After a rare good night's sleep, Dak arrived in Water 7 early the next morning.
Nearly eleven thousand Pokémon eggs had hatched.
While Water 7 was still the same city, its atmosphere had noticeably changed.
"Darkrai, let's go see what's happening in the city."
"Dak."
Darkrai emerged from Dak's shadow and lifted him, allowing them to fly over Water 7.
The city was bustling.
By the riverside, a boy was soaking wet, holding a coughing Pidgey in his arms. The little bird had just hatched and attempted to fly, only to plummet into the water.
The boy had been thrilled to see the lively bird but was horrified when it fell into the lake. Without hesitation, he jumped in to rescue it.
Fortunately, Water 7's rivers were teeming with friendly Bronzor, akin to Pokémon but without special abilities. Today, they were busier than ever, not ferrying passengers but rescuing little Pokémon.
A Bronzor had saved the Pidgey.
Flying a short distance, Dak and Darkrai saw another amusing scene.
In front of a butcher shop, a woman was squatting in distress, resting her chin in her hands as she tried to console a crying baby Pokémon.
She had tried various ways to calm it, but nothing worked, making her feel helpless.
"Oh, a rare Pokémon indeed," Dak remarked from the sky, squinting at the scene.
It was a Cubone, a very unique Pokémon known for its tragic backstory and distinctive appearance. It was fragile, prone to crying, yet stubborn and strong-willed.
This Cubone seemed to be crying for a similar reason as a Togepi.
Dak realized the woman might not understand Cubone's needs, so he had Darkrai lower him to the ground.
"Oh, it's the Alliance Leader," the woman exclaimed in surprise upon seeing Dak.
Alliance Leader—it seemed to have become a common title for Dak in the pirate world.
"Alliance Leader, can you help me? This little one won't stop crying," the woman asked, holding up the Cubone for Dak to inspect. "And it won't take off this skull. Every time I try to touch it, it cries even louder."
"Cubone is a special Pokémon. The skull is...well, you can think of it as part of its body. It won't take it off, and it also needs a bone," Dak explained, rubbing the crying Cubone's belly.
There was a rumor that Cubone was a Charmander whose mother—a Charizard or Charmeleon—had died, and its tail had extinguished. Dak dismissed it as a fun myth.
"A bone? We have plenty of bones in the shop," the woman said, taking Cubone inside.
Moments later, Cubone's cries grew louder.
"...?" Dak peeked inside and saw the woman had given Cubone a bone twice its size.
The poor Pokémon toppled under the weight.
"Oh dear, this little one is quite clumsy," the woman sighed, helping Cubone up and looking at Dak helplessly. "Alliance Leader, it doesn't seem to want to eat the bone."
"...?"
Dak realized that both the new trainers and their Pokémon babies were experiencing a steep learning curve.
After explaining that Cubone needed a smaller bone to use as a weapon, not food, the woman finally understood. She handed Cubone a small bone, and the Pokémon stopped crying, though it still looked a bit teary-eyed.
"Such a crybaby," the woman remarked, wiping Cubone's face with a tissue and cradling it gently.
"When Cubone stops crying so much, it means it's getting stronger and is close to evolving," Dak explained before leaving the shop with Darkrai.
"Evolving? I don't quite understand, but that's okay. Little Cubone can always be my crybaby," the woman said, not intending to make Cubone fight.
Flying from the outer to the inner city, Dak noticed a stark contrast.
The inner city was less crowded, inhabited by wealthier families, and thus more orderly than the chaotic outer city.
In a courtyard, a graceful woman fed a newly hatched Natu with MooMoo Milk from the breeding shop. She gently wiped the spilled milk from the bird's beak with her sleeve.
In another courtyard, a well-known middle-aged shipwright was delighted with his newly hatched Bouffalant, a one-meter-tall bull. The Pokémon had burst from its egg and started running around the spacious yard, much to the shipwright's amusement. They soon bonded, running and resting together.
Not all Pokémon were as boisterous upon hatching. Many, especially females, were calm and well-behaved. Some even acted mature beyond their age, though often it was just an act.
After spending the entire morning exploring, Dak saw no severe incidents or reports of trainers mistreating or abandoning their Pokémon.
It's impossible for every trainer to love every Pokémon equally. Some Pokémon, like Grimer, were bound to be disliked, much like the Navy's Koffing, which people avoided due to its gas. However, why didn't Smoker dislike Koffing?
Because it was his Pokémon, which he had personally hatched and cared for. It was like his child. He had been cautious and dedicated, so he could never easily hate his own Pokémon.
Teaching Pokémon like Koffing to control their abilities is part of a trainer's duty.
Now, Koffing had friends in Marineford, often playing with an Ekans and Meowth.
In Water 7, no trainers disliked their Pokémon because they had worked hard to hatch them. Even the ugliest Pokémon became endearing.
However, not everyone shared this view. Outsiders might still see them as ugly, but to the trainers, they were special.
Overall, Water 7 had gained over eleven thousand new trainers.
These trainers had flaws and areas to improve, but they were generally competent.
With this, Dak felt reassured. He instructed the inspection team and the 1,500 reserve members to keep an eye on the city's events and stop any negative incidents immediately.
He then returned to the breeding shop.
Next, he needed to prepare for the relocation of the reserve members and their families to Pokémon Island. There was still much to do.
(End of Chapter)