Pokemon: The Legendary Trainer

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During the finals, inside the captain's quarters...

As always, the captain's quarters were occupied by the old captain alone.

True to his recent habits, he was wearing white gloves and meticulously polishing a small stone with a clean cloth.

The stone was a deep, vibrant blue, its clarity rivaling the finest sapphires. Occasionally, it emitted faint blue particles of light, giving it an aura of profound mystery.

"Ah, what secrets do you hold? I've been studying you for nearly a week now, and you still won't reveal anything. It pains me to part with you," the captain thought aloud, his face showing a mix of frustration and reluctance as he continued polishing the stone.

This blue stone was the critical cargo the captain had been tasked with delivering.

He was responsible for transporting it to Team Rocket's secret base in Hoenn's Slateport City.

From intelligence gathered within the base, the captain had learned that the blue stone was somehow connected to Hoenn's legendary Pokémon, Kyogre.

In fact, this very stone had been seized by the captain himself from Team Aqua during a previous encounter.

Unfortunately, due to the number of witnesses at the time, the captain had no chance to claim the stone for himself.

As a man who had spent most of his life on the sea, the captain held deep reverence for the Sea God, Kyogre.

Yet, his reverence was tinged with a measure of ambition. 

When he discovered the stone's connection to Kyogre, he regretted handing it over to Team Rocket.

Oddly enough, the blue stone seemed to lose its extraordinary properties whenever it left the Hoenn region, appearing as nothing more than an ordinary rock.

Even Team Rocket's top scientists in Kanto had been unable to make sense of it, despite extensive research.

Ultimately, Team Rocket's headquarters decided to send the stone back to their secret base in Hoenn for further study.

One thing was certain: the blue stone contained immense Water-type energy. However, this energy was as wild and untamable as the ocean itself.

Current scientific techniques were incapable of harnessing it effectively.

For the captain, regaining possession of the stone felt exhilarating.

Over the past several days, he had obsessively studied it, hoping to uncover a secret that might grant him unparalleled power.

Of course, if Team Rocket's top scientists couldn't unravel its mysteries, the captain's rudimentary experiments were no better than a child's play.

Unsurprisingly, he had achieved nothing.

With less than half a day left until they reached Slateport City, the captain began to feel a tinge of disappointment.

A task was a task, and he had to deliver the blue stone to Team Rocket's base on time. Failure to do so would result in severe punishment.

The blue stone was undeniably precious. If it were lost or stolen, the captain would face dire consequences.

The thought of Team Rocket's brutal punishments—like being thrown into the sea to feed Sharpedo—quickly snuffed out his greed.

Suddenly, a knock echoed through the room: Thump, thump, thump…

The captain's eyes narrowed.

Quickly, he retrieved an unassuming box from a nearby drawer and placed the blue stone inside.

After sealing the box, he tucked it securely against his person.

The blue stone emitted Water-type energy, which caused detectable energy waves.

The box had been specially designed by Team Rocket to block these energy waves, ensuring the stone couldn't be easily tracked.

Interestingly, the blue stone could not be stored in spatial equipment, even when contained within the box. Thus, the captain had no choice but to keep it on his person.

"Come in," the captain called out after hiding the stone.

The door opened, and the visitor turned out to be none other than Rhodes, the ship's boatswain.

"The finals of the St. Louis Pokémon Tournament have reached their climax. Will you be attending the award ceremony, Captain?"

After entering and closing the door, Rhodes respectfully bowed to the old captain before asking in a deferential tone.

"Of course, I'll be there. Everything's ready, right? We need to catch all the rats in one fell swoop."

The old captain nodded as he spoke. The St. Louis Pokémon Tournament had been entirely funded by someone else, and as the captain of the ship, he naturally wouldn't pass up the honor of presenting the awards.

Humans, after all, chase nothing but fame and fortune. Having spent decades dominating the seas, the captain had long since amassed his wealth.

Now, what he desired most was recognition.

That's how people are—as they age, the need for prestige grows stronger.

"Yes, Captain. Our people are discreetly guarding the award venue. If those rats try anything, not one of them will escape," Rhodes replied with a smile.

The two then left the room, accompanied by a few security sailors, heading straight for the battle arena.

By the time they arrived, it was already past 2 p.m., and the match between Shuuji Ikeda and Jiro Miyamoto was nearing its conclusion.

As expected, Shuuji Ikeda displayed his usual dominance. This time, he had sent out a trump card specifically designed to counter Jiro Miyamoto's Poison-type Pokémon: a Zangoose with the Immunity ability.

(Note: Pokémon with the Immunity ability cannot be afflicted by Poison or Toxic status.)

Armed with Hone Claws, razor-sharp Slash, and impressive speed, Shuuji's Level 36 Zangoose wreaked havoc, defeating Jiro's Beedrill and Vileplume consecutively.

It was only after Zangoose ran out of stamina that it was taken down by Jiro's Weezing.

However, Jiro's Weezing was his ace Pokémon.

Using a well-hidden Thunderbolt, it managed to defeat Shuuji's Charizard before finally being taken out by his Ursaring.

At last, the champion of this year's St. Louis Pokémon Tournament was crowned. Shuuji Ikeda received thunderous applause from the audience.

"Excellent. Shuuji didn't disappoint me," muttered Hector, who was now hidden among the crowd at the battle arena.

Lowering his head, he spoke casually into a palm-sized communication device. "Listen up—act as soon as the old captain presents the award to Shuuji."

A second later, a chorus of "Yes, sir!" echoed in Hector's earpiece.

About ten minutes later, the third-place match concluded as well, with Shu Yamato claiming third place.

With the top three trainers of the tournament decided, the award ceremony for the champion, runner-up, and third-place winner officially began.

"Eileen, I don't know why, but I have a bad feeling that something is about to happen. In case chaos breaks out at any point, don't panic. Just stay here—it's safer," Sato said calmly, sensing a faintly ominous tension in the atmosphere as the old captain prepared to shake Shuuji Ikeda's hand.

Noticing Mary positioned near the venue's entrance and exit, Sato's expression grew grim. 

Before Eileen could respond, a deafening BOOM!!! suddenly rang out. The entire ship shook violently, sending the crowd into a frenzy.

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