Woo!
The steam whistle blew as the Saint Anus sailed into Little Orange Port.
It will dock here for three days, not only to replenish basic necessities like fresh water and food but also to give the passengers on board some free time to enjoy.
Little Orange Island is the largest island in the entire Orange Islands and also the most bustling, with a thriving city and smaller towns.
When the Saint Anus arrived here, it had already been three days since Natsuhiko guided Gerwin on tactical strategies.
During these three days, he led a fulfilling yet dull life, either training Pokémon or on his way to train Pokémon.
The good news is that with Natsuhiko's help, Gerwin not only won against the Trainer with the Lombre but also defeated another Trainer and successfully advanced to the finals of the cruise tournament.
This undoubtedly made Gerwin much more appreciative of Natsuhiko's tactical abilities.
Just one more win.
She can obtain the sea chart rewarded to the Champion, and Natsuhiko can earn a reward of three hundred thousand Alliance coins.
But this final crucial match is scheduled after this docking.
That is, three days later, when the Saint Anus sets sail again.
Stepping off the gangway, the scorching sunshine beamed down, reflecting the tropical vibes of the Pokémon Realm.
Although it's the season of entering winter, it feels as if summer just ended.
Changing into lightweight attire and carrying an inquisitive Togepi, Natsuhiko stepped onto the soft sand.
Sunshine, beaches, sea, bikinis... cough, cough.
It must be admitted, the Orange Islands in the tropical region is indeed a great place for travel.
Not only is the climate pleasant, but the air and environment are also exceptional.
Natsuhiko's knowledge of the Orange Islands is limited to the anime he watched before.
And his deepest impression of the Orange Islands is future Kanto Alliance's Ice-type Elite, Kona, who successfully thwarted Lance from attaining the Kanto Region Champion seat multiple times, forcing him to become the Champion of Johto Region.
Jokingly known as the "Flying-type Elite" nemesis!
Kona, born on Frozen Island in the Seven Water Islands, originally partnered with Lapras in Frozen Waterfall Cave.
However, having grown up in the Orange Islands, and studied Pokemon knowledge in Big City of Little Orange Island, she always visits Little Orange Island during holidays for training after becoming Elite, and attends classes regularly at the Pokemon School here, conducting demonstration battles.
Kona will also become a representative of the Kanto Alliance Academy in the future.
The Seven Water Islands are comparatively smaller than the Orange Islands, located directly south of the Kanto and Johto Continents, while the Orange Islands are south of the Seven Water Islands.
The Saint Anus did not dock at the Seven Water Islands though.
Flipping through some data about the Orange Islands in his mind, facing the sunlit beach, Natsuhiko wasn't very interested.
"Aren't you going to have some fun? The beach on Little Orange Island is a great place, with crystal clear waters, it's our Captain's favorite spot." Gerwin, wearing a light blue bikini with sunglasses, appeared beside Natsuhiko.
Without the cover of her oversized sweater, the few pieces of fabric fully showcased her impressive figure.
"I'll think about it. I have something to take care of first."
Glancing at the bustling crowd, Natsuhiko shook his head and headed into the city.
Gerwin pouted, "Boring guy."
Then she shrugged off her worries and joined the beach games organized by the Saint Anus.
As a pirate, enjoying the moment is very important to her.
Natsuhiko, with his profound thoughts and meticulous thinking, often left Gerwin unsure of what he was contemplating, only feeling that living like him seemed tiring.
"Being a pirate suits me best——"
...
...
Leaving the bustling beach.
Arriving in Big City, he hailed a cab.
During the ride, watching the Little Orange Island residents with their exuberant smiles, their skin tanned, he got a taste of the Southern Country's customs and cultures.
When disembarking, he briefly browsed the Orange Islands map distributed by the Saint Anus staff, as well as introductions to some famous attractions.
The Little Orange Beach he saw earlier is one of the most popular spots on Little Orange Island.
And where Natsuhiko is heading now, is a desolate, seldom-visited place.
The area northwest of Big City by the sea.
Here, hills are densely packed and appear one after another.
Though it's all beach, due to lack of sunlight, it's rarely visited by tourists.
Furthermore, the beach is scattered with large rocks and protruding mountain feet, dividing vast stretches into small segments.
Natsuhiko's purpose here is simple.
He intends to capture the Sharpedo he caught last time.
Whether for securing safety during water navigation or temporarily increasing some self-defense capability.
Walking along the shaded path, he stepped on the sand again.
Compared to Little Orange Beach, the sand here is harder, and the temperature is relatively lower, with the faint salty fishy scent of seawater lingering in the air.
Continuously throwing Pokeballs.
Releasing all his Pokémon.
This is also their first beach experience, causing them to be somewhat excited.
Togepi hopped onto the ground and started building a sandcastle with its little rear sticking up.
Abra hovered, telekinetically lifting some sand, letting it flow between its fingers under psychic control.
Beedrill stopped flapping its wings, unusually "standing" on the ground, though its slender legs seemed simple with each movement, leaving a deep hole in the sand.
Pidgeotto spread its wings flying over the sea, Ditto slowly merged with the sand, and Shuckle remained as usual, huddled in its shell, its little eyes peeking through shell holes curiously observing the outside.
"Let's focus on business first." Natsuhiko clapped his hands and said.
As he spoke, he took out the Pokeball containing Sharpedo.
The reason he didn't attempt to capture it on the ship, one is because Sharpedo hadn't recovered yet, and two, Sharpedo is too violent in nature. Natsuhiko worried it might accidentally destroy some equipment in the training room. The training room itself wasn't the concern, but any destroyed equipment needed compensation.
"Buzz-beep!"
Beedrill responded and appeared in front of Natsuhiko.
Taming Sharpedo is a task it's skilled at.
"No need to reason with it. Once I release it, give it a solid beating first."
Using the necessary means for the Pokémon of its kind.
Especially for a Pokémon like Sharpedo, unless it's subdued, it's impossible to behave obediently.
"Buzz-beep!"
Beedrill rubbed its Double Needle, filled with confidence.
"Start with Sword Dance followed by a series of three attacks."
Hearing this, Beedrill nodded, compound eyes shimmering, a dark red ascending airstream slowly emerged.
"Chika-chika."
Come quickly, watch "Yellow Flash" thrash.
Togepi beckoned to Abra and the other Pokémon.
The "Yellow Flash" is, of course, the "nickname" Togepi gave to Beedrill, derived from every time Beedrill vibrated its wings, those sparking arcs, and its yellow body.
Seeing Beedrill ready.
Natsuhiko unlocked the safety on the Pokeball, tossed it, releasing Sharpedo.
"Roar——"
Sharpedo's red eyes became redder upon seeing Beedrill.
In its view, if it wasn't for Togepi disrupting it on the ship, how could Beedrill be its opponent?
However.
Certain things don't go as smoothly as wishful thinking...
Very soon.
Amidst the sympathy, excitement, and schadenfreude-filled gazes of Togepi, covering its eyes with its tiny hands, Abra's slitted azure blue gap.
The miserable cries of Sharpedo echoed across this beach.