"Huh~ We'll be close to land soon. The Hoenn area is really looking forward to it!" Kuroyu sat by the window, reading a book.
Recently, it seemed that due to Spearow's evolution, the Lobster Soldier and the Toothfish were very motivated, training themselves every day. Black Feather was naturally happy. All he had to do was ensure the logistics for the Pokémon.
"Come on, catch it!" Black Feather casually threw out a blue energy cube, and the Lobster Soldier's pincers arrived in an instant. The Lobster Soldier had never made a mistake when it came to catching food.
"Hiccup~"
"Hey-hey!!"
The Lobster Soldier burped with satisfaction, waved its pincers, and resumed training.
"I can't be idle either. It's time to continue learning new recipes. This one looks good— the primary energy cube, Wave."
Black Feather had found a formula for an energy cube in the cultivation notes given to him by his teacher. The effect of this cube was to help Water-type Pokémon sense energy faster, thus speeding up the leveling process.
Kuroyu had now mastered several basic energy cubes, and it was time to challenge the more difficult ones.
He took out a simple energy cube-making machine from the cabinet, assembled the parts, and began preparing the materials. A water source fruit, a small segment of coral under the fallen sun coral, and a few ordinary tree fruits.
First, he removed the useless impurities from the small section of coral, keeping only its core essence. Then he placed all the materials into the machine, crushing them by hand. The amount of each ingredient had to be precisely controlled—no more, no less.
The time and intensity of stirring also had to be accurate. This was why the production of energy cubes was so slow for most breeders. The process was cumbersome and rigorous.
Finally, he placed the juice into the compressor. After condensation, it entered the final drying phase, where he could add some spices to attract Pokémon. Since the energy cubes were for his own Pokémon, the taste just needed to be right—there was no need for complex aromas. The smell alone was enough to attract the little gluttons in his team.
"I didn't expect to succeed the first time. Could it be that I'm really a genius?" Darian Voss looked at the small sky-blue energy cube in front of him with a smile.
However, it turned out that maybe he was just lucky or in good condition.
The second, third, and fourth attempts all failed.
"Pfft~"
"I knew it was just luck. But now, my success rate is about 1 in 20, which is a big improvement," Kuroyu comforted himself before starting to make energy cubes again.
For half a day, Kuroyu locked himself in the room. His hands were sore, but he succeeded more than 20 times out of 300 attempts. The finished energy cubes were sky blue, emitting a light salty fragrance. If placed under the sun, you could clearly see the faint flow of water inside.
"Not bad, not bad. I should show these to the teacher and ask for some advice," Kuroyu thought to himself.
Without delay, after instructing a few Pokémon, Black Feather walked out of the room and made his way to the roof of the cabin. The summer sea breeze brought a bit of warmth, and the noon sun shone brightly. Everyone kept sunscreen nearby because, by the afternoon, their bodies would be dark and sunburned.
Black Feather reached the room, stretched out his hand, and gently opened the door. This door was no longer unfamiliar to him. Compared to a year ago, he could now enter and leave Mrs. Sanju's room freely. The days when he had to knock on doors and be cautious were gone. His identity had changed.
During this time, Black Feather and Mrs. Sanju had established a deep mentor-disciple relationship, and their bond had grown stronger. Sometimes, Kuroyu would make little jokes, causing Mrs. Sanju to chuckle.
With a smile on his face, Black Feather said to Mrs. Sanju, who was sitting at the desk, "Teacher, I've made a new energy cube, and I'd like to ask for your advice."
He slowly handed over the box in his hand, waiting for her instructions. However, this time, Mrs. Sanju didn't respond as gently as usual. Instead, she asked in a low tone, "Black Feather, what are your plans for the future? Do you intend to be a pirate your whole life?"
There was a hint of worry and expectation in her eyes.
When Kuroyu heard this, his hands froze in midair as he was about to put the box down. He was caught off guard by the teacher's sudden question and, for a moment, didn't know how to answer.
"With your talent, you shouldn't be buried here. Do you really want to die in a pirate fight and quietly sink into the sea?" Mrs. Sanju once again posed a soul-searching question.
"The Hoenn Alliance is said to be holding a conference in a year's time. This is a good opportunity for young people like you to make a name for yourself."
Mrs. Sanju slowly walked up to Kuroyu and looked at him with loving eyes. Though the 17-year-old Kuroyu wasn't particularly tall, his height had increased due to intense exercise and good nutrition.
She gently touched his cheek with her smooth hands and murmured, "You're so much like him."
Black Feather tensed and lowered his head, not daring to look at the teacher.
"Black Feather, you should return to the land. That's where you can truly shine. You shouldn't be trapped by the sea."
Mrs. Sanju turned around, took an identity card from the safe, and said, "This is a forged identity card. From today on, you are a direct trainer for the alliance. There are records of your experiences on the back. Destroy it after you've memorized it."
Kuroyu hesitated as he took the identity card. He turned it over, and sure enough, he saw the information about his new identity written on the back.
As he read the details, complex emotions welled up in his heart. He had once dreamed of escaping this place, but had always thought it was out of reach. Now, Mrs. Sanju was offering to help him leave.
Excited and confused, he didn't know how to respond.
"Teacher, what about you? Do you want to live this frightening life forever?" Kuroyu decided to test Mrs. Sanju's attitude.
Mrs. Sanju smiled softly and swayed her graceful body toward Kuroyu, stretching out her slender fingers to gently touch his forehead. "You little rascal, you actually care about the teacher," she teased.
Kuroyu smiled sheepishly and looked at her seriously, waiting for her answer.
Mrs. Sanju sighed softly, a trace of longing and expectation in her eyes. "In a few years, I might move to a quiet countryside, open a small breeding house, and spend the rest of my life there."
Kuroyu was surprised. He had never imagined that this ruthless, cruel female captain had such a simple, peaceful wish.
"Really, teacher?" Kuroyu asked, unable to hide his astonishment.
Mrs. Sanju smiled and nodded. Her eyes brightened as she softly replied, "Yes, child. Sometimes, people need to let go of everything from the past and pursue true inner peace and tranquility."
Kuroyu silently pondered her words, beginning to understand that even the strongest people have a soft side inside. They, too, long for their own quiet corner, away from the chaos of the world.
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