Pokemon: The Legendary Trainer

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Feign ignorance, feign face blindness, feign being oblivious—these were the "three feigning principles" Sato had decided to adopt to deal with the Old Captain and Rhodes.

The minds of madmen were incomprehensible to Sato, especially those who treated others as less than human.

Unable to predict or contend with such individuals, Sato resolved to distance himself from the two men targeted by these lunatics. 

The reason was simple: his current strength was not enough to handle them.

Before long, the sun quietly sank below the horizon, and the crescent moon and a sky full of stars blanketed the ocean. The tranquil night was a sharp contrast to the lively commotion aboard the humble yet bustling vessel, the Sea Lion.

Despite its age and size, the Sea Lion was a fully equipped ship, complete with facilities found on larger cruise liners. 

The ship's dining room and bar were combined, creating a raucous environment filled with the clinking of bottles and boisterous conversations.

Notably, the staff at the bar-restaurant were Pokémon. An Octillery handled dishwashing, while a Kingler and a Poliwhirl served dishes across the floor. 

Overhead, a Pelipper ferried rum orders with efficiency.

More amusingly, the chef responsible for grilling shellfish and fish was a Poliwrath, while the bartender mixing cocktails at the counter was none other than a Kadabra, who had a fondness for alcohol himself.

These Pokémon staff were highly skilled at their jobs, running the establishment with remarkable professionalism. 

Through his detection ability, Sato discovered that these Pokémon were all above level 20, with the Poliwrath and Kadabra even reaching level 40. 

Perhaps due to their strength, the bar maintained a harmonious order despite the chaotic energy.

The sailors aboard the Sea Lion, while intimidating in appearance, were hearty and straightforward individuals. Spending time with them often left one unexpectedly fond of their company—provided one earned their respect first.

Sailors, particularly after a few drinks, were notorious for their tall tales. A sailor who took a liking to you might share every piece of knowledge they had, no matter how grandiose or dubious.

By downing three large mugs of rum and coke in one go and covering a tab of over 2,000 PokeDollars, a tipsy Sato quickly won the respect of the ship's guard sailors gathered at the bar that evening.

"Hahaha~ Let me tell you, Cass, when I was your age, I'd already circumnavigated the world several times with the captain! Believe me, I'm the man who witnessed a battle between Kyogre and Lugia and lived to tell the tale!"

A middle-aged sailor with a flushed face, an arm slung around Sato's shoulders, guzzled another bottle of rum delivered by a Pelipper before belching loudly. 

He reeked of alcohol as he shared his tale with Sato, who was currently using a transformed Ditto to disguise himself.

The sailor's name was Adolf Haidler, an old hand from the Unova region and a squad leader among the Sea Lion's guard crew. Tonight, he was enthusiastically regaling Sato with sea tales, serving as an impromptu storyteller.

Through Haidler's colorful accounts of his nautical adventures, Sato gleaned valuable information about the Sea Lion, including confirmation of the captain's extraordinary reputation as a seasoned mariner.

"Don't listen to him, Cass. The squad leader's exaggerating again. Last time, he said he saw Kyogre and Rayquaza fighting in Kalos. Now it's Kyogre and Lugia!"

"Exactly! The captain hasn't even seen Kyogre. It hasn't surfaced in Hoenn for decades, let alone anywhere else!"

"True. Kyogre is a Hoenn legend. It's said to only appear there. How could it possibly be in Kalos? Unless there are multiple Kyogre!"

Before Sato could respond, other young sailors at the bar—faces also flushed with drink—began poking holes in Haidler's story. Even other inebriated sailors nearby joined in the mockery.

"Hahaha~~~"

Laughter erupted as Haidler's exaggerated tale was thoroughly debunked.

"Shut up! I did see it! Back in Unova, I was known as the 'Brave of the Seas'. You lot, who've only been on the Sea Lion for a few months, know nothing! Who says there's only one Kyogre? I've seen two!"

Infuriated, Haidler bellowed at the mockers before grabbing the loudest of his detractors by the collar. His booming voice suggested he was moments away from a brawl.

"Fight! Fight!"

Rather than intervening, the onlookers egged them on, and even the Pokémon staff paused to watch the unfolding drama with interest.

After a heated exchange of words, the two finally began grappling. Just as they prepared to escalate the fight with Pokémon, the Kadabra behind the bar calmly polished a glass, his eyes glowing blue.

In the blink of an eye, Haidler and his opponent vanished, reappearing outside the bar's entrance.

The younger sailor was no match for his squad leader and was soon beaten black and blue.

However, when they prepared to involve their Pokémon in the fight, the Poliwrath chef appeared, clad in a chef's hat and uniform.

With a single swift karate chop each, the Poliwrath knocked both combatants unconscious and dragged them into a dimly lit storage room.

"Kyogre in Kalos, huh? Maybe there really isn't just one Kyogre in the Pokémon world…"

Watching Haidler being dragged away, Sato pondered. He recalled a certain Pokémon movie featuring a Shiny Rayquaza (black). If there could be two Rayquaza, then the existence of more Kyogre didn't seem so far-fetched.

With Haidler's removal, Sato lost interest in lingering at the bar. Without his drinking companion, he risked genuinely getting drunk if he stayed.

Feigning intoxication, Sato bid farewell to the sailors and staggered out of the bar-restaurant.

However, as he pushed the door open and saw a familiar face, his pupils shrank, and his half-drunken state instantly sobered.

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