Koga. One of the future Johto Elite Four. The current Fuchsia Gym Leader. A master of Poison-types. He was the successor of an ancient ninja family and also one of Team Rocket's three main executives.
He often disappeared to carry out missions for Team Rocket, leaving the Gym to be managed by his daughter, Janine.
As Shiro recalled what he knew about Koga, a trace of anticipation rose in his heart.
One of Team Rocket's three executives. What level of strength did that represent?
The one eyed Red Devil focused only on Octillery and was already considered a Gym-level trainer. If he said Koga was strong, then strong probably meant not an absolute crushing force.
Did Koga have Elite-level strength? Or was he at the peak of the Gym-level, holding one or two Elite-level Pokémon?
While thinking, Shiro glanced at the tense pirate beside him. That look startled Red Devil, who hurriedly explained, "S-sir, I really wasn't lying. You'll know once you reach Octillery Island."
"I know." Shiro smiled and patted his shoulder. "How much were you planning to demand from the League in exchange for the hostages?"
"I..." Red Devil answered honestly. "Ten million per person. One hundred and twenty million Pokédollars in total."
"Good." Shiro smiled gently. "Remember, I already paid that on behalf of the League. Right?"
Red Devil shuddered and nodded repeatedly. "Yes. Yes."
Even though he had not actually seen the one hundred and twenty million Pokédollars, in his heart, paid was paid. In the end, he had no choice but to accept it.
Shiro intended to claim mission compensation from the League.
The people were rescued. The money should naturally go to him. Besides, that so-called chairman's precious grandson was surely worth far more than that amount.
The Octillery pirates had dared to kidnap him halfway.
"By the way." Shiro frowned and asked, "You dared to kidnap people so openly. Weren't you afraid the League would send Elite Four or even Champion level trainers to wipe you out?"
Red Devil froze. In his heart, he thought, 'Aren't you already doing that?'
Still, he answered hesitantly, "There really is a giant Octillery sleeping on Octillery Island. It's the ancestor of these Octillery. It has lived for several hundred years and has been consuming Sea Shard Rock the whole time. Its strength is unfathomable."
Shiro shook his head. "That's not the reason."
Some giant Octillery at best would be at Master-level.
Even the weakest Legendary Pokémon were at least Master-level. Crushing a giant Octillery would not be difficult. In Galar, people could already command Legendary Pokémon. The central League surely had powerful figures holding such forces.
There should also be old monsters of Master-level among trainers.
Like Pryce.
Shiro still remembered the scene in the Special manga where Pryce, commanding Articuno and Piloswine, fought Ho Oh and Lugia head on.
Of course, he still could not confirm whether characters from the Special manga existed in this timeline. If they did, all he needed was to visit Pallet Town and ask Professor Oak whether there was someone named Red.
That was something to do after reaching Kanto.
Shiro quickly pulled his thoughts back to the present and fixed his gaze on the one eyed pirate in front of him.
Red Devil closed his single eye and sighed, then spoke directly. "The three pirate crews in the Triangle Sea have to hand over a portion of what we loot."
"To whom?"
"To the Sinnoh League."
The name Red Devil spoke made Shiro doubt his own ears.
"The Sinnoh League? Are you sure it's the Sinnoh League?" he asked again.
Red Devil nodded quickly. "Yes. The Sinnoh League."
Shiro pressed further. "Not some corrupt high ranking official within the League?"
Red Devil shook his head. "If all high ranking officials being corrupt counts, then yes. Including the current Sinnoh Elite Four and Champion. It's said that even the local Hunters Guild in Sinnoh operates legally as long as they pay."
"..." Shiro muttered without thinking. "Who are the current Sinnoh Elite Four and Champion?"
Red Devil looked puzzled but answered honestly, listing a series of unfamiliar names. Only one of them, Bertha, sounded familiar to Shiro.
Right. This timeline was still early. Even the Gym Leaders and Champion of Galar had only just been selected.
Cynthia, Flint, Aaron, and the others were probably still training and striving toward the Champion path.
In silence, the S.S. Anne reached the shore.
* * *
Octillery Island was vast. A mountain shaped like an Octillery head split the island into north and south.
The southern side was a very clean small town. The houses were neatly arranged. The gray white streets were spotless. It looked nothing like a place where pirates should live.
All the crew members of the S.S. Anne refused to go ashore and chose to stay and wait.
Shiro followed Red Devil and Arne into the town. All the houses were single story and standalone, with doors tightly shut.
"This is Octillery Town, the home of our Red Devil... our Octillery Pirate Crew." Once inside, Red Devil relaxed a lot and spoke with interest. "We only managed to build brick houses in recent years after earning more money. Before that, we chopped trees ourselves and lived in wooden huts."
Shiro observed quietly and nodded. Arne walked behind without a word.
Red Devil talked as he led them to the northernmost part of the town.
Behind the tallest house, painted red, he lifted something like a manhole cover and climbed down first.
Shiro used psychic power to scan below, then followed.
Below was an artificially dug tunnel. It was square, about two meters wide. Countless glowing minerals were embedded in the dirt walls by hand. Their soft white light made the tunnel almost as bright as day.
After walking for about half a minute, they reached the end.
Red Devil took out a key, opened an iron door, and stepped inside, standing aside. Arne and Shiro went after him.
The interior was spacious. A man made cell reinforced with bricks, about the size of a classroom.
Shiro couldn't even take a good look at the hostages before a wave of foul stench hit him.
It smelled like waste left to rot for days.
"We built a toilet." Red Devil covered his nose. "But these people still just mess around—"
Before he could finish, Shiro, using psychic power to seal his nose and filter the air, walked in. He glanced at the crude toilet in the corner, then swept his eyes over the people crouched separately in the corners.
Their clothes still showed what they used to be, but were filthy beyond measure.
The cell was silent, like it was holding a group of corpses.
Even when Shiro and the others entered, they only glanced over briefly and said nothing.
Shiro was dressed in a black cloak, his expression cold. More importantly, he stood beside two pirates. He did not look like a good person.
Pirates brought food three times a day anyway. They were used to the iron door opening from time to time.
Red Devil hurried to explain again, "Sir, I really didn't torture them. These people just start fighting among themselves…"
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