Chapter 104: Damaged Boats

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"Well, since you asked nicely, I'll tell you…"

~ To protect the world from devastation!

~ To unite all peoples within our nation!

~ To denounce the evils of truth and love!

~ To extend our reach to the stars above!

~ Team Rocket blasting off at the speed of light!

~ Surrender now, or prepare to fight!

And just like that, Liam once again performed this utterly humiliating motto in front of a little boy and a dog.

"Wow!! Uncle, are you part of Team Rocket? What is Team Rocket? It sounds really powerful!"

The little boy, James, had stars shining in his eyes, filled with admiration. Even the Growlithe beside him moved closer to Arcanine, its eyes brimming with envy.

Liam was speechless. Looking at James' face full of awe and longing, he wondered if he had just flipped some strange switch in the boy's mind.

"Ahem, kid, you didn't see anything just now, and I didn't say anything either. You absolutely cannot tell anyone about me, do you understand?"

Liam took off his mask and tried to maintain a gentle smile.

"Why not?! Uncle, you were so cool!" James shouted seriously, his voice full of sincerity.

Hearing that, Liam couldn't help but feel a little pleased with himself, completely ignoring the fact that the boy had just called him "Uncle."

"Wait! No, that's not right!"

Realizing what was happening, Liam quickly shook his head, then placed both hands on James' shoulders, looking at him with a serious expression.

"Un—Ahem—Big Brother's identity is very secretive. We, Team Rocket, are heroes hidden in the darkness, fighting criminals in the shadows and helping Pokémon in need. So, no one can know about Big Brother's existence. To protect my identity, you must keep this a secret, okay?"

Liam's words clearly had an effect. James' admiration for him deepened, and with an excited look, he patted his chest and vowed,

"Don't worry, Uncle! I won't tell anyone about your identity or Team Rocket. This will be our secret! No matter what, I'll keep it safe!"

Liam smiled and gently patted James' shoulder.

"That's the spirit! Now you truly sound like a little man. You'll definitely grow up to be a reliable person."

Hearing Liam's praise, James' face turned red with embarrassment. After a moment, he looked up at Liam, his expression filled with shyness and anticipation.

"Uncle, since Team Rocket is so amazing, can I join too? I have a Pokémon! I want to fight criminals alongside you!"

Liam thought about James' rather... peculiar Pokémon lineup and then smiled.

"Uh... Well, our work is very dangerous, and you're still young. You're not ready to join us yet. But if you study hard, train your body, and take good care of your Pokémon, when you become an outstanding person, you'll be able to join us."

Seeing James' hopeful expression, Liam didn't have the heart to outright refuse him, so he came up with this roundabout way to dissuade him. However...

"Okay! It's a promise, Uncle! I'll work hard to become stronger and better! I'll become someone useful, and then I'll join Team Rocket and be a hero just like you!" James declared, his face filled with determination, showing no sign of discouragement.

Liam: "…Haha, sure. Uncle—Ahem—Big Brother believes in you. You'll definitely succeed."

And so, Liam made a distant promise with James. After that, he continued his journey while James waved at him until his figure disappeared from sight.

Only then did James lower his arm, tightly hugging his Growlithe, his eyes full of anticipation and confidence.

Liam sped along on his Bike, heading toward Cinnabar Island. It had been three days since he parted ways with James.

By noon on the third day, he finally arrived at the dock where he could take a boat to Cinnabar Island. Since the island was located overseas, taking a ferry from the port was the fastest way to get there.

However…

Liam looked at the row of tattered boats at the dock with a puzzled expression. What had happened here? Had the place been attacked by pirates?

After putting away his bike, Liam approached a middle-aged man who stood by the dock, looking troubled.

"Excuse me, sir. What happened here? Why are all the boats damaged?"

The man, lost in thought, was startled by Liam's question. After a brief moment, he let out a sigh and said helplessly,

"Ah, what a disaster. A group of reckless Seel and Dewgong drifted here on a giant iceberg. That iceberg seems to be their home, and now it's floating just off the coast. These little rascals treat the area as their territory, attacking any ship that tries to set sail. Look at all these damaged boats… I've been racking my brain trying to figure out what to do."

Liam frowned. "Is there any other way to get to Cinnabar Island?"

The man hesitated for a moment, then shook his head.

Liam's expression darkened slightly.

Getting to Cinnabar Island had suddenly become a real challenge. With no boats available, he had to consider alternative methods.

He instinctively reached for the PokéBalls on his belt but quickly hesitated. The island was quite far from the dock.

While Garchomp could fly, its flight range wasn't long enough to carry a person that distance. As for Nidoking, it could use Surf, but as a Ground-type Pokémon, it would struggle with long-distance travel over water.

After all, this was the real world—not a game where Surf could be used indefinitely. Surfing across the ocean would consume an immense amount of stamina.

Unless the Pokémon was purely Water-type or had the Water Absorb ability, even if Liam continuously replenished Nidoking's energy, the mental strain would be overwhelming.

Prolonged use could even cause psychological damage, making this option unfeasible.

His gaze then shifted to his backpack.

Liam opened it and pulled out a PokéBall—the one containing Aerodactyl. Over the past three days, he had taken the time to heal it.

As expected, unlike Omastar and the others who had settled into a peaceful slumber, Aerodactyl was extremely aggressive the moment it was released, attacking wildly without restraint.

Of course, it was swiftly beaten down by the eager-to-fight Garchomp and Arbok. Only after that did it finally allow Liam to treat it.

Though it had since calmed down, Liam knew it was only temporary. Earning Aerodactyl's trust would take time and training.

Still, at this moment, taking the risk of using it was his best bet.

"Alright, I guess you're up! Come on out, Aero—"

"Hey!! Is that you, Liam?!"

Before he could finish summoning Aerodactyl, a familiar voice called out from the distance.

Startled, Liam quickly put the PokéBall away, realizing that his actions had been a bit too conspicuous. He turned toward the voice and saw an excited young woman running toward him.

"...Lorelei?!"