Using the same secret route as before, Kuroba returned to the coast and saw the Great Shark anchored beside a desolate island.
His mood immediately brightened.
“That trip went better than I expected. I solved my identity problem, got a Flying-type Pokémon Egg, and even received a Pokédex. Not bad at all.”
Two days passed quietly before the Great Shark set sail again and resumed roaming the open sea.
Fortunately, the stop on land had gone smoothly.
Supplies had been replenished, captured Pokémon had been sold, and changes among the crew had been handled without incident.
“Hahaha! Kuroba, my boy! I heard Madam Meta officially took you as her apprentice. Congratulations!”
The moment Kuroba returned aboard, Furuta and several veteran pirates came forward to congratulate him with unusual politeness.
Kuroba knew better than to act arrogant.
“You’re giving me too much credit. Madam Meta simply decided to give a newcomer like me a chance. I still have a long way to go compared with experienced seniors like all of you.”
The old pirates visibly enjoyed having their pride stroked.
Kuroba’s status had certainly risen, but strength still mattered more than anything else aboard the Great Shark.
The veterans treated him courteously because of Madam Meta, yet many were privately unconvinced that a newcomer deserved such treatment.
Kuroba understood that perfectly.
So he trained even harder.
Almost every night, one could see a boy and a small crustacean Pokémon working relentlessly on the deck.
“Corphish, use Bubble Beam!”
Corphish opened its pincers and fired a dense stream of bubbles toward the sea.
Countless bubbles hammered the surface, sending up splashes before disappearing into the seemingly bottomless water.
Kuroba frowned thoughtfully.
“Corphish, Bubble Beam isn’t just Bubble with more bubbles. The attack needs greater force as well. Training like this isn’t quite right.”
He crouched beside his partner.
“Focus on increasing the power first. Once you can make each bubble hit harder, gradually increase the number you fire.”
He was passing along advice he had learned from Furuta.
After Kuroba’s constant speeches about reaching the top together, Corphish’s enthusiasm for training had become almost absurd.
It often woke earlier than Kuroba and secretly practiced on its own.
Carvanha, by comparison, was lazier.
It had grown up protected by a school and had never experienced the same harsh circumstances as Corphish.
Kuroba had not yet developed a particularly sophisticated training plan for it either.
Aside from ordinary move practice and physical conditioning, his main goal was teaching Carvanha to properly exploit its Speed Boost Ability.
That Ability would be crucial in the future.
So every day, under Kuroba’s orders, Carvanha swam behind the moving Great Shark.
Against the current.
Against the ship’s wake.
For as long as it could endure.
* * *
“Furuta, I’ll have to trouble your Crawdaunt again. Could it teach my Corphish for a while?”
Kuroba approached carrying a bottle of fruit wine he had purchased in Viridian City.
Furuta’s eyes immediately brightened.
“Come on, kid. That’s hardly trouble.”
He generously released his ace, Crawdaunt, and waved for it to begin instructing Corphish.
Corphish stared up at the Pokémon that was nearly twice its size.
Its eyes sparkled.
Its six little legs shuffled excitedly as it circled Crawdaunt again and again.
*So that’s what I’ll look like after I evolve?*
Huge pincers.
A hard, imposing shell.
And most importantly, that incredibly cool star-shaped crest on its forehead.
Corphish immediately made up its mind.
It would train hard and evolve into something just as powerful.
“Hahaha! Your Corphish is a lively one,” Furuta said, already distracted by the aroma of the wine.
Kuroba smiled.
“You’re exaggerating. Come on, let’s drink.”
The older fox and the younger fox exchanged a knowing glance.
Neither was naive.
Their friendship existed because each had something the other wanted.
As night settled over the sea and the alcohol began to warm them, Kuroba eventually carried Corphish back to his cabin.
Since news that Madam Meta had taken him as an apprentice spread through the ship, Kuroba no longer slept packed together with the other newcomers in the dark, damp lower hold.
He had been given a private room.
It was small.
After fitting a bed and desk inside, very little floor space remained.
Even with only Kuroba and Corphish, it felt cramped.
And that was before considering that he had converted the tiny bathroom into a makeshift pool so Carvanha could remain comfortable.
“Corphish, you need to know your limits when you train,” Kuroba scolded gently.
“Stop pushing yourself until your body is about to give out.”
He held Corphish in his lap and used a special massage technique to loosen its exhausted muscles.
“Corrr…”
Corphish practically melted in pleasure.
Kuroba had learned the technique from Madam Meta.
Proper massage after training could reduce fatigue and help prevent injuries from accumulating.
“Your shell really is ridiculously hard…”
His hands were beginning to ache when the incubator beside his bed suddenly erupted with brilliant white light.
“Cor?!”
Corphish jumped in fright and tumbled awkwardly to the floor.
Kuroba immediately turned toward the incubator.
He opened the lid.
Fine cracks began spreading across the Egg.
His eyes filled with anticipation.
This was the first time he had ever personally watched a Pokémon hatch.
The white light slowly faded.
“Spear…”
A tiny, childish cry filled the room.
A small bird Pokémon appeared before him, its wings reddish and the brown feathers atop its head still wet and disheveled.
Kuroba smiled.
“Hello, Spearow. Welcome to the world.”
“Spearrr…”
Spearow narrowed its normally sharp eyes and chirped happily.
The species was famous for its violent temper, yet this newborn looked almost lazy.
Part of that was simple exhaustion from hatching.
Another reason was that many newborn Pokémon instinctively treated the first creature they saw as a parent.
Kuroba carefully reached out, lifted Spearow into his hands, and gently smoothed its damp, messy feathers.
Newly hatched Pokémon were fragile, so he handled it with extreme care.
Before long, Spearow fell asleep again.
“Just like the books said. Newborn Pokémon really do sleep constantly.”
As Madam Meta’s Breeder apprentice, Kuroba had already accumulated a fair amount of practical knowledge.
“And the first meal for many newly hatched Pokémon is their own eggshell. It’s packed with nutrients.”
Remembering that, Kuroba carefully collected every fragment left inside the incubator so he could feed them to Spearow when it woke.
* * *
Some time later, Kuroba stood on the deck watching Spearow struggle against the ocean wind.
“Keep going, Spearow! Fly into the headwind!”
The little bird beat its wings with all its strength, fighting to maintain balance against the gusts.
Only when it truly could not continue did it slow down and descend toward the Great Shark.
Spotting Kuroba’s shoulder, Spearow happily swooped down and landed there.
Thanks to Kuroba’s careful upbringing, it had never developed the explosive temper common among its species.
Or perhaps the aggression naturally buried inside Spearow had simply been soothed by his constant attention.
“Slow down. No one’s going to steal it from you.”
Kuroba held up a feeding bottle filled with Moomoo Milk.
This was not the cheapest commercial milk, either.
He had mixed in a small amount of Energy Powder, making it particularly suitable for a young Pokémon.
Spearow had already passed its most delicate newborn stage, and its physical measurements were beginning to stabilize.
Kuroba eagerly pulled out his treasured Pokédex.
Beep.
Beep.
Beep.
“Spearow, the Tiny Bird Pokémon.
Normal/Flying type.
Level 6.
Ability: Keen Eye.
Height: 0.3 meters.
Weight: 2 kilograms.
Development: average.
No abnormal health conditions detected.
“Known moves: Growl, Peck, and Leer.”
Kuroba studied the information and felt a small trace of disappointment.
“Just as I thought. No Egg Moves, and everything else is completely ordinary.”
He quickly recovered.
It had been a randomly chosen Egg, after all.
He had never intended to raise Spearow as one of his main battlers.
Its future role would primarily be practical—scouting and, after evolving, aerial transportation.
Life aboard the ship soon returned to its usual monotony.
Every morning, Kuroba studied breeding knowledge under Madam Meta.
At other times, he sought advice from experienced sailors about training Pokémon.
Corphish continued practicing under Furuta’s Crawdaunt.
Spearow’s main task was adapting to the air currents and wind above the open sea.
Conditions over the ocean were very different from those on land.
Violent storms and unpredictable winds could easily overwhelm Flying-type Pokémon that had spent their entire lives inland.
Then, one day, an unexpected warning shattered the calm.
“Attention. Pirate vessel sighted approximately ten kilometers ahead.”
The lookout’s steady voice sounded through the ship’s announcement system.
The Great Shark instantly came alive.
Crew members rushed to the deck in organized groups, raising binoculars and telescopes toward the distant vessel.
Kuroba joined them, holding a monocular to one eye.
The opposing ship was watching them too.
Soon, everyone’s attention shifted toward Madam Meta.
By now, the captain’s prolonged disappearance was no longer a secret aboard the Great Shark.
That made Madam Meta the ship’s highest authority.
But just as she prepared to speak, Nobu Nagata and the other first mate exchanged glances.
A flash of delight passed through their eyes.
Before Madam Meta could issue an order, both men shouted almost simultaneously.
“All crew, return to your stations! Anyone whose name we call will prepare for boarding combat!”
The sailors froze in surprise.
Madam Meta’s face darkened with fury.
The atmosphere became tense enough to cut with a knife.
In the end, however, she did not openly challenge them.
She gave a cold snort, turned on her heel, and stormed away.
The two first mates immediately exchanged smug smiles.
“If we swallow that ship and win this battle,” Nagata murmured, ambition blazing in his eyes, “our prestige will rise again. Then we’ll be one step closer to controlling the entire Great Shark.”
The thought of becoming captain made his body tremble with excitement.
While the rest of the crew prepared for battle, Kuroba hurried after Madam Meta.
“Damn them! Damn those bastards! They must have learned something, or they would never dare go this far!”
Her furious voice rang from inside her quarters.
Before Kuroba even entered, he heard a cup smash against the floor.
He knocked, opened the door, and found shattered porcelain lying in a puddle of tea.
Seeing her apprentice calmed Madam Meta slightly, but rage still burned between her brows.
Her husband had died after being pressured by Team Aqua.
She had concealed the truth by claiming he had entered seclusion to train his Pokémon, yet the two ambitious first mates had clearly uncovered part of what happened.
Now they had bypassed her entirely and directly commanded the crew.
It was an unmistakable attempt to seize power.
Kuroba remained silent for a moment before speaking firmly.
“Madam Meta… this may not necessarily be a bad thing. It could be our opportunity.”
A sharp light flashed through her eyes.
“You mean we should use this battle to eliminate both of them?”
Kuroba nodded.
There was genuine killing intent in his gaze.
Madam Meta shook her head.
“Their strength is already close to mine. Even if I wanted to kill them, could I defeat both at once?”
Her expression became stern.
“And if both first mates die, the Great Shark’s overall strength will collapse. We’d be cutting off our own arms while an enemy is standing directly in front of us.”
“Do you know how many years it would take to cultivate two replacements with their strength and experience?”
In only a few sentences, she rejected Kuroba’s proposal.
Still, she was privately pleased.
Her apprentice was decisive enough to suggest killing enemies without hesitation, and more importantly, he had instinctively placed himself on her side.
Kuroba thought for a moment.
“If you don’t intend to remove them, then you should return to the deck and fight beside them.”
Madam Meta looked at him.
“If you fight with everyone, you’ll preserve your reputation among the ordinary crew. But if you remain here while those two win support, it won’t take long before they completely sideline you.”
She immediately understood.
Her earlier departure had been an impulsive reaction born from anger.
Now that she had calmed down, she realized it had made her look weak and petty in front of the crew.
Madam Meta stood without hesitation, threw on a coat, and strode toward the deck.
The Great Shark was already prepared for war.
Some pirates were nervous.
Others were thrilled.
Chaos was a ladder.
Raiding others was one of the fastest ways to accumulate wealth.
People would certainly die in the coming battle, but others would use those deaths as stepping stones to rise higher.
Kuroba returned to the deck as well.
He immediately noticed several sailors giving him strange looks before subtly moving away.
*They were practically falling over themselves to be friendly with me before.
Now that the political winds have shifted, they’re already keeping their distance.*
Human loyalty really was fragile.
But Kuroba had no time to dwell on it.
The two enormous ships were about to collide.
Neither side showed any intention of slowing down.
BOOM!
BOOM!
The vessels slammed violently together.
“KILL THEM!”
“BOARD THEM! COME ON!”
War cries exploded across the sea as Pokémon from both sides crashed into one another.
Krabby, Corsola, Corphish—Pokémon with sturdy bodies and decent defenses rushed to the front, engaging in brutal close combat.
Water Gun, Bubble Beam, and powerful streams of water tore through the air while Trainers shouted commands from the higher sections of both decks.
At the very front of the Great Shark’s formation stood three powerful Pokémon.
Swampert.
Blastoise.
Octillery.
Swampert belonged to Madam Meta, while Blastoise and Octillery were the ace Pokémon of the two first mates.
“Madam Meta,” Nobu Nagata said, watching Swampert overpower two enemy Crawdaunt, “it seems your Swampert has grown even stronger.”
He glanced at her with obvious wariness.
Madam Meta remained calm, her eyes fixed on the battlefield.
“You should worry about your own Pokémon,” she shot back.
“If two Seadra can force both of your aces backward, it seems you still have plenty of training to do.”
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