Arrival

With the swirling whirlpool no longer obstructing them, Yuga and his group easily left the misty area created by Melotic.

Wailord and Wailmer were incredibly strong, and they swam at high speeds. Even while pulling a massive sailboat, they quickly brought Yuga and his group into the waters of the Sinnoh region.

"Captain, we should reach Canalave City in about half a day," the vice-captain said to Mr. Drake, holding a nautical chart.

Mr. Drake nodded in response. "That's good to hear, but let's remain vigilant. I've heard that the pirates in these waters are quite bold."

The vice-captain chuckled, "Pirates? With you and Mr. Shimizu on board, we're not afraid of any number of pirates!"

After spending these days with Yuga and witnessing his incredible abilities, combined with the debt of gratitude for their earlier rescue, Mr. Drake's crew had developed a great respect for Yuga.

However, Mr. Drake sternly reprimanded the vice-captain, "Don't get careless!"

"Yes, Captain!" the vice-captain replied seriously.

Not far away, as Yuga was conversing with Yoshimitsu and Yoshitai, he overheard Mr. Drake and the vice-captain's conversation. He couldn't help but ask Yoshimitsu and Yoshitai in curiosity, "Are there many pirates in this area?"

Yoshimitsu nodded and said, "Indeed, there are many. Those who can't make a living on land often turn to piracy on the seas."

The Pokémon world's maritime regions were vast, even larger than the landmasses. They were dotted with numerous islands of various sizes. Due to the presence of many unknown areas, such as the misty region they had just encountered, the Pokémon League's authority didn't extend to all these places.

These areas became havens for pirates. Criminals and outlaws would acquire a ship and take to the seas. The Pokémon League found it challenging to locate and apprehend them due to the vastness and the hidden nature of these territories.

As a result, numerous pirate crews, big and small, existed in the waters of various regions.

With the mention of pirates, Yoshimitsu explained further, "Rogue individuals who couldn't find a place on land often resort to piracy in the sea. It's a way for them to survive and seek treasure and adventure in unknown waters."

Just as Yoshimitsu finished explaining about pirates, a crew member rushed over to Mr. Drake and informed him, "Captain, a fleet of ships is approaching us, and they don't seem friendly!"

"Let's go check it out!" Mr. Drake said as he headed towards the bow of the ship.

Yoshimitsu turned to Yuga and Yoshitai, and saying, "Let's go see what's happening."

Everyone gathered at the ship's bow and indeed saw a fleet of four or five ships approaching. Compared to their tattered sailboat, these were brand new steamships.

Besides steamships, Yuga could faintly make out a group of Tentacruel and Sharpedo leading the way for the fleet. Their aggressive posture didn't suggest a friendly encounter.

"Ah, there's no shortage of trouble on this journey!" Yuga sighed, realizing that these pirates were really short-sighted. With several Wailord by their side, all it would take is a flick of their tails to capsize those approaching ships.

One of the most feared things at sea was encountering Pokémon like Wailord, capable of causing maritime disasters. However, most Wailord and Wailmer were gentle by nature and didn't attack human ships. Some even assisted in rescuing sailors in distress.

Yet, the Wailord and Wailmer pulling their boat were different. They owed their lives to Yuga and his group, and they wouldn't let any harm befall them.

Compared with Zapdos and Melotic, the Wailord can only be regarded as minions, but this does not mean that they are really weak!

Without mentioning that among the Wailord and Wailmer pulling their boat, there were several of them that already reach the pseudo-Elite level, and just looking at their sheer size alone, it was already very imposing.

However, the pirates didn't seem to notice the Wailord and Wailmer either.

To avoid attracting attention, the Wailord and Wailmer pulling the boat were submerged in the seawater, with only their heads appearing when they rested.

As the pirate fleet neared Yuga and his group, a few individuals stepped out at the forefront of the largest ship. One of them took out a megaphone and shouted towards Yuga's direction:

"Can the people on the ship in front hear me? Can you hear me? Come out quickly..."

Before he could finish speaking, a Wailord emerged from the sea, followed by a second one, a third one, and so on...

...

What am I seeing? Wailord? And there are so many!!!

Not only was the pirate who was speaking left dumbfounded, but the other pirates also had their jaws dropped in astonishment.

Due to their massive size, very few people could tame Wailord. However, sailors who possessed Wailord were individuals most pirates preferred not to provoke.

A simple charge from a Wailord could potentially spell doom for their entire crew.

Despite the pirate crew looking fierce and bold, they were, in reality, a group of low-level pirates. Even the Tentacruel and Sharpedo leading the way were mere fill-ins, and their overall strength wasn't significant.

"Wilord..."

The leading three Wailord opened their mouths and emitted a deep roar, followed by using their Surf move, causing the sea to surge towards the pirate fleet. The Tentacruel and Sharpedo at the front were scattered by the crashing waves.

Once the waves subsided, all the pirate ships had sunk, and the pirates were struggling in the water, trying to stay afloat.

After accomplishing this, the Wailord returned to the sea.

"Let's go!"

Mr. Drake said to the other crew members and then turned away. Under normal circumstances, he would have caught all of these pirates, but with their current dilapidated ship, he didn't want to get involved in unnecessary matters.

The leader of the pirates, who had been carried closer to Mr. Drake's ship by the waves while clinging to a piece of driftwood. Only then did he see Mr. Drake on the boat, and he regretted his actions immensely.

Why did he so blind and don't realize that there's is Mr. Drake on the ship like this?!

The pirates in the seas around the Hoenn and Sinnoh were mostly familiar with Mr. Drake. However, this particular leader never expected to find Mr. Drake on such a dilapidated ship.

This situation was wrong!

Encountering pirates was just a minor incident for Yuga and his group, not a significant concern.

However, after they left, another group of ships arrived and rescued the pirates who had fallen into the water. Simultaneously, a small boat sneaked into the misty area.

After the small boat entered the misty area, an elderly man on board took out a peculiar-shaped bone flute and began playing it.

The melodious flute music drew several Phione out of the water, and they danced joyfully to the tune.

When the music ceased, a young man and woman on the small boat, wearing diving suits, followed the lead of the Phione and dove underwater. They arrived at the base of a stone pillar on the ocean floor.

Beneath the pillar lay the colossal slumbering beast, Melotic.

A radiant light-blue aura surrounded the stone pillar, casting an enchanting and mysterious glow in the dimly lit ocean depths.

Various Water-type Pokémon swam around the aura, but none could approach it without the guidance of the Phione. They were unable to enter the interior of the aura.

The Phione led the young man and woman hand in hand through the aura and brought them in front of Melotic.

Several Phione swam up to Melotic and whispered a few words. Melotic slowly opened its eyes, glanced at the young man and woman before it, and used its tail to lift the stone pillar in front of it.

Boom!

The pillar moved, revealing a circular hole engraved with intricate patterns. Inside the hole lay a glowing Pokémon egg.

The Phione cheered and swam up to the egg, then handed it to the young man and woman.

The young couple bowed respectfully to Melotic and returned to their boat with the Pokémon egg.

Subsequently, the small boat carrying the Pokémon egg left the misty area.

All of these events were unknown to Yuga and his group. After encountering the pirates, they had finally arrived at the port of Canalave City.

With their mission completed, the Wailord and Wailmer quietly disappeared into the sea.

Upon reaching land, Yuga immediately tried to contact Cynthia, as he had lost his communication device in the sea.

It had been several days since the agreed-upon time for their meeting, and Yuga was worried that Cynthia might have left Canalave City without waiting for him.

However, half an hour after Yuga's attempt to contact Cynthia, a luxurious silver extended car arrived at the Canalave City port.

A butler, dressed in a black butler's attire, stepped out of the car and, after approaching Yuga, courteously said:

"Are you Master Shimizu? I am Miss Cynthia's butler, Jamiel. Our young lady is waiting for you in the car."

Yuga, having already learned of this being one of Cynthia's attendants through the call, responded to Jamiel, "Can you wait for me a little while? I'd like to speak with Mr. Drake first."

Jamiel politely responded, "Of course, Master Shimizu, please take your time. I'll wait here for you."

Yuga nodded in acknowledgment, thanked him, and then proceeded to find Mr. Drake, who was currently occupied due to the extensive damage to their ship. Upon learning that Yuga was about to leave, Mr. Drake couldn't afford to spare more time but assured Yuga that he was welcome to visit their ship anytime in the future.

After Yuga boarded the car with Jamiel, he indeed found Cynthia inside.

Upon seeing Yuga safe and sound, Cynthia visibly sighed with relief. These past few days had been worrisome for her, as she couldn't contact Yuga. She had invited him to the Sinnoh region, and if something had happened to him, she feared the potential consequences with Mr. Kuni'o.

Despite Mr. Kuni'o being an individual without a family or organization, everyone knew better than to provoke him. As the most experienced Master level Trainer that still living, he possessed secrets that were best left undisturbed.

While it was unlikely for an Elite level Trainer like Yuga to encounter any serious danger, Cynthia couldn't help but worry.

As a member of the Temple clan, she knew all too well about the existences in the world that can threaten the lives of an Elite level Trainer or even the Master level Trainer.

"I'm sorry, i didn't anticipate running into a maritime incident on the way. I apologize for the delay; it's my fault."

Even though he had already apologized during their phone call, Yuga still felt embarassed. After all, he was the one who had missed their appointment, and regardless of the reasons, not keeping an agreement was not a good thing.

However, Yuga didn't reveal the details of their encounter with the misty area, only mentioning ordinary shipwreck.

"It's okay; a little delay is no problem at all. My matters can wait, and the most important thing is that you're safe," Cynthia replied understandingly.

Yuga, relieved that Cynthia was not upset, asked, "Where are we headed now?"

Cynthia answered, "We're heading directly to Celestic Town, and from there, we'll make our way to Machina."

Yuga nodded in agreement.

Machina was the headquarters of the Temple clan, a small town whose centerpiece was the Machina Ruins, a temple dedicated to Arceus, from which the Temple clan derived its name.

A millennium ago, Machina was desolate, but it became prosperous and abundant thanks to the power of Arceus, leading to the creation of the Temple.

The first place they were visiting, Celestic Town, was where ordinary members of the Temple Clan resided. It was also Cynthia's birthplace, and was closely adjadent to Machina.

Only the reclusive members of the Temple chose to live in Machina.

As the car drove from Canalave City towards Celestic Town, Cynthia shared insights into the local customs and folklore along the way.

Cynthia, in addition to being a talented Pokémon Trainer, was also a mythology and legend enthusiast. She had profound knowledge of the local customs and folklore in the Sinnoh region, which she eagerly shared with Yuga as they traveled through the scenic countryside.

However, Yuga was exhausted. He hadn't had a proper rest during their time at sea and on the small island. While chatting with Cynthia, he started dozing off.

Recognizing Yuga's fatigue, Cynthia covered him with a blanket and decided not to disturb his rest.

Despite it being summer, the climate in the Sinnoh region was different from that of the Hoenn region. The temperature was slightly lower, especially as they got closer to Celestic Town, which was situated near the Mount Coronet. The closer they got to Celestic Town, the cooler the temperature became.

When Yuga eventually woke up, the car had already entered Celestic Town, and the night had fully descended.

Yuga rubbed his still-drowsy eyes, looked out of the car window at the pitch-black night, and asked Cynthia, "I'm sorry; I dozed off without realizing it. Have I been sleeping for long?"

Cynthia shook her head and replied, "Not very long. We've already arrived in Celestic Town. We'll stay here for the night and continue our journey to Machina tomorrow."

Yuga nodded and said, "That sounds fine."

Rowlet, who had boarded the car with Yuga, had actually fallen asleep even before him. It hadn't woken up yet. Yuga noticed that Rowlet didn't show any signs of waking up and shook his head. He gently lifted Rowlet from the seat beside him and placed it on his lap.

It seemed that Rowlet found Yuga's thigh more comfortable than the car seat, as it snuggled in and continued sleeping soundly.

Cynthia had noticed Rowlet when Yuga got into the car. Now that Yuga was awake, she engaged in conversation with him about Rowlet and her own Litwick, which she had exchange it from Yuga.

Yuga had extensive experience in training Ghost-type Pokémon, and Cynthia also had a Ghost-type Pokémon, a Spiritomb. Therefore, their conversation about Ghost-type Pokémon was quite engaging.

As they conversed in this manner, the car pulled into Cynthia's home in Celestic Town.

Cynthia lived in Celestic Town with her grandmother, Professor Carolina and her grandfather. Her parents, due to work reasons, were not in the Sinnoh region.

According to Cynthia, she also had a younger sister, but she was very young and had accompanied their parents, so she wasn't in Sinnoh either.

Since Cynthia had informed her grandparents about her plans to bring a guest home, they had been waiting at the front door. As soon as Yuga got out of the car, he saw the two elderly people standing there.

This was the second time Yuga had met Professor Carolina. He had previously encountered her when participating in the Gym Leader Challenge, as Professor Carolina was one of the judges.

Comparing Professor Carolina to a little over a year ago, she hadn't changed much. She was still lively and energetic. However, Yuga was meeting Cynthia's grandfather for the first time.