Chapter 43: This Ship Isn't Going to Sink, Is It?

"Ee-vee?"

Eevee looked up curiously at the youth. Usually, he was the picture of cool, elegant composure, but right now his face was pale as he leaned against the cruise ship's deck railing. His jade-green hair was a mess, and he had been forced to pull off his signature cap just to breathe.

"I feel a bit better after taking the motion sickness pills, but man... I still can't stand this."

N massaged his temples. Back at the Oak Research Lab, he had become an expert at riding all sorts of Pokémon—Dragonite, Gyarados, you name it—without a hitch. Yet, the moment he stepped onto a large mechanical transport, his head started spinning with nausea.

Fortunately, while he felt miserable, it wasn't enough to cloud his five senses or his judgment.

The cruise ship he was on was called the Joseph. For some reason, just hearing the name gave N a mysterious, lingering sense of dread, though he eventually chalked it up to a trick of his imagination.

This ship isn't actually going to sink, is it?

"Ee-vee, ee-vee!"

Seeing N looking so uncharacteristically pathetic, Eevee couldn't help but snicker.

Karma, however, was a swift mistress. Before Eevee could enjoy its triumph for even two seconds, N scooped it up and declared it was time for training. He gave the order that it had to master Shadow Ball by the end of the day, leaving the little fox looking like it had been struck by lightning.

"Let's head inside the cabin. The fresh air on the deck helped, but I'm better now."

The Joseph was a fairly famous luxury liner, mostly known for having a near-sinking crisis about twice a year.

Fortunately, every time a disaster loomed, powerful Trainers just happened to be on board to save the day. Because of this track record of "close calls but no casualties," people looking for a bit of excitement actually sought it out. N had no idea why Daisy Oak had given him a ticket for this specific boat.

Couldn't she have picked the 'Sea Emperor' next door?!

Stepping into the main hall, N's attention was immediately snagged by the spread of exquisite delicacies. This truly was a high-end luxury cruise; the passengers were almost exclusively sons and daughters of wealthy families.

Without hesitation, he found a table and sat down. Taking up a knife and fork from the waiter, he began to slowly savor the kind of gourmet food he rarely got to eat.

On this ship, food and drinks were complimentary, and various vendors had set up stalls to do business. Most of the passing youths were dressed in opulent, expensive finery, making N stand out in his simple white high-collared jacket and black undershirt.

However, even in his plain clothes, his striking features made him a "crane among chickens." The young socialites were immediately drawn to his face, unable to keep from stealing glances.

The more reserved girls chose to peek from afar, while a few bolder ones actually approached him to strike up a conversation. N politely declined them all with a smile.

To his frustration, his polite rejection only seemed to pique the interest of those who were still hesitating.

"..."

N's lips twitched slightly. He kept up the apologetic smiles while looking for a way to make a quick exit.

"Hey, you're a Trainer, aren't you? How about a battle?"

Just as he was pondering how to escape, a young man with slicked-back hair and designer clothes stepped forward. He clearly found N's popularity annoying and wanted to take him down a peg.

After all, in the world of Pokémon, a pretty face can't buy you dinner, strength is the only currency that matters.

Seeing N hesitate, the rich kid, terrified N would just walk away, immediately added, "Don't worry, I won't make it worth nothing. If you win, I'll give you 20,000 Pokédollars on the spot!"

N, who was about to decline, froze for two seconds.

Someone was going out of their way to provide a practice partner for his team and pay him a bonus for the privilege?

Does this kind of luck actually exist?

…

"Whoa, you've gotta be kidding... is that guy on a ten-win streak?"

"This is insane. He's just rotating between an Eevee and a Gurdurr, and he's flattened everyone in this gauntlet. Weren't a few of those challengers elites from the private academies? They were supposed to be strong, right?"

A Pokémon battle never failed to draw a crowd. After N accepted the first challenge, a string of others followed, all willing to put up 20,000 Pokédollars as a stake.

Counting the first match, he had already pocketed nearly 200,000 Pokédollars. That didn't just cover his food for the month, it covered the next three months as well. The smile on N's face hadn't faded once.

The wealthy girls who were initially attracted by his looks were now swooning over his power. He had essentially become a "Prince Charming" in their eyes; young, talented Trainers with this kind of skill were rare.

"Excuse me, would you mind having a match with me as well?"

Seeing N's Pokémon defeat yet another challenger, a figure who had been watching from the back for a long time stepped forward with a faint smirk.

"I'm sorry, but my Pokémon are exhausted. I'm not planning on taking any more challenges for now."

Having won ten matches in a row, N was ready to call it a day. Even a physical tank like Gurdurr had its limits. While he appreciated these Trainers funding his travel expenses, he was genuinely tired of fighting.

"Oh, come on, pretty please? Regardless of whether you win or lose, I'll give you a very nice reward, okay?"

It was only then that N realized the latest challenger was a woman. Even with sunglasses on, she couldn't hide her exquisitely beautiful face. Her smile possessed a mature, captivating charm.

She had long black hair tied into twin tails that draped over her shoulders, and she wore a striking outfit of pale yellow and deep black. Her height and proportions were as perfect as a professional model's. On her head sat a pair of high-tech red and blue headphones shaped like magnets, with long black cords trailing down.

The more he looked at her, the more familiar she seemed. A flicker of suspicion flashed through N's emerald eyes.