You lousy Gyarados, fight me one-on-one if you dare

In the eastern waters of the Hoenn Region, a snow-white cruise ship sailed steadily across the sea.

"Whew—"

A deeply tanned sailor wiped the liquid from his forehead, unsure whether it was sweat or seawater. "We finally made it through."

Still shaken, he glanced back at the stretch of black clouds flashing with lightning behind them. "What on earth got into that school of Gyarados?"

The shipping lane to Mossdeep City had always been famous for its calm waters, and most passing merchant ships took this route. But who could have expected a school of Gyarados to suddenly appear and whip up a raging thunderstorm?

Their ship had unfortunately been caught in it, but luckily, they had made it through unharmed.

"Haha, Yukiyuki, that's the sea for you."

An exceptionally muscular sailor came over and clapped Yukiyuki on the shoulder. "As a man of the sea, what are you going to do in the future if a little wind and a few waves scare you?"

His tone grew stern toward the end. "Look at that passenger. He's been standing there since the storm started."

"Yes, sir!"

Yukiyuki hurriedly saluted him. This was the ship's first mate, an extremely experienced seafarer who had reportedly once sailed with the legendary Drake of the Elite Four.

Deep down, though, he sighed again. Ha... there really was a strange passenger who'd stayed out on deck the whole time. Who knew what he was thinking? He certainly stood out from everyone else who'd retreated to their cabins.

"Whatever the case, he really is impressive."

Yukiyuki couldn't help glancing at him again. Dressed in tight black clothing, the man stood straight, his body seemingly never shifting even when the ship rocked.

The person standing on deck was none other than Dian, who had just left the