"Hey, handsome, we saved your life, you know! Meowth went to all that trouble to fish you out of the sea. Stop staring at the water! You could at least introduce yourself!"
"That's right, meow!"
"Wobbuffet~"
Despite their complaints, Lin Yan remained silent. He merely raised his right hand slowly and pointed at his throat.
James understood at once. He fetched a bowl of fresh water from the cabin and handed it to him.
Lin Yan tipped his head back and drained it. The cool fresh water moistened his parched lips and revived his spirits. Then he spoke:
"I was a passenger on a cruise ship when pirates suddenly attacked. They outnumbered us and quickly surrounded us."
"To keep things quiet and stop word from getting out early, their captain ordered everyone held on deck so they could demand a larger ransom."
"Many of the crew and passengers fought back, but the pirates' Pokémon killed them. My parents died too. While the pirates were putting down the passengers' resistance, I took the chance to jump into the sea. That was how I escaped."
"The pirates tried to stop me, and that's how my Pokémon and I ended up like this..."
Before Lin Yan could finish, he noticed that the talking Meowth beside him had actually started crying. For the first time, surprise broke through his impassive expression.
"Boo-hoo, he's had it so rough, meow! Both his parents are dead, meow!"
"Exactly! Those damned pirates are absolutely vile!" Lin Yan's story stirred up painful memories for Jessie, bringing tears to the normally cheerful woman's eyes.
Only James looked thoughtful after hearing the tragedy. He took out the handbook again, turned to a page, and said, "We're still a long way from the Huaxia Region's coast. There are lots of uninhabited islands