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The SS Anne is huge, overwhelmingly so. There are so many trainers, all restless and jumping for battles, and it’s so loud. No wonder Bill didn’t want to come here.
You’ve never been good with crowds, all the voices in a cacophony, jumbling together; all the people jostling about, as you try to weave through without touching anyone; and the overwhelming, suffocating pressure to be normal and socialise, unsaid but heavy in the air like a Poison Gas. You strongly consider finding somewhere to hide until the party’s over.
At least it’s filled your wallet for the time being — everyone underestimates the unassuming child, who timidly avoids eye contact and barely speaks, only ever softly with a stutter, who jumps at every touch and sound, who proceeds to win every battle overwhelmingly but mutedly. You’ve always been better with Pokémon. Pokémon don’t have huge parties like these. Pokémon don’t like to be startled. You like being around Pokémon.
You decide to get some fresh air. According to the books you’ve read, people are allowed to go up to the upper deck. That one movie had a couple T-posing at the bow, as pointed out by your friend (rival? enemy?) Blue once during movie night at his place. You can’t help but wonder how he’s doing; the last time you met, you swept his team with your newly evolved Ivysaur. He appears to not have had much trouble with Misty’s gym despite Charmeleon’s obvious type disadvantage.
You soon manage to find the stairs, and head outside. It’s rather bright, but the sea breeze is chilly, sending a light shiver through your body. At least the upper deck seems to be notably quieter. Apparently there was a party here just now, but it seems to have just ended. You came at the right time, then. You gaze out over Vermillion City, and the neverending expanse of blue sea and sky around it. The large, bustling city beside the ocean, with lots of buildings and construction everywhere, and people everywhere you turn.
Pallet Town was beside the ocean too, but it was small and had trees everywhere. Everyone knew each other in Pallet Town. There was the fat neighbour who kept marvelling at technology. The Professor would let you and Blue onto the roof of the lab to use his telescope if you asked nicely enough. Daisy would always welcome you in her family’s house, even if you were dirty and wet from playing in the grass with her brother after a rainstorm, with baked treats and a change of clothes. Mom would fuss over you every time you came home, and check to make sure you completed your homework before you (and Blue, usually) were allowed to play on the old NES in your room.
You miss home. You miss small, familiar Pallet Town, where everything was the same. The days when it was a constant routine, of going to the small school and playing with your best friend and sneaking around to play with the Pokémon in the lab and Mom’s warmth and —
But that’s bygones, isn’t it? Because you’re far from home, in the big city instead. You’re on a journey, and everything changes every day. It’s not as if things haven’t changed back in Pallet Town either, as much as you want to deny it, to remember Pallet Town as a home which would always be welcoming, which would never change. Blue’s meaner these days and more driven, and always seems to leave you in the dust with his lofty dreams. Professor Oak is getting on in age, no longer able to carry you and Blue easily, no longer able to go out on long expeditions. The world is shifting, and you have no control over it wherever you go.
You hate it, hate this feeling of uncertainty burning in your gut, but it’s part of growing up, so they say. All normal children jump at the chance for a journey, the chance to leave home and travel with a Pokémon partner and find their footing. You’re just another fledgling, and you’ve just been pushed out of the nest, and you’re falling when others fly. Mom wants you to grow up like other children, to embrace this chance that Professor Oak gave you that no other child has. But other children turn from Caterpie to Butterfree with ease. You feel like a Magikarp out of the water instead, and it hurts.
Breathe in, breathe out. You’re 11, you can’t be crying right now! Or, well, you can, no one’s around and you can do whatever you like. Absentmindedly, you reach for your pocket and pull out some Pokéballs. You like the feeling of the small click every time you press the button in the middle, the smooth surface, so perfectly round —
A flash as the Pokéball opens. Oops. When you’re able to open your eyes again a few seconds later, your Ivysaur, Sage, is staring up at you worriedly. You reassure him that you’re alright, just homesick and overwhelmed. He understands. He’s sensitive too. You sit down on the deck, just hugging your partner and staring out at the sea.
At some point, you realise that someone is also sitting on the deck nearby, cradling to their chest an unfamiliar Pokémon, small and green in colour. So much for being alone on the deck. Nevertheless, you’ve never seen a Pokémon quite like this one before, so you scoot over slightly to get a better look.
The person turns towards you. “Oh! Excuse me. How may I help you?”
You bow your head slightly as an apology, before nudging Sage forward to greet the other trainer and his Pokémon as well. The other trainer, dressed mostly in black, appears to be slightly older than you, in their teens, but has surprisingly pale hair, not to mention a strange accent; they’re probably not from Ransei. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. I am Pokémon Trainer, Ingo. This is Axel, he Fraxure.” The words come out smoothly, a bit too smoothly. His Ranseigo doesn’t seem to be too fluent, however. You introduce yourself and Sage in turn.
“Oh, you are also trainer! Bravo! And this is Ivysaur!” Ingo says, eyes shining despite the light frown on his face. “My apologies. I am from faraway Unova. I am here to continue on a new line — that is, to travel world and get stronger. I intend to stay in Kanto for a while, then transit to other line to Johto.”
There is no train service to Johto yet — there is apparently one currently being built in Saffron City, but it’s just started construction. You tell Ingo that, and his eyes just get brighter. “I meant, go to Johto by boat, no train required. My apologies. I like speaking in train...language. I know, it’s rather odd, but I happen to love trains. You say there’s going to be a new train from Kanto to Johto soon? BRAVO! I must visit Kanto again after completion!”
While Ingo is loud, rather than discomfort, you feel encouraged — as if you’ve found a kindred spirit, friendly and enthusiastic and maybe not quite like other people. Maybe, just maybe, just like you. For once, you find the confidence to open up a bit more.
Ingo shows you many different Pokémon, not just Fraxure. A beautiful flaming Pokémon, Chandelure. One with metal blades on its head and paws, Excadrill. One shaped like a gear, Klang. One resembling a pile of trash, Garbodor. One with a giant slab of rock on its back, Crustle. None of them are native to Kanto, but you’re nevertheless diligent in writing down their characteristics, scribbling furiously in your notebook. Professor Oak’s going to be pleased. In turn, you show him your rather meagre team of Pokémon on hand, plus some more Pokédex entries from your fieldwork, all of which he regards with utter fascination.
He’s strange. You learn, in the long time you spend talking, that he has a twin who has already disembarked, who also loves trains and battling. “Alas, Emmet gets seasick rather easily and left too soon! But I imagine he would be quite pleased to meet you, though not without a battle.” Ingo, himself, had come up to the deck to avoid the crowds (like you). You also learn more about trains in that single conversation than you will ever learn for the rest of your life. And about Unova, far across the sea and even further; about his hometown in Anville, small but loud with the constants of trains and weekend railway fanatics. You’re perfectly happy to listen, though. You’re still strange, too, but there’s someone else like you for once, and without realising it, you're feeling comfortable. Maybe boarding the SS Anne wasn’t such a bad idea after all.
Eventually, Ingo leaves first to fetch his luggage and disembark, while you stay behind on the deck to enjoy the sound of the waves for a while longer. When you finally descend from the deck, the party’s mostly over, and the ship is going to leave soon. As you head down the corridor, you spot Blue at the very end, who waves to you before striding over. You can’t help but be grateful that he still remembers to do that, so as to not suddenly startle you, even with your new rivalry and his otherwise mean remarks. You chat for a bit and trade insults, before battling. You win as usual, Sage tanking repeated attacks and your Clefairy and Pidgeotto cleaning up the rest. A few more verbal jabs, and Blue is off on his merry way while you decide to go upstairs and help the poor captain with his sickness.
With the captain feeling better, the SS Anne departs shortly after, and you make a beeline for the Vermillion City Pokémon Centre to rest for the night. You’ve seen so much in one day, and frankly you are overwhelmed — your head is practically spinning. Tomorrow, you’ll do a bit more training, and the day after, you’ll challenge Surge for another badge. Life goes on, changing at every turn — but you’re not the only one struggling with it.
Maybe one day, you’ll go to Unova and repay the favour when you’re stronger. But that’s a long way off. And it’ll be a large change. But it’s one you can expect, one you look forward to.