Chapter 49 Send the Woman Named Chi Out to See Me

Back in the room, Ash was getting ready for sleep.
Sleeping right beside his pillow was Brock.
...
"This ship is not at all peaceful..."
Half-asleep, hearing the voice suddenly ringing in his mind, Ash steadied himself slightly and offered reassurance:
"Don't be afraid, Brother Red. You know my personality—safety first in all things."
Red: "?"
Thinking of something, Ash suddenly flashed a sly look, smiling and teasing: "What, could it be that you're scared...?"
Red: "..."
It seemed necessary to find a day to give this ignorant boy a little lecture on how he single-handedly stormed and overturned the Team Rocket headquarters...
According to this ship's sailing route, it would travel from Vermilion City to the open sea, cruise around a large part of the Kanto region, and arrive at the outskirts of Lavender Town in the northeast...
Continuing west would lead to Saffron City, where the Team Rocket headquarters was located.
I wonder what kind of tricks the Team Rocket of this world could pull off...?
Should he also take Ash along for a tour of the Team Rocket headquarters when the time comes?
A playful expression appeared on Red's face.
As for this ship, Red truly didn't care about it at all. To those other two eyes, it was likely no different from children playing games.
What he truly feared was Ash courting death.
"Whatever, Mewtwo is stored inside him anyway, so there shouldn't be any major problems..."
In his soul state, Red began to drift into a deep sleep.
...
Late at night, 3:00 AM.
Sure enough, Ash began showing off his brilliant comprehension.
He was seen donning a full set of black stealth gear, covering him from head to toe with only his mouth exposed.
His lean, well-defined muscles paired with the tight black bodysuit made him look even more professional than Jessie and James combined.
This set of black tights was provided as room attire for guests, rumored to have a romantic and alluring effect. Ash didn't understand it, but it made Brock blush furiously beside him.
Seeing Brock just holding the outfit with a dark yet glowing red face, Ash asked in confusion:
"Teacher Brock, aren't you going to wear yours?"
"No need. I only need to put on a pair of black swim trunks to seamlessly merge with the night."
Dressed only in large black trunks, he tried turning off the room lights, and sure enough, keeping his mouth shut allowed him to blend completely into the darkness.
Then the two turned the lights back on, synchronized their watches, and Ash said solemnly:
"Alright, let's go over the plan. There might be criminals on this ship, and our mission is to find their lair and uncover their motives."
Brock nodded: "Over."
Ash asked with utmost seriousness once again: "This mission might be dangerous. Even so, will you persist, bro?"
Brock nodded again: "Yes, bro!"
As a righteous gym leader, if criminals were truly gathering on this cruise ship to cause trouble, it was his unshirkable duty.
Though he had no idea where Ash got his intelligence from...
...
Deep in the night, the two exchanged glances and nodded gently.
They then pushed open the door, preparing to become stealthy prowlers of the night, shadow knights of the dark.
"Creak."
The door opened, and the two pitch-black figures stepped into the hallway.
The next second, the luxurious, brightly lit corridor made their all-black attire exceptionally conspicuous, instantly turning them into the flashiest beings in the crowd.
A few passing young punks even whistled at them with ambiguous intent.
Classic cosplay failure.
Brock: "Oh, I forgot. The S.S. Anne keeps its lights on 25 hours a day."
Sleeping at 3 AM?
What kind of wellness routine was this?
Staying up all night is never a loss, dying of overwork means starting over in the next life.
Where the leaves dance, fire burns endlessly—this is the fundamental law of the great universe.
Ash: "..."
The two hurriedly scurried back into their room in embarrassment to change back into their regular clothes.
...
...
After this brief interlude, the two changed back into their own clothes and headed out to the main hall.
The S.S. Anne provided services 25 hours a day. Aside from a few specialty shops that only opened during peak hours, nighttime stealth was a complete non-starter.
For instance, Ash had heard that morning about a shop that specifically opened at dusk to sell ultra-rare golden Magikarp, which sounded somewhat interesting.
"So, is Plan B to head to the deck, ambush a couple of crew members to steal a uniform, and then take a stroll around the captain's cabin?"
Although Brock also wanted to indulge in the decadent adult world over there, his sense of justice still drove him to stay the course.
"Over."
However, on their way to the deck, the two ran into an unexpected person.
It was a spiky-haired boy with an arrogant expression.
Beside him, he was embracing a graceful woman half a head taller than him.
"Oh well, if it isn't our hometown folks! Let me introduce you, this is my newly made girlfriend, Ice-Dream-Glaze Rose-Tears Love-Harp J. Rainy Sky, though you can also call her little flower."
Gary introduced quite proudly.
"Girlfriend...?! "
"Newly made...?!"
The expressions of the two changed instantly, especially Ash, who was trembling with anger, pointing a shaky finger at him.
"You've fallen, Gary, actually falling because of a woman! Don't ever go out and say you're my rival again!"
Hearing this, Gary just smiled disdainfully and mocked:
"Tsk tsk, you have the nerve to lecture me? Aren't you hiding a woman on yourself?"
Ash: "?"
Pikachu is female?
Seeing the latter's innocent expression, Gary became even more smug.
"Still playing dumb? I know everything. Let that woman named 'Red' come out and meet me. She's technically my sister-in-law anyway, I should pay my respects."
"!???"
Ash was immensely shocked.
Turns out Brother Red was actually Sister Red all along?
For a split second, he actually believed it. After all, he had never asked about Red's gender, simply making a wishful judgment based on the voice alone.
No wonder every time he called him Brother Red, he could distinctly feel a slight emotional fluctuation from him.
Turns out I was using the wrong form of address?
Should I call her Sister Red from now on?
Wait, how does he know Brother Red is inside me?
And what on earth is this sister-in-law nonsense?
A series of question marks dragged the sleeping Red awake as well, and he was even more shocked than Ash.
Ash hurriedly shook his head and couldn't help refuting:
"Everything requires evidence, don't talk nonsense! My Brother Red is a hardcore tough guy with a real man's parts!"
Hearing this, Gary smiled faintly, as if victory was already in his grasp.
"Hmph, I've already heard Green big brother talk about their experiences. Though he didn't explicitly state it, through various signs, combined with my years of experience of having one girlfriend a week, their relationship should be..."
"Little sweethearts!"
Green: "?"
Red: "?"
Ash: "Is that really how it is?"
As the words fell, a cluster of black mist welled up from Gary's seven orifices, instantly enveloping him.
His expression shifted rapidly back and forth, as if he had suffered a cultivation deviation and gone mad.
The next second, he opened his eyes, his expression and aura changing abruptly.
His original arrogance and haughtiness transformed into extreme introversion and depth, his eyes seeming to hold profound wisdom when looking at anything.
An aura of a supreme powerhouse rushed forth, forcing everyone present to take a step back.
Only, his brows were furrowed deeply, very deeply.
"Possession by a deity?!"
Brock blurted out.
He had seen this state once before on Ash. Although the appearance didn't change, both the temperament and personality were completely different.
Only to see this Gary shoving the woman beside him aside, then slowly nodding toward the two to show his apology.
"Hmph, I'll properly discipline him when I get back."
Green, having switched control of the body, snorted coldly.
He hadn't expected Gary to have such a trick hidden up his sleeve.
Now, was he going to disgust not only the enemy, but his own people as well?
Even he wanted to find a grave and bury himself.
"Oh oh, so you're that Green big brother? My Sister Red's hus..."
Before Ash could finish his sentence, a wave of intense dizziness washed over his mind, and his vision began to darken.
The next second, he had entered a mystical, pitch-dark space.
Ash could no longer control his body, but he could perceive the surrounding information through his five senses.
Red had also switched to take control of the body.
As he opened his eyes, the overpowering spiritual pressure of a powerhouse surged uncontrollably like a broken dam, sweeping across the entire area.
The momentum erupting from his body was not a whit inferior to Green's, and even faintly suppressed him.
"..."
Under the collision of auras, the entire banquet hall instantly froze into a chilling silence.
Everyone felt a chill run down their spines, as if they had been targeted by some ferocious beast.
Yet, in an instant, both of them retracted their leaking powerhouse auras simultaneously, shutting down their engines, and merely stared quietly at each other.
However, the collision in momentum felt even more intense than just a moment ago.
This was their very first frontal clash in this world.
...
"Double... Double divine possession?!"
Brock, viewing from the third-person perspective, widened his eyes in sheer terror.
"Lovers... Lovers meeting?!"
Ash and Gary, from their first-person perspectives, both burst out laughing simultaneously.