A burly man in a short-sleeved shirt pushed a small cart to the center of the deck. His presence alone made the air grow tense.
'It's Brother Gutian…' Silas thought to himself, his gaze narrowing.
Everyone else lowered their heads, unwilling to make eye contact. No one dared to forget who Gutian was ,the man had spent his entire life at sea. From birth, he had never once set foot on land.
He could read the winds, smell a storm before the clouds even formed, and feel the rhythm of the waves as if the ocean itself whispered secrets to him.
To the crew, Gutian was the eyes of the Giant Shark.
It was precisely this skill that made the captain favor him, even hinting at promoting him as the ship's third first mate.
"Oi, you rookies!" Gutian barked, though there was an amused curl to his lips. "Excited, are you?"
The boys shuffled uncomfortably. His laughter didn't ease their nerves it only made their hearts pound harder.
Gutian yanked away the cloth covering the cart. With a flourish, he revealed twenty Poké Balls gleaming under the sunlight.
"Line up. Names will be called one by one. Pick what's yours!"
The newcomers' eyes lit up. Silas's gaze immediately darted to the far-left Poké Balls. Two of them sat on the upper row, looking no different from the rest but Madam Mira's advice echoed in his head. The ones on the left are worth more.
"First one -Silas!"
Whispers rippled through the boys. Even the veteran pirates watching from the shadows grinned knowingly. Being first was both a privilege and a test.
Keeping his steps steady, Silas walked to the cart. He swept his eyes across the rows of Poké Balls before resting on the upper leftmost ball. He reached out and gripped it tightly.
Bring me luck.
He clenched the ball in his palm, whispering a silent prayer.
Soon, all twenty Poké Balls were chosen, and the boys released their new partners with trembling hands.
"Come out, my Pokémon!"a boy cried. As flash of white light revealed a Taillow.
Another boy released his Pokeball-Carvanha and within the seconds, the Pokémon lunged at his arm, its razor-sharp fangs sinking deep into flesh.
"AHHH! Help!"
Blood sprayed as the Carvanha thrashed violently. The boy's screams filled the air, but no one moved. The others backed away in horror, realizing this world was far from the safe.
Silas's eyes narrowed. He stepped back, slipping away while the chaos unfolded. He had no intention of saving anyone. Not here. Not now.
....
Back in the lower cabin, Silas exhaled softly and raised his Poké Ball.
"Come out my first partner."
White light spilled forth, forming into a small, red-bodied Pokémon with massive claws and piercing eyes.
"Corphish!" it cried sharply, snapping its pincers in warning.
The corphish stance was guarded, hostile.
Silas crouched slowly, forcing calm into his expression. From his pocket, he pulled out a deep-blue colour Pokeblock. Its aroma spread instantly, rich and enticing.
"This…" he said with a wry smile, "cost me weeks of savings to buy from Brother Gutian. A water-type Pokéblock. You're hungry, right? Go on. Take it."
The Corphish's eyes flickered with hesitation. But hunger gnawed deeper than fear. With a quick snap of its claw, it seized the cube and stuffed it into its mouth.
"Corrrphish…"
Its suspicious glare melted into bliss as it chewed, eyes narrowing with pleasure.
Silas smirked. Hooked.
"Don't worry," he murmured, holding up more Pokéblocks. "As long as you listen to me, you'll never go hungry again."
And just like that, Corphish bowed its head. Shrimp never surrender until unless it was food and shelter were on the line.
"Corphish!" it cried, claws snapping with newfound vigor.
Silas laughed quietly. "That's right. One day, we'll rise together. The sea, the land, even the Pokémon League nothing will stop us."
He gestured to the small Pokémon. "Show me what you've got."
Corphish puffed up proudly, white light shimmering over its shell.
"Harden. Not bad," Silas noted.
It snapped its pincers at the air with a sharp crack.
"Vice Grip, huh? You're talented."
Excited now, Corphish hopped and blew a spray of bluish bubbles.
"Bubble," Silas muttered, coughing as the bubbles popped in his face. "Good, good. You already know three moves."
Corphish chattered eagerly, surrounding itself with a veil of water before lunging forward. But the flow broke apart in the mid-strike as the was move failed.
Even so, Silas's eyes gleamed. That was a genetic move. Looked almost like Aqua Jet… this partner of his is full of potential.
.....
By afternoon, the rookies gathered again on deck. Silas noticed faint bloodstains staining the wood scrubbed, but not gone.
The boy with Carvanha… dead.
Nagata, the first mate, stood tall before them. "Unfortunate," he said coldly. "One rookie didn't even survive long enough to bond with his Pokémon. But don't relax just yet this afternoon, many more will be eliminated!"
A chill ran through the crowd.
Veteran sailors dragged cages onto the deck. Inside, wild Pokémon hissed and screeched Zigzagoon, Wurmple, Taillow, and more.
"Your task," Nagata announced with a cruel grin, "is to kill them."
Gasps rippled. The veterans only laughed, tossing bets at each other. "My money's on Silas!" one jeered.
Silas stepped forward, releasing Corphish. His face was calm and expressionless completely unreadable.
"Corphish. Crush that Wurmple."
The Corphish hesitated for a moment, then obeyed. White energy surged into its claws before snapping shut. The Wurmple let out a pitiful squeak before falling limp.
Silas recalled Corphish without a word and stepped back. Around him, boys faltered, some succeeding, others trembling too much to give commands.
One failed. His Pokémon was taken away, and the boy begged for another chance until a Crawdaunt's claw slammed down, crushing his skull like a melon.
Screams filled the deck.
Silas only watched silently. 'The least valuable thing here… is human life.'
The corpse was tossed into the ocean, swallowed by the endless waves.
....
That night, laughter filled the mess hall as sailors ate and drank. Silas carried two bottles of wine and approached Gutian's table.
"Brother Gutian," he said smoothly, placing them down, "a drink for us."
Gutian smirked, waving him to sit. "Eat, drink. You've earned it."
The two shared stories and wine, their bond tightening. But behind Gutian's smile, his thoughts ran deep.
'This boy… Madam Mira values him. If I can get on his good side, my chances of becoming third first mate will soar.'
Though they parted with drunken laughter, Gutian's steps were steady as stone when he left. His eyes glinted in the dark, sharp as ever.
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(End of chapter)