As soon as they boarded the ship, Eddie separated from Ash, who planned to head directly to the Trainer's battle platform.
It was both entertaining for Ash and a way to ease his tension.
Eddie made his way to his assigned bedroom, quietly memorizing the approximate route and layout as he walked. Though they were here to enjoy themselves, he hadn't forgotten their original purpose.
Ash didn't know who their enemy would be, but Eddie was well aware of how powerful their opponent was. To increase their chances of winning, he needed to familiarize himself with the various environments on the ship.
However, while secretly exploring on his way to his bedroom, he unexpectedly encountered an "acquaintance."
It was the beautiful young girl, wearing an elegant princess-style dress, a delicate lace headdress adorning her short brown hair with subtle gray highlights. Pure white cotton socks wrapped around her slender legs, complemented by a pair of small leather shoes. She looked like a little princess who had stepped out of a fairytale castle.
To be honest, seeing nobles or wealthy heirs dressed this way on the "S.S. Anne" was quite normal. But Eddie recognized this young girl and had communicated with her before his rebirth. Of course, that was in his previous life, so the girl naturally wouldn't recognize Eddie now.
The girl appeared to be just over ten years old, but her cute appearance still attracted attention, with passengers occasionally glancing her way as they passed by. This wasn't meant in any negative way, but simply out of appreciation for something beautiful.
The young girl seemed uncomfortable with the attention. She stood there shyly with her head down, nervously twisting her small hands back and forth, giving off an impression of quiet, honest cuteness. Her sea-blue eyes were clear as gemstones.
"Wow, it seems her father isn't with her. He must have gone to socialize," Eddie thought.
Seeing the girl's discomfort, Eddie considered approaching her to make friends. Although she was just a young girl now, she would become a Pokédex owner in the future. In other words, she would also be a 'protagonist' of sorts.
Besides, Eddie actually wanted to ask about her father.
"I feel that I've gained something special from this trip by meeting a little princess like you on the 'S.S. Anne,'" Eddie said as he approached her. "Hello, my name is Morning Sun. Little princess, may I know your name?"
Eddie always acted on his thoughts without hesitation, addressing the young girl in his kindest tone.
"...Hello, my name is May," she replied softly.
Yes, this young girl was the daughter of Professor Birch, the renowned Pokémon Professor of the Hoenn region.
Of course, in the Pokémon anime that Eddie had watched before crossing over to this world, she was also known as May. However, although May from the anime and May from the manga looked similar, their lives and experiences were completely different.
This could be considered a type of parallel existence in different dimensions.
"May? You're the daughter of the famous Professor Birch from the Hoenn region? It seems the professor must also be on the ship, but aren't you bored here all alone?" Eddie naturally used various conversational tactics to establish rapport, mentioning her father's name to show his knowledge.
May remained shy, but when she heard Eddie praising her father, her opinion of him immediately improved.
"Dad said he would bring me some delicious drinks and asked me to wait here without wandering off, so..."
"Is that so? You look bored standing here alone. Let's play with Pokémon," Eddie suggested, and then released his Grovyle.
Although they were on a ship, wealthy individuals and trainers naturally had their Pokémon with them, and many released their companions to play. As long as they didn't cause trouble, no one would restrict Pokémon from being out.
"Wow~~~ This Pokémon looks very strong! Brother Morning Sun, what's his name?" As Professor Birch's daughter, May had seen many Pokémon, but not many powerful ones. After all, she was still very young, and Professor Birch would naturally avoid exposing her to strong or aggressive Pokémon, which could be dangerous.
"It's called Grovyle, the evolved form of Treecko. Grovyle, why don't you play with May?"
Eddie had released Grovyle with a purpose. After all, Treecko were native to the Hoenn region, and he suspected there might be a connection between his Treecko and Professor Birch.
The starter Pokémon that Professor Birch prepared for new trainers were Treecko, Torchic, and Mudkip, and Eddie's Treecko might have been one prepared by Professor Birch himself.
However, looking at May's reaction, it seemed she had never seen a Treecko before. She didn't react when he mentioned Treecko's name.
Eddie wasn't concerned though. He planned to ask Professor Birch later. For now, he would enjoy playing with May.
The two of them played with Pokémon on the deck. Of course, it was really Eddie and Grovyle entertaining May.
"May, I'm back. Oh? Who are you...?" After Eddie and May had chatted and played for a while, Professor Birch returned.
Seeing his daughter playing with an unfamiliar young man and a very familiar-looking Pokémon, the professor was naturally confused. He had only been gone for about ten minutes, and somehow his daughter had made a new friend?
"Hello, you must be Professor Birch. I noticed May standing alone, so I came over to chat with her," Eddie explained.
"By the way, I haven't introduced myself properly. My name is Morning Sun, and I'm a Rookie Trainer. This is my good friend, Grovyle, who was a Treecko not long ago."
Eddie saw Professor Birch approaching and, after explaining the situation, deliberately emphasized the word "Treecko."
Upon hearing Eddie's name and the mention of Treecko, and after seeing Grovyle's familiar eyes, Professor Birch's pupils contracted momentarily before quickly returning to normal.
Although this reaction lasted only an instant, Eddie had been watching Professor Birch closely and naturally caught the change.
At this moment, Grovyle walked up to Professor Birch, appearing as if he had encountered a long-lost relative. He called out to the professor a few times in a clearly affectionate manner.
Obviously, Grovyle knew Professor Birch, and it seemed the two had quite a good relationship.
"...Well, I didn't expect to see you here, Treecko—no, I should call you Grovyle now. You've evolved in just three days."
Professor Birch, seeing this and noting Eddie's knowing smile, realized he couldn't pretend not to recognize the Pokémon. He began reminiscing with Grovyle, acknowledging their prior connection.