Immediately after, a muscular man in a short-sleeved shirt slowly walked in front of everyone, pushing a small cart.
"It's Brother Gu Tian!" Hei Yu thought to himself.
The others quietly lowered their heads, not daring to meet Gu Tian's gaze. Everyone knew that Gu Tian had spent his entire life at sea.
Since birth, he had never set foot on land, and therefore, his control over sea winds and currents was extremely accurate, making him the "eyes" of the entire Giant Shark.
It was precisely because of this special skill that he was highly valued by the captain, who intended to promote him to the third first mate.
"Hehe, you rookies, aren't you very excited..."
After some teasing, everyone's mood became even more nervous.
"Come on, pick one by one in the order your names are called!" Gu Tian pulled back the cloth, and instantly, 20 gleaming Poké Balls appeared before everyone's eyes.
All the newcomers had fiery eyes, while Hei Yu looked at the two Poké Balls on the far left.
There were ten in the upper row and ten in the lower row, with almost no discernible difference from the outside. It was purely a matter of luck; whichever Pokémon they picked was theirs, with no room for negotiation.
"First, Hei Yu!"
When Hei Yu's name was called, those who joined at the same time as him showed envious expressions.
Even the old pirates watching the show showed expressions of expectation.
Slowly walking to the side of the cart, Hei Yu quickly scanned it, finally choosing the leftmost one in the upper row.
"I hope it brings me good luck."
Hei Yu clutched the Poké Ball tightly in his hand, praying in his heart.
"Next, Chang Dao..."
"Next,..."
One after another, several more youths whose names were called stepped forward to choose.
"According to the information given by Mrs. Meta, the Poké Balls closer to the left should be better."
Hei Yu thought to himself.
Watching a companion he was on good terms with choose a Poké Ball on the right, Hei Yu's mouth slightly opened, but he ultimately did not speak.
Soon, all the Poké Balls were picked.
Hei Yu was already impatient, eager to open the Poké Ball and see the Pokémon inside.
"Haha, from today onwards, you are no longer newcomers. As long as you pass this afternoon's assessment, you will be pirates!"
The newcomers, who had just been immersed in the joy of getting a Pokémon, instantly felt a tightening in their hearts.
As the dismissal order was given, the veteran pirates returned to their respective posts, while the newcomers remained standing on the deck. Now was their free time!
This was also the only vacation they would get after a year of hard work.
"Come out, my Pokémon! Ah, it's a Taillow!"
"My Pokémon is actually a Carvanha."
Everyone released their Pokémon, but from the looks of it, the situation didn't seem good.
"Help! Ah~~"
A young man collapsed on the ground, a Carvanha frantically tearing at his arm.
Sharp teeth, strong jaws!
The surrounding youths retreated in terror, not daring to approach. In their impression, weren't Pokémon supposed to be commanded simply by giving orders?
Hei Yu had no interest in bickering with these people, nor did he have any intention of helping.
He slowly retreated behind the crowd, eventually disappearing from the deck.
At this moment, Hei Yu quietly appeared in the lowest cabin, where the newcomers usually slept.
"Come out, my first Pokémon." Hei Yu's tone held a hint of anticipation.
With a flash of white light, a Corphish appeared!
"Hehe!" As soon as the Corphish appeared, it waved its pincers, its face full of vigilance.
Hei Yu tried to maintain a gentle expression, slowly pulling out a dark blue energy cube from his pocket.
"I saved up to buy this basic Water-type energy cube from Brother Gu Tian." Hei Yu slowly squatted down.
"Come on, Corphish, try one. You must be starving, right?"
Hei Yu's method of capture was very simple: using food as bait. In fact, given his current situation, he had no other option.
As for capturing it by force...
Looking at the Corphish, which was over half a meter tall, and its huge pincers, Hei Yu could only dismiss that absurd idea.
The Corphish looked at the blue cube emitting an alluring scent, and ultimately, its desire for food overcame its fear of the unknown.
"Hey~~"
It quickly used its pincers to put the energy cube into its mouth.
As soon as the food entered its mouth, its wary expression immediately turned to one of enjoyment, its eyes unconsciously narrowing as it made a comfortable sound.
Seeing this, Hei Yu revealed a confident smile.
"Don't rush, Corphish, I have a few more here. As long as you listen to me well, you will definitely not lack energy cubes in the future..."
Hei Yu was working hard to paint a grand picture, and the Corphish had never seen such a scene.
It instantly became devoted to its new master.
Xia Xia will never surrender!
Unless food and lodging are provided.
"Hehe!"
The Corphish kept waving its pincers, looking full of vigor.
"One day in the future, we will definitely dominate the world..."
Hei Yu's mouth was a little dry from talking, but seeing the Corphish's adoring look, his heart grew even more expectant.
...
"Corphish, show me the moves you know. Remember not to damage the cabin."
Hei Yu immediately began to display his authority as a Trainer.
"Hehe!" The Corphish's body burst with a white glow.
"It's Harden!" Hei Yu said, following up. (Hard)
"Anything else, Corphish?"
Hearing its master's words, the Corphish raised its pincers again and suddenly clamped them together in the air.
"It's Vise Grip."
"Not bad, not bad, very talented."
Hei Yu was naturally not stingy with praise for Corphish, even if the moves it used were only the most basic.
"Hehe!" The Corphish hopped excitedly, its pincers opening to spray out many light blue Bubbles.
"Cough, cough, cough~~ All right, all right, Corphish, stop quickly." Hei Yu waved his arms, popping all the Bubbles.
"It should be Bubble, because if it were Bubble Beam, it should be more intense."
Hei Yu pondered to himself.
Corphish currently mastered the moves Bubble, Vise Grip, and Harden.
"Hehe~"
The Corphish urgently called out twice, trying to get Hei Yu's attention.
Looking over, Hei Yu saw the Corphish's entire body surrounded by water, and it took a diving stance.
"This is!"
Just as Hei Yu was getting excited, the water slowly dissipated.
The move failed!
But even so, Hei Yu was still incredibly surprised; this clearly indicated it had an inherited move.
And it looked a bit like Water Pulse. (Aqua Jet)
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"Not bad, not bad, Corphish, you are very talented. In the future, we will definitely grow bigger and stronger..."
Hei Yu kept painting a grand picture, and Corphish listened with excitement.
But in fact, it hadn't told its new master that there was another move in its head that it just couldn't use.
And that move was too strange; it even required a peculiar dance.
Can't understand, can't understand...
Soon, the morning passed, and it was time for the newcomers' afternoon assessment. The deck was again filled with youths, though this time one seemed to be missing.
Hei Yu saw the bloodstains on the deck that had not yet dissipated. Even though they had been wiped once, the reddish marks still remained.
"It's that youth with the Carvanha." Hei Yu thought silently.
"Looks like he died..."
Hei Yu watched the puddle of blood slowly trail to the edge of the ship.
The one who came to conduct the assessment for the newcomers was still the first mate, Chang Tian Xin.
"Newcomers, it's unfortunate that one young man has already left without even being able to capture a Pokémon."
Just as everyone was still grieving over this, Chang Tian Xin changed the subject: "But I think today's afternoon assessment will surely eliminate even more people!"
Everyone's faces tightened in shock. They didn't know the consequences of elimination, but from his tone, it clearly wouldn't be anything good.
"Alright, bring them up!"
At Chang Tian Xin's command, several experienced pirates slowly carried cages onto the deck.
Inside the cages were Pokémon!
"Hiss hiss!!"
"Roar~~"
Zigzagoon, Wurmple, Taillow, and so on, Pokémon very common in the Hoenn region.
"Your task today is to kill them!"
As his words fell, the first mate left, no longer bothering with these newcomers.
The old pirates, meanwhile, watched with interest, even placing bets among themselves on who would be the first to stand out.
"I'll bet a bottle of beer!"
"I'll bet three packs of cigarettes!"
"My goodness, you're playing so big. Aren't you going to live this month?"
"Exactly, it'll be over a month until the ship next docks to resupply."
Almost all the pirates were betting on the youths they favored, but without exception, Hei Yu was undoubtedly the one with the most bets.
Hei Yu looked at the Pokémon in the cage with determined eyes.
The surrounding youths were all trembling, not daring to step forward. Although they had been captured and trained for a year, they had only done odd jobs and learned survival skills at sea. They had never actually killed anything themselves.
Amidst the stalemate, Hei Yu slowly pulled out a Poké Ball and released Corphish.
"Corphish, go and clamp that Wurmple to death!" Hei Yu's voice was cold and his expression emotionless.
Corphish was slightly stunned upon hearing the command, then looked back at its master hesitantly.
But in the end, it dared not disobey the order and walked on its six short legs to the cage.
It raised its proud pincers, and a milky white energy slowly gathered, slowly closing in the terrified gaze of the weak Wurmple.
Vise Grip!
The Wurmple's life force gradually disappeared!
"Haha, I won, I won, give me the cigarettes!"
The experienced old men nearby laughed unrestrainedly.
Hei Yu recalled Corphish, silently retreating to the team, remaining completely silent.
Gradually, more youths stepped forward, their voices trembling as they commanded the Pokémon they had just become familiar with.
Some succeeded, and naturally, some failed.
And the consequence of failure...
"Go retrieve his Poké Ball. From now on, he will stay in the lowest level as a handyman."
The pirate's tone was cold. To them, only those who completed the challenge were considered their kind.
"No... no no, give me another chance! Please... give me another chance..."
The youth's voice trembled as he pleaded repeatedly.
A pirate immediately stepped forward, kicked the youth away, and cursed, "Are you looking for death?!"
A fierce Crawdaunt appeared!
Its huge pincers slowly lifted, and with one punch, it smashed the youth's head.
Brains splattered, blood flowed.
"Ah!!!!!"
The newcomers screamed in terror.
The Crawdaunt looked back, and the newcomers were so frightened by its fierce gaze that they dared not move or make a sound.
They all turned into obedient quails, with their heads bowed.
Hei Yu silently glanced at the headless corpse, thinking to himself, "Here, human lives are the cheapest."
Finally, the corpse was slowly buried in the sea, becoming nourishment for the endless ocean.
...
Night, lower cabin.
The youths chattered excitedly about the wonders of Pokémon.
As for the two deaths during the day, no one dared to mention them, nor did anyone wish to. For them, it was an unforgettable sight.
Hei Yu wandered through the dining hall, his gaze sweeping around, seemingly searching for something.
Suddenly, his eyes lit up, and he slowly approached, carrying two wine bottles.
"Brother Gu Tian, I've come to drink with you." Hei Yu lifted the two bottles and placed them on the table.
Looking at the luxurious dishes on the dining table, he couldn't help but exclaim, "Brother Gu Tian truly lives up to his reputation as the eyes of the Giant Shark. The captain really values you; the food is so good."
Gu Tian looked at the youth in front of him and said, "Little brother Hei Yu, don't be shy, eat whatever you want."
Each of them opened a bottle of wine, enjoying themselves and discussing various news.
As a sea with scarce resources, supplies could only be replenished when the ship docked on land periodically.
Therefore, wine was always a rare commodity.
It was also the best way for men to bond.
"Little brother, is Mrs. Meta quite busy lately? I haven't seen her." Gu Tian, slightly tipsy, probed indirectly.
Hei Yu's eyes flickered. Was the other party asking about this because he wanted to...
"Not at all, Mrs. Meta, she..."
Hei Yu vaguely glossed over it, quickly changing the subject.
As time passed, the number of people in the dining hall gradually decreased, leaving only a few.
At this moment, the two, now completely drunk, stumbled out of the dining hall.
Their steps were unsteady, but they still leaned on each other as they left.
As they parted, Gu Tian patted his chest and promised Hei Yu, "Little brother, if you encounter any difficulties or troubles, you can always come to me for help. I can solve everything for you!" After saying that, Gu Tian patted Hei Yu's shoulder again, then turned and left.
Hei Yu watched Gu Tian's receding figure, a strange expression on his face.
However, Hei Yu didn't know that after he left, Gu Tian, who had appeared completely drunk and unsteady, now had an expressionless face and steady steps, showing no signs of intoxication at all.
Gu Tian pondered to himself, "With my abilities and experience, as well as my reconnaissance skills at sea, perhaps I have a chance to become the third first mate?"
The reason Gu Tian chose to humble himself and actively befriend Hei Yu was because he knew Hei Yu could speak on his behalf to Mrs. Meta.
As long as Hei Yu was willing to put in a good word for him at a crucial moment, his chances of success in the election would greatly increase.
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