"Professor Rowan, just call me Shiro," Shiro interrupted.
Rowan froze for a moment before reacting.
"Shiro? Is that your real name?"
"Yes."
"It sounds very Kanto-like…" Rowan muttered. "In Kanto, people usually drop the surname or use nicknames. They say it feels closer. But using that kind of name for you would sound a bit childish. Yeah, probably not suitable…"
Rowan continued rambling.
Shiro listened quietly until a questioning voice came from behind.
"Excuse me, you are…?"
He turned around and saw two dark-skinned, lean crew members in blue uniforms. He quickly explained the situation to Rowan and held the call aside for the moment.
The two crew members looked a little scared. They kept a distance of several meters away and did not dare come closer.
"I'm the passenger you're here to pick up," Shiro explained. "You can ask the captain to confirm."
They exchanged glances. One of them immediately turned and ran toward the cabin.
The remaining crew member relaxed slightly when he saw Shiro make no sudden moves.
Not long ago, they had been attacked and controlled by a strange bird Pokémon. In the waters near Galar, anything unusual made them tense.
Especially since the recent routes had been far from peaceful.
Shiro leaned quietly against the railing and waited, enjoying the sea breeze.
After a short while, the crew member returned with a tall, fat old man.
"I'm the captain of the S.S. Anne. My name is Walt," the old man introduced himself, then quickly asked, "You're the… researcher Professor Rowan told us to pick up? You look very young."
As he spoke, his hand naturally rested near his waist, ready to open a Poké Ball at any moment.
If something was wrong, if this young man was actually a pirate spy who had already kidnapped the researcher and boarded the ship in disguise to seize the S.S. Anne, then it would be a disaster.
It was not an overactive imagination.
They had encountered pirates trying to hijack ships not long ago.
"My name is Shiro. I'm from Galar. This is my League ID card."
Shiro took out the League Card from his pocket and lightly tossed it over. He then raised the communication device in his hand and added, "Captain Walt, I'm on a call with Professor Rowan right now. You can contact him directly to confirm."
Walt took the card and examined it carefully. He was mostly convinced. After a brief conversation with Rowan through the device, he smiled and handed it back.
After Shiro exchanged a few polite words with Rowan and ended the call, Walt gave a sincere apology.
"Welcome, Mr. Shiro. This is the international cruise liner S.S. Anne. I apologize for my earlier caution."
"It's fine," Shiro said with a wave. He fully understood.
With that, he followed Walt into the ship.
They went up a staircase, passed through two corridors and a hall, and stopped in front of a row of rooms.
"This is the first-class section on the top deck of the S.S. Anne," Walt said slowly as he gestured inside. "All rooms have sea views, and there are no other passengers. You may choose any room you like."
Shiro nodded slightly and picked a bedroom closer to the outside.
Walt entered, handed him the room card, and explained the details. As he turned to leave, he thought of something and reminded him,
"There's a dining area in the main hall on the first floor. It's open twenty-four hours, buffet style. Food for Pokémon of all types is also available."
"Alright, thank you."
After nodding to each other, Shiro entered the room.
The space was about one-third smaller than his room in the company's building. There was no sofa or coffee table. Inside, there was a large bed and a TV. At the far end, past the bathroom, was a balcony overlooking the sea.
"I'm finally free…"
He stretched, though he did not feel sleepy.
In the days leading up to the Gym Challenge, he had been extremely cautious in Galar. He had to stay on guard against Macro Cosmos at all times and deal with matches as well. It had been exhausting.
Training had even been delayed, though thankfully the resources were sufficient and his Pokémon were still improving steadily.
After taking a shower, Shiro sat by the bed and thought about Macro Cosmos' strange reaction just before he left.
That man in blue clothing, who controlled Articuno, was he really just a company enforcer?
Even if it was only a Galarian Articuno, it was still a legendary Pokémon.
Its strength and presence completely overwhelmed ordinary Pokémon. Its level was even higher than Mesprit's.
Shiro had asked Symbol A about Articuno's data:
[Name: Articuno (Galarian Form)
Type: Psychic/Flying
Level: 79 (Master)
Ability: Competitive
Held Item: None
Moves: Gust, Confusion, Reflect, Hypnosis, Agility, Ancient Power, Tailwind, Psycho Cut, Recover, Freezing Glare, Dream Eater, Hurricane, Double Team, Future Sight, Trick Room...]
It was almost at the peak of the Master-level, just one step away from the next tier.
With its legendary base stats and move power, it could completely suppress Peony, let alone the weaker Shae or Edgar.
Had Macro Cosmos captured that legendary Pokémon?
And that blue-clad man with the strange hairstyle looked familiar.
In the original Pokémon games, he was a named NPC.
Shiro rubbed his temples and tried to recall.
He thought back to when he had played Sword and Shield. Blond hair, with a hairstyle shaped like a sword and a shield.
The Swordward and Shielbert duo.
Descendants of the Galar heroes who refused to acknowledge that the true heroes were two dogs.
The one in blue was named Sordward.
But in reality, Sordward should have been a noble. Why would he work for Rose?
Unless… Rose was actually working for them.
Shiro recalled the earlier scene. Peony had always stayed a step behind Sordward, with a respectful attitude. He looked nothing like the thug he used to be.
Even though he could not hear their conversation, Shiro was ninety percent sure about the duo's identity.
They were likely the ones truly controlling Rose from behind the scenes.
After all, Rose had only been a miner in the past. Most people in Galar knew that. Yet he had somehow gained vast resources, obtained the right to enter the Champion Cup, swept the top two places with his brother, and used massive funds to establish Macro Cosmos and rapidly wipe out competitors…
**
**
**
[Name: Corviknight
Type: Flying/Steel
Level: 48 (Gym)
Ability: Mirror Armor
Held Item: None
Moves: Steel Wing, Leer, Peck, Screech, Metal Sound, Iron Defense, Hone Claws, Power Trip, Fury Attack, Pluck, Taunt, Scary Face, Drill Peck, Swagger, Aerial Ace, Air Cutter...]
************************************
[Name: Haunter
Type: Ghost/Poison
Level: 43 (Gym)
Ability: Levitate
Held Item: None
Moves: Taunt, Shadow Punch, Hypnosis, Confuse Ray, Lick, Mean Look, Payback, Spite, Curse, Hex, Night Shade, Sucker Punch, Dark Pulse, Shadow Ball, Protect…]
************************************
[Name: Rhyperior
Type: Rock/Ground
Level: 49 (Gym)
Ability: Solid Rock
Held Item: None
Moves: Tackle, Tail Whip, Hammer Arm, Smack Down, Bulldoze, Horn Attack, Stomp, Rock Blast, Scary Face, Drill Run, Take Down, Earthquake, Mud-Slap, Protect, Heavy Slam...]
************************************
[Name: Drakloak
Type: Ghost/Dragon
Level: 59 (Elite)
Ability: Clear Body
Held Item: None
Moves: Dragon Pulse, Infestation, Bite, Quick Attack, Astonish, Lock-On, Assurance, Hex, Agility, Double Hit, U-turn, Dragon Dance, Phantom Force, Take Down...]
************************************
[Name: Dreepy
Type: Ghost/Dragon
Level: 29 (Intermediate)
Ability: Infiltrator
Held Item: None
Moves: Infestation, Bite, Quick Attack, Astonish, Lock-On, Assurance, Hex, Agility, Double Hit, U-turn, Take Down...]
************************************
[Name: Growlithe
Type: Fire
Level: 42 (Gym)
Ability: Flash Fire
Held Item: None
Moves: Leer, Ember, Howl, Bite, Flame Wheel, Helping Hand, Agility, Fire Fang, Retaliate, Crunch, Take Down, Flamethrower...]
************************************
[Name: Vibrava
Type: Ground/Dragon
Level: 40 (Advanced)
Ability: Levitate
Held Item: None
Moves: Dragon Breath, Sand Attack, Bite, Dig, Mud-Slap, Sand Tomb, Dragon Tail, Screech, Bug Buzz, Sandstorm, Earth Power, Take Down, Protect, Struggle Bug, Endure...]
************************************
[Name: Bewear
Type: Fighting/Normal
Level: 47 (Gym)
Ability: Fluffy
Held Item: None
Moves: Bind, Tackle, Leer, Baby-Doll Eyes, Payback, Brutal Swing, Endure, Strength, Take Down, Flail, Hammer Arm, Thrash...]
************************************
[Name: Larvesta
Type: Fire/Bug
Level: ??? (Novice)
Ability: Swarm
Held Item: None
Moves: ???]