“Whew… it won’t be long before we reach the mainland. Hoenn… I can’t wait.”
Kuroba sat beside the window with a book open in his hands.
Lately, perhaps because Spearow had evolved into Fearow, Corphish and Carvanha seemed to have been fired up by it.
Both Pokémon had become unusually motivated, adding extra training to their routines every single day.
Naturally, Kuroba was delighted.
All he needed to do was make sure their logistical support kept up with their enthusiasm.
“Here, catch!”
Kuroba casually flicked a deep-blue Pokéblock through the air.
Corphish’s pincer snapped out in an instant.
When it came to catching food, Corphish had never missed.
“Burp~”
“Cor! Cor!”
Corphish gave a satisfied belch, happily waved its pincers, and immediately returned to training.
“I can’t slack off either. It’s time I learned another recipe.”
Kuroba turned back to Madam Meta’s breeding notes and soon found one that caught his attention.
“Here we go. A basic Pokéblock recipe… Wave.”
According to the notes, the Wave Pokéblock increased the speed at which Water-type Pokémon sensed and absorbed energy.
In practice, that meant it could indirectly accelerate their growth and help them gain levels more quickly.
Kuroba had already mastered several basic Pokéblock recipes.
It was time to challenge something more difficult.
He took the portable Pokéblock-making machine from the cabinet, assembled several of its components, and began preparing the ingredients.
One Water Source Berry.
A small piece of naturally shed Corsola coral.
Several ordinary Berries.
He began by carefully removing the useless impurities from the piece of Corsola coral, preserving only the concentrated core.
Then he placed all the ingredients into the machine and manually crushed and blended them together.
Every ingredient had to be measured precisely.
Not too much.
Not too little.
The duration and force of the mixing also had to be carefully controlled.
Pokéblock production was complicated and unforgiving, which was exactly why ordinary Pokémon Breeders were usually so slow when making them.
Once the ingredients had been thoroughly processed, Kuroba poured the resulting juice into the compressor.
After the mixture condensed, it would enter the final drying stage.
Fragrances could also be added during this step to make the finished Pokéblocks more appealing to Pokémon.
Kuroba was making these for his own Pokémon, however, so there was no need to obsess over elaborate scents.
As long as the flavor suited them, that was enough.
Besides, the natural aroma of the Pokéblocks alone was already more than enough to tempt the little gluttons on his team.
A short while later, Kuroba stared at the small sky-blue Pokéblock in front of him.
A smile spread across his face.
“I actually succeeded on my first try. Could I really be a genius?”
Reality quickly proved otherwise.
Perhaps his first attempt had simply been lucky.
Or maybe he had happened to be in unusually good form.
His second attempt failed.
So did the third.
And the fourth.
“Pfft…”
Kuroba stared at the latest ruined batch and sighed.
“I knew that first one was just luck. Still, I can now maintain a success rate of about one in twenty. That’s already a huge improvement.”
After comforting himself, he immediately started another batch.
For the entire first half of the day, Kuroba locked himself inside his room and continued making Pokéblocks.
His hands were in excellent form. Follow the newest chapters on g.com.
Out of more than three hundred attempts, he successfully produced over twenty batches.
The finished Pokéblocks were sky-blue and gave off a faint salty fragrance.
When held beneath the sunlight, one could even make out what looked like tiny ripples of water flowing inside them.
“Not bad. Not bad at all.”
Kuroba carefully inspected the results.
“I should take these to Teacher. It’s the perfect chance to ask her for some advice.”
Once the thought occurred to him, he acted immediately.
After giving a few instructions to his Pokémon, Kuroba left his room and slowly made his way toward the upper cabins.
The summer sea breeze carried a touch of warmth.
Under the blazing midday sun, nearly everyone aboard the ship kept sunscreen nearby.
Otherwise, by afternoon, the covered and uncovered parts of their bodies would end up in hilariously different shades.
Kuroba eventually arrived outside Madam Meta’s room.
He reached out and gently pushed open the door.
The room was no longer unfamiliar to him.
Compared with a year ago, Kuroba could now come and go from Madam Meta’s quarters freely.
The days when he had needed to knock first and carefully watch every word and movement were long gone.
His status was completely different now.
Over the past year, Kuroba and Madam Meta had developed a deep bond as teacher and student.
Their relationship had grown increasingly close.
Sometimes Kuroba even dared to joke with her, earning soft laughter from the normally formidable pirate captain.
“Teacher.”
Kuroba smiled at Madam Meta, who was seated behind her desk.
“I made a new kind of Pokéblock. I’d like you to take a look and tell me what I can improve.”
He slowly held out the box in his hands, waiting for her usual evaluation.
But this time, Madam Meta didn’t respond with her customary gentle smile.
Instead, she looked at him with an unusually serious expression.
“Kuroba… what do you intend to do with your future?”
Her voice was low.
“Are you planning to remain a pirate for the rest of your life?”
Concern and expectation mingled in her eyes.
Kuroba froze.
His hands, which had been about to set the box down, stopped in midair.
The question had come so suddenly that he didn’t know how to answer.
“With your talent, you shouldn’t bury yourself out here.”
Madam Meta’s voice grew heavier.
“Do you truly want to die one day in some meaningless clash between pirates, only for your corpse to quietly sink into the sea?”
Her words struck directly at him.
“I’ve heard the Hoenn League plans to hold a major League Conference a year from now. For young Trainers like you, it will be the perfect opportunity to make a name for yourselves.”
Madam Meta slowly walked over to Kuroba and looked him over with unmistakable affection.
Kuroba was already seventeen.
He wasn’t particularly tall, but a year of hard work, constant training, and abundant nutrition had given him a straight, healthy build.
Madam Meta raised a smooth hand and gently touched his cheek.
“So alike…” she murmured.
Kuroba’s entire body stiffened.
He lowered his head, suddenly unable to meet her eyes.
“Kuroba, you should return to the mainland.”
Her voice softened.
“That’s where you have the chance to truly spread your wings. You shouldn’t allow the sea to imprison you.”
She opened it and removed an identity card.
“This is a false identity I prepared for you.”
She placed it in his hand.
“From today onward, you are a Trainer directly affiliated with the Pokémon League. The reverse side contains a complete record of your supposed history over the past several years. Memorize every detail, then destroy it immediately.”
Kuroba hesitated before accepting the card.
He turned it over.
Sure enough, a slip of paper had been attached to the back, densely covered with information.
It contained the complete background of his new identity.
Kuroba silently read through it.
Complicated emotions surged through him.
He had dreamed countless times of escaping this life.
But for so long, leaving the Great Shark had seemed like something impossibly distant.
Now Madam Meta herself was offering him the opportunity to walk away.
He was excited.
Confused.
And more than anything, deeply moved.
“Teacher… what about you?”
Kuroba finally asked.
“Are you really going to spend the rest of your life living every day with danger hanging over your head?”
He carefully watched her expression, testing her attitude.
Madam Meta gave a light laugh.
With graceful steps, she approached him and gently tapped his forehead with one slender finger.
“You little schemer. Now you’re trying to worry about your teacher?”
Kuroba smiled awkwardly, then looked at her seriously and waited for an answer.
Madam Meta let out a quiet sigh.
For a moment, longing appeared in her eyes.
“Perhaps in a few years, I’ll find a peaceful village somewhere.”
A faint smile touched her lips.
“I’ll open a small Pokémon Day Care and spend the rest of my life there.”
Kuroba stared at her in surprise.
He had never imagined that this ruthless, decisive pirate captain—someone who could kill without hesitation when necessary—would have such a simple and peaceful dream.
“Really, Teacher?”
Madam Meta smiled and nodded.
Her eyes seemed to shine.
“Yes, child.”
Her voice was gentle.
“Sometimes people need to put everything from the past behind them and pursue the peace they truly want.”
Kuroba fell silent as he thought about her words.
For the first time, he understood more clearly that even the strongest and most ruthless people could have a soft place hidden inside their hearts.
They, too, could long for a quiet corner of the world that belonged only to them.
A place far away from conflict, schemes, and the endless noise of ordinary life.
You can join my P.
@.
T.
R.
3.
0.
N to get access to 50 additional chapters!
/Meegoatbaa Whether you join as a free or paid member, you’ll also get access to 2 extra chapters.