"So this is the Pokémon world Luffy was talking about!?"
Arriving in the Pokémon world for the first time, Nami was instantly overwhelmed by Red's astonishing methods.
With awe written all over her face, she looked around at her surroundings.
At this moment, the two of them were standing right in the center of a Pokémon Center, directly in front of Nurse Joy and the healing machine.
Compared to other buildings that had been heavily modified with various 'game-like' settings, the Pokémon Center itself hadn't changed much.
Aside from being larger in scale and more in line with real-world proportions, its core purpose remained the same—healing Pokémon.
At the very center of the building stood a massive healing device. The classic, adorable pink-haired Nurse Joy and her Chansey were stationed behind the counter nearby, patiently waiting for Trainers to come heal their Pokémon.
Beyond that, several Trainer rest areas had been set up, tailored to different age groups and personal preferences.
Before entering the game world, Red had already explained the general situation of the Pokémon world to Nami.
Even so, she was still stunned by the lifelike Trainers around them.
If not for the fact that they stood completely motionless, Nami would never have believed that these people were merely decorative constructs created by Red.
And this… was only the tip of the iceberg!
"Sometimes I really wonder, Red… are you actually a human from our world?" Nami muttered.
"Not having eaten a Devil Fruit, yet possessing power on the level of a god…"
After taking a quick tour of the Pokémon Center and familiarizing herself with the atmosphere of the Pokémon world, Nami couldn't help but voice her amazement.
Red chuckled softly. "Hahaha, the world is far bigger than you think."
"Once you reach the Grand Line, you'll realize that abilities like this are actually pretty ordinary."
He laughed it off, clearly steering the conversation away.
After all…
A woman's intuition could be frighteningly accurate.
"Come on. Before we get started, I'll take you to learn a few moves first."
With a wave of his hand, Red motioned for Nami to follow him.
Bringing Nami into the Pokémon world this time wasn't just about making use of her Pickup ability—Red had prepared benefits for her as well.
The first was a Normal-type move Red had always considered rather mundane: Pay Day.
He had just checked—it didn't matter that Nami didn't have the Normal attribute; she could still learn it.
Perhaps her money-loving personality had resonated with the learning device.
And the second gift Red had prepared for her was—
A set of exclusive moves found only in Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! / Let's Go, Eevee!…
Partner Moves!
In this generation of games, the Pokémon Centers in Cerulean City, Celadon City, and Fuchsia City each had a special Move Tutor capable of teaching powerful Partner Moves to partner Pokémon.
Through these tutors, one could learn the corresponding Partner Moves for free—essentially like a Move Tutor that couldn't be carried around.
And Red had already done his research in advance…
Because this game world was a fusion of both versions, the Move Tutor in Cerulean City alone could provide four Partner Moves.
They were:
Zippy Zap — Electric-type Physical
Splishy Splash — Water-type Special
Buzzy Buzz — Electric-type Special
Sizzly Slide — Fire-type Physical
Don't be fooled by their cute-sounding names.
As version-exclusive moves, each of them was outrageously overpowered!
First was Zippy Zap. While it didn't have the absolute priority of Quick Attack, its activation speed was still faster than nearly any other move—and it always landed a critical hit.
Splishy Splash, a Water-type special move, boasted 90 base power and restored half of the damage dealt as HP after hitting.
Buzzy Buzz shared the same 90 base power but came with a terrifying 100% chance to paralyze the opponent.
Last was Sizzly Slide, which also dealt massive Fire-type damage and guaranteed a burn every single time.
These four moves were so absurd that even Red couldn't help but think:
"Is this game even fair?"
"Oh? I'm the only player?"
"Never mind, then~"
Unfortunately…
Neither Luffy nor Zoro could learn any of Cerulean City's Partner Moves.
So Red decided to bring Nami and try his luck.
After all, Nami's Electric + Flying dual affinity fit her perfectly—befitting the so-called weather child of the pirate world.
Under Red's guidance, the curious Nami arrived in front of a beast tamer dressed in luxurious red clothing, holding a training whip.
As Red stepped closer, he triggered the interaction. A familiar selection interface immediately appeared before his eyes.
Unlike when he tried this with Luffy and Zoro—where every option was marked [Cannot Learn]—the moment Red selected Nami as the target, two Electric-type moves lit up with the [Can Learn] indicator.
Zippy Zap and Buzzy Buzz.
"…I'm starting to think Nami actually can fight," Red muttered with a grin.
Seeing how powerful the effects were, he immediately selected both and taught them to her.
In the blink of an eye, Nami's move list gained two formidable Electric-type attacks.
While he was at it, Red opened his bag and used the Move Tutor to teach her Pay Day, bringing her total move count to three—the highest in the Straw Hat crew so far.
"Well? Are you satisfied with my gift?"
As Nami slowly opened her eyes, Red smiled and asked.
Crackle!
A surge of electricity suddenly danced across Nami's body, illuminating her radiant, astonished smile.
"Th-This… is Pokémon power!?"
Her eyes widened as she felt the energy coursing through her, lips parting in awe.
At that moment, Red's gaze shifted slightly, and he spoke with a knowing smile:
"Nami, if I gave you the chance to personally kill Arlong—but only after enduring hardship and relentless effort…"
"…would you be willing to try?"
Nami froze for a moment before snapping her head up.
She met Red's steady gaze and noticed the faint curve of his smile.
Those pitch-black eyes seemed to already see the future.
"I…" Nami stared at her own hands and whispered,
"Is it really possible… for me to kill Arlong with my own hands?"
In an instant, scenes of Bell-mère's death flashed through her mind, igniting a burning fury deep in her heart.
Red chuckled softly. "If you can persevere with training during this period—and with the support of the Pokémon world…"
"With your current abilities, you have a very real chance."
He spoke with certainty.
Even if type effectiveness didn't fully apply in the pirate world…
With just these two Electric-type techniques, dealing with ordinary fish-men would be no problem at all.
And if she continued leveling up through this time in the game world, killing Arlong was far from impossible.
After dominating East Blue for so long, Arlong had grown complacent.
His strength had degraded so much that he wouldn't even qualify as strong by New World standards anymore.
By Red's estimation, Arlong was equivalent to a Pokémon in the low-to-mid twenties—certainly below level thirty.
In the original timeline, if Luffy hadn't messed around and extended the fight for plot reasons, he could've crushed Arlong outright.
Seeing Nami still hesitating, Red immediately added with a laugh:
"Don't worry about Luffy and Zoro."
"If we can find that Rare Candy today, Luffy will power up again—and his next stage is real-world Armament Haki training. There's no need for him to come in here to bully level-ten-something Pokémon."
"The same goes for Zoro. With his near-suicidal training routine, his growth speed might not even be worse than leveling here."
"And it's just for a short while. It won't affect them much."
"Compared to them, you are the one who needs combat experience the most."
"After all, our future enemies might have grunts who are stronger than Arlong."
Since every member of the Straw Hat crew would eventually train in the game world anyway—and the nearby Pokémon were all around Nami's level…
It was perfect for her.
"..."
After hearing Red out, Nami fell silent for several seconds.
But her heart was already surging.
In the end, she nodded firmly, her eyes shining with resolve.
"I understand, Red!"
"Thank you… for thinking about me like this."
"Hey~" Red waved his hand casually, smiling as if it were obvious.
"We're partners."
"Yes!" Nami answered loudly.
"We are… partners!!!"
"But…"Her gaze flickered, and she added,
"I'll be the one to explain to everyone about using up the game time."
"No problem~"
Seeing that Nami had made her decision, Red smiled and said nothing more.
He trusted that Luffy and Zoro would agree.
That said, the real issue remained the limited power supply Red could provide each day.
Even after earning the Blue Badge achievement and growing stronger, his total daily game time still hadn't reached three hours.
"There's a long road ahead…"
Red sighed internally, imagining a future where he could freely bring his companions into the game world anytime, anywhere—
(End of Chapter)