Alex and the girls traveled southeast for several more days before crossing a busy sea lane, dense with cargo ships, private yachts, cruise liners, and transport vessels. Needless to say, their passing yacht drew quite a bit of attention, its deck crowded with beautiful women wearing little more than swimsuits.
"Alex…" Vera called out with a terrifying smile.
"Yes, honey?" Alex answered.
"Why are we passing through a commercial sea lane when Seven Island is supposed to be the easternmost end of the Sevii Islands archipelago?"
"Ahaha," Alex laughed awkwardly. "I, uh… I might have missed something. Rotom, pull up a map of the Sevii Islands for us."
A holographic map shimmered into view in front of Alex and the girls, displaying a cluster of islands labeled with their names. At the top were the islands One Island, Two Island, and Three Island. In the middle were Four Island and Five Island. At the bottom were Seven Island and Six Island.
Included in the map were their current location and heading, which placed them on the same latitude as One Island, Two Island, and Three Island, while their planned course cut through Pokémon nest infested waters on the way to the southwesternmost Seven Island.
"The northeasternmost island on this map is Three Island, not Seven," Vera pointed out. "We could have taken the commercial sea lane instead of crossing dangerous waters."
"That would have taken us a few more days of travel," Alex argued. "Besides, we saved time on the trip, got here safely, and even had some fun along the way."
Vera sighed and gave up on scolding Alex. As dangerous as his habits were, the trip had been safe from start to finish, leaving her with little ground to stand on. What bothered her was not the outcome but the fact that he had exposed them to danger at all.
She turned to her daughter and Rhea, both wearing excited expressions, and let out another heavy sigh, finally dropping the matter. If nothing else, their daughter had gained some real combat experience from it.
Alex heaved a sigh of relief when Vera let it go. He had no desire to argue over an issue like this, since it was simply who he was. He understood Vera's perspective as a mother who worried for her child and as a gentle woman who disliked conflict, yet he also knew that this was a dangerous world and that survival required more than just staying alive; it required learning to thrive.
A few days later, they finally reached Seven Island's northern section, lying between the Trainer Tower and the main island.
Unlike in the games, Alex noted that the island was significantly larger, capable of holding a large, bustling town rather than just a small community. The northern section was lush and green, with rolling hills and vegetation spilling down to golden sandy beaches. Jagged cliffs jutted into the sea on the western and eastern sides, while small rivers and streams wound through the terrain. From the deck of their yacht, Alex could make out the faint outline of distant mountain ridges and the occasional waterfall tumbling toward the ocean.
Unlike most villages, towns, and cities Alex had seen before, these were not enclosed by walls to protect against Pokémon floods. He had read up on the island's history before making the trip and realized that the surrounding waters naturally isolated the island, preventing Pokémon from rushing toward the towns when threatened.
Water Pokémon had no reason to come ashore for safety and instead circled the islands, ensuring the communities survived. The only real threats were powerful, enraged Pokémon hunting trainers who tried to escape or large, random tsunamis caused by distant battles, problems that were easily managed by the strong trainers who lived on the islands.
Each island also had a gym where locals could train their Pokémon. There was no League presence, however, as the islands were too isolated and too sparsely populated to host a proper League conference. Trainers seeking fame or fortune often traveled to Kanto or Johto to take on the challenge.
The waters around the northern section were busier than Alex had expected. Nearly a dozen yachts dotted the bay, some anchored near the shore and others drifting slowly with the current. A few larger vessels passed in the distance, their polished decks glinting in the sunlight.
Here and there, Trainers could be seen battling on both the beach and in the water, their Pokémon clashing with flashes of energy that rippled across the surface and drew crowds of interested onlookers. Others surfed between the islands, weaving expertly through wakes and currents. The traffic made it clear that the island was a popular destination for trainers, which was understandable.
The Trainer Tower rose prominently on a rocky outcrop near the northern tip, its spire piercing the sky. Unlike the isolated, modest structure in the games, this tower was massive, with multiple tiers visible from the water. Each level appeared to house training rooms, observation decks, and practice arenas, giving it the appearance of a small fortress dedicated entirely to Pokémon training.
"Dad!" Alvera shouted, practically bouncing with excitement. "Can we go to the Trainer Tower, pu-leeease? I want to try battling like a real trainer!"
"Sure thing, sweetie," Alex said easily, then glanced up at the setting sun and checked the time. "We'll go tomorrow, though. It's getting a bit late."
"Aw…" she pouted, shoulders slumping. "Can't we go now? One battle couldn't take that long."
"Are you sure you want to stay up late?" Alex asked, raising an eyebrow. "Don't you want to get your beauty sleep?"
"But I'm already beautiful."
"You are," he said with a grin, "but you could be even more beautiful if you get a good night's sleep."
"I don't want to be more beautiful. I want to be stronger."
"Well, good news. Being well rested is part of getting stronger. Imagine staying up late for a few battles tonight and then being too tired to train properly tomorrow."
Alvera bit her lip, wracked with indecision, before letting out a small sigh of disappointment. Her dad was right. She should go to bed early and get a fresh start in the morning.
"Fiiine…" she muttered with disappointment.
"Alex," Nyx suddenly called out with slight concern. "I think we have company."
Alex followed Nyx's gaze and spotted over two dozen trainers surfing on their Pokémon toward them on the starboard side, approaching the yacht's small swim platform. At first, it seemed normal, but as soon as they noticed each other, their faces went from shock to determination, and then into full-on competitive focus. Without hesitation, they all surged forward, racing toward Alex's yacht.
Alex looked on, perplexed but intrigued. None of them seemed like a serious threat, as they were only around Expert rank at most, and some even had children with them. It was clear they weren't coming with any ill intentions.
Their impromptu race continued until three groups pulled ahead. In the lead was an older couple with twins, all of whom had dark, tanned skin, riding an Elite ranked Gyarados, followed by a group of six teenaged girls on their Pokémon in formation, and in third, a trio of two young men and a young woman sharing a rather large Blastoise. Their significant advantage seemed to discourage the others, who fell back from the race and turned toward the other vessels in the bay.
Once they reached the yacht, the father of the twins called out.
"Alola, friend," the man said with a wide, friendly smile. "Mind if we bother you for a moment?"
"What's this about?" Alex asked. "It's our first time here, so you can forgive our lack of understanding."
"Of course, of course," the man replied. "We're trainers visiting from Alola, just looking around and seeing what the Sevii Islands are like. We thought it'd be a nice place to stay, you know, the beaches remind us a bit of home, and the weather's not too different either. So we came all this way, got a look at the islands, and, well, when we got here, the accommodations were a bit lacking."
"Stop dragging it out, Marlo," his wife said, rolling her eyes beside him. "Basically, the town and the whole island are out of places to stay. Most of us just pitch tents wherever we can, but it's all overcrowded. We came out here hoping one of the ships might let us rest for the night."
"Does that go for everyone here?" Alex asked, glancing at the other two groups, who nodded. "Unfortunately, our cabins are full. The best I can do is let you pitch your tents on the deck."
"That's more than enough, friend," the man said, beaming.
"Alright, come on up," Alex said, inviting them onboard.
He figured that getting some information from these trainers or tourists would make their own vacation easier, since it was clear the Sevii Islands weren't as accommodating as he had initially thought. Besides, the twins, both girls, looked to be about Alvera's age, and a playdate would be nice for her.
She might even get the chance to battle, just like she wanted.
-----
Support me on Patreon
patreon/babywrath