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Slateport City was often called the place where land rests and the sea begins.
Located on the eastern coast of the Hoenn region, it was both a seaside city and the largest, most prosperous port on the eastern mainland.
Besides its extremely busy harbor, the city was famous for several landmarks: a massive department store and a well-known art museum. While the overall scale of the city was only slightly smaller than Mauville City, the sheer volume of people here was unmatched.
Every summer, when the heat reached its peak, countless tourists flocked to Slateport. They gathered on its wide white beaches, eager to experience the city's lively charm and ocean breeze.
After a short voyage lasting a single day, Kai and Misty finally stepped onto the docks early the next morning.
However, before they could even leave the harbor, they had just reached a section where numerous yachts were moored when someone suddenly called out from the distance.
"Hey! You there, kid!"
Kai didn't realize the voice was directed at him until he heard it a second time.
Turning around, he saw an elderly man reclining on a lounge chair beneath a sunshade not far away. The man wore a white captain's hat with a wide brim, a long black coat draped over his shoulders, no shirt underneath, and a pair of jeans tucked into large leather boots. His silver beard glinted in the morning light as he waved Kai over.
Misty glanced at Kai. "Sounds like he's calling you, Do you know him?"
"No," Kai replied, shaking his head. "But let's go see what he wants."
The old man looked like a retired sea captain. He appeared to be in his seventies or eighties, yet his posture was strong and upright. His eyes were sharp and full of energy.
Despite his age, there was an unmistakable aura about him.
Following a narrow set of steps, Kai approached him with curiosity.
Before Kai could speak, the man stood up and examined him from head to toe.
"You're that kid named Kai, aren't you?"
Now that he was standing, Kai realized the old man was actually quite tall about the same height as himself. Judging by his build, he must have once been extremely strong, though age had made him somewhat leaner.
Still, his presence was anything but ordinary.
"That's right," Kai nodded.
He had been about to ask how the man knew him, but after studying the old man's appearance more carefully, something suddenly clicked.
"You… could it be… Drake?"
The old man looked surprised for a moment—then burst out laughing.
"Well now! I didn't expect you to recognize me!"
Upon hearing that confirmation, Misty instantly covered her mouth in shock.
No way!
Even though the man had looked extraordinary, she hadn't expected that the elderly sailor in front of them was actually one of the Hoenn Elite Four!
What a coincidence.
Kai, however, wasn't particularly surprised.
Since the man knew his name, it meant he likely knew Kai's accomplishments as well. Yet he still casually called him "kid," which meant he clearly wasn't impressed by the title of Champion.
Combined with the man's age and appearance, it hadn't been difficult to guess his identity.
That said, the Hoenn Elite Four were somewhat unusual.
Their strength was undeniable but their fame was far lower than that of Elite Four members in other regions.
Many visiting Trainers had never even seen them in person. Even locals in Hoenn often only knew their names.
The reason was simple.
They were extremely independent.
Take Drake, for example. In terms of seniority, he had become an Elite Four member when he was still young. He belonged to the same generation as trainers like Agatha, Bertha, and Drasna.
Across the entire Pokémon world, few had held their position longer than he had.
But besides being an Elite Four member, Drake was also a sea captain and explorer. He spent most of the year sailing across the oceans.
Naturally, that meant very few people truly knew him.
And the other Hoenn Elite Four Sidney, Phoebe, and Glacia weren't much different.
Sidney, despite his pleasant-sounding name, was actually a tough-looking man with wild red hair and a rebellious past.
Phoebe was extremely young, dressed like a tropical island dancer.
Glacia, on the other hand, carried herself like a distant aristocrat cold and dignified.
In short, Hoenn lacked a universally beloved public figure like Lance, whose image and personality inspired widespread trust.
All these thoughts flashed briefly through Kai's mind, though none appeared on his face.
Regardless of fame, an Elite Four member deserved respect and Kai was genuinely pleased to meet one by chance.
"It's not surprising I recognized you," Kai said with a smile. "Anyone who knows a little about Hoenn Pokémon knows you're practically a living legend."
Drake laughed.
"I heard about you from the crew on my ship," he explained. "Sailing the ocean gets pretty dull sometimes. Those brats started watching Pokémon League matches from other regions to pass the time. That's how I first saw you battle."
"I see," Kai said with realization.
"You came to Hoenn to challenge the Ever Grande Conference, didn't you?"
"That's right. I already have six Gym Badges. Just two more, and I'll be able to register."
"As I expected," Drake nodded.
"The boys on my ship were arguing about which region you'd challenge next after Johto. I was the only one who guessed you'd come to Hoenn—and that you'd win here too."
Kai was surprised by the high praise.
"You're giving me too much credit," he replied modestly. "Hoenn trainers are generally stronger than those in Johto or Kanto. I can't promise I'll take the title."
Drake snorted.
"Too much humility isn't a good look for a young Trainer. It kills your spirit!"
He leaned closer.
"The trainers are strong, sure—but that doesn't mean you've stopped improving."
"In fact," he continued, "your biggest obstacle won't be them."
"It'll be the Pokémon League itself."
Kai tilted his head.
"Why do you say that?"
Drake chuckled.
"You've probably already guessed. The League won't just sit back and watch one Trainer win championships across region after region. When the tournament starts, they'll make sure you face the toughest opponents every step of the way."
Kai smiled calmly.
"Isn't that perfect?"
"No matter what, you have to defeat every opponent to become Champion. Whether I fight the strongest early or late doesn't really matter."
Drake stared at him for several seconds.
Then he suddenly burst into hearty laughter.
"I take back what I said earlier! You're not lacking spirit you're just holding it in! I knew I wasn't wrong about you."
His expression then turned serious.
"It's rare to meet someone this interesting. How about it? Since we're already here, want to battle me?"
"Eventually, you'll earn the right to challenge the Elite Four anyway, as you said early or late shouldn't make a difference, right?"
But Kai shook his head.
"Not yet."
"To be honest, this was the same plan for Kanto and Johto. Until I've challenged every regional League tournament, I won't battle the Elite Four."
Drake raised an eyebrow but soon nodded.
"I see. That makes sense."
"Well, I won't force you. I just hope I'm still alive by the time you get around to challenging us!"
"You will be," Kai replied with a grin. "You look strong enough to live to a hundred."
At that moment, Misty finally spoke up after listening quietly.
"Um… Mr. Drake, if you're a captain, where's your ship?"
Drake pointed toward the harbor.
"Right over there."
Kai and Misty turned to look—
And saw a massive five-masted wooden sailing ship anchored at the pier.
"Wait… a sailing ship!?" Misty blinked in surprise.
She had expected something like a luxury yacht.
Drake scoffed.
"You kids don't understand anything! A sailing ship is the true romance of the sea!"
"No engines. No modern tech."
"Just wind and ocean currents carrying you across the waves through storms and whirlpools."
"That's the adventure a real sailor should chase!"
He looked almost fired up while saying it.
Unfortunately, Misty couldn't relate.
To her, sailing meant lying comfortably on the deck and enjoying the ocean breeze not battling storms and giant waves.
Kai, however, understood Drake a little better.
After all, he had watched plenty of pirate films before coming to this world.
And he knew that for older sailors, ships like these weren't just transportation.
They were memories.
Dreams from their youth.
After gazing at the ship for a while, Drake turned back to Kai.
"Well then since we can't battle, how about coming aboard? Most of the boys on my crew are your fans."
"They'll be thrilled to meet you."
Since Drake had personally invited him, Kai naturally agreed.
With a nod, he and Misty followed the old captain toward the ship.
Up close, the vessel looked even more impressive than it had from afar.
Its black hull contrasted with enormous white sails, and ropes crisscrossed the masts like a true pirate ship.
A rope ladder suddenly dropped down from the deck.
Looking up, Kai saw a tanned man in his late twenties wearing a white shirt.
"Captain!" the man called. "Everything's ready, We can set sail anytime!"
"No rush," Drake replied while climbing the ladder with surprising agility.
"We've got guests."
"Guests?" the sailor repeated, clearly confused.
As far as he knew, the captain rarely invited anyone aboard except a few old friends.
His curious gaze fell on Kai.
Down at the dock, Kai gave the rope ladder a firm tug to test its strength before gesturing to Misty.
"You go first."
If she slipped, he could catch her from below.
But Kai was worrying too much.
After traveling through two regions with Ash Ketchum, Misty had endured storms, rough terrain, and plenty of hardships.
Climbing a rope ladder was nothing to her.
The only slightly awkward part was realizing that climbing ahead of Kai meant he'd be looking up at her shorts.
She blushed faintly.
Well… maybe that wouldn't be so bad…
Before she could overthink it, Kai urged her upward.
Blushing slightly, she began climbing.
Kai followed shortly after.
Though glancing upward was unavoidable, Kai remained completely calm.
He had always thought of Misty like a younger sister.
There wasn't a trace of improper thoughts in his mind.
To avoid any misunderstandings, he simply focused on the rope ladder in front of him.
When they finally reached deck level, Misty's small hand extended down toward him.
With a faint smile and a hint of expectation in her eyes, she helped pull him up onto the deck.
By then, under Drake's command, the sailor who had lowered the ladder and several other crew members had already gathered around them.
The moment they saw Kai clearly—
The entire deck fell silent.
The famous Trainer their captain had mentioned…
Was standing right in front of them.
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~Support with 200 PowerStones = 1 Bonus Chapter
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For early access to advanced chapters on P-atreon:
P-atreon/iamxeno
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