On the dock.
Many people and Pokémon paused to gaze at the sailboat as it departed from the harbor, while some waved and shouted, "Bon voyage!"
"Mawile..."
Mawile resisted the urge to respond to them and watched the port gradually fade into the distance, along with the humans and Pokémon slowly shrinking to resemble black dots.
Even though it wasn't its first time on a boat, it felt an inexplicable sense of novelty.
——
The Fury had over twenty crew members, not including Pokémon.
From the captain, first mate, and second mate, down to the helmsman, sailor, navigator, and ship doctor, all were mighty trainers, muscular men with bronze skin.
Hence, at lunchtime.
After Baimu had exchanged introductions with them, the sailors couldn't wait to take turns challenging him, eager to know the measure of this Hoenn's rising star this year.
At first.
Baimu worried that his techniques might damage the masts and sails, making it hard to fully unleash when commanding his Pokémon, until he realized they were all custom-made, difficult to break unless deliberately attacked—
A one-sided "massacre" of desperation had begun.
In just one afternoon.
He made over ten crew members, including Liang Guang, understand the match between fame and strength, successfully turning a group of proud sailors into defeated roosters.
Until a group of sullen individuals remained silent, Genji, who had watched for a long time, stepped forward, casually stating that he too had lost to Baimu.
The crew, led by Liang Guang, looked at him with eyes filled with disbelief.
Even the captain lost!
Is this reasonable?
The captain was, after all, the highest among the Four Heavenly Kings in Hoenn!
Under Genji's strong request, Baimu, surrounded by muscular men, took out his phone to show the edited battle videos to Liang Guang and the others.
After watching, their eyes turned to admiration.
On the Fury, strength dictated respect, apart from a few special positions like ship doctor, ranking followed a trainer's strength.
In other words, should Baimu choose, he could become the captain of the Fury starting today.
"Huh? What about the Old Man if I become captain?"
He asked Liang Guang in confusion.
Liang Guang explained that Genji owned more than one ship, including cargo ships, cruise ships, and salvage ships, and occasionally when Genji captained another ship, Liang Guang would act as interim captain.
He was young.
Baimu realized he had underestimated the financial power accumulated by a Four Heavenly King over decades.
Overall.
Genji used him to properly teach his crew a lesson, making Liang Guang and the others fully understand that training on the ship of the Four Heavenly Kings wasn't that great.
There were countless trainers superior to them in the world.
Being the focus of attention, Baimu oddly felt like he was back in school in a previous life, standing on stage with a certificate in hand, as if Genji was the principal trying to use him to inspire and discipline other students.
If Dragapult experienced it once too, it would surely be grateful?
Baimu began mentally drafting a plan to torment his own Pokémon.
Excellent.
Another leverage to threaten that guy.
He nodded silently, completely lacking awareness of a trainer's duty to protect their Pokémon.
At night.
The dim lights illuminated the cabin, where scattered Pokémon emerged from their Poké Balls, engaging in various activities, while Baimu quietly opened the simulator.
After his persistent efforts, the simulation attempts had finally accumulated to four.
Perhaps due to the simulator update, or maybe because the recent opponents were numerous and of high quality, each countdown deduction seemed larger than before.
Whereas before it required six days cooldown after battling other trainers, now five days sufficed.
"Come..."
Baimu silently murmured, opening a book and clicking the exchange interface, without hesitation selecting the option for talent exchange.
Ding!
A window popped up in front.
[Exchange Successful!]
Great!
The fixed talent for the next Blue Simulation wasn't rare!
He perked up but remained wary, exiting to start a new simulation.
[Select Your Birth Region ▽]
The Mage was from the Johto Region, so it's Hoenn Region's turn.
[Select Your Gender ▽]
Male.
[Select Your Pokémon ▽]
Koffing?
Baimu paused upon seeing this Pokémon.
Although Pokémon couldn't be weak in the animated world, due to James's influence, he had the preconceived notion that Koffing belonged to the category of weak Pokémon.
A trainer who could win using Koffing or Weezing...
He eagerly clicked the talent options.
Fixed Talent:
[☆Apprentice Ninja (Capable of using Pokémon Ninjutsu)]
Optional Talents:
[Novice (Slow Pokémon Training Progress)]
[Elite System (Won't capture many Pokémon)]
[Hot-blooded Youth (Always optimistic attitude)]
[☆Boundary Breakthrough (Pokémon can occasionally Burst Seed)]
It was indeed a Double Blue Talent!
Baimu initially felt ecstatic seeing the two blue icons, but after reading the contents, he fell into silence.
A-apprentice ninja?
Pokémon Ninjutsu?
Along with the Burst Seed talent... Could this be Naruto?
He tugged a corner of his mouth, knowing he was overthinking because ninjas did exist in the Pokémon World, from Kaji Town dubbed the ninja's homeland to the ninja village Ash Ketchum visited in Carlos and triggered a Bond Evolution.
Even Gym Leaders and Four Heavenly Kings have ninjas.
Thus, having Koffing as the first Pokémon isn't hard to understand.
Baimu silently pressed [Boundary Breakthrough] and [Elite System], curious about how this ninja would win the tournament.
Did he assassinate all the participants?
——
[Simulation Begins]
The light screen slowly unfolded.
First appeared were towering trees and the treehouses constructed upon them.
Verdanturf City!
Baimu recognized this city he'd visited before, but Verdanturf shouldn't have a ninja dojo, could it be a story from long ago?
Curiously, he watched the scene zoom in.
A white-haired elderly figure cautiously entered a treehouse, about to settle onto a cushion when suddenly a child sprang from the wall beside.
Three exclamation marks appeared above the elder's head, indicating his degree of fright.
Then.
The child had a smiling face, quickly rushing away.
The elder angrily waved his cane behind.
Baimu: "..."
Could it be this guy?
The narrator and accompanying camera indicated the simulation target was undoubtedly this troublemaker, and he recalled the NPC's name from the game—
Ninja Boy!
[At eight, guided by the Ninja's Book, you frightened the hundredth person using Concealing Breath and Concealment Techniques, officially becoming an apprentice ninja]
What kind of ninja was this!
Advancing to apprentice by scaring people!
Despite mocking, Baimu recalled the "ninjutsu" displayed on the simulator just now; if such flawless techniques existed in reality, they were indeed intriguing.
On the light screen.
Ninja Boy sprinted like a dog chased him, his movements very ninja-like, hands stretching backwards, seemingly reducing air resistance.
He deftly climbed another tree, then squeezed into a small tree hole, found an ancient book inside, and opened it.
[You read in the book that escaping the apprentice title requires accomplishing a significant task befitting a ninja]
Is this book fake?
Which ninja must achieve a major milestone to escape being an apprentice, Genin of Konohagakure?
Evidently, Ninja Boy didn't quite understand the book's meaning either, question marks appeared on his forehead repeatedly, and after a few seconds, he set the book down and ran outside.
[You plan to consult Miss Joy about this 'significant task']
There's a Joy?
Seems like it's recent.
Baimu recalled Miss Joy's complete takeover as Pokémon Center nurse and doctors worldwide, happening in roughly the last fifty years, prior to which, Miss Joys often only appeared in Kanto Region.
Officer Jenny was similar.
It wasn't as some speculated, that Joy and Jenny were types of Pokémon, possessing unique regional forms across different areas...