S.S. Anne was leisurely sailing on the ocean. The large passenger ship that can carry thousands of people at the same time is one of the culmination of human technology. It seemed there was truly nothing in the world that could bring it down.
Yet, this giant ship was merely a trifle in the face of powerful Pokemon. In the Pokemon world, the technological power of human beings was insignificant compared to the full power a Pokemon can unleash.
It's just that most of the powerful aquatic Pokemon preferred to live in the deep sea.
The blue sky was dotted with fluffy white clouds that drifted lazily in the gentle breeze. Hisoka stood on the highest part of the deck, leaning on the guardrail with his hands. He closed his eyes slightly as a cool ocean breeze drifted softly over the railing.
"Huh?"
At this moment, two figures suddenly caught Hisoka's attention. A few meters away from him, Lisa, the woman in tight leather clothing, was currently talking to the bald man he had met earlier during the mission briefing.
Seeing that the two were calmly talking with each other, Hisoka couldn't place a single guess on what kind of relationship they had.
'Since when did they know each other?' he thought curiously.
Although the two people seemed relaxed during their talk, they still didn't let their guard down as they observed their surroundings. When they spotted a familiar figure standing not far away, they immediately stopped talking.
Then, the bald man said a few words to her and left the area after giving Hisoka a glance. A few seconds later, Lisa drew a charming smile on her face and walked toward Hisoka, swaying her hips.
"Hello, Hisoka. I didn't expect to meet you here," she parted her red lips slightly.
While saying that, Lisa raised her slender hand on Hisoka's shoulder. But he took a step back subconsciously, dodging her hand.
Hisoka snapped out his thoughts and replied with a smile, "Lisa! What a coincidence. I was just taking a nice walk around the ship. By the way, who's the bald man you were talking to just now? You seem to know him."
Even after she was exposed by Hisoka, she still kept her composure and said, "His name is Dwayne. I met him during my previous mission."
"And it just happened that we both took the same mission today. So I invited him for a small talk," Lisa smiled.
After that, her eyes wandered over Hisoka's body while staring at his handsome face. She then curved her mouth up and said, "Why? Are you jealous? Don't worry. I still prefer you rather than the other man. How about we come into my room? As an experienced hunter, I can show you the skills a hunter must learn."
"Skills that hunter must learn?" An abrupt shout sounded.
Suddenly, a young man with a dark complexion appeared next to them. It was the guy he had met at the dining hall before.
He excitedly ran toward Lisa and said with a perverted expression, "Lisa, my love! I'm also interested to learn from you!"
"Idiot!"
Lisa cursed the dark-skinned man.
She quickly said goodbye to Hisoka and walked off the deck with the sound of her high heel echoing in the background.
At the same time, Hisoka ignored the man and began to walk back to his room.
But before he could leave the area, a calm voice suddenly stopped his track.
"Where are you going?"
The man's voice sounded completely different from before.
Hisoka turned his head, only to see the man was calmly standing next to the guard rail with his arms crossed.
"My name is Ryoichi. Being a hunter is only my side job. In fact, my main job is a League Officer," the man introduced himself to Hisoka.
"Okay!" Hisoka calmly nodded.
"Why aren't you surprised at all?" Ryoichi face-faulted after seeing his calm reply.
"Alright then, Mr. Officer. Do you have anything to say?" Hisoka asked while ignoring the man's question.
"If there's nothing else, I will go back to my room to rest," he yawned as he covered his mouth.
Ryoichi looked around and found nobody else on the deck except the two of them. So, he quickly got close to Hisoka and whispered, "I just want to remind you for your sake. Stay away from that woman, Lisa. She is not easy to mess with."
"Moreover, I have found that anyone who teamed up with her did not end well in recent years. They either mysteriously disappeared or were severely injured. And guess what? None of those injured people survived later."
Then, Ryoichic lowered his tone again and said, "I also found she has a lot of connections in the underworld. Especially Team Rocket, the largest criminal organization in Kanto.
…
After listening to Ryoichi's explanation, Hisoka rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"If what you said just now is true, the bald guy who was talking with her just now is likely to be from Team Rocket."
"That's right!" Ryoichi nodded affirmatively.
"We have received information that Team Rocket will be carrying a terrorist attack on S.S. Anne this week. Many of them had already mixed with the passengers, waiting for the right time to start the attack."
"But what's the use of you telling me this. Aren't you afraid that I might be a Team Rocket member and sell you out later?" Hisoka said in amusement.
"I am quite good at judging someone's character," Ryoichi said in a narcissistic tone.
"I also can see that you're a good trainer at first glance. As long you are willing to work hard, you will definitely become an Elite Four in the future."
After Hisoka heard the man's ass-kissing, he turned his body and head toward the exit.
"Alright, fine! I'll tell the truth!"
He grabbed Hisoka's shoulder to stop him from leaving.
"The truth is that this operation was too hasty. The League couldn't even arrange many officers S.S. Anne. Due to that, the League allowed the officers to recruit the trainers inside the ship as our helpers," he said with a downcast look.
"It's a good idea!" Hisoka pushed the man's hand aside.
"But you forget that I'm a hunter. If there are no benefits, then why should I help you."
"What? As a brave citizen of the League, every citizen must assist the League in fighting against evil forces!" Ryoichi said righteously.
...
"Heh! This kid is quite interesting."
Ryoichi was rubbing his chin in thought while watching Hisoka slowly walk away before disappearing around the corner.
Hisoka was raised in an orphanage and has a high IQ. He was also good at analyzing the current situation and grasping other people's emotions.
What's more, Hisoka, who had been a hunter since he was a child, had just passed the Elite Trainer test not long ago. His strength is quite outstanding for his age. Therefore, it is completely worthy for the League to cultivate this talented young man.
If a League officer wanted to find the personal information of an ordinary citizen, it was very easy for them. They just need to log in to the League's internal network. From there, he can go through the person's file from his birth till now.
Ryoichi might look unreliable, but his ability was still there. A stupid person couldn't become a League officer after all. He wanted to ask Hisoka to become his helper in this mission. There was no way he would be looking for some random guy to be his helper.
Asking the S.S. Anne Captain to recruit five hunters as bodyguards were his boss's idea. They deliberately did it to lure someone in. And as expected, they had caught two big fish.
Moreover, he had already recognized the bald man long ago, even if he shaved his head bald and got a tattoo on his neck.
Did he really think that no one was going to recognize his face?
Dwayne, the bald man, is one of the mid-ranking members of Team Rocket. He was particularly known for specializing in Fighting-type Pokemon and crazy fighting styles.
As for the woman named Lisa, she wasn't an actual member of Team Rockets. Still, that doesn't mean they can fully trust her. She is a vicious woman that would do anything just for money, such as killing and poaching. She especially likes to lure young boys into her trap and enjoy the despair on their faces after realizing that they had been tricked by her.
…
Back in his room, Hisoka lay on the bed and thought about the conditions he had just discussed with the League officer just now. Of course, it was okay for the man to ask for his help. But as a hunter, he'll never do a job for completely free. This is his principle as a hunter.
He listed three conditions if the man wanted his help.
1: Ryoichi will give Hisoka the full wages for the seven-day mission.
2: Help Hisoka apply for a temporary officer's license.
3: Help him apply for a Chancey from the Joy family.
There was always news about terrorist attacks done by many criminal organizations. Many people even thought that these organizations were powerful.
These dark organizations were indeed powerful when compared to an individual. Moreover, some of these organizations even had a strict administrative hierarchy. Even some of their executives were strong to match the League Elite Four.
But when compared to the Pokemon League, the world's ruling organization, those criminal organizations can only bow their head in terror.
It took only a single order if the League truly wanted to eradicate these dark forces. Besides their current top combat power, such as the Elite Four and the Champion, they still have the numerous Elite Trainers at the back, waiting for their call.
However, the League preferred to maintain this delicate balance. And, even if they eliminate the current criminal organizations, another one will emerge after a certain amount of time. As long as there is light, darkness will never disappear.
…
"So, you agreed to his three conditions." The silver-haired young man with a face similar to a fox sat in the center chair in the conference room. His gloved hand was tapping the table lightly.
Tap!
Tap!
"Yes, boss!" Ryoichi replied succinctly.
At this time, he didn't show his previous attitude as he sat on the chair with his body straight, facing his boss respectfully.
Matthias went silent after hearing Ryoichi's answer. Then, a few moments later, he suddenly smiled and opened his eyes slightly.
"He is indeed an interesting guy. Since you said he has some potential, the League doesn't mind providing a little help to this guy. Tell him that there are no problems with the first two."
"The third condition depends on his own performance. If he did well, I don't mind cashing in on the favor that the Joy family owed me back then. If he didn't. Well, you got the idea," he shrugged.
"Phew!" After hearing his boss's reply, Ryoichi secretly let out a sigh of relief.
At least his boss didn't dislike the young men he was optimistic about. Moreover, he also seemed to be interested in Hisoka. Anyway, he had already done his job. Now, it depended on Hisoka to see how he performed in this mission.
Being able to become the Chief Officer of the League at the young age of 20, Matthias's own excellence was beyond doubt. But perhaps the more likely reason was due to his aunt, Agatha. She is one of the oldest members of the Kanto Elite Four, her specialty type being Ghost-type Pokemon.
...