The most important thing about these pirates is that they understand the principle of "too much is as bad as too little."
Every year, thousands of ships travel along this route, yet these pirates only launch a few dozen attacks, keeping their success rate at roughly 1%. This way, they avoid attracting the Alliance's attention while also preventing widespread fear among traders.
After all, if they blocked the sea and robbed ships daily, the merchants would be too terrified and switch to air travel instead. If that happened, what would the pirates have left to plunder?
It must be said—these pirates have a keen economic sense and understand the importance of sustainable operations.
However, Ma En knew now was not the time to admire them. His main concern was whether the S.S. Anne, the ship he was on, would be targeted.
It shouldn't be. The S.S. Anne was a well-known luxury cruise liner. The security force onboard was significantly stronger than that of regular ships, and the sheer number of passengers made an attack risky.
But as Ma En pondered, he couldn't help but recall the scene in the hall, where many trainers carried rare and starter Pokémon. If pirates managed to hijack the ship, they could make an enormous fortune in one go.
After leaving the training room, Ma En still heard tourists discussing the news about the "Riptide" being robbed. However, most people seemed more interested in gossiping rather than worrying.
After all, the S.S. Anne had been incident-free for years, and its onboard security team reassured passengers.
Yet, the more Ma En listened, the more uneasy he felt. This situation reminded him of too many cliché scenes from movies in his past life—where everyone, from the captain to the passengers, displayed overconfidence before disaster struck.
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Two days later, the S.S. Anne arrived in Johto, docking at the famous port city of Olivine City.
The past two days had been peaceful, and Ma En's worries had somewhat subsided. However, he still planned to prepare in advance.
His priority now was to catch a Water-type Pokémon.
It didn't have to be strong. He didn't intend to use it for battles—just as a means of water transportation.
After all, his upcoming expedition to an uninhabited island in search of ruins required him to consider crossing bodies of water.
With that in mind, smaller Water Pokémon weren't ideal. If the Pokémon decided not to follow him after the expedition, he could always release it.
With this goal in mind, Ma En disembarked at Olivine City, planning to use his three-day stay to capture a suitable Water-type Pokémon.
Many tourists from the S.S. Anne also flocked to the beaches, eager to enjoy the stunning scenery.
Dressed in shorts and a casual beach outfit, Ma En ignored an invitation from a young woman and headed toward a secluded rocky area, carefully scanning the waters for Pokémon.
After all, Pokémon mattered more to him right now. Women would only slow down his Poké Ball throwing speed.
Most Pokémon along the shore were common Water-types like Krabby, Slowpoke, and Psyduck—none of which suited his needs for water travel.
Realizing that searching alone might take too long, Ma En sought information from the best source available: the Pokémon Center.
At first, Nurse Joy was reluctant to share details when he asked about strong Water-type Pokémon nearby. As a medical professional, she didn't want to see trainers putting themselves in danger.
However, after Ma En revealed his Gengar's strength, Joy relented and shared some information. Given Ma En's skill level, the risks were significantly lower for him.
Following her advice, Ma En set off for a remote coastline southwest of Olivine City—one of the few places the Alliance didn't patrol.
Due to the abundance of sharp reefs, ships avoided this area. It was also far from the city, meaning few people ventured there. Many aggressive Pokémon driven out by the Alliance also took refuge in these waters.
Standing at the shore, Ma En took a small box from his pocket. Inside were specially prepared Water-type energy cubes—his "bait" for this unconventional fishing method.
He grabbed one energy cube and tossed it into the sea.
For a brief moment, nothing happened. The energy block floated in the water, creating only minor ripples.
Then, without warning, a red Octillery burst from the water, swallowing the cube whole.
The moment it tasted the energy cube, Octillery detected an even stronger scent coming from Ma En's direction—his box of energy cubes.
Without hesitation, Octillery launched an "Octazooka" attack at Ma En.
However, before the ink cannon could hit, Gengar leaped out of Ma En's shadow and used "Protect" to block the attack. Then, with a flick of its hand, Gengar hurled a Shadow Ball straight at Octillery.
Octillery attempted to dive underwater, but it was too late. The Shadow Ball struck just as it submerged, causing a massive splash.
As the water settled, Octillery's unconscious body floated to the surface.
Encouraged by his success, Ma En continued using this method to "fish." However, most of the Water Pokémon he encountered weren't suited for riding.
As he neared the end of his energy cube supply, Ma En's expression darkened.
Was it because he wasn't rich enough? Some people could fish up a Kyogre with just a rod, yet he couldn't even find a suitable Water-type Pokémon using energy cubes.
At that moment, a deafening explosion erupted from his right, followed by a fierce roar.
Ma En's eyes narrowed. Something was happening nearby.
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