Returning to the sea by special means, Evan Crowe stood on the deck of the Giant Shark pirate ship, excitement burning in his chest.
"This trip was perfect… I solved my identity problem, got myself a Flying-type egg, and even picked up a Pokédex. Not bad at all."
Two peaceful days passed before the Giant Shark resumed sailing.
For once, the supply run had gone smoothly—no arguments, no shortages, and no crew drama.
"Haha! Evan, I heard Madam Meta officially accepted you as her apprentice. Congratulations!"
Grant Fuller, followed by his group of veteran pirates, clapped Evan on the shoulder with exaggerated friendliness.
Evan bowed slightly.
"It's nothing. Madam Meta is simply helping me. I'm still new here—I can't compare to you seniors."
The old crew members smiled, satisfied with his humble attitude.
Evan's status had risen, but status meant nothing without strength.
So while they respected him on the surface, many still felt… competitive.
Evan knew this, so he trained even harder.
Every night, he could be found on the deck with his Pokémon.
"Lobster Soldier! Use Bubble Beam!"
The Corphish obediently fired a stream of bubbles at the sea.
The waves splashed, then quickly dissolved into the deep blue.
Evan corrected him gently:
"Corphish, Bubble Beam has more force than regular Bubble. You're doing it wrong. Focus on power first, not quantity. Then increase the number."
He repeated the advice Grant had taught him.
Corphish absorbed every word like gospel.
Ever since Evan had "brainwashed" him with intense encouragement, the little guy woke up earlier than Evan every morning—and trained long after sunset.
The Carvanha, however, was the opposite.
Growing up in the wild taught it to be alert but lazy when not threatened.
Evan didn't mind; Carvanha was destined to specialize in speed.
So every day, he let it swim against the ocean current behind the Giant Shark.
Carvanha struggled, slipped, fought—and improved.
Acceleration would determine its future.
---
One evening, Evan brought a bottle of fruit wine and knocked on Grant Fuller's door.
"Brother Grant, I came to ask if your Crawdaunt can teach my Corphish again."
Grant's eyes lit up at the sight of the wine.
"No problem at all! Come on out, Crawdaunt!"
His massive Crawdaunt appeared, towering over Corphish.
Corphish froze—then its eyes blazed with admiration.
This… is what it wanted to become.
Huge pincers.
Armor-hard shell.
A shining five-point star on its head.
Corphish trembled with excitement and determination.
"Haha! Your little guy is lively," Grant laughed, already sipping the wine.
"Brother Grant, you're too kind. Come on—let's drink!"
The two pirates exchanged knowing looks.
One wanted his Pokémon trained.
The other wanted good alcohol.
A perfect partnership.
---
Later that night, Evan carried Corphish back to his private cabin.
He was no longer squeezed into the moldy, overcrowded newcomer quarters.
After Madam Meta publicly named him her apprentice, he received his own room.
Small, yes. But clean.
Though… cramped, thanks to the bathtub he converted into a pool for Carvanha.
"Corphish, train hard—but don't destroy your body."
Evan massaged Corphish's muscles using a technique Madam Meta had taught him.
Corphish melted like jelly, humming blissfully.
Then—
BZZZZ—
A burst of white light erupted from the incubator!
"Corphish! Easy!"
The startled Corphish leaped out of his arms with a yelp.
Evan rushed to the incubator as the eggshell cracked open.
A tiny bird chirped softly.
"Spee~!"
A newborn Spearow—with bright red wings and soft, fluffy feathers—looked up at him.
"Welcome to the world, little one," Evan whispered.
Spearow squinted happily, chirped again, then curled up in Evan's hands.
Newborn Pokémon were fragile—Evan handled it with extreme care.
After a few minutes, Spearow fell asleep again.
"Newborns are always sleepy."
He collected the eggshell fragments—Spearow's first meal.
---
Training the Newborn
"Keep flying against the sea breeze, Spearow!"
Spearow flapped desperately, wobbling in the air before landing on Evan's shoulder.
Thanks to his gentle care, the usually hot-tempered Spearow was surprisingly docile.
Evan held out a bottle of Moo Moo Milk enriched with energy powder.
"Drink slowly. No one's taking it from you."
"Spee!"
Spearow chirped happily.
Evan checked the Pokédex:
Spearow — Level 6
Normal/Flying
Ability: Keen Eye
Moves: Growl, Peck, Leer
Status: Normal, No abnormalities
"Pretty average… no inherited moves."
He sighed. But he wasn't disappointed.
This Spearow wasn't meant to be a powerhouse.
Just a reliable future mount for travel.
Life settled into a routine:
Every morning, Evan studied under Madam Meta.
Afternoons, he asked the veteran sailors for Pokémon experience.
Corphish trained with Crawdaunt.
Spearow adjusted to sea winds.
Carvanha fought the current.
Until, one day—everything changed.
---
The Calm Shatters
"Oh no—pirate ship sighted ten kilometers ahead!"
The lookout announced calmly through the loudspeaker.
Instant chaos.
Crew members poured onto the deck, binoculars in hand.
Evan among them.
Everyone's eyes turned to Madam Meta.
With the captain missing, she was acting commander.
But before she could speak, Nate Carson and Mark Dalton, the two First Officers, stepped forward.
"All crew to battle positions! Those called will prepare to board and fight!" they barked.
Whispers spread instantly.
A power grab.
Madam Meta's face darkened—but she said nothing and stormed off.
The First Officers smirked triumphantly.
"If we take that ship, everyone will bow to us," Nate whispered.
"The Giant Shark will be ours."
---
Tension in the Captain's Room
Evan hurried after Madam Meta.
Inside the room, a shattered cup lay on the floor.
"Those bastards!" Madam Meta hissed. "They must know something. Otherwise they'd never dare challenge me like this!"
Evan stepped forward.
"Madam… this might be our chance."
Her eyes flickered.
"You want to get rid of the two of them?"
Evan nodded coldly.
But Madam Meta shook her head.
"I can't defeat them both at once. And if both First Officers die, the Giant Shark's strength collapses. With an enemy ship right in front of us—it's suicide."
"But…"
Her voice softened.
"I'm pleased you stand with me."
Evan thought for a moment.
"Then join the battle. You need to be seen fighting beside them. If you stay hidden, they'll win the crew's loyalty."
Madam Meta realized he was right.
She put on her coat and marched to the deck.
---
The Clash of Ships
The crew parted as she walked by—some nervous, some thrilled.
Chaos was the ladder to power.
But when Evan joined them, he felt people subtly move away.
"They praised me before," he thought. "Now that danger's near, they retreat."
He pushed aside the feeling.
Because—
BOOOOOOM!!!
The two massive ships collided!
"ATTACK!!!"
The deck erupted in chaos.
Crustle, Corsola, Corphish—
Tank Pokémon charged forward, blocking blows with armored bodies.
Water Guns, Aqua Jets, and Bubble Beams flew across the battlefield.
At the front stood:
Swampert — Madam Meta's partner
Blastoise — Nate Carson's ace
Octillery — Mark Dalton's trump card
Nate shot Madam Meta a sideways glance.
"Your Swampert's stronger again, huh?"
Madam Meta didn't turn her head, eyes fixed on the battlefield.
"Maybe you should worry about your own Pokémon. Getting outmatched by two Seadra? Looks like your training needs improvement."
The fight was only beginning.