Chapter 224

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Alliance Year 2, January 1st—New Year's Day. A new year has begun.

Alliance City opened its doors again, welcoming people from Fishman City and Angel City, who arrived via the sea train and cloud airships. Some trainers, relying on their Flying or Water-type Pokémon, also managed to reach the city.

People working in the Pokémon League could use their Pokédex to bring friends or family from the outside world to Pokémon Island for a visit. This year, Alliance City was even more lively than before, bustling with activity as always.

But Alliance City also had more facilities and attractions for tourists to enjoy. Not all of these were built by Dak.

Many entrepreneurs had used their own funds to lease land in the suburbs from the Alliance, creating tourist attractions in hopes of making a fortune during the city's open period.

The outskirts of Alliance City were vast and mostly undeveloped grasslands, providing ample space for such ventures.

However, Dak had strict requirements: across Pokémon Island, the green coverage in any city could not be less than 50%.

In Alliance City, the green coverage rate couldn't drop below 70%, higher than the greenest regions in the world Dak had known in his previous life.

Given the environmental degradation, extinction of species, and global warming in his previous world, Dak placed great importance on environmental protection on Pokémon Island.

He gave Kuma, who managed the environment department, significant responsibility.

Kuma did not disappoint, introducing numerous environmental protection laws, such as garbage sorting, restrictions on fireworks outside of specific holidays, low-carbon living, and prohibitions against pollution and vandalism.

Though these regulations seemed complicated and cumbersome to those who had come from the pirate world, they were necessary rules for living on the island.

Over time, it was expected that these practices would become second nature, embedded in the daily habits of future generations.

This year, however, something significant was happening: Pokémon Island was finally about to experience all four seasons. As January began, the island naturally entered its winter season.

Inside Alliance City, many people naturally headed to the Kaigen Shrine and First Shrine to pray for a peaceful, prosperous new year for their families and hoped their children might find a beloved Pokémon partner.

In Garp's home, Hinata was sitting with her two friends, Ino and Tenten, admiring the snow-covered landscape outside.

"It's snowing... I wonder if it's snowing in Konoha as well," Hinata mused.

Hinata had been on Pokémon Island for a month. During that time, she hadn't returned to Konoha or even visited the Hyūga Clan.

It wasn't that she didn't want to visit; she missed her father and sister, but she had been so busy this past month.

Yes, little Hinata had found plenty to keep her occupied on Pokémon Island—caring for Pokémon!

Thanks to her connection with Garp, Hinata gained the privilege of visiting the Alliance's breeding center. After just one visit, she discovered her true passion: caring for small, adorable Pokémon.

Hinata knew she loved doing this, so she mustered the courage to ask Garp if she could help out at the center.

Naturally, Garp wouldn't refuse his beloved granddaughter's request. Acting like a spoiled child, he pestered Dr. Vegapunk until the scientist relented and allowed Hinata to stay on as an assistant.

"Yeah, there's not much fun to be had in Konoha. By the way, the Alliance Leader is so handsome!" Ino's eyes sparkled with admiration, her face flushed as she clutched a figurine of Dak in one hand and a photo of him in the other. "If only I could become the Alliance Leader's wife…"

"Stop fantasizing, Ino. The Alliance Leader is like ten years older than you!" Tenten sighed, exasperated with her friend's obsession with good looks. Ino had always been a bit of a fangirl, swooning over handsome guys.

Back in the ninja academy, she had a crush on Sasuke, but now she was infatuated with the mature and dashing Dak.

"If it's true love, then age doesn't matter!" Ino was undeterred, her head too full of romantic daydreams to listen to reason.

Tenten shook her head, giving up on trying to talk sense into her friend. For Tenten, Pokémon Island was like a dream world—a place that felt like she was always meant to be. The aesthetics of this world perfectly matched her own style.

Unlike in Konoha, where it was rare to see qipao or martial arts attire, here on Pokémon Island, they were common, making Tenten feel surrounded by kindred spirits.

Though Tenten didn't have much screen time in the original series, she was often praised for her skills.

Might Guy described her long-range attacks as "unerringly accurate," Neji said, "Her weapons never miss their mark," and in the official guidebook, Kishimoto mentioned that Tenten's skills shouldn't be underestimated. She was later recognized as Konoha's top weaponry expert, earning the title "One-Woman Army."

While Tenten wasn't the strongest character, she was one of the few who was consistently portrayed as a successful and admirable figure without any significant flaws.

"Hinata, your brothers, Ace and Sabo, are pretty handsome too," Ino remarked, snapping out of her reverie and remembering the two brothers she had met earlier.

"Mm? Well, but... Ace-nii-san and Sabo-nii-san both already have someone they like," Hinata replied, frowning slightly as she thought about it.

"What?! No way!"

"It's true. Ace-nii-san likes a lady from his village named Makino, and Sabo-nii-san has a crush on a girl he met at school named Koala," Hinata confirmed with a nod.

"Ugh, fine. I'm still sticking with the Alliance Leader. Let's go to Kaigen Shrine and pray to him," Ino said, shifting her focus back to her crush.

"Huh? Are you going to pray to his statue, asking to become his wife?" Tenten asked, raising an eyebrow at Ino.

"How did you know?"

"Unbelievable," Tenten muttered, shaking her head.

"Won't we get separated in the crowd?" Hinata asked, worried.

"We won't, not with Hitmonchan and Hitmonlee protecting us," Ino reassured her.

"Please look after us, Hitmonchan, Hitmonlee," Tenten said, addressing the two Pokémon.

The three girls set off for Kaigen Shrine, ready for their adventure.

Meanwhile, Reiju, who had taken the day off, also planned to visit Kaigen Shrine.

"Kuina, how's your sword training going?" Reiju asked.

"It's going well. I've been secretly learning from Lord Fuga. I'm making good progress and haven't been surpassed by Zoro yet," Kuina replied, her tone confident.

The two sisters, one in pink and the other in dark blue, walked arm in arm like close friends. But their younger brothers following behind were a different story.

"Why are you staring at me, curly-brow?"

"Huh? Weren't you the one staring at me first, moss-head?"

Zoro and Sanji walked head-to-head, glaring at each other, as if trying to kill each other with their eyes.

"Chansey~" Chansey stood between the two boys, her short arms stretched out in an attempt to mediate.

She glanced at the two sisters walking ahead, who seemed entirely unconcerned with their brothers' antics, and couldn't help but sigh. What a tough life she had.

Splat!

Suddenly, a snowball hit Chansey in the face.

While she was momentarily distracted, Zoro and Sanji had already started a snowball fight, launching snowballs at each other with fierce determination.

At Mt. Gorbo in the East Blue, the mountain was bustling with activity today.

"Wow! It's really a Shadow Clone! Shikamaru, you're amazing!" Luffy exclaimed, eyes wide with admiration as he stared at Shikamaru's clone, practically drooling with excitement.

"Well, it's nothing special," Shikamaru said, scratching his head modestly, though he couldn't help feeling a bit proud. After all, not many third-year ninja academy students had mastered the Shadow Clone Jutsu.

"That's nothing! Watch my Transformation Jutsu!" Kiba boasted, eager to show off.

In an instant, Kiba transformed into a perfect copy of Akamaru, down to the last detail.

"Oh my gosh, it's just like the abilities of the Imitation Imitation Fruit!" Sabo couldn't help but comment, marveling at how these strange ninja techniques resembled Devil Fruit powers.

"Ace's strength is what's really incredible. It's like he has Machamp's power! He's just a boy, only a little older than us, but how can he be so strong?" Lee said, stunned as he stared at a massive tree Ace had just kicked down with a single strike.

The tree had a diameter of at least one and a half meters, and yet Ace had felled it with just one kick—a feat that Lee found utterly astounding and beyond his imagination.

"Luffy's Devil Fruit abilities are even weirder. Lightning Release Jutsu had no effect on him at all—how is that even possible?" Shino remarked, though he also noted Luffy's weakness. "But it seems that Wind Release Jutsu might be more effective against him."

"Doesn't eating a Devil Fruit make you a landlubber, though?" Naruto asked, concerned. Becoming a landlubber would mean he couldn't swim, and Naruto dreamed of finding a Water-type Pokémon that could take him underwater to explore the ocean depths.

"So what? We've tested it, and Devil Fruit users are only weakened by seawater or something in it. They're not affected by Water Release Jutsu," Shikamaru pointed out, clearly more enthusiastic about the potential of Devil Fruits.

He had come up with many ideas for using Devil Fruit powers to make his life easier, though he wasn't sure if he could find one that suited him.

"Hey, let's go to Alliance City! It's New Year's Day, so it's bound to be lively there."

"Yeah, I want to check it out."

"Then let's go! We can have a snowball fight there, and maybe even make some new friends."

"Alright, alright, let's head out!"

"Wait, I'll go get Infernape and the others."

"Let's go to Kaigen Shrine first. Today's the day to pray and make wishes, after all."

(End of Chapter)