Chapter 119: Sprigatito's Decision
On the second day after landing on the reef, Will and the others were not met by a rescue team, but by a medium-sized destroyer.
It was a warship jointly built by the Orange Academy and the Paldea League. It was the most advanced piece of technology Paldea had on the seas, capable of delivering a dimension-crushing blow to the pirates who were still using motorized sailboats.
For a destroyer from Paldea to appear in the waters between Johto and Hoenn was clearly unusual. After a careful inquiry, they learned the truth. They had come chasing the very same gang of egg thieves. The thieves hadn't just stolen from the Pokémon League; they had stolen eggs that the Paldea League was cultivating for the Orange Academy.
This was a problem. In the Paldea region, the Orange Academy was even more powerful than the current Paldea League. The academy was founded almost eight hundred years ago during the Era of Primal Beasts, a time when the Paldea region was ruled by an emperor. The Paldea League, however, was only established a few decades ago, and its founding had required a great
deal of help from the academy's teachers and students.
So, the thieves had stolen from the one group in Paldea they should have never touched.
As one of the oldest and most prestigious schools in the world, the Orange Academy welcomed people from all regions. The school had no age restrictions for enrollment, and its student body was vast, from small children to adults. Because of this, there was no shortage of powerful heirs and nobles among them. With their help, the Paldea League had developed destroyers long ago to crack down on surrounding pirates.
And now, the Academy was borrowing a destroyer to hunt down the thieves. The League not only wouldn't refuse but had proactively contacted the other four Leagues—Unova, Hoenn, Johto, and Sinnoh—to inform them of the situation and request their support if they saw the ship.
On the destroyer's deck, Captain Tom and his Corphish were indignantly giving the captain all the information they had on the thieves. When the captain learned the thieves had swapped to a pirate ship, he immediately contacted the Sinnoh League, hoping they could arrange for police to wait at Sinnoh's coastal cities.
On the other side of the deck, Will was holding Sprigatito and sitting quietly in a corner, surrounded by a dozen people who were observing and taking notes.
"This is a bit much," Will thought, a cold sweat breaking out on his forehead. He had guessed he would attract a lot of attention outside of Hoenn, but he had never expected this level of scrutiny.
"Meow!!" Sprigatito's fur was standing on end. It hissed at the humans, protecting the Grovyle in its arms. It would not allow these bad guys to hurt its mom!
"Aww, the baby Sprigatito is protecting the Grovyle! This might be a once-in-a-lifetime sight! I have to get a picture."
"Our little baby Sprigatito is so cute~"
"This Grovyle is also incredible. It's completely different from the data I've read."
"Exactly. Its leaves are so vibrant, it's almost... otherworldly. And its height and weight are practically Era of Primal Beasts standards. It was raised incredibly well."
"I think we need to pay a visit to the person who raised it on our way back. Maybe we can get some breeding tips. We should try to recruit them as a teacher at our academy."
The dozen or so people chattered endlessly. Will and Sprigatito huddled together, unable to go anywhere. Elsewhere on the ship, another group was waiting eagerly for their chance to get close. Sprigatito was one thing, since it was a local Pokémon from Paldea. But a Grovyle this rare, especially such a unique one... if they hadn't learned that it was already heading to Johto, they really would have tried to capture it and bring it back to the school.
"Alright, ladies and gentlemen, please calm down. Let's not damage the decorum of our Orange Academy."
A man in a suit, slightly portly and with a receding hairline, walked over. He was the director of the Orange Academy and the man who had insisted on hunting down the thieves. Although he looked kind and easygoing, his words were strict, and his every move seemed to be governed by precise requirements. Will, who had seen Iris's etiquette lessons, felt this man's grasp of etiquette was even more exaggerated than her royal tutor's.
Hearing his words, the dozen or so teachers who had been crowding them quieted down and retreated to a respectful distance, continuing to observe.
"Hello, Grovyle, and Sprigatito. My name is Valen, the director of Orange Academy," Valen said, adjusting his bowtie and giving a slight bow.
Will held Sprigatito and said nothing, just staring at him. His sharp gaze emitted a fierce aura, which made even the director raise an eyebrow. It wasn't that Will was intentionally targeting him; he was just wary. The thought that this man might try to take Sprigatito away from him had put him in an involuntarily bad mood, even though he knew Sprigatito originally belonged to the academy.
"I've seen this kind of aura on other Pokémon before, but they were all, without exception, powerful warriors who had claimed their own territory. It seems you've had some rather unique experiences," Valen said, stroking the small mustache under his nose. He laboriously squatted down and sat cross-legged on the deck, lowering himself to their level.
As Valen was thinking, Will also looked at the man with curiosity. From that one sentence, he could tell that this man was no ordinary person. To be able to judge his unusual past based on something as ethereal as an "aura"... it seemed the director of the Orange Academy was indeed no simple character.
"I understand. Are you worried that I'm going to take the Sprigatito back? I do have that intention, but the Orange Academy's motto explicitly states: As Trainers, we must respect a Pokémon's own choice!"
Valen had already guessed why Will was acting so unwelcoming.
"Sprigatito, are you willing to leave me?" Will asked, hearing Valen's words and turning to the kitten in his arms. This was perfect. He had been in a state of hesitation himself, wanting to keep and raise it, but not knowing if he should. Since that was the case, he would let the Sprigatito decide for itself.
If it was willing to stay with him, he would raise it as his own apprentice. They were both Grass-type Pokémon, after all. He was certain he could understand its condition better than any human trainer. He could test many things himself first before deciding whether to have Sprigatito follow suit. He was confident he could raise it well.
If it didn't want to stay, he could immediately cut off the thought and stop worrying, focusing solely on his trip to the Dragonite Clan.
"Meow-meow!" Sprigatito shook its head without even thinking, hugging Will's arm tightly to express its decision.
Seeing this, Will grinned.
"It seems Sprigatito has already made its choice. In that case, I will not disturb you," Valen said. Although he couldn't understand their dialogue, he understood what had happened. He smiled and nodded, then got up and left without any fuss.
The Paldean destroyer was much faster than Tom's speedboat. It was probably because Tom's model was quite old, having been purchased nearly twenty years ago. Only half a day had passed since they had boarded the ship, but they had already traveled a distance that would have taken the speedboat a day and a half.
"We should be arriving soon," Will muttered, picking up Sprigatito and walking to the bow of the ship.
"Meow?"
"Ermm... land. There are many beautiful places on land. I'll take you to see them. I think you'll really like the forests and grasslands." Will didn't know how to explain it to the kitten. He couldn't just transfer the images he had seen into its mind, but he could take it to see those places himself in the days to come.
HOOONK!
A loud horn sounded. This meant the destroyer had reached the coastal waters of the Johto region.
"Hey~ Grovyle! And Sprigatito! Come on over, it's time to get off the ship!"
"Hey-hey!"
Tom and Corphish's voices called out from behind him. They had learned the name of the new Pokémon species from the Paldeans.
"Let's go."
"Meow!"
Will carried Sprigatito and ran over. The destroyer wouldn't be stopping at the coast; they still had to chase the thieves all the way to Sinnoh. However, they were giving them a small rowboat so they could reach the Johto region. This time, Tom and Corphish wouldn't be able to accompany them on the boat. The rowboat was too small; if it took on both Tom and Corphish, it would probably sink.
"Wait a moment!" Director Valen came over, holding a small green box, and handed it to Will.
"What's this?"
"Meow?" Sprigatito sniffed the green box, seeming to smell something it liked. It started pawing at the box with its small, unformed claws.
"No, don't do that. You'll ruin your nails before they've even grown in," Will said, stopping her.
"Inside are some things that Sprigatito might need. Consider it a blessing. I hope you have a smooth journey," Valen explained briefly, then patted his chest. "If you ever encounter any difficulties, you are always welcome at the Orange Academy. After all, Sprigatito is one of ours. And I think that whether it's the teachers or the students, everyone would be very happy to welcome you as well, Grovyle."
"Thank you. Sprigatito, say thank you," Will said, bowing with the kitten in his arms.
"Meow," Sprigatito bowed its head, mimicking Will. But its little eyes were still glued to the green box.
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