Chapter 663: Naruto

Kanaz Port.

Among the numerous modern steel ships lined up like fish scales, a massive, pitch-black, medieval-style full-rigged ship stood out as utterly incongruous—and yet strangely captivating.

Passengers and pedestrians often cast curious glances toward it.

It wasn't just because medieval-style sailing ships were rarely seen at docks; it was also due to the captain standing beneath it.

"This big beast is my ship—the Fury. What do you think?"

Shi Yuan Zhi asked, his collar open to the sea breeze, a faint, almost imperceptible pride appearing on his stern, imposing face.

Baimu praised: "Incredible! I never imagined sailing ships from movies could look this cool! I can't wait to board!"

"Kichido!"

Wang Wang nodded in agreement.

It remembered watching a medieval romance drama before, where the pirate ship looked nearly identical—only not nearly as majestic.

Baimu had previously wondered why Shi Yuan Zhi chose to sail on a sailing ship; now, seeing it in person, he understood—it was a different kind of beauty, unlike modern steel behemoths.

Calling it a work of art wouldn't be an exaggeration.

"Hahaha! Good eye!" Shi Yuan Zhi laughed, giving Baimu a light pat on the back; his booming laughter and warm gesture startled the nearby first mate, Ryoko.

How many years had it been since their captain laughed like this?

Because Shi Yuan Zhi was outwardly cold but inwardly warm, crew members rarely saw him express his emotions so openly; even a rare smile was a treat.

Clearly, this young trainer, recently so famous, is highly valued by the captain.

Ryoko thought, glancing at the wild trainers around them who revered the captain's status as one of the Four Heavenly Kings but dared not approach, and sighed.

With such terrible public appeal, the captain is truly unique among the Four Heavenly Kings.

He forced a smile and ushered the two aboard.

Deck.

Everywhere visible was wooden construction; several sailors in striped shirts shouted orders as they completed final preparations, while several Hailip and Golem carried wooden crates of all sizes.

Under Shi Yuan Zhi's arrangement, Baimu toured the interior and exterior of the Fury under the guidance of the captain's senior disciple—First Mate Mr. Ryoko.

Through his introduction, Baimu learned the Fury had undergone modernization: beneath its wooden hull lay an advanced engine capable of propelling this colossal vessel, matching the speed of ordinary passenger cruise ships.

Thus, there was no need to worry about the voyage taking longer.

Baimu knew little about ships, but he understood that in the Pokémon world's black-tech, making a sailing ship outpace a cruise ship was nothing—making it fly off the ground was possible too.

If you can imagine it, they can do it.

Get used to it.

He wandered around the ship twice.

Ryoko led Baimu and Wang Wang to their assigned cabin.

"This is your room. Life aboard ship can't compare to land—hope you don't mind too much." He turned on the light and spoke softly.

But in fact,

the room, aside from its low ceiling and tiny, head-sized windows for natural light, was surprisingly spacious—even a giant Steelix could coil up and fit inside.

"Kichido?"

Wang Wang looked around curiously, its gaze finally landing on a hammock; it glanced at its trainer, clearly eager.

Baimu gave it a look and said: "It's already excellent. Thank you for your trouble."

"No need to be formal… get used to the environment first. If you need anything, come to the deck and find me—I'll do my best to arrange it."

Ryoko offered a faint smile, nodded slightly, and stepped back.

As first mate, he was extremely busy before departure, but he had set aside time to show Baimu around the ship's facilities, following the captain's orders.

"Kichido~"

As soon as Ryoko left, Wang Wang leapt onto the hammock, swaying back and forth with its motion.

It reminded it of the swing its trainer had made for it back in Kōtetsu Town—wondering if it would ever see it again after returning.

The trainer said most of the old houses in Kōtetsu Town had already been torn down…

It looked up at Baimu and saw him sitting on a stool shaped like a wine barrel, making a phone call, occasionally saying things like, "Time to gather," "Yeah, done," "I'm coming back."

Those idiot subordinates?

Wang Wang remembered that the human idiot who used to follow them around had also come here, planning to leave together.

Are we finally going back?

Wang Wang propped its chin up, its big watery eyes narrowing.

It felt no attachment to Ourei; it only remembered it as a place without beauty salons, no cute dolls or pretty accessories, perpetually hot, with a sky always yellowish from sand.

But its trainer and Bonsly seemed eager to return…

Whatever.

It only wanted to stay beside its trainer and companions—wherever they went, it was all the same.

Wang Wang jumped off the hammock, instinctively reaching into its trainer's bag for its phone—then halfway through, remembered its decision to reduce screen time and focus on training.

Why did it just give in again?

It sighed and pulled its hand back, walking to an open space to spin in circles, then levitating with electromagnetic force and spinning midair like a tiny yellow-black top.

Baimu put down his phone: "?"

What's up with this girl?

Suddenly,

Hum!

A vibration rose from beneath their feet; outside, loud shouts rang out; through the round, small window, a nearby cargo ship slowly moved forward.

We're setting sail!

Baimu realized the Rage Ship was leaving port, so he hurriedly brought his no-longer-spinning Mawile to the deck and personally witnessed the spectacular sight of burly sailors and a Machoke working together to lower the massive off-white canvas from the thick mast, while wind from nowhere slowly pushed the sailing ship backward.

On the dock.

Many people and Pokémon stopped to watch the ship set sail, some waving and shouting "Bon voyage."

"Kuu..."

Mawile barely restrained the urge to respond, watching the port gradually recede, along with the humans and Pokémon slowly blurring into black dots.

It clearly wasn't her first time on a ship, yet she felt an inexplicable sense of novelty.

——

The Rage Ship's crew numbered just over twenty, not counting Pokémon.

From captain, first mate, and second mate down to helmsman, sail-handler, navigator, and ship's doctor — every position was filled, each one a powerful Trainer, a muscular bronze-skinned tough guy.

Therefore, at lunchtime.

After mutual introductions with Baimu, the sailors could hardly wait to challenge him one after another, wanting to know exactly how much substance this year's Hoenn sensation actually had.

At first.

Baimu worried his moves would damage the masts and canvas fore and aft, so when commanding his Pokémon he felt somewhat constrained — until he discovered they were all special custom-made products, very hard to damage unless deliberately attacked—

A one-sided "massacre" that could only be called despair began.

In just one afternoon.

He made over ten crew members including Liang Guang understand what it meant for fame to match strength, successfully beating a band of spirited, puffed-up sailors into de-feathered roosters.

Until the group sat listlessly and silent, and Shi Yuan Zhi, who had watched for a long time, finally stepped forward, casually mentioning that he too had once lost to Baimu.

The crew led by Liang Guang looked at the latter with eyes full of disbelief.

Even the captain lost!

Is that reasonable?

The captain is the foremost of Hoenn's Four Heavenly Kings!

Then, under Shi Yuan Zhi's strong insistence, Baimu — surrounded by the muscular tough guys — took out his phone and showed the edited battle video to Liang Guang and the others.

After watching, the group's gazes toward him transformed into admiration.

On the Rage Ship, strength is king; aside from special positions like the ship's doctor, everything else is ranked by a Trainer's ability.

In other words, as long as Baimu was willing, from this day forward he would be the captain of the Rage Ship.

"Huh? If I'm captain, what about the old man?"

He asked Liang Guang in bewilderment.

Liang Guang explained that Shi Yuan Zhi owned more than one ship — cargo ships, cruise ships, salvage ships, you name it — and occasionally when Shi Yuan Zhi went to captain another vessel, Liang Guang would become acting captain.

Too young.

Baimu suddenly realized he had underestimated the wealth a Four Heavenly King had accumulated over decades.

In short.

Shi Yuan Zhi used Baimu's hands to properly teach his crew a lesson, making Liang Guang and the others fully understand that training on a Four Heavenly King's ship was nothing to brag about.

Outstanding Trainers more talented than them could be found everywhere under heaven.

And Baimu, receiving all the attention, inexplicably felt as if he had returned to his past life's school, standing on the stage holding a "Three-Good Student" certificate, while Shi Yuan Zhi was the homeroom teacher trying to use him to motivate and admonish the other students.

If he let Dragapult experience it too, it would surely be very grateful, right?

Baimu began designing schemes to persecute his own Pokémon in his mind.

Very good.

Another leverage to threaten that guy with.

He nodded inwardly, completely lacking the awareness a Trainer should have about protecting his own Pokémon.

Night.

Dim yellow lamplight illuminated the cabin; a few scattered Pokémon emerged from their balls, each doing their own thing, while Baimu silently opened the simulator.

Thanks to his unremitting efforts, the number of simulations had finally accumulated to four.

Perhaps because of a simulator update, or perhaps because recent opponents had been numerous and high-quality, the countdown deducted each time seemed greater than before.

What used to require six days of cooldown after battling other Trainers now only needed five.

"Come on..."

Baimu murmured soundlessly, opened a book and clicked the exchange interface, unhesitatingly selecting the option in the talent exchange.

Ding!

A window popped up before him.

【Exchange Successful!】

Very good!

Next time, the fixed talent for a blue simulation won't be rare!

His spirits lifted but he still didn't relax; after exiting, he chose to start a new simulation.

【Choose your Birth Region ▽】

The Mage was from Johto, so it's Hoenn's turn.

【Choose your Gender ▽】

Male.

【Choose your Pokémon ▽】

Koffing?

Baimu paused when he saw this Pokémon.

Although the Pokémon animated world had no Pokémon that couldn't become powerful, because of Jessie, he still had the preconception that Koffing was a trash Pokémon.

A trainer who can win the championship relying on Koffing or Weezing alone...

He tapped open the talent options expectantly.

Fixed Talent:

【☆ Apprentice Ninja (Able to use Pokémon ninja arts)】

Optional Talents:

【Greenhorn (Pokémon training progress is slow)】

【Elite System (Won't catch too many Pokémon)】

【Hot-Blooded Youth (Mindset is always positive and upbeat)】

【☆ Limit Break (Pokémon can occasionally unleash a burst)】

It really is a dual blue talent!

All Baimu's first glance at the two blue icons sent his heart into a frenzy of joy, but after reading the icon contents clearly, he fell silent again.

Ap-Apprentice Ninja?

Pokémon ninja arts?

Adding this burst talent on top of it... it can't be Naruto, can it?

He tugged at the corner of his mouth, knowing he was overthinking, because the Pokémon world did indeed have ninjas in it — from Kogane Town, known as the Village of Ninjas, down to the Ninja Village Ash visited in Kalos and successfully triggered a bond evolution at.

Even Gym Leaders and Elite Four members had ninjas among them.

In that case, it wasn't hard to understand why the first Pokémon was a Koffing.

All Baimu silently selected 【Limit Break】 and 【Elite System】, looking forward to seeing what method this ninja would use to win the conference championship.

Assassinate all the participants?

—

【Simulation Begins】

The light screen slowly unfolded.

What appeared first were clusters of towering giant trees, and treehouses built upon them.

Eterna City!

All Baimu recognized this city he had once visited, but Eterna City shouldn't have a ninja dojo, right? Could it be a story set in the distant past?

He watched the zooming-in picture curiously.

A white-haired, elderly little person tottered into a treehouse, and just as he was about to sit down on a cushion, a little child suddenly darted out from the flat wall beside him.

Three exclamation marks instantly popped up over the old man's head, showing the degree of his fright.

Afterwards.

A smiley face popped up over the little child's head, and he ran off swiftly.

The old man, meanwhile, furiously waved his cane behind him.

All Baimu: "..."

It can't be this kid, right?

The popping-up narration and following camera angle showed that the simulation target was indeed this brat without a doubt, and he also recalled this NPC's name from the game —

Ninja Boy!

【At age eight, following the guidance in the Ninja Book, you successfully startled your hundredth person using Breath Concealment and Hiding ninja arts, officially becoming an Apprentice Ninja】

What school of ninja is this!

Becoming an apprentice by scaring people!

While All Baimu complained, he recalled the "ninja arts" the simulator had just displayed — if they were this seamless in reality, it really would be quite interesting.

Inside the light screen.

Ninja Boy sprinted all the way, as if a dog were chasing him from behind; his movements were very ninja-like too, with both hands cocked back as if that could reduce wind resistance.

He nimbly climbed another tree, then squeezed into a small tree hollow, where he found an ancient, plain-looking book and opened it.

【You see written in the book that to shake off the title of apprentice, you must do a great deed befitting a ninja's identity】

This book is fake, right?

Which ninja has to do a great deed to shake off the apprentice title — a genin from Konoha?

It was clear Ninja Boy hadn't figured out what the book meant either; question marks kept popping up on his forehead, and after several seconds, he put down the book and ran outside.

【You prepare to ask Young Lady Joy what a "great deed" is】

There's a Joy?

Looks like it's set in a relatively recent era.

All Baimu remembered that Young Lady Joy fully replacing the nurses and doctors at Pokémon Centers worldwide seemed to be something that only happened in the most recent fifty years; before that, the Joys were generally only active in the Kanto region.

The same went for Young Officer Jenny.

Contrary to what some people guessed — that Joy and Jenny were a kind of Pokémon, with each region's Joy and Jenny possessing a special regional form...