Forward, to the SS Lapras!

"So, where�re we going?" Out on Lucinda St. of Vermilion, Dark had to ask. She�d been gone too long to have any idea what was happening.

"Well," Cass replied, "the clue points to the volcano-Kamisama- on Cinnabar Island. We�re taking the SS Lapras from here in about twenty minutes."

"Do we have tickets?" Cass flashed three red tickets from her pocket. The reader realizes that it was never explained how she got them. "Well, while I was at this bus station, I bought these also. I think our pokemon need a vacation. Cinnabar is perfect."

They reached the pier. Hundreds of pokemon trainers waited eagerly to board the SS Lapras.

The ship floated gently in the harbor, it bobbed proudly and dwarfed the others. It was an immense blue and white ship, naturally. A golden, shining Lapras hung with its mouth open on the bow. Curly silver letter spelled out the ship�s name on either side of the bow and stern.

"Ladies and gents, pokemon trainers of all ages!" A man stood on the bow of the boat, announcing to the crowd. "Welcome! I am Captain Ebb. I�ll be your captain for the cruise! We will go straight to Cinnabar Island, a trip estimated to take four days. There will be the annual Lapras cup put on by the cruise line!" The crowd roared.

"Cass, what would that be?"

Kaumi stopped Cass as to lecture Dark; he seemed to have an expertise in the area. "The Lapras cup is a yearly competition that the cruise line sponsors."

"You would know."

"Yes. I�ve lived here. Now, it�s not just any tournament. The winner gets a blue Lapras trophy and free cash for their vacation! Everyone on board participates, like it or not."

Cass�s eyes shimmered with thought. "Wow�I could win this�"

"Don�t bet on it." Cass narrowed her eyes at Dark, who mirrored her face. "Just joking."

What seemed to be a decade later, the three main entrances opened up. People poured on. Kaumi, Cass, and Dark linked hands and made their way up a ramp and into the far-left entrance. Their rooms were up a level.

Dark ran into hers and dropped her bag. Everything had a theme: blue and water. The bed was a waterbed, the walls done up with fishing trophies, and everything was blue. The headboard on her bed had a grinning Lapras engraved upon it, the ship�s logo.

A door opened from either side of the room. Dark saw Cass on the left and Kaumi on the right.

Cass beamed. "Wow! It�s different than mine! We have adjoined rooms, too!"

Kaumi gave a thumbs up, and ran back to his own room, closing the door. Dark saw another door near Cass�s. "Hey, that must be the bathroom." Cass turned into the room, and they went in together. The room held a large white Jacuzzi tub and matching sink. Blue towels and washcloths hung everywhere.

Cass laughed with joy. "This is better than I imagined! Four days of this! Wow!"

Kaumi was standing behind them, they realized. "I have one in my room too. I think there�s one for every two rooms. You two get this one. And, erm, Cass?"

"Hm?"

"How much did you spend on these rooms? They are first-class."

Cass sweatdropped and tried to back away. Dark seized her elbow. "Talk, girl."

"Uh�eh-heh�They were��7000* each�"

* $1 equals approximately �115 (as of Fall 2001)

"WHAT?!" Dark slapped her out of instinct. "Where on earth did you get the idea we could afford this?!"

"We had the money�" Cass nervously poked her index fingers together.

"But we need it! You wasted it! Cass I�ll-" Dark sighed and walked back into her room. "No use now. Hey, I�m taking my pokemon across the way to have them healed, you two coming?"

Each of them grabbed their bags and headed out. Dark reached a round yellow machine with letters proclaiming: Heal Your Own Pokemon Here ↓

There were six circular slots in the machine. Dark unhooked her pokeballs from her hip chain and filled five of the holes. After a while, all of everyone�s pokemon were healed.

"Now, for their vacation." Cass and Kaumi curiously followed Dark down the hall. She entered a room where a woman waited at a desk.

"Hello! How can I help you?" Dark glanced around. She told the woman the name of each pokemon and its type. "Right away." Everyone reluctantly handed her their pokeballs. She sorted them out and put them in different slots. "Your pokemon will go to rooms specialized for their type. You can pick them up tomorrow morning." She smiled kindly.

As they walked out, Cass questioned Dark, "How do you know so much about this ship?"

Dark smiled. "I looked it up when I was in the city. I came right back here after I left you two. I got the stone, learned your destination, looked into the SS Lapras, and got more lines from the poem that leads you to these stones."

"What do the stones do?"

Kaumi cut in, "Daisy. Don�t forget. We can ask her."

"Waterflower? She�s been missing for years," Dark reminded him.

He blushed sheepishly. "Yeah, but we�re gonna find her."