Pokemon:Trainer

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The Aqua Team member that Link had knocked unconscious with the Divine Plan had been instructed via the intercom to head to the deck. Now that he hadn't appeared, it wasn't impossible for someone to come looking for him.

However, Link hadn't expected such a low-probability event to happen amidst the chaotic situation.

The knocking, sharp and deliberate like a death warrant, soon stopped. Moments later, the sound of a keycard being swiped at the door's sensor reached Link's ears.

Something was wrong.

The room didn't appear to house two people, and Link had left the original keycard in the hallway. How could someone open the door from the outside?

This isn't normal.

Cursing his bad luck, Link picked up Fennekin and tiptoed to a blind spot near the door, out of the intruder's line of sight. He also used Fennekin's psychic powers to drag the unconscious Marine Team member closer to him.

The visitor let out a light gasp at the sight of the broken eggshells, the destroyed incubator, and the food crumbs scattered on the floor. Two distinct sets of footsteps entered—one light, one heavy.

Link's nerves tightened. This was his first time directly confronting members of a criminal organization. Any misstep could result in dire consequences.

The footsteps grew louder, approaching the inner part of the room.

Suddenly!

The heavier footsteps quickened, and a figure in a brown trench coat rolled skillfully into the room.

Before Link could react, the figure leapt up, spinning mid-air, and pointed a gun directly at him.

They're carrying guns?! That's illegal!

"Freeze! Police!"

Following him, a nearly one-meter-tall blue, human-like toad stepped into the room—a Toxicroak. It darted forward, its poisonous claws leaving faint afterimages as it prepared to strike.

The square-faced man in a trench coat and the Toxicroak?

At this critical moment, Link's mind raced, recalling vague memories of a similar pair.

"Fu!"

Sensing danger, Fennekin acted first. Unable to locate the Poké Balls Link had warned it about earlier, it used its psychic powers to hurl the unconscious Marine Team member's body at the advancing enemy.

The Toxicroak sneered, deflecting the flying body effortlessly with its toxic claw before resuming its charge.

Link considered fighting back, but the gun aimed squarely at him made it impossible to act.

Desperate, he shouted, "Wait! Handsome, give me a second to explain! My name is Link. I'm one of the kidnapped passengers! I escaped during the chaos caused by the pirates' surprise attack on the Marine Team cadres. I took this uniform to avoid getting attacked myself. If you don't believe me, wake up that Marine Team member and ask him if I'm his teammate!"

"Wait, Toxicroak."

The square-faced man signaled his partner to stop.

To be honest, he hadn't caught the details of Link's frantic explanation. But as an international police officer, his keen memory confirmed that Link's face matched one of the passengers detained earlier.

The man had boarded the ship undercover to investigate smuggled goods from the Kalos region. He had been waiting for an opportunity when Link, along with others, had been kidnapped.

The sudden clash between the pirates and the Marine Team provided the perfect cover for him to act.

Now, seeing the Fennekin in Link's arms, the officer frowned. How did it hatch already?

The cub, sensing the man's scrutiny, bared its teeth. Its simple mind had determined that anyone threatening its trainer must be an enemy.

"Why did you call me handsome?" the man asked, keeping his gun trained on Link.

"Would you prefer I call you a pretty boy?" Link quipped, flashing a nervous grin.

The man hesitated before replying, "No, handsome is fine."

He added seriously, "Mr. Link, I have another question. You're not on the passenger list. Who are you, and why are you here?"

"I don't know," Link admitted. "When I woke up, I'd already been kidnapped. I still have no idea what's going on."

The explanation was far-fetched, but the officer's experience told him it wasn't a lie. He deduced that Link had either been taken by pirates or was a stowaway.

The boy's age—barely fifteen or sixteen—made it likely he'd been caught up in something far beyond his control.

"Change back into your original clothes," the man instructed. "My colleagues are already evacuating the passengers. The route to safety is clear. Hide with them and wait for a lifeboat to take you to Duskwater Town."

The officer couldn't personally escort Link, but he trusted the boy's resourcefulness to get to safety.

As for the Fennekin, its close bond with Link indicated the boy was trustworthy. The officer decided to leave the matter of smuggling for later.

Relieved, Link quickly changed back into the oversized Snorlax pajamas and slippers he had worn at home. The officer couldn't help but smile at the absurd sight.

Taking Fennekin with him, Link followed the route provided and soon found Officer Jenny, who was coordinating the evacuation.

"Any remaining passengers?" Jenny called out, spotting Link in his conspicuous pajamas. "Come here! I'll get you to safety!"

Link hurried over, joining the group of rescued passengers. Seeing the lifeboats ready to depart, he couldn't help but feel a mix of emotions.

If he hadn't wandered off, he might have been rescued earlier.

If the officer hadn't appeared, he might still be dodging criminals on the ship.

But life wasn't a simulator. There were no "what-ifs."

Looking down at Fennekin, curled up awkwardly in his arms, Link smiled.

Even if he had the chance to choose differently, even if Fennekin could've been saved by someone else, he wouldn't trade the moment of its hatching for anything.

The moonlight reflected on the water, a silver carpet welcoming travelers from another world.

Not long after, Link, Fennekin, and the other passengers boarded lifeboats. Under Officer Jenny's protection, they set off for Duskwater Town.

Once they landed, Link explained his situation to Jenny, clarifying that Fennekin wasn't his Pokémon but rather smuggled cargo from the pirates.

And so began the story of Link, a refugee from another world, and Fennekin, the stowaway from Kalos.

(End of Chapter)