"Raticate—use Quick Attack!"
"Starmie, use Rapid Spin!"
On the open deck outside, a fierce Pokémon battle was already in full swing. Wherever Pokémon Trainers gathered, battles like this were never far behind.
People were naturally drawn to the excitement. Kael first recalled Kirlia and Weavile—two Pokémon that were extremely rare in the Kanto region. Letting them appear so casually in a crowded gathering of Trainers would be asking for trouble.
Within the white-lined battle area on the deck, the two Pokémon facing off were a Raticate and a Starmie. Raticate's Trainer was a mature man in his early thirties, wearing a gentleman's top hat and a tailcoat, with a neatly groomed pair of downturned mustaches.
His opponent was a plain-looking boy dressed in a green short-sleeved shirt.
At their Trainers' commands, both Pokémon launched their attacks simultaneously. Unfortunately, without a Water-type battlefield, Starmie couldn't take advantage of its usual high-speed movement in water. Raticate seized the initiative, striking first with a surprise Quick Attack that slammed into Starmie's back.
Starmie cried out in pain and tumbled from midair, suffering light injuries—enough to hurt, but not enough to knock it out.
"Raticate, press the advantage! Use Hyper Fang!"
Before Starmie could fully regain its footing, the gentleman in the top hat immediately issued another command. Raticate burst forward in a short, explosive dash, snapping its jaws wide. Its iconic front incisors sank viciously into the red, eight-faceted gemstone at the center of Starmie's body.
The heavy blow made Starmie shudder violently. Raticate's claws clamped down on the edges of Starmie's body, preventing any escape, while its sharp teeth bit down harder and harder. With a sharp crack, a sizable chunk of the red gemstone was actually bitten off.
After delivering the decisive strike, Raticate quickly leapt back, guarding against a desperate counterattack. The fact that it withdrew without needing its Trainer's command spoke to its solid instincts and talent—clearly the result of proper training.
Severely injured, Starmie stood frozen for several seconds before collapsing onto the deck. At the same time, the electronic display on the gentleman's side flashed two enormous red characters: Victory.
"Are you alright, Starmie?"
The boy in green crouched down, hugging his Pokémon with a crestfallen expression—part frustration at his defeat, but far more worry for Starmie's condition.
Seeing the boy's disappointment, the man in the top hat rested one hand on his cane and spoke with the lofty air of a victor.
"It was just a small sparring match. I suppose Lady Luck happened to favor me today."
At that moment, a beautiful noblewoman stepped out from the crowd. She wore a pink, floor-length gown, her brown hair pinned elegantly behind her head, red high heels clicking softly against the deck. She draped her left hand over the gentleman's shoulder, her right hand lightly brushing his chest, gazing at him with open admiration.
"You're amazing!"
"Thank you, Magelle," the gentleman replied warmly, glancing affectionately at his companion before turning back to the boy in green, who was preparing to leave.
"Train your Starmie a little more."
"Don't worry—Starmie will be fine," a girl with orange hair chimed in, stepping up beside the boy. She wore a yellow tank top and ultra-short overalls.
"It looks serious, but the gemstone in the center of its body can regenerate. Take it to the ship's Pokémon Medical Center and it'll recover quickly."
"Thank you," the boy said gratefully, then hurried off with Starmie cradled in his arms.
The gentleman stroked his signature mustache with a finger and scanned the crowd, calling out loudly,
"Well then—does anyone else have the courage to challenge my Raticate?"
"That Raticate really is strong."
"Yeah—this makes three wins in a row already…"
The murmurs of the spectators amused Kael. It was just a Raticate—no matter how strong, it still had its limits. True, once Rattata evolved into Raticate, its overall power increased dramatically, especially with moves like Hyper Fang and Super Fang, which could deal devastating damage if they landed.
Raticate wasn't hard to counter—Steel- and Rock-type Pokémon would do just fine. Unfortunately, the S.S. Anne had strict rules: battles on deck were forbidden from using heavy Pokémon.
After all, this wasn't solid ground. If someone brought out a Pokémon like Rhydon and unleashed an Earthquake, it could crack the deck itself. Causing structural damage at sea was the height of irresponsibility, putting every passenger's life at risk.
"Whoa—I'm fired up now!"
A boy wearing a red-and-white cap burst out of the crowd and dashed to stand opposite the gentleman. He flipped the brim of his cap backward with a flourish and declared confidently,
"My Butterfree will be your opponent!"
"Very well."
The gentleman smiled indulgently. He enjoyed battling these hot-blooded youngsters the most—kids who charged in headfirst without stopping to think.
"Honestly… Ash gets excited every time there's a battle," the orange-haired girl said, hands on her hips, looking helpless.
"Ash?"
The name immediately caught Kael's attention. Taking a closer look at the spirited boy, his appearance and outfit were indeed strikingly similar to the protagonist from the anime.
But something was missing—where was the Pikachu that was supposed to always be at his side?
Scanning the crowd more carefully, Kael soon spotted a dark-skinned young man with narrow eyes and spiky black hair. At his feet stood a small yellow Electric-type mouse, quietly observing.
That had to be Brock, the Gym Leader of Pewter City.
And the orange-haired girl who'd spoken earlier—she could only be Misty, the youngest of the Cerulean Gym's three sisters.
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