The call came through his Pryogon Lenses like a slap to the face.
Sinbad was in the middle of calculating supplier margins when the ringtone pulsed directly into his vision, the interface sliding into priority override mode. He blinked once, already knowing this wasn't going to be pleasant.
He accepted anyway.
"Sinbad speakin'," he said smoothly, leaning back against the couch. "De man you lookin' for is currently unavailable and enjoyin' some much-needed peace and—"
"Prince Sinbad!"
Candi's voice cut through his audio feed like a machete through sugarcane.
"Explain yourself this instant!"
Sinbad winced. "Candi, chère, you don't gotta yell so loud. I can hear you just fine. I'm not underwater or anyt'ing—"
"You didn't come to the lab to pick up your Pokémon, you absolute idiot!"
The words hit him half a second late.
Sinbad blinked.
His eyes widened slowly as realization caught up with him, the mental image of the academy's Pokémon lab flashing through his mind along with a very important appointment time he had completely forgotten existed.
"…Oh," he said quietly.
The silence that followed was long enough for Candi to inhale sharply, which Sinbad recognized as a very bad sign.
"Oh my god," she said, voice climbing an octave. "Don't oh me. You literally vanished. Do you have any idea how bad this looks?"
Before Sinbad could respond, another voice cut in, calmer but edged with irritation.
"He's not dead, Candi," Mireya said flatly. "If he was dead, we'd have been notified. This is just… very on brand."
"Mireya," Sinbad muttered. "Hey."
"Don't hey me," Mireya replied, her Dominican accent sharpening. "You missed the scheduled pickup window by forty minutes. The lab assistants are already complaining. Professor Bobobo is pretending not to notice, but that won't last."
A third voice chimed in, softer but laced with dry humor.
"Honestly, I kind of admire the commitment," Naomi said. "Skipping your own starter pickup takes a certain confidence."
Sinbad smiled despite himself. "Naomi, you supposed to be on my side."
"I am on your side," Naomi replied. "That doesn't mean I won't document this for future ridicule."
Then the fourth voice entered the call without warning, low and unmistakably amused.
"Prince really said 'systems unlocked' and dipped," Zahra drawled. "That's crazy."
Sinbad groaned. "Don't you start, Zahra."
"I'm just saying," Zahra continued lazily. "The rumor mill's already spinning. People asking why the prince didn't show. Some saying you got a private pick. Others saying you failed compatibility."
"That is literally not cute," Candi snapped. "This is why I'm yelling."
Sinbad was already moving.
He cut the call mid-protest, vaulted off the couch, and hit the door at a dead sprint.
Port-au-Prince blurred past him in streaks of color and sound as Sinbad tore through the streets with Aura-reinforced speed. His movements were smooth, efficient, almost casual despite the velocity. Pedestrians barely registered him as more than a blur before he was gone.
In his past life, this speed would've shattered Olympic records.
Here, it was just fast.
He vaulted a market stall, cut through an alley, and cleared a low wall without breaking stride. His mind was already spinning through damage control scenarios, charming deflections, and strategic misdirection tactics.
Because now things were getting serious.
And Sinbad Mar, lazy prince and professional procrastinator, was about to walk into a room full of people who were very annoyed with him.
Professor Bobobo's laboratory was louder than usual.
Not chaotic, but busy in the way only a high-profile event could be. The space hummed with low conversation, equipment diagnostics, and the faint energy signatures of contained Pokémon. Lab assistants moved between workstations with practiced efficiency, though several kept glancing toward the entrance with visible impatience.
And standing near the center of the room, arms crossed and expressions ranging from exasperated to amused, were all twelve members of Sinbad's Master Eight.
Candi stood front and center, red jacket sharp against the sterile lab lighting, arms folded and one foot tapping an impatient rhythm against the floor. Mireya loomed beside her, tall and unimpressed, dark eyes tracking the door like a predator waiting for prey. Naomi adjusted her glasses, stylus hovering over a datapad as she documented something with academic precision. Zahra leaned against a workstation like she owned it, expression lazy but eyes sharp.
Renée stood near the water containment unit, hands clasped, concern written across her face. Lucía grinned near the aerial habitat, hands on her hips, clearly entertained. Mei Lin watched the door with quiet intensity, posture perfect. Amélie observed from the side, one eyebrow arched in elegant skepticism. Eleanor stood with measured composure, arms behind her back. Beatriz cracked her knuckles once, rolling her shoulders. Isabela looked thoughtful, serious. Soo-Min didn't move, didn't blink, just stared at the entrance with laser focus.
Professor Bobobo stood near the back, arms folded, expression carefully neutral.
The doors slammed open.
Sinbad burst into the room, Aura still clinging faintly to him from the sprint, breathing steady but posture unmistakably rushed.
He took one step inside.
That was as far as he got.
"EXCUSE YOU?" Candi snapped, already moving. She crossed the distance in seconds, finger jabbing toward his chest. "Do you have any idea how long we've been standing here?"
"Candi, chère—" Sinbad started, grin already forming.
"Don't chère me," she cut him off. "You missed starter distribution by hours. That is not a small mistake."
Mireya stepped to his other side, cutting off his retreat. "You made people wait," she said flatly. "That's disrespectful."
"I can explain—" Sinbad tried.
"Elevated heart rate suggests you ran here," Naomi observed, adjusting her lenses. "Which means you knew you were late. Which means you still didn't prioritize it."
Zahra pushed off the workstation, arms folding. "Bold move," she said dryly. "Making everyone wait. Very on-brand, though."
Renée stepped forward, concern softening her voice. "You okay, Sinbad? You look like you sprinted t'rough half de city."
"I'm fine, Renée, I just—"
"Ten minutes later and we'd have placed bets on whether you were kidnapped or just being you," Lucía said cheerfully.
Mei Lin frowned slightly. "This exceeds acceptable deviation from protocol."
Amélie arched a brow. "Do you usually make this kind of entrance, or is today special?"
Eleanor watched him quietly. "This will require explanation."
Beatriz cracked her knuckles again. "At least tell me it was worth it."
Isabela looked at him seriously. "You understand this reflects on all of us, yes?"
Soo-Min didn't say anything. She just stared at him, eyes sharp, already calculating.
Sinbad opened his mouth.
Twelve pairs of eyes locked onto him.
"Okay," Sinbad said finally, raising both hands in mock surrender. "Before anyone kills me, I can explain."
"This should be good," Zahra muttered.
"I got… distracted," Sinbad said smoothly, flashing his most charming grin. "Somet'ing came up. Important business. Very urgent. Couldn't be helped, non?"
Candi's eye twitched. "Important business."
"Very important," Sinbad confirmed.
"More important than your starter Pokémon?" Mireya asked flatly.
"Well—"
"What kind of business?" Naomi asked, stylus poised.
Sinbad hesitated for half a second.
"…Personal business."
"That is not an answer," Mei Lin said.
"It's de best answer I got right now," Sinbad replied.
Renée sighed. "Sinbad…"
"Look," Sinbad said, spreading his hands. "I know I'm late. I know dat's bad. But I'm here now, non? Dat counts for somet'ing."
"It counts for nothing," Candi snapped.
"It counts for effort," Sinbad countered.
"You don't get credit for showing up late to your own appointment," Mireya said.
"I get credit for showin' up at all," Sinbad shot back with a grin.
Lucía laughed despite herself. "He's got a point."
"He does not," Candi said.
Professor Bobobo cleared his throat.
The room quieted instantly.
The aging professor stepped forward, expression carefully neutral but eyes sharp. "Prince Sinbad," he said evenly. "You are two hours late."
"I know, Professor," Sinbad said, tone shifting to something more respectful. "My apologies. It won't happen again."
"It better not," Bobobo replied. "However, there is… a complication."
Sinbad blinked. "Complication?"
Bobobo gestured toward a sealed containment unit near the back of the lab. "Three Poké Balls arrived this morning. No prior notice. No authorization codes. Just a note."
He held up a small card.
Sinbad's stomach dropped.
"The note," Bobobo continued, "states that these Pokémon are part of a new Starter Program initiative. Funded and organized by you."
The room went silent.
Sinbad stared at the card.
"…What."
"It says you arranged this," Bobobo repeated. "Three starter Pokémon. Official program. Your name is on the documentation."
Candi turned slowly toward Sinbad. "Did you?"
"I—" Sinbad started.
And then the notification hit.
It slammed into his vision like a freight train, text locking into focus with brutal clarity.
[Quest: Start Program]
Quest Description:
The Caribbean Alliance has no official starter Pokémon. This situation is unacceptable. As a courtesy, I have decided to intervene. Three starter Pokémon are already prepared and secured in Poké Balls within Professor Bobobo's laboratory. You will proceed there, fabricate a reasonable explanation, and convince all relevant parties that this program was initiated by you.
Do not worry. The note I left already states that you did this.
This quest is time-sensitive.
Objective:
Establish a Starter Pokémon Program for the Caribbean Alliance.
Reward:
Three Outer Realms allocated to Haiti.
Sinbad stared at the reward line.
Three Outer Realms.
His brain stalled for half a second as it tried to reconcile that with reality.
Outer Realms weren't money. They weren't favors. They weren't influence.
They were territory. Resources. Strategic depth. Entire ecosystems folded into reality.
This wasn't a quest.
This was nation-scale leverage.
"Sinbad?" Naomi asked, concern creeping into her voice. "You okay?"
Sinbad didn't answer.
His mind was racing.
Three Outer Realms. That was enough to shift the entire balance of power in the Caribbean Alliance. That was enough to make Haiti a major player on the global stage. That was enough to—
"Prince Sinbad," Bobobo said firmly. "Did you arrange this or not?"
Sinbad's gaze snapped back to the professor.
Twelve pairs of eyes watched him.
Waiting.
And somewhere in the back of his mind, a mysterious entity was laughing.
Sinbad took a slow breath.
Then he smiled.
"Yeah," he said smoothly. "I did."
The room exploded.