Genetics and Ambition

She hadn't been doing anything special; she was just having a long phone call with Zeraora, but she still knew exactly what her kids were up to.

On the ship, not only was patrol team's partner Mightyena, but there were also several other Pokémon like Mareanie, Combee, Bounsweet, Machoke, and Geodude.

In this environment, those two little troublemakers were bound to cause some sort of mischief. That's why she had specifically asked Bepo to keep an eye on them. As for Perona, it was daytime, and she was napping comfortably as usual.

"Huh? Duchess, but the young master and young miss asked me to get them something to drink..."

"You... never mind. Who did they even learn this from?"

"I'm sorry..."

"Stop apologizing already. I told you it's fine…."

"Y-yes, sorry..."

Setsuna rubbed her head and gave up. She really wanted to ask her younger self from over a decade ago why she had been so obsessed with being a Duke. Now, with two kids of her own plus Bepo, she was already overwhelmed. Managing the entire Mink Tribe? The thought alone was terrifying.

"No, this won't do. The seven-year mark isn't far off. I need to come up with a new plan... but I still don't know if the no-date trick will work or not..."

"What are you mumbling about?"

Rin appeared behind Setsuna, looking at her daughter, who was acting all mysterious, and asked curiously.

"Huh? Oh, nothing, just a little issue. But Mom, how did Meowna and Wolff end up with this kind of personality?"

"You're asking me? Isn't it entirely inherited from you? They didn't take after even a little bit of Zeraora's calm personality, instead they've learned all your bad habits..."

"I'm not that bad..."

"True, you were worse than them back in the day. At least they didn't randomly run away from home like you did."

In just a few sentences, Setsuna managed to get herself in trouble. Even though she was now the nominal Duchess of Zou Island, the first King of Aura in a thousand years who could communicate with Zou Island's giant elephant, and the strongest fighter among the Minks, she was still just a disobedient child in Rin's eyes.

Meowna and Wolff were riding two Mightyena, running around on the beach. Even if they accidentally fell off, they could grab the Pokémon's tails and climb back up. The sight of these two Pokémon also attracted the attention of some pirates on the island.

"Wow, what beautiful dogs! Captain, we should get two for ourselves when we go back!"

"Pfft!"

"Hahaha, did you hear what that guy just said? He wants to get two Mightyena! Oh man, today's jokes are just so funny!"

"Hey, hey, don't be like that. He just doesn't know any better. No need to mock him like that."

Pirates, as a group, didn't have the best manners, but under absolute power, they tended to behave themselves. However, when it came to those with less experience or strength, most pirates weren't exactly friendly.

"Those are Pokémon, Lord Arceus' divine creations. You can't just 'get' them. Either Lord Arceus grants them to you, or you earn their recognition yourself. Don't say foolish things like that again."

A pirate with a more easygoing personality explained the situation to an ordinary member of a subordinate crew, giving him some insight into the Beasts Pirates. He had been brought along by his captain to learn a thing or two, but until now, he hadn't known much about these things.

"They... seem pretty friendly?"

"Don't even think about it. If you had their parents, they'd be friendly to you too. That's a path you can't walk, so just keep working hard."

Thanks to their father being Zeraora, Meowna and Wolff's starting point was already much higher than these ordinary pirates. To catch up to them in any area would require much more than just a little effort.

Just as the Minks appeared, the sea suddenly churned, and a Gyarados emerged from the water. Mandrell leaped out, and this time, he had someone else with him. In Rusalka's arms was a tiny figure, curiously observing the world around her.

Though she had a human appearance, the markings on her neck clearly indicated her heritage — she was half Merfolk.

As No.1 of Numbers, he and the current No.0 share one thing in common: a happy family. Aside from not having achieved his final wish of retiring, his life was pretty much perfect.

...

Jack, who had arrived earlier, noticed that Mandrell had also arrived. He walked over and soon noticed the newborn.

"Brother Mandrell, is this... your child?"

Curious, Jack leaned in and looked at the tiny thing, only slightly bigger than an Alcremie, and asked with a hint of surprise.

"Yeah, she was born not too long ago. You've been busy with missions lately, so I hadn't told you yet. Look, isn't she adorable?"

"Mm, indeed..."

After affirming, Jack fell silent, clearly not good at such situations. Fortunately, Mandrell noticed and quickly broke the awkward silence.

"Has it not started yet? I must be the last one to arrive, right?"

"I'm not sure. Mainly because Yamato hasn't arrived yet. She went into hiding a while ago and has been missing for some time"

Just as he spoke, a new ship appeared on the horizon. The Pokémon Ship was moving at full throttle, speeding towards them like a jet-powered vessel. At the same time, a massive tremor shook the island.

The entire island seemed to come to life. With the massive tremor, numerous stone pillars suddenly emerged from the beach, acting like lifting platforms that carried everyone above the island. The island's vegetation grew rapidly, eventually forming a gigantic platform above.

"Is it Lord Arceus' handiwork? What a grand stage this is. Jack, are you ready? If you want to become the next Calamity, Setsuna and I are the opponents you must defeat."

Looking at the towering stone pillars, Mandrell, as one of the veterans, could already guess who was behind all of this. He couldn't help but marvel at the progress of these new generation kids, especially this former Fish-Man junior who had now carved out his own path as a tank.

"I've been preparing all this time, but... maybe next time. My target this time is No.2."

They are more talented and younger, but they lack the tempering of time. As they continue to mature, these new generations would be able to develop even stronger combat abilities. Among them, the youngest, Page One, is only 13 but had already surpassed many of the seniors in strength.

In about five years, this new generation would all have reached adulthood. By then, the older generation officers would still be in their prime, and Yamato would have grown even further. It could be said that at that time, the Beasts Pirates would finally be at their full potential.

"That's quite a leap, but work hard. I won't hold back when the time comes."

"Don't worry, Brother Mandrell, I'll defeat you head-on."

Meanwhile, a giant projection created by Ann appeared in the sky. Accompanied by the sound from the loudspeakers, the competition officially began.

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