A sea breeze drifted across the deck. An enormous, luxurious world-class cruise ship moved steadily across a deep blue expanse of open ocean.
Departing from Shalour City in Kalos, bound for Mossdeep City in Hoenn.
The ship had a large swimming pool on board, and a number of women in swimwear were enjoying the water with their Water-type Pokémon, diving and swimming without a care.
Pawmi and Zorua had no interest in getting in the water, and with so many strangers around Naoki decided not to let them out. He released Magikarp instead.
A flash of white light, and Magikarp appeared in the pool.
"Enjoy yourself in here," Naoki said, settling down at the poolside, giving Magikarp a quick word, and then shifting his attention to something not far away.
In the pool, a Pokémon moved with fluid, effortless grace. Its body was long and serpentine, with a creamy complexion and a tail covered in blue and pink scales that caught the light and scattered a brilliant, prismatic shimmer through the surrounding water.
A melodious sound rose from its throat, natural and unhurried, drawing glances from guests and Trainers nearby.
Milotic. Naoki had not expected to encounter one here.
He had to admit, Milotic's appearance and presence were genuinely extraordinary. There was a reason it was considered one of the most beautiful Pokémon in the world.
Though evolving one from Feebas was notoriously difficult.
Compared to that, Magikarp suited him considerably better, he decided.
"Is that a golden Magikarp? That's genuinely rare."
A voice came from his left.
Naoki turned to find an elegantly dressed woman approaching from nearby. Beside her walked a small, softly rounded Pokémon that resembled a slime in shape, its body pliable and smooth.
That Pokémon was clearly Kalos's pseudo-Legendary line. Goomy, whose final evolution was the Dragon-type powerhouse Goodra.
The elegantly dressed woman walked over to Naoki and Magikarp, curiosity evident in her eyes, and introduced herself.
"Hello, Trainer. My name is Yuna. I'm the president of the Rare Pokémon Exchange Society."
Naoki blinked.
"The Rare Pokémon Exchange Society?"
"That's right!" Yuna's eyes lit up. "It's an organization formed by people who love and collect rare Pokémon from around the world."
"We hold a gathering every month on this ship, where members get together to share and show off the rare Pokémon they've caught from all over."
So these people just want to show off their rare Pokémon to each other, Naoki thought.
"See that person over there with the Milotic? He's here for the gathering too."
"And the Trainer over there with the rare Feebas."
"And the woman in front with the Bagon and the Larvitar." Yuna rattled off the introductions with visible excitement.
Naoki followed her gestures and looked around.
In the pool, Milotic moved with unhurried grace.
On a sun lounger, a Bagon and a Larvitar sat side by side wearing miniature sunglasses, lounging next to their Trainer.
Up on the high diving board, a woman in a bikini was warming up with a Feebas beside her.
Seeing all these rare Pokémon, Naoki's attention sharpened immediately.
Unless... could it be that this so-called Rare Pokémon Exchange Society was actually a private organization that dealt in rare Pokémon?
Larvitar, the Johto region's pseudo-Legendary, whose final evolution was the immensely powerful and destructive Tyranitar.
Bagon, the Hoenn region's pseudo-Legendary, whose final evolution was the ferocious and enormously powerful Salamence, also known as the Bloodwing Dragon.
"Are any of these Pokémon for sale?"
"For sale?" Yuna shook her finger. "No, no, no."
"Even on the black market, Pokémon like these are the kind money can't simply buy. However, the gathering does allow trades. If the other party is willing, you could offer your Shiny Magikarp in exchange."
Naoki said nothing.
He was not going to do that.
If Magikarp were a Pokémon he had just caught with no bond between them yet, the calculation might be different. But they had already made their promise. Partners, growing stronger together, never to be separated. There was no way he was trading Magikarp for anything.
"So?" Yuna smiled with a hint of amusement. "Your Shiny Magikarp is extraordinarily rare itself. Would you like to join us for the gathering?"
Naoki glanced over at Magikarp in the pool and thought it over. There were still a few days before the ship reached Hoenn. It would be a way to pass the time, if nothing else.
And beyond that, he could use the opportunity to see some rare Pokémon he had never encountered in person before.
"What time does the gathering start?" he asked.
"Eight in the evening, in the banquet hall on the third deck." Yuna smiled back at him. "Your Shiny Magikarp is going to cause quite a stir."
After all, compared to a Shiny Pokémon, even a Salamence or a Larvitar could be considered relatively common. Within any given Pokémon population, the probability of a Shiny individual appearing was roughly one in ten thousand.
Which was precisely why, even on certain black markets, a Shiny Caterpie could command a higher price than a rare Feebas.
"I'll be there," Naoki agreed.
At that same moment, on the corridor of the second deck, two men in dark jackets were taking turns peering through a set of binoculars, watching the scene below with obvious interest.
"Larvitar, Bagon, Milotic, Feebas..." One of them could not hold back a low murmur, his voice tight with excitement. "So many rare Pokémon in one place. If we could take all of them and sell them to collectors and wealthy buyers... the prices we could get."
The intelligence they had received was accurate. There really were this many rare Pokémon on board.
The man beside him, wearing a cap pulled low over his eyes, let a gleam of greed pass through his expression as well.
Larvitar, Bagon. From everything he understood about Pokémon since the game had launched, these two were extraordinarily valuable. Their growth ceilings were among the highest of any species.
The locals in this world called them "late bloomers." Others called them pseudo-Legendaries.
And if fully grown, they could stand toe to toe with actual Legendary Pokémon in battle.
He wanted all of them. Larvitar, Bagon, and that Milotic he had never seen before either.
As for the mission parameters his organization had assigned... failure carried no penalty anyway.
In that case, everything on this ship was his to take.
"When do we move?" the first man asked.
"Tonight." The man in the cap spoke quietly. "I've already confirmed the timing. At eight this evening, they're holding a Rare Pokémon Gathering in the banquet hall on the third deck. When the time comes, follow my lead."