The Hoenn region was a land of extremes a lush rainforests, burning deserts, and above all, an endless expanse of ocean.
Nearly half the region was covered by water, its coastline broken into countless islands that could only be reached by sea.
Some places were even deep enough for diving, teeming with strange plants and Pokémon that thrived beneath the waves.
Warmer than the other regions, Hoenn was also far more dangerous at sea. The vast waters made it the perfect breeding ground for pirates especially the infamous criminal group known as Team Aqua. Even the Pokémon League's fleets had failed to completely wipe them out, leaving them to grow more brazen by the year.
But Team Aqua wasn't the only danger. Outlaws, runaways, and desperate men joined pirate crews for countless reasons, willingly or by force. Some were victims of trafficking; others abandoned the land by choice. Whatever their path, the sea turned them all into pirates.
Among these ships, one prowled the waters like a predator was The Great Shark.
....
Inside its cramped, damp cabin, over a dozen boys huddled together. The salty air mixed with sweat, filling the narrow space.
"Silas, go to sleep already. Tomorrow marks our first year as pirates ,we'll finally get our own Pokémon! I can't wait!" one boy whispered excitedly.
The others murmured in agreement. A year ago, they had been nothing but frightened kids trafficked onto this ship. Now, after despair, beatings, and forced labor, they had long since accepted their fate. They weren't innocents anymore. They were pirates.
In a corner, a black-haired boy leaned quietly against the wall, his calm gaze cold and detached compared to the others' excitement.
Silas.
He smirked faintly. What a bunch of children.
Though only a teenager himself, his eyes carried a weight the others didn't understand.
It had been more than a year since Silas opened his eyes and found himself in this world. Once, he had been just another ordinary young man on Earth, playing games and watching anime. Then, without warning, he had awakened here in the world of Pokémon.
But this wasn't the bright and hopeful world he'd imagined from the anime.
In this reality, only the rich could dream of becoming trainers. Starting at six years old, a child's family had to pay a 200,000 Pokédollar deposit every year for ten straight years, along with mountains of paperwork.
Only at sixteen, after this massive investment, could they receive a starter Pokémon, a Pokédex, and the official status of a League-recognized trainer.
Silas had none of that. He wasn't just poor but he was an illegal, a trafficked boy forced into piracy.
He gave a bitter smile in the dark. So much for the legendary time-travel advantage. Other transmigrators start with a pseudo-legendary and crush Champions. Me? I got drafted into a pirate crew.
As the ship rocked gently, his thoughts drifted, and sleep eventually took him.
....
The next morning, the sun rose over the endless ocean. Unlike the others, Silas got up early, stepping carefully over the still-sleeping boys.
"Morning, Brother Gutian! Your Corphish looks stronger again!" he called cheerfully as he reached the deck.
"Hahaha, so it's you, Silas," one of the sailors laughed, adjusting his ropes while his Corphish snapped its claws nearby.
"Morning, Brother Aoki!" Silas greeted another pirate warmly.
Compared to the other naive newcomers, Silas understood the value of connections. With memories of two lifetimes, he knew how to navigate people. Even on a small ship like the Great Shark, the hierarchy was tangled and brutal. It had taken him half a year just to learn the crew's dynamics.
So he played the part of the polite, helpful boy always ready to lend a hand, always quick with a smile.
And it worked.
"Don't worry," Gutian chuckled as he watched the waves. "The sea's been calm these days. Might even be good hunting weather. Catch a few Pokémon, sell them on land we'll make a fortune."
The sailors around him grinned, their eyes lighting up at the thought of profit. As for the League's laws? They were pirates. The law didn't matter out here.
"Silas! Madam Mira is looking for you. Hurry!" A clerk came running up, breathless.
Silas bowed quickly. "Sorry, Brother Gutian, I'll have to help you later."
Gutian waved him off. "Go on. If Madam Mira called for you, she probably needs help with the ledgers."
The name stirred a ripple across the deck.
Madam Mira. The captain's wife, a woman as respected as she was feared. She rarely showed herself outside her quarters on the top deck, but every man aboard knew she was more than just the captain's partner. A powerful breeder, a keen mind and Silas's secret patron.
In just one year, the boy had managed to earn her trust. Rumors whispered that she might even take him as a disciple.
Silas smiled politely, thanked the men, and headed upstairs. But once he was alone in the hallway, his cheerful mask dropped. His face hardened, his eyes cold and sharp.
'This ship doesn't run on kindness. It runs on power. If I hadn't learned to read, if I hadn't played my cards right, I'd have been crushed like the others.'
He paused outside the captain's quarters, straightened his clothes, and knocked softly.
"Come in," a smooth, feminine voice replied.
The room was richly decorated, filled with sandalwood furniture and polished ornaments. Behind a grand desk sat Madam Mira, her once-youthful beauty now framed with subtle wrinkles, but her elegance and sharp presence still undeniable.
Silas bowed deeply. "Madam Mira."
She closed her book and studied him with calm eyes. "It's you again, Silas. I'll trouble you today as well."
"An honor," he replied smoothly, slipping shoe covers onto his feet before sitting carefully at the edge of the stool, posture perfectly respectful.
He quickly organized the ledgers she gave him, spotting discrepancies and marking them for correction. Months of practice made the work easy, and when he handed them back, Mira's approving smile made his heart tighten.
"You've done well," she said. "Today is the day your batch of newcomers chooses a Pokémon, isn't it? Tell me, do you miss your old life on land?"
It was a test. Silas recognized it instantly.
He lowered his head, letting his voice tremble. "Madam, I was born a beggar in Lilycove City. My parents were gone before I could remember. If not for the Great Shark, I'd have starved to death in the streets."
Tears welled in his eyes. Every word was true at least, the story he had decided to live.
Mira's expression softened. "Good. Remember, when you choose later, pick the one on the left."
Silas's heart raced, but he bowed gratefully. "Thank you, Madam, for your guidance."
She waved him off, and he slipped out, closing the door quietly behind him.
Only then did he let out the breath he'd been holding.
'On this ship, weakness means death. If I must bow, I'll bow. If I must crawl, I'll crawl. But today… today I take my first real step as a trainer.'
By noon, the sun blazed overhead. Silas stood with the other newcomers on deck, sweat pouring down their faces as the veterans watched from the shadows, mocking and sneering.
"Rookies!" a rugged man barked from the platform. He was one of the first mates, Nagata, his voice like a whip. "Today, you stop being boys. Today, you choose your first Pokémon. From now on, you live and die as pirates!"
Cheers erupted from the boys.
Even Silas, cold and calculating, couldn't stop the quickening of his breath.
A real Pokémon his first partner in this world.
The beginning of everything.
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(End of chapter)