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At eight o'clock in the morning.
A long queue had already formed at the entrance of the Hatchery branch on the north shore of Water 7. Everyone wanted to be early, get in line, and enter first.
These people came from various parts of Water 7, some in groups, holding their Pokémon eggs and discussing with each other even while waiting in line.
The mercenaries were tasked with ensuring the safety of these aspiring trainers and their Pokémon eggs. The nearby Navy had also deployed several personnel to patrol the area, with a rear admiral from headquarters personally overseeing the event.
He planned to spend his retirement in Water 7, and a lapse in attention during such times could mean a swift replacement.
"It's really exaggerated, it doesn't start until ten."
Bon, transformed into a bird, circled above the branch, watching everything below.
Just thinking about having to check tickets later gave him a headache.
But there was no choice; this critical task couldn't be entrusted to mercenaries, as the tickets bore anti-forgery marks known only to the core staff of the Hatchery.
Inside Pokémon Island.
Zanbai and his underlings were already prepared to guide the visitors.
From the entrance to the main event venue—a distance of one kilometer—there was someone every seven or eight meters pointing the way.
Everyone wore the uniform of Team Rocket, only the chest emblem 'R' had been replaced with 'P'.
Monet and Sugar were both dressed up and ready to appear backstage.
Although Gardevoir and Mismagius were the main participants in the battle, the sisters Monet and Sugar were even more nervous, requiring comfort from their own Pokémon.
Monet wore a pure white dress, looking like a human Gardevoir.
Sugar was similarly dressed in a purple gown, but due to her younger age, she resembled a personified Misdreavus rather than Mismagius.
The battle seemed like a sister duo versus a mother-daughter team.
Pokémon who always stayed on Pokémon Island, were also nearby, seemingly eager to watch the excitement.
There was one exception, a Munchlax.
The Pokémon lay directly in the path of the incoming audience, clearly intending to beg for snacks from passing guests.
Those coming to watch the battle would surely bring some food, and some might indulge him.
When staff members tried to move him, he stubbornly refused to budge, lying there as if he couldn't be bothered.
At this time, only Dak could manage this little guy.
But Dak was busy, reviewing the testing process from the past few days with Darkrai and the others, emphasizing which skills should not be used.
This exhibition match had one goal for them: to demonstrate their power.
Use skills that look extravagant, terrifying, or eerie, and disregard those with less obvious effects.
By nine o'clock, some guests had started to arrive.
They came to the main Hatchery branch and entered Pokémon Island from there.
This included high-profile figures like Navy officers, Whitebeard Pirates, Revolutionary Army, and Mihawk, who entered the venue from this point.
It wasn't because of their VIP status—Mihawk hadn't purchased a Pokémon encyclopedia.
Dak allowed these individuals early access to the venue primarily to avoid causing a stir with regular customers, as most visitors from Water 7 were ordinary citizens.
Also, the Navy had many large Pokémon like Tauros, Rhyhorn, and Onix, which were not ideal for moving through crowds of civilians.
At nine, the Hatchery's doors opened.
The first to arrive were members of the Whitebeard Pirates.
"Long time no see, Dak."
"Yo, Manager Dak, how's business?"
"Are there many Pokémon on Pokémon Island?!"
"Manager, give me a Pokémon fast, I want Gardevoir! If I don't get it within a minute, I'll start itching all over from craving."
About twenty people arrived, including Whitebeard himself, sixteen division commanders, and veteran figures like Jozu.
Fortunately, the Hatchery was now spacious enough; otherwise, it would be hard to accommodate such a group of robust and diverse individuals.
"Welcome, please come this way."
Dak exchanged a few words with the Whitebeard Pirates, then guided them towards the teleportation gate inside the shop.
After the Whitebeard Pirates, Mihawk arrived shortly afterward, not saying much, just holding an egg and a Psyduck as he headed for the teleportation gate.
About ten minutes later, the Navy personnel began to arrive.
Due to the large number of Navy members and their diverse Pokémon, it took about ten minutes for all to enter Pokémon Island.
This included high-ranking officers like Sengoku, Garp, Tsuru, Zephyr, the three Admirals, and four hundred rookie trainers.
Close to ten o'clock, the Revolutionary Army also arrived.
They seemed to have timed their arrival not to coincide with the earlier Navy group or the civilians that would follow.
Only five people came:
- The leader, Dragon.
- The commander of the Grand Line Army, Ivankov.
- The commander of the East Army, Belo Betty.
- The commander of the North Army, Karasu.
- And Bartholomew Kuma, who had not yet become a Warlord.
They all wore uniformly colored hooded cloaks, thoroughly concealing themselves.
Still, the imposing statures of Ivankov and Kuma were easily recognizable.
Karasu was especially noticeable, holding a black egg, which made him stand out among the five.
"Nice to meet you, Manager of the Mystery Hatchery."
Dragon slightly lifted his head, revealing his true face.
The others also removed their cloaks, showing their real faces.
This was their way of showing sincerity.
Some might wonder how showing a face could be a sign of sincerity.
But Dak understood the gesture.
Everyone knew of an organization called 'Revolutionary Army' opposing the World Government, yet no one knew the details about its leader or headquarters.
Even the faces of these executives had not been disclosed.
If Dak were to capture their images now, he could exchange them for a substantial sum from the World Government or Morgans.
Unfortunately, Dak wasn't interested in such deals.
Not only because it lacked integrity, but also because the Revolutionary Army ranked as the second biggest customer base in the world, just behind ordinary citizens.
The Revolutionary Army was also taking a gamble.
They gambled whether Dak would betray them; if he did, they would never do business with the Mystery Hatchery again.
But Dak saw no need for such measures.
Once the Revolutionary Army entered Pokémon Island, they would understand.
If the Mystery Hatchery intended any harm, Dak could easily capture them right there in the store, not to mention on Pokémon Island.
"Nice to meet you, Mr. Dragon."
"Have I not introduced myself yet?"
"I know far more than you can imagine, even future events, but don't ask; it involves some complicated reasons, like possibly altering the future."
Dak waved dismissively.
Not that these were the real reasons; from the moment he arrived in this world, the future he knew had already changed drastically. He simply didn't want to bother explaining to Dragon.
"Is it okay to tell us this?"
"Huh? Is this something so extraordinary? Didn't Karasu tell you how Pokémon Island came to be?"
Dak looked puzzled at Dragon.
Is predicting the future more surprising than creating a world?
"He told us."
"Then that settles it, there's nothing to be surprised about. There will be more surprising things for you in the future."
Dak patted Dragon on the shoulder and pointed to the portal inside the shop, "Step through that door, and you'll reach Pokémon Island, where you'll find what truly surprises you."
Dragon turned to look at the gate, hesitated for a moment, then led his people towards it.
"By the way, Manager Dak, I have a question for you."
Dragon suddenly stopped and turned back to Dak.
"What is it?"
"What is your stance on the World Government and the Celestial Dragons?"
This question seemed important to the Revolutionary Army; all five of them focused their gaze on Dak.
"If we want to provide a relatively peaceful environment for all races in this world, then entities like the World Government and the Celestial Dragons shouldn't exist."
Dak didn't spell it out, but his implication was clear, though he also added, "Pirates too."
"I understand. I believe we will have more pleasant collaborations soon. Please take care of us in the future, Manager Dak."
Dragon, now aware of Dak's stance, slightly smiled.
With that.
Even if the Revolutionary Army's efforts failed in the future, at least the Mystery Hatchery was there, fighting for a brighter future for all innocents and the downtrodden.
At this moment, Dragon felt as if a heavy burden had been lifted from his shoulders, as if he no longer had any worries.
Moreover, with the power of Pokémon, perhaps the success rate of the Revolutionary Army would be even higher.
After all, the real strength of the Revolutionary Army wasn't its members, but all the ordinary citizens.
They had always rallied the common people to rise up, and coincidentally, the Hatchery's biggest customers were those very common people.
(End of Chapter)