Lorelei fell silent, as if she had understood something, yet at the same time felt a chill crawl over her skin. She did not know whether it came from Agatha herself, or from the words that had just been spoken.
The medium-sized cruise ship they were on soon pulled alongside the S.S. Anne.
Looking at the towering international liner, Agatha lightly tapped her cane. From the shadow beneath her feet, a chubby black head slowly emerged.
"Gengar."
The call had barely fallen when Gengar seemed endless. One after another, they rose from the shadows, forming a black bridge of shadows that connected the two ships. The bridge was about two meters wide and looked almost solid.
Agatha lifted her cane and walked onto it at an unhurried pace. Lorelei quickly followed behind her.
* * *
S.S. Anne, deck.
Two dark-skinned, wiry crewmen were gripping a dark-blue-haired boy tightly, one on each side. The boy's face was twisted with fury as he kicked and shouted.
"Let me go! Do you know who I am? Bastards…"
The two crewmen showed no intention of stopping. Though the boy was young, he was surprisingly strong, and it took both of them together just to drag him toward the cabin.
Inside the cabin, the heavily muscled first mate, Tyler, walked over. He wrapped one arm around the boy's waist and barked in a deep voice.
"Hey boy, behave yourself! Once Dr. Shiro comes back, you are going to regret this!"
"Afraid of him?" Tobias felt utterly humiliated. "You think I am scared of him? You first mate, groveling like a dog. That so-called Dr. tosses you the position of acting captain and you just… Ow! That hurts. That hurts…"
The muscles on Tyler's arm bulged, nearly as large as Tobias's head.
Tobias struggled even harder, but it was useless. The stone pendant around his neck swung back and forth in midair like a pendulum.
After a moment, Tobias caught his breath, then began shouting even more fiercely.
"My grandfather is the vice chairman of the main League! If you do not let me go right now, I will make sure you rot in prison!"
Tyler released his grip. Tobias collapsed onto the deck, then scrambled and rolled toward the edge.
Just as he was climbing the railing, preparing to jump over, an eerie black shadow appeared on the railing, forming a black shadow bridge. Tobias screamed and jumped back onto the deck.
Tyler and the two crewmen were just as confused and backed away repeatedly.
Before long, Agatha slowly walked onto the deck, leaning on her cane.
Agatha, one of the Kanto Elite Four.
Tyler immediately let out a sigh of relief.
So it was not pirates.
He also recalled a report from not long ago, saying that a League ship was approaching the S.S. Anne. This had to be the vessel Agatha was on.
After sweeping her gaze across the deck, Agatha's eyes stopped on Tobias.
Her voice was hoarse as she asked, "Who is this little brat? What are you all making such a racket for?"
Tobias looked as if he had seen his own mother. Hope filled his eyes as he shouted at once.
"Grandma Agatha, you have to help me! These people are accomplices of pirates! Accomplices! Hurry and arrest them!"
Agatha shot him a sideways glance, then coldly asked Tyler, "Are you the captain? Where did this brat come from?"
"Uh…" Tyler coughed deliberately. "I was the first mate. I am the acting captain now. As for this kid, he claims to be the grandson of the vice chairman of the Kanto region. I do not know if it is true."
"My grandfather is the vice chairman of the Kanto League!" Tobias shouted again and lunged toward Agatha.
Lorelei, who had just climbed onto the deck, widened her eyes in surprise as she watched Agatha smack the boy aside with her cane.
Agatha's eyes were dark, her tone sharp.
"So you are that old man's grandson… Aren't you perfectly fine on the ship? Why do you still need rescuing?"
"Ugh…"
Tobias clutched the bruise on his arm and roared through clenched teeth.
"Aren't you an Elite Four member?! Hurry up and go kill those pirates…"
Agatha ignored the boy and looked at Tyler, who seemed to be in charge.
"What is going on here? Did headquarters order you to ransom this brat first?"
"No…" Tyler shook his head lightly and pointed inside the cabin. "All the hostages from Octillery Island have already been rescued."
"Rescued?"
Agatha could hardly believe it. She suspiciously glanced at the cabin, then at Tyler. A thought crept into her mind. Could this man really be a pirate in disguise?
The pirates had already taken control of the S.S. Anne. That would explain how they moved the hostages here, set a trap, and waited to ambush them.
"Yes," Tyler replied warmly. "It was Dr. Shiro. He blocked the pirate crew's night attack, then subdued the pirate leader and forced him to bring everyone over."
"Dr. Shiro?"
Agatha rolled the name around in her mouth. No Dr. with that name came to mind in Kanto.
Besides, why would someone like that be on this ship?
She had only heard that Professor Rowan's friend from Galar was aboard. She knew nothing about any other Dr.
Agatha lowered her eyelids and tightened her grip on her cane.
"A Dr.? That Dr. Shiro sounds amazing." Lorelei showed no suspicion at all. Her face lit up as she pulled a notebook from her pocket, eager to ask that person questions and record some Pokémon knowledge.
Tyler laughed as well. "Of course. Dr. Shiro is modest and steady. We thought he was helpless at first, but the moment he stepped in, he completely suppressed the pirates."
Agatha was starting to lose patience.
In her view, researchers should focus on research, and trainers should focus on training Pokémon.
Someone who could train Pokémon and also conduct research well enough to be called a Dr.… she had only ever seen that with Professor Oak.
Where would there be a second bastard like Samuel Oak in this world?
Agatha could not help but cut in sharply. "What Pokémon did that person use?"
"He used…" Tyler froze. "He used… I did not recognize it. It should be a Pokémon from the Galar region."
Agatha snorted and turned to the two crewmen. "You tell me. What Pokémon did that person use?"
The two crewmen thought hard, then could only shake their heads helplessly and admit they did not recognize it.
Lorelei found it a little strange as well. She flipped open her notebook and said, "Then why not call Dr. Shiro out? I would love to have a chat with him."
"Well…" Tyler looked awkward. "The Dr. said he had something to do and went back to Octillery Island. He told us to stay here and wait for him."
"…"
The deck instantly fell silent.
"Then we can wait a bit," Lorelei muttered softly.
After that, the deck sank back into dead silence.
Under Agatha's repeated scrutiny, the atmosphere gradually grew unsettling.
If this so-called "acting captain" really was a pirate, then everything that brat Tobias had said would be true.
In that case, it all made sense.
**
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