Setting Out

Just a day before Yuga was set to depart, Rand suddenly approached him and asked if he could accompany him to Johto.

Baffled, Yuga asked, "Why do you want to go to Johto?"

Rand replied, "I want to see it."

What a mighty reason that was.

In this vast world, he wanted to see it, huh?

Rand knew about this all because when he came over to play, Suzuki Koen happened to mention it unintentionally.

With the Trainers' School in the midst of its summer break, Yuga suspected that if Luna hadn't gone to her grandparents' place, he wouldn't be the only one heading there right now.

Helplessly, Yuga said, "Even if I agree to take you, your dad won't."

That's right, what parent would feel at ease letting their six-year-old child wander around with others? Uncle Keith definitely wouldn't approve.

Rand responded, "My dad said that as long as you're okay with it, he has no objections."

Hearing Rand's words, Yuga's jaw dropped. Seriously? He could agree to this?

What Yuga didn't know was that since he had reopened his Daycare, he had become a reliable good kid in the eyes of the neighbors. With the addition of taming the Great Flygon, Uncle Keith's trust in him had grown even stronger.

Yuga pulled Rand close and spoke earnestly, "Rand, the outside world isn't all fun; it's also dangerous. How about we stay at home instead?"

Listening to Yuga's words, Rand remained silent. He just blinked his watery eyes, staring at Yuga without blinking.

In the end, Yuga surrendered and agreed to take him along.

Yuga: "But we have a deal. Once we're there, you must stick close to me the whole time. No wandering off. Otherwise, if you get lost, I won't be responsible. It's not like Hoenn there, and it's definitely not like Verdanturf Town. If you get lost, you might not find your way back."

While Rand still maintained his poker face, he obediently nodded, appearing much cuter.

A week before the conference began, Yuga set off.

First, he and Rand took a plane to Lilycove City, planning to take a boat from there to Goldenroad City in Johto.

Lilycove City was a famous city in Hoenn Region. Before Mauville City developed, Lilycove City had been the largest city in the region.

The ship Yuga and Rand were to board was named "Breaking Wave." It was a relatively luxurious large cruise ship.

As they boarded the ship, Yuga held Budew in his arms and held Rand's hand. He said to him, "Hold my hand tightly. It's crowded here; be careful not to get lost."

Rand nodded, then turned around and said to the little Blitzle following behind him, "Blitzle, stay close to me."

"Blitzle!"

Blitzle let out a soft call and obediently followed behind Rand.

There were many people, like Yuga and Rand, who kept their Pokémon by their side without storing them in Poké Balls. Especially for these small-sized Pokémon, many people had one with them.

Many modes of transportation, including buses, planes, ships, and trains, didn't mind these small-sized Pokémon accompanying their owners on board, as long as the Pokémon didn't cause any trouble.

After smoothly boarding, Yuga and Rand were guided by the ship's staff to their room on board.

It would take at least five days to travel from Hoenn to Johto by boat. As such, each passenger on the ship had their own room.

Not long after Yuga and Rand had boarded the ship, it set sail.

After placing their luggage in the room, Yuga brought Rand to the ship's deck.

It was Yuga's first time seeing the ocean in the Pokémon world. Although Hoenn was abundant in oceans, Verdanturf Town was inland within Hoenn. Therefore, there was zero chance to see the ocean there.

Looking at the azure sea before him, Yuga took a deep breath, feeling the moist humidity in the air and the faint scent of the sea.

Leaning against the railing, Yuga asked Rand, "Rand, have you seen the sea before?"

Rand shook his head, indicating he hadn't.

With a smile, Yuga said, "So, what does it feel like to see the sea for the first time?"

Rand responded, "Big."

Yuga chuckled at Rand's straightforwardness, "You're quite honest. But you're right. It is indeed big. Not only is this ocean vast, but our Pokémon world is even larger. When you can travel to different places around the world, you'll find that it's much bigger than you imagined."

Both Yuga and Rand stared at the sea with curiosity on their faces. Even Budew and Blitzle widened their eyes in curiosity, gazing at the vast expanse of water before them.

Suddenly, a Mantine soared out of the water with a small Remoraid, gliding just above the surface for a while before diving back into the water.

Surprised, Yuga pointed to the spot where the Mantine had appeared, saying, "Look, it's a Mantine with a Remoraid!"

Although Rand didn't speak, his expression revealed his excitement.

After the Mantine and Remoraid had returned to the water, Yuga said regretfully, "This is the first time I've seen a Mantine and Remoraid!"

Rand added, "Me too. I've only seen them in textbooks at school."

Not only the Mantine and Remoraid, but there were also many Wingull flying around the ship from time to time, occasionally perching on the railings to beg for food from the passengers.

All of this was scenery unseen inland.

As the ship sailed further away from the land, Yuga and Rand spotted various Pokémon they had never seen before in the waters along the way.

Groups of Luvdisc swimming leisurely, fleeting Gorefish, carefree Tentacool, and fierce Sharpedo – all of these widened Yuga and Rand's horizons.

Yuga touched the forehead of Budew in his arms and asked, "Budew, are you having fun today?"

"Budew!"

Budew closed its eyes with delight, clearly satisfied with today's experience.

After spending a long time on the deck, Yuga started feeling a bit tired. He turned to Rand and asked, "Are you hungry? How about we go to the restaurant and get something to eat?"

This medium-sized luxury cruise ship had various options for eating, drinking, and entertainment on board, though most of it was in the paid area.

Once they arrived at the restaurant, Yuga found a seat and ordered noodles and grilled meat for himself and Rand. He also ordered fruit juice for Budew and Moomoo Milk for Blitzle.

While eating noodles, Yuga said to Rand, "Being idle on the ship is a bit boring. How about we go fishing tomorrow? Maybe we can even catch some good Water-type Pokémon."

A while back, Yuga had obtained Green-grade Super Fishing Rods from the Trainer's Store during a system refresh. At that time, he didn't think they were very useful, but since they were rare Green-grade items, he bought all five. He had stashed them in his system backpack, and today, they finally came in handy.