As the towering column of seawater crashed down, the Gyarados slammed violently into the ocean's surface.
"Blastoise, finish it off!"
The captain didn't hesitate. Now that the threat had revealed itself, he immediately commanded his partner to act again.
Blastoise launched a Tide Whirlpool—the churning sea twisted into a massive vortex that trapped the dazed Gyarados in place.
Then, with precision, Blastoise fired dual Hydro Cannons from the water cannons on its shell. They coiled like twin dragons before slamming down on Gyarados.
The roaring Water-type howled in pain but was helpless, unable to retaliate.
What followed was a relentless assault—Blastoise bombarded Gyarados again and again like a living turret, unleashing a Wave Pulse barrage without rest.
The poor sea serpent had never recovered from its initial shock. From the moment it lost the initiative, it was entirely on the defensive.
Eventually, under the heavy shelling, Gyarados collapsed in the water, defeated.
Don't misunderstand—the battle wasn't one-sided because of Gyarados' weakness.
If the first officer or boatswain had faced the creature, it would've been a difficult, drawn-out battle.
But the captain? His strength was simply overwhelming.
After the Gyarados was subdued, he threw a Poké Ball and captured it cleanly.
Not because he wanted to tame or sell it, but because he had no choice.
Other Water-types could be defeated, warned, and released to avoid attacking ships again.
But Gyarados was different—vengeful by nature.
If released, it would linger in these waters, biding its time, quietly training and growing stronger until it launched a revenge attack.
Many ships had paid the price for making that mistake before.
"Crisis averted. Boatswain, get the crew to calm the passengers. First Officer, take the helm. Blastoise and I will patrol the waters to ensure this wasn't part of a larger threat."
After securing the Poké Ball, the captain immediately issued his orders and dove back into the sea with Blastoise to patrol the nearby area.
Back in his cabin, Jack received the update from a sailor and couldn't help but admire the captain's power.
"Impressive," he murmured.
He made a mental note of the ship's name.
"If I ever return to the Kanto region, I'll make sure to book this ship again."
After that skirmish, the rest of the voyage passed uneventfully.
But far behind the ship, long after it had left that sea zone, a smaller Gyarados emerged from the depths.
No one knew how it evaded the captain's search… but the hatred in its eyes as it stared after the disappearing ship made it clear:
This wasn't over.
A few days later, Jack finally stepped onto the shores of the Hoenn region.
To any observer, he looked no different from any other traveler—his eyes curious as he took in the new sights, acting like even the flowers and trees were exotic compared to Kanto.
Only once he checked into a hotel did his demeanor shift.
The sharp glint returned to his gaze.
Without needing a word from him, Haunter emerged from Jack's shadow, using its Ghost-type traits to sweep the room for surveillance.
Behind it, Honedge and Duskull followed, learning from Haunter's stealth expertise.
Over the past few days, both Honedge and Duskull had advanced to level 9—just one step away from reaching Qualified tier.
Until then, Jack would keep them in training. At their current Initial-level, combat wasn't a priority.
But they were close—very close.
With their progress came new skills.
Honedge learned Minimize—by reducing its weight, it could sharply increase its speed by two stages.
Duskull learned Shadow Attack—a move that gave it a powerful stealth strike from the darkness.
After confirming the room was clear, Jack finally sat down and accessed the Hunter Guild's online portal to scan for available missions in Hoenn.
The truth was, if any organization in the world knew the Ghost Fox's whereabouts best, it would be the Hunter Guild.
But they didn't dare betray him.
Not out of loyalty, but because data privacy was their lifeblood.
If the Guild ever sold out Jack's location for profit, then every client would wonder: Who's next?
That reputation was too valuable to risk—so Jack had no fear using their platform openly.
After browsing a list of local missions, he quickly settled on a suitable stepping-stone target.
He needed one.
In a new region, he couldn't move too aggressively at the start. He needed to establish his cover.
This time, Jack would operate under the identity of Ochi—a man who once tried to seize the spoils after a major auction… and whose body had long since disappeared.
Now, his name would live on—repurposed as Ghost Fox's latest disguise.
Still, Jack didn't act immediately.
Instead, he spent his time blending in, learning about Hoenn's customs, culture, and local quirks.
By the time he finally approached his target, Nakamori, Jack's words, expressions, and behavior were indistinguishable from a native of Hoenn.
No one would've guessed he had only arrived days ago from Kanto.
As for Nakamori—on the surface, he was the mild-mannered owner of a small Pokémon goods shop.
Business was slow. The store was modest. The products were unremarkable. Nakamori seemed like an average man running a simple life.
But beneath that facade, he was a senior agent in the mercenary world.
He could mobilize an impressive roster—several elite-tier trainers, and over twenty Excellent-tier ones.
True, his influence relied heavily on incentives, and betrayal was always a risk, but that only emphasized his capability.
Nakamori was young, ambitious, and clearly rising.
That's why tensions had flared between him and an older rival agent of equal rank.
While Nakamori was hungry to prove himself, the other man was experienced and calculating—leading to a deadlocked power struggle between them.