Vermilion City

Vermilion City’s required main quest should show Red that opening a city to the world can create wealth, movement, and opportunity, but also distance families, weaken local memory, and make ordinary people vulnerable to exploitation.

The quest should guarantee four things:

Vermilion is established as Kanto’s international port city.
The S.S. Anne is shown from both sides: luxury above deck, labor below deck.
Red helps one sailor give time back to his family.
Team Rocket’s operation shifts from scouting and theft to logistics, smuggling, and corruption.

Vermilion City Main Quest Beat Sheet

Location Purpose

Vermilion City should drastically widen the scale of Red’s journey.

Pallet, Viridian, Pewter, Mt. Moon, and Cerulean were all local in different ways. Vermilion is the first city that makes Kanto feel connected to a larger world.

Ships arrive from Johto, Hoenn, and other regions. Goods, tourists, sailors, foreign food, tools, rumors, investors, and Trainers all pass through the port.

The city’s promise is real:

The world is large, and here you can taste a piece of it.

But Vermilion’s hidden wound is continuity.

The city is alive, fascinating, and full of opportunity, but it is slowly losing parts of itself:

old shops close
traditional homes are sold or demolished
families depend on work that keeps them apart
local craft is replaced by cheap imported goods
the old harbor district becomes tourist-facing
people call it progress, but not everyone can keep up

The central question is:

Can a city open itself to the world without forgetting who it was?

The emotional question is simpler:

What does a family need in order to stay together?

Required Main Quest Flow

1. Arrival from Route 6

Location: Northern entrance of Vermilion City
Required: Yes
Outcome: Fixed

Red arrives in Vermilion from Route 6.

The city should feel louder and more international than anything before it. Red hears ship horns, dock announcements, vendors calling out foreign goods, sailors arguing over schedules, tourists asking for the S.S. Anne, and workers moving cargo with Pokémon.

The first visual contrast should be clear:

the old harbor district has wooden houses, family shops, nets, small boats, faded signs, and children playing near crates
the new commercial district has warehouses, cranes, hotels, customs offices, souvenir shops, importers, and passenger terminals

An NPC can frame the city:

“Vermilion used to smell like salt and fish. Now it smells like fuel, foreign spices, and money.”

This establishes Vermilion’s promise and wound without stopping Red for a lecture.

2. Pass Through the Old Harbor District

Location: Old harbor district
Required: Yes
Outcome: Fixed

To reach the S.S. Anne pier, Red must pass through the old harbor district.

This area shows what Vermilion used to be:

small family shops
fishing tools and handmade nets
old warehouses
low homes made of wood and stone
sailors greeting neighbors by name
“for sale” or “future redevelopment” signs
a small construction site where a man and his Machoke are building a house

Red sees that the district is not dead. It is still beautiful and lived-in, but fragile.

The state change is spatial:

Red reaches the port approach while understanding that the new city is growing around an older one.

3. Reach the New Port District

Location: New commercial port
Required: Yes
Outcome: Fixed

Red enters the modern port district.

This area should feel efficient, useful, and exciting, not simply bad.

Red sees:

imported food from Johto
foreign tools and spices
mass-produced souvenirs
hotel workers and tourists
customs officers
modern warehouses
passenger queues for the S.S. Anne
sailors loading cargo
Trainers from other regions

The contrast is not “old good, new bad.”

The new port brings:

work
tourism
cultural exchange
fresh goods
contact with other regions
opportunity for young merchants
revenue for the city

But Red should also see pressure:

old shops undercut by cheap goods
families depending on unstable port work
customs officers overwhelmed
small workers afraid to lose their jobs
cargo moving too quickly to inspect everything

This sets up why Team Rocket can operate here.

4. Meet the Local Sailor

Location: S.S. Anne pier / old harbor edge
Required: Yes
Outcome: Fixed

Red meets a local sailor who works on the S.S. Anne.

The sailor has a family in Vermilion: a spouse, a young child, and possibly an elderly parent. He is a good person, but he is almost always away or on duty.

He works on the ship because it is one of the few stable jobs left.

He earns enough to support the family, but the price is absence.

The sailor promised his family one full day together before the S.S. Anne departs again. Then he is called in for extra work aboard the ship.

He cannot easily refuse:

he fears losing the job
he has debts
the old district is struggling
his family depends on his pay
a superior does not want excuses

Possible sailor dialogue:

“I keep bringing gifts home from every port. Johto sweets, little toys, pretty shells. My kid smiles, but I know what they really want. They want me there.”

This is the emotional center of Vermilion.

5. Red Takes the Sailor’s Shift

Location: S.S. Anne gangway
Required: Yes
Outcome: Fixed

Red offers to cover some simple duties aboard the S.S. Anne so the sailor can spend the day with his family.

This should not feel like Red solving Vermilion’s entire economic crisis. It is a small concrete act:

giving time back to a family.

The sailor gives Red temporary worker access or asks a sympathetic crew member to let Red help.

The state change is clear:

Red boards the S.S. Anne not as a luxury guest, but as temporary crew.

6. Board the S.S. Anne Below Deck

Location: S.S. Anne lower deck / service corridors
Required: Yes
Outcome: Fixed

Red first sees the S.S. Anne from the labor side.

Below deck represents:

work
fatigue
invisible crew
long shifts
cargo rooms
cramped corridors
homesickness
suspicious goods
moral compromises

Red receives simple duties:

deliver packages between cabins
help in the kitchen
bring tools to the deck
check a storage room
guide a passenger
recover a runaway Pokémon
move luggage
help a tired sailor
assist the captain

These tasks let Red move through the ship naturally while seeing its two faces.

7. See the S.S. Anne Above Deck

Location: S.S. Anne passenger decks
Required: Yes
Outcome: Fixed

During his duties, Red crosses into the passenger areas.

Above deck represents:

luxury
prestige
travel
wealth
tourism
elegant Trainers
rare products
international food
encounters with people from other regions

This contrast is essential:

For some people, travel is pleasure. For others, it is necessity.

Red does not need a speech about this. The ship layout teaches it.

The state change is experiential:

Red has now seen both the public fantasy of the ship and the labor that keeps it moving.

8. Blue Finds Red Working

Location: S.S. Anne passenger deck / dining hall
Required: Yes
Outcome: Fixed

Blue encounters Red while Red is dressed as temporary crew or doing sailor work.

Blue can tease him:

“I didn’t know your big Trainer journey included serving soup to passengers.”

Or:

“I’m looking for strong Trainers to battle. You found a part-time job?”

This scene develops Blue without overexplaining him.

Blue sees the journey as progression:

stronger Pokémon
better opponents
more badges
visible achievements

Red is beginning to see the journey as a relationship with the world.

Blue does not understand why Red is spending time on someone else’s family problem.

The state change is relational:

Blue and Red’s rivalry now includes a difference in values, not only strength.

9. Discover Irregular Cargo

Location: S.S. Anne storage rooms / customs checkpoint
Required: Yes
Outcome: Fixed

While completing crew duties, Red notices something wrong.

Possible clues:

crates without proper records
passengers too interested in specific cargo
a customs officer avoiding an inspection
a nervous sailor
Pokémon hidden in containers
objects from Mt. Moon
modified Poké Balls
a symbol or code tied to Team Rocket

The discovery should come from Red doing the sailor’s work.

Because he is helping below deck, he sees what ordinary passengers miss.

The state change is clear:

Red now suspects that Team Rocket is using the S.S. Anne and Vermilion’s port traffic for smuggling.

10. Follow the Smuggling Trail

Location: Lower deck / cargo hold / customs office
Required: Yes
Outcome: Fixed

Red follows the irregular cargo trail.

Team Rocket’s Vermilion operation is different from Cerulean’s.

In Cerulean, Rocket scouted talent and rare information.

In Vermilion, Rocket moves things:

stolen Pokémon
fossils or fragments from Mt. Moon
illegal tools
falsified documents
modified Poké Balls
smuggled goods hidden among legal imports
research materials acquired elsewhere

Rocket exploits the port’s complexity:

too many crates
too many passengers
too many departures
too many commercial interests
too many workers afraid of losing their jobs

Rocket’s logic:

Where a community is under economic pressure, Rocket offers shortcuts.

11. Confront the Rocket Cell

Location: S.S. Anne cargo hold / restricted storage
Required: Yes
Outcome: Fixed

Red confronts a small Rocket cell aboard the S.S. Anne.

This should not feel like destroying Rocket’s entire Vermilion operation. It is one exposed shipment.

Possible Rocket dialogue:

“Ports are perfect. Everyone’s moving something. No one asks too many questions if the paperwork looks right.”

Red battles the Rocket members or their local accomplice.

Possible accomplice:

a corrupt customs officer
a blackmailed sailor
a warehouse intermediary
a merchant using Rocket to stay competitive

Red stops the shipment.

Possible recovered cargo:

stolen Pokémon
Moon Stones or fossil fragments
illegal devices
forged customs papers
modified Poké Balls

The state change is clear:

One Rocket shipment is stopped, but the larger port network remains a future threat.

12. Help the Captain

Location: Captain’s cabin
Required: Yes
Outcome: Fixed

After the Rocket incident or during the ship duties, Red helps the captain.

This preserves the classic S.S. Anne progression beat.

The captain is seasick, exhausted, or overwhelmed by the departure schedule. Red helps him recover or assists with a simple task.

In return, the captain gives Red the required traversal reward.

Possible reward:

Cut / HM01
a travel pass
a captain’s clearance note
another progression item appropriate to the remake

The state change is practical:

Red receives what he needs to continue through Kanto’s route structure.

13. The Sailor Gets His Day

Location: Old harbor district / sailor’s home
Required: Yes
Outcome: Fixed

Red returns from the S.S. Anne and sees the sailor with his family.

The sailor has not solved his life. He still has to work. The ship will still leave. Vermilion is still changing.

But one day was returned.

The family’s reaction should be small and grounded:

the child wants to show him something
the spouse is relieved but worried
an elderly parent says the house feels full again
the sailor admits gifts were never enough

This is Vermilion’s emotional victory.

Red learns that presence matters.

14. The S.S. Anne Departs

Location: Vermilion pier
Required: Yes
Outcome: Fixed

The S.S. Anne departs.

This should feel bittersweet, not triumphant.

Red stopped one Rocket shipment and helped one family, but the city’s larger forces continue:

the ship still leaves
the sailor may have to board again soon
the old district remains fragile
Rocket’s network is not destroyed
Vermilion continues changing

The visible win is partial:

a family had time together
some Pokémon or illegal goods were recovered
a corrupt contact may be exposed
Red better understands how Rocket operates

15. Lt. Surge Blocks the Next Step

Location: Vermilion Gym / new port district
Required: Yes
Outcome: Fixed

Lt. Surge remains the Gym Leader of Vermilion.

His role can stay somewhat separate from the sailor’s emotional quest, but he should reflect the city’s character.

Surge represents:

discipline
toughness
command
efficiency
military mentality
strength as an answer to instability

His Gym can be associated with the new port district: electricity, cranes, cargo systems, ship power, infrastructure, switches, and controlled movement.

Surge’s worldview:

“In port or at sea, hesitation gets people hurt.”

Red may respect Surge’s strength, but he should not fully absorb his philosophy.

The state change is structural:

After the S.S. Anne arc, Red is ready to challenge the Vermilion Gym.

16. Challenge Lt. Surge

Location: Vermilion Gym
Required: Yes
Outcome: Fixed

Red challenges Lt. Surge.

The Gym battle should feel like a test of discipline and pressure.

Surge is not the emotional center of Vermilion, but he is the city’s hard edge: the belief that movement, efficiency, and strength are what keep people alive.

Before battle:

“Ships don’t wait. Storms don’t wait. If you freeze when the lights go out, you’re done. Show me you can move under pressure.”

Red battles Surge.

17. Win the Thunder Badge

Location: Vermilion Gym
Required: Yes
Outcome: Fixed

After Red defeats Surge, he receives the Thunder Badge and a TM.

Surge acknowledges Red’s strength, but the badge should not overwrite the city’s real lesson.

Possible post-battle dialogue:

“You’ve got nerve. That matters. But nerve won’t keep a ship, a city, or a family together by itself.”

Red leaves Vermilion understanding that duty, work, and strength matter, but they cannot replace presence.

18. Route East Opens

Location: Eastern exit toward Route 11 / Diglett’s Cave area
Required: Yes
Outcome: Fixed

After Red has completed the S.S. Anne arc and defeated Surge, Vermilion can open the next route beat.

The exit can be framed through:

Cut opening access
port clearance
a Gym aide acknowledging the Thunder Badge
road work around the harbor ending
NPCs pointing Red toward Route 11, Diglett’s Cave, or the next regional problem

The state change is clear:

Red leaves Vermilion with the Thunder Badge, a practical traversal reward, and a clearer sense of Team Rocket’s logistics network.

Required Beat List

Beat 1 — Enter Vermilion City

Red arrives from Route 6 and sees Kanto’s international port city: ships, foreign goods, tourists, sailors, cargo, and modern harbor infrastructure.

Beat 2 — Pass Through the Old Harbor District

Red crosses the traditional district and sees local shops, old homes, handmade tools, family boats, redevelopment signs, and a city trying to hold onto its identity.

Beat 3 — Reach the New Port District

Red sees the modern commercial side of Vermilion: warehouses, hotels, customs offices, imports, passenger terminals, and mass-produced goods.

Beat 4 — Meet the Local Sailor

Red meets a sailor who works on the S.S. Anne and cannot keep his promise to spend the day with his family.

Beat 5 — Take the Sailor’s Shift

Red agrees to cover simple duties aboard the ship so the sailor can give his family one real day together.

Beat 6 — Board Below Deck

Red enters the S.S. Anne as temporary crew and sees the labor side of the ship.

Beat 7 — See the Passenger Decks

Red crosses into the luxury side of the ship and sees the contrast between travel as pleasure and travel as work.

Beat 8 — Blue Finds Red Working

Blue teases Red for doing crew work, revealing a value split between progression and relationship.

Beat 9 — Discover Irregular Cargo

Red notices suspicious cargo, falsified records, hidden Pokémon, or Mt. Moon materials while doing ship duties.

Beat 10 — Follow the Smuggling Trail

Red investigates and learns Team Rocket is using Vermilion’s port complexity to move illegal goods.

Beat 11 — Confront the Rocket Cell

Red battles the Rocket members or accomplice connected to one smuggling shipment.

Beat 12 — Help the Captain

Red helps the captain and receives Cut or another required progression reward.

Beat 13 — The Sailor Gets His Day

Red returns and sees the sailor spend time with his family.

Beat 14 — The S.S. Anne Departs

The ship leaves. Red’s victory is real but partial.

Beat 15 — Lt. Surge Blocks the Next Step

After the ship arc, Vermilion Gym becomes the next required test.

Beat 16 — Challenge Lt. Surge

Red challenges Surge in a Gym built around electricity, infrastructure, pressure, and discipline.

Beat 17 — Win the Thunder Badge

Red defeats Surge and receives the Thunder Badge.

Beat 18 — Exit Toward the Next Route

Red leaves Vermilion with the badge, a traversal reward, and knowledge of Rocket’s logistics network.

Clean Required Version

The strict required path is:

Red enters Vermilion City.
Red passes through the old harbor district.
Red reaches the new port district.
Red meets the local sailor.
Red agrees to cover the sailor’s shift.
Red boards the S.S. Anne as temporary crew.
Red sees both the labor side and luxury side of the ship.
Blue finds Red working and mocks the detour.
Red discovers irregular cargo.
Red follows the smuggling trail.
Red confronts and stops a small Rocket cell.
Red helps the captain and receives the progression reward.
The sailor spends the day with his family.
The S.S. Anne departs.
Red challenges Lt. Surge.
Red defeats Surge and receives the Thunder Badge.
Red exits toward the next route.

Optional Flavor That Supports the Required Path

These can exist, but should not be required:

imported Johto food: seaweed, fish, fruit, tea, sweets, rice, spices
mass-produced souvenirs replacing local craft
a historic shop selling handmade fishing and Trainer tools
a shopkeeper struggling to explain why a well-made local object has value beyond price
a modern merchant who sincerely believes Vermilion must change to survive
a customs officer who is corrupt, blackmailed, or simply willing to look away
city officials talking about modernization, safety, investment, and tourism
old buildings declared unsafe too conveniently
a man and his Machoke building a house for the family
children waiting at the pier for parents who work aboard ships
sailors bringing gifts home because they cannot bring time
Rocket fronts buying struggling shops through intermediaries
a small traditional market that still has life in it

Key Districts

Old Harbor District

Traditional, fragile, beautiful, and under pressure.

Visual elements:

old houses
drying nets
worn piers
faded signs
family shops
small boats
old warehouses
fish markets
elderly residents sitting outside
children playing between crates
“for sale” or “future demolition” signs

Atmosphere:

Here Vermilion remembers who it was.

New Commercial District

Modern, efficient, loud, and profitable.

Visual elements:

warehouses
cranes
hotels
terminals
tourist restaurants
souvenir shops
imported products
customs offices
large signs
crowds passing through

Atmosphere:

Here Vermilion shows what it is becoming.

S.S. Anne Pier

The transition point between luxury and labor.

Visual elements:

elegant passengers
tired sailors
customs checks
crates
porters
transport Pokémon
ship music
departure announcements
families saying goodbye

Atmosphere:

Every departure leaves someone on the pier.

Suggested Main Quest Tone

Vermilion should not condemn trade, travel, or modernization.

The city should feel alive, useful, diverse, and full of possibility.

Its pain comes from imbalance:

A city can gain the world and still lose the time its families need.

Red does not save Vermilion from modernization. He does not fix the old harbor district. He does not destroy Rocket’s port network.

But he gives one family a day together, stops one illegal shipment, and learns that work meant to protect a family can also keep that family apart.