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"Boys, take a look at whom I've brought aboard!"
With a booming laugh, Drake called out to the sailors gathered on deck, instantly drawing everyone's attention to Kai.
Just as Drake had said earlier, these sailors had all watched recordings of Kai's battles many times before, in fact, and had often talked about him during their long voyages.
Naturally, none of them failed to recognize his face.
Someone pointed at him in disbelief.
"My goodness—that's Kai!"
"Wait, what? What's he doing here!?"
"He's in Hoenn!?"
"Are you here to challenge the Ever Grande Conference?!"
In an instant, the sailors crowded around him in excitement, surrounding Kai so tightly he could barely move. Their expressions were filled with awe and curiosity one of them even reached out to poke his arm.
The careful way they looked at him made it seem as though they were afraid he might disappear if they blinked.
"He's real!"
"Idiot, of course he's real!"
"I mean—he's actually here in person! I can't believe it!"
Their excited chatter was so overwhelming that even Misty felt a little startled.
She looked around in confusion.
Kai had always been extremely popular with girls thanks to his appearance and his strength as a Trainer But seeing him surrounded by a group of enthusiastic male fans was… unexpected.
Even Kai himself felt slightly overwhelmed.
The situation reminded him of the time in Kanto when he'd run into that gang of motorcycle delinquents who had treated him like a hero.
Still…
If he had to choose, he would honestly prefer being surrounded by a group of pretty girls rather than these muscular sailors.
The man who had lowered the rope ladder earlier stepped forward.
"Welcome aboard our ship," he said politely. "Are you here to battle the captain?"
The moment he mentioned a battle, the sailors grew even more excited.
After all, the thought of seeing the Trainer who had won two regional championships facing off against a member of the Elite Four was thrilling.
Noticing Kai's questioning glance, Drake introduced the man.
"This is Ryoko—my first mate and my top student, He's sailed the seas with me for years, hunting treasure and exploring unknown waters. A dependable man."
"Nice to meet you," Ryoko said, extending his hand. "I watched all of your matches during the Silver Conference and the Indigo Plateau Conference. You're an incredible Trainer. It's an honor to meet you."
It was easy to see why Drake valued him.
Aside from his slightly sun-darkened skin, Ryoko had a confident appearance and composed manner. His words were measured and polite clearly the mark of a steady and reliable person.
"You're too kind," Kai replied as they shook hands. "Those victories were just small steps. I was lucky I didn't run into any truly difficult opponents."
Drake nodded approvingly as the two finished greeting each other.
Though he would never admit it aloud, Drake knew he was already an old man.
He didn't know how many years he had left.
One reason he had brought Kai aboard was that he admired the young Trainer but another reason was to introduce him to Ryoko.
Building connections for his disciples' future.
So much for the romantic idea that men who chase the sea care only about adventure and ignore worldly matters.
Drake clearly had his own shrewd side.
He waved a hand, signaling the sailors to give them some space.
"There's no battle today," he announced loudly. "Kai is my guest. Stop crowding him you'll scare him off."
The sailors reluctantly stepped back.
Afterward, under Drake's invitation and with Ryoko guiding them, Kai and Misty took a walk across the deck, exploring the massive five-masted sailing ship.
The vessel carried a powerful sense of history.
Even Misty, who had initially doubted Drake's enthusiasm for sailing ships, began to understand their charm.
Once the tour was finished, the four of them moved into the ship's cabin.
Now that the curious sailors were gone, the atmosphere became much more relaxed.
It was there that Kai learned Drake's ship was preparing to depart again.
Another long, uncertain treasure-hunting voyage awaited them.
Treasure hunting…
For Drake, it was more than a hobby.
It was the greatest passion of his life outside his duties as a member of the Elite Four.
In fact, every time he returned to shore, it was usually just to prepare for the next journey.
He was truly a man born for the sea.
The visit passed in a friendly atmosphere, but both Kai and Drake had their own responsibilities.
Naturally, Kai couldn't stay long.
After about half an hour, he prepared to leave.
During their conversation, Drake had treated them to a special drink he made himself—hot Miltank milk.
There was only one way to describe it.
Sweet.
Extremely sweet.
After tasting it, Kai was convinced Drake had added at least five large spoonfuls of sugar far beyond what anyone would normally use.
Yet once you got past the sweetness, the milk was actually delicious, with a rich creamy flavor.
Misty seemed to love it.
Of course… kids usually liked that kind of taste.
Shaking his head helplessly, Kai forced himself to finish the entire cup.
As he set it down, he noticed Drake looking pleased—while Ryoko stood beside him with a polite but slightly strained smile.
Kai couldn't help thinking:
Being the captain's favorite disciple probably wasn't as easy as it sounded.
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Soon afterward, Kai and Misty stood at the harbor, waving as Drake's sailing ship raised its sails and slowly left port.
For them, meeting Drake had been nothing more than a small episode during their journey.
After all, even if they knew an Elite Four member, the world was vast and the oceans even more so.
Unless someone scheduled a formal challenge, meeting him again would be like trying to find a needle in the sea.
Leaving the harbor district, the two entered Slateport City.
Although Slateport was lively and fascinating, it unfortunately didn't have an official Gym.
They could only stay briefly before moving on.
As they walked toward the edge of the city, Misty noticed colorful posters and mascots decorating the streets.
"Oh! A Pokémon Contest is about to be held here!"
Her eyes lit up.
"I wonder if we'll get to see May!"
"Probably," Kai replied while checking the map on his phone. "She's traveling around challenging Contests. She wouldn't miss this one."
"But the event doesn't start for another day or two," he added. "And we won't stay here that long, so we probably won't run into her."
"That's true…" Misty sighed softly.
"I wonder how much she's improved."
Kai glanced at her in surprise.
"You two haven't kept in touch? Didn't you exchange contact numbers?"
"We made a promise," Misty said with a smile. "No updates. When we meet again, she wants to surprise me with how much she's grown."
Kai chuckled quietly.
What an unusual kind of friendship.
Turning his attention back to the map, he focused on their next destination.
Only two Gyms remained before he could enter the Hoenn League.
One lay far out at sea.
The other—
Fortree City.
To reach it from Slateport, they would have to travel a long distance and cross a massive wild preserve.
It wouldn't be an easy journey.
They stopped at a nearby shop to restock supplies.
Just as they were about to leave the city—
Kai's phone rang.
Looking at the screen, he raised an eyebrow.
The call was from Anabel.
That probably meant trouble.
Sure enough, when he answered, her urgent voice came through the phone.
"Kai? I heard you're in Slateport City right now."
Kai sighed.
"How do you always know where I am? Don't tell me you've got satellites tracking me."
"I heard it from Drake," she replied, ignoring the joke. "I contacted him earlier for help with an urgent matter, but he'd already set sail. Before leaving, he recommended you."
Kai rubbed his forehead.
So that's how it happened.
He had only just met Drake—and the old sailor had already passed the responsibility to him.
Some friend.
But Kai could understand.
A man who loved the sea as much as Drake did wouldn't turn his ship around easily.
"Alright," Kai said. "We've helped each other plenty of times before. Just tell me what's going on."
Anabel cleared her throat.
"I just received a request from another Hoenn Elite Four member, Phoebe. Team Magma has set its sights on a mysterious stone at Mt. Pyre."
"The stone is similar to the one you protected from Team Aqua a few days ago."
"It's said to have the power to awaken Groudon and trigger its Primal Reversion."
"So it absolutely cannot fall into their hands."
Kai thought for a moment.
"If this is such an important situation, why aren't the International Police handling it directly?"
Anabel coughed awkwardly.
"Well… we're still at sea dealing with Team Aqua bases we discovered after our last mission. We don't have enough personnel available right now."
So that was it.
The task had circled all the way back to him.
"Second question," Kai continued. "Why is Phoebe at Mt. Pyre?"
Anabel sounded surprised.
"You didn't know?"
"Know what?"
"Phoebe's grandparents are the guardians of Mt. Pyre. After Team Aqua stole the Blue Orb, they were injured."
"So Phoebe returned to protect the other relic—the Red Orb—in their place."
Now everything made sense.
Kai had played the games before, but he had never known that detail.
"I see," he said. "So I need to head to Mt. Pyre and help Phoebe stop Team Magma."
"Exactly," Anabel replied. "I'll send reinforcements as soon as I can. Until then, I'm counting on you."
After ending the call, Kai shrugged helplessly at Misty.
She covered her mouth and laughed.
"You're really busy, you know that?" she teased. "Traveling, running a company, dealing with evil teams, helping the International Police… everything seems to involve you."
Kai grinned.
"Well, what can I say? The more capable you are, the more work you get."
Then he remembered something.
He had recently captured Deoxys.
With Deoxys, plus Raikou and Suicune, the strength of his team was tremendous.
Did he really need to visit a Pokémon Center first?
Probably not.
Confidence surged through him.
"Come on," he said.
Instead of heading toward Fortree City, Kai and Misty changed course.
Their new destination—
Mt. Pyre.
A place where many Trainers brought their departed Pokémon to rest in peace.
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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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