestively.
That outfit's pretty spicy!
Kids these days sure play wild!
Brock scratched his head. "Oh… I forgot. The S.S. Anne keeps the lights on 25 hours a day."
Going to sleep at 3 a.m.?
What, living a healthy lifestyle?
All-nighters cost nothing. Sudden death just means restarting next life.
Where leaves dance, fire lives on—such is the law of the universe.
Ash: "…"
They hurried back to the room and changed into their normal clothes.
After this completely pointless interlude, the two returned to the main hall.
The S.S. Anne offered 25-hour service. Aside from a few specialty shops that only opened during peak hours, there was no such thing as nighttime stealth.
For example, Ash had heard earlier about a shop that only opened in the evening, selling ultra-rare Golden Magikarp. That sounded interesting.
"So… Plan B," Ash said. "Sneak onto the deck, ambush a couple of crew members, steal their uniforms, and check out the captain's quarters?"
Brock actually wanted to experience a bit of the decadent adult world too, but his sense of justice prevailed.
"Over."
On the way to the deck, they encountered someone unexpected.
A spiky-haired boy with an arrogant expression.
Beside him was a voluptuous woman, more than half a head taller than he was, held snugly in his arm.
"Oh? Isn't this my hometown pals?" Gary said smugly. "Let me introduce you—this is my new girlfriend."
"Her name is Bingmeng Liuli·Rose Tear·Love琴Ai·J·Sunny Rain. You can just call her Xiaohua."
"Girlfriend?!"
"New?!"
Their expressions changed instantly—especially Ash, who trembled with rage, pointing accusingly at him.
"You've fallen, Gary! To fall because of a woman—don't ever say you're my rival again!"
Gary scoffed.
"Oh please. And you've got the nerve to talk? Aren't you hiding a woman on you too?"
Ash: "?"
Pikachu's female?
Seeing Ash's innocent look, Gary grew even more smug.
"Still pretending? I know everything. Tell that woman called 'Red' to come out and see me."
"She's my sister-in-law, after all—I should at least greet her properly."
"?!"
Ash's jaw dropped.
So… Brother Red was actually Sister Red?
For a brief moment, he almost believed it.
After all, he'd never actually asked Red's gender—he'd just assumed based on the voice.
No wonder Red always seemed a little… emotionally stirred whenever Ash called him "Brother Red."
Did I get the title wrong?
So should it be Sister Red now?
Wait—how does Gary even know Red is inside me?
And what's this "sister-in-law" nonsense?
"…?"
A chain of question marks echoed in Ash's mind, startling Red awake as well—he was even more shocked than Ash.
Ash shook his head vigorously and protested,
"Everything needs evidence! Don't slander people! My Brother Red is a fully equipped macho man!"
Gary smiled faintly, confidence radiating from him.
"Hah. I've heard Green talk about their past. He didn't spell it out, but based on the descriptions—and my years of experience changing girlfriends weekly—their relationship is clearly…"
"A couple."
Green: "?"
Red: "?"
Ash: "So that's how it is."
The moment the words fell, black mist poured out of Gary's seven orifices, instantly engulfing him.
His expression twisted back and forth—arrogance, rage, madness—like someone on the verge of possession.
The next second, Gary's eyes snapped open.
His aura and demeanor changed completely.
The former wild arrogance vanished, replaced by deep restraint and calm wisdom, as though boundless insight lay behind his gaze.
The pressure of a true powerhouse washed over the area, forcing everyone nearby to instinctively step back.
His brows, however, were deeply furrowed.
"Spirit possession?!" Brock blurted out.
He'd seen this state once before—on Ash.
Same body, but a completely different presence.
This "Gary" pushed the woman beside him away gently, then nodded apologetically toward Ash and Brock.
"My apologies. I'll discipline him properly when we return."
Green, now in control, spoke coldly. His expression was grim.
He hadn't expected Gary to be hiding this trump card.
Now he wasn't just disgusting the enemy—he was disgusting his own side too?!
Even Green felt like finding a grave and burying himself.
Ash suddenly realized and blurted out,
"Oh! You're Brother Green, right? My Sister Red's old—"
Before he could finish, an overwhelming dizziness struck him. His vision went dark.
The next moment, he found himself in a pitch-black, mysterious space.
Ash could no longer control his body, but his five senses still functioned.
Red had taken over.
When Red opened his eyes, his pressure exploded outward like a breached dam, flooding the entire hall.
His aura rivaled Green's—if not subtly overwhelming it.
The collision of their presences froze the banquet hall in an instant.
Every guest felt a chill run down their spine, as if a ferocious beast had locked onto them.
Just as quickly, both men retracted their auras, shutting down their "engines," simply gazing at each other in silence.
Yet the invisible clash between them felt even fiercer than before.
This was their first true face-to-face confrontation since coming to this world.
"Double possession?!" Brock gasped, eyes wide.
"L-lovers meeting?!"
From the first-person perspective, Ash and Gary laughed at the same time.
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