[Pokemon] Chapter 64: The Song of the White Mist

Several days had passed since they left the Poké Ball factory. During this time, Jin and the others went about their usual routines—training and helping out on the ship—spending their days in peace.

"Shall we get started, then?"

However, separate from that, Jin had been secretly progressing with a certain confidential plan, without informing Liko or the others. Today, he was contacting the two collaborators of that plan through his Rotom Phone to check in on the progress.

"Hey! Young master!"

"Yup. Anytime's good for me."

The people Jin was speaking to via the Rotom Phone were Tepen, a former shady merchant now attempting to return to life as an adventurer and an old acquaintance of Diana, and Karna, the skilled craftsman they had met at the Poké Ball factory.

This plan required not just Jin and Tepen, but also the expertise of Karna, the Poké Ball artisan, so he had reached out to her for assistance. Initially, Karna had been skeptical of working with Tepen due to the poor reputation she’d heard about from Liko and the others, but after Jin assured her Tepen had turned over a new leaf, she reluctantly agreed to help.

"Thank you very much. So, to get right to it, could you tell me how things are going?"

"Thanks to Karna, things are going great!"

"Ahaha... I think we’ll have a finished product within a few days."

The two were currently working on developing a Poké Ball that could contain Tepen’s invention—"Homemade Super-Strong Sleep Powder."

The concept was simple: when thrown at a target, the ball would burst open on impact, releasing the powder to engulf the target. If successful, it would allow them to neutralize targets without relying on Pokémon.

"Understood. Once it’s ready, please send the data over. Also, I've already cleared things with Officer Jenny in Hoenn, so Tepen, I'd like you to head to the Hoenn region."

Since Jin was traveling and Karna couldn’t stray far from the factory, Tepen would need to travel to Hoenn alone.

"And... Tepen, just to confirm once more..."

"I know, I know. The formula for the ‘Homemade Super-Strong Sleep Powder’ is to be kept secret, right?"

"Huh... I mean, I’m fine with it, but is there really a need to keep it a secret?"

Though Karna had managed to coexist with the Galarian Weezing by having them inhale factory gas, she still recognized them as dangerous wild Pokémon. Even as a non-expert, she understood just how powerful the sleep powder was if it could knock them out so easily. Still, she didn’t fully grasp why secrecy was necessary.

"Yes. Just in case."

While Tepen’s sleep powder was undeniably useful, it was also extremely dangerous. Therefore, the formula and all related information—including Tepen’s identity as its creator—had to be strictly controlled.

"Karna, do you remember when I used the powder to put the Galarian Weezing to sleep?"

"Of course I do. That was a pretty shocking scene."

"Then think—if I had been a Pokémon hunter, what do you think would’ve happened to those Weezing?"

"Oh..."

Only then did Karna realize the true threat of the powder. It could put many Pokémon to sleep at once, regardless of type matchups.

If poachers or other malicious individuals obtained large quantities of it, it could easily be used for mass Pokémon capture. That outcome had to be avoided at all costs. That’s why the formula—and Tepen himself—had to remain a secret.

"That’s the situation. So please, both of you, be extremely careful with this information."

"R-Right..."

"Understood."

"Alright then, I’ll leave it here for today. I’m counting on you both."

With that, Jin ended the call, leaned back in his chair, and looked up.

"Phew... All that’s left is the negotiation..."

The agreement to keep the powder’s formula and Tepen’s identity secret was already in place. However, the details of the official contract and the payment hadn’t been finalized. That would depend on an evaluation of the completed product.

The person Jin would be negotiating with was an Officer Jenny he knew. While she trusted Jin personally, business was business—she needed to see the real thing first.

"Well... I just have to do my best."

The results of that negotiation would greatly affect Jin’s share. Since he had no real role in the creation of the ball, this would be his only—and biggest—chance to shine.

Rotom-rotom-rot! Rotom-rotom-rot!

Just as Jin was going over his cards to try and raise the negotiation price, his Rotom Phone received a notification. When he checked, it was a message from Murdock via the Rising Volt Tacklers app, calling everyone together.

"Everyone! I’ve got tea and snacks ready! Come to the meeting room!"

A cheerful picture of Murdock holding a teapot and cake, smiling ear to ear, came with the message.

"...Guess it can wait."

There was still time before the data would be ready. Deciding he could review everything afterward, Jin left his room and made his way to the meeting room.

---

While Jin relaxed after finishing Murdock’s cake in the meeting room, Diana began recounting a certain tale.

"Yeah, it's a rumor that’s been floating around among sailors... They say a strange Pokémon appears and guides ships lost in the mist with its song."

One day, a ship loaded with cargo was making its way across the ocean. Everything was going smoothly—until a thick, white fog suddenly rolled in and swallowed the vessel, obscuring visibility. The ship began to shake violently, and it looked like capsizing was inevitable.

Just as the crew began to succumb to despair, a mysterious song echoed through the mist. Looking toward the sound, they saw a Pokémon glowing blue in the fog.

"They say it was a radiant Lapras."

"Lapras..."

"Could it be one of the Six Heroes?"

"Well, it’s not certain. But I wouldn’t say the possibility is zero."

Indeed, as Diana said, there wasn’t enough information to confidently say it was the Lapras from the Six Heroes. But that it was a Lapras with special powers seemed undeniable.

Lapras, huh...)

Jin had heard the same rumor. The Hoenn region was surrounded by sea, and travel by boat was essential. Naturally, he’d come to know many sailors, and he’d heard the legend from them too.

If it’s not one of the Six Heroes, I’d love to catch it myself...)

"The Six Heroes... Grandma! I want to meet that Lapras!"

"I can’t say for sure it’s the same one. You’d have to meet it in person to know... Actually, I chased that mystery myself when I was younger. But I never saw it, not even once."

Diana had once tracked down every lead she could, following every rumor and tip. But by the time she arrived at any location with a reported sighting, the Lapras was already gone. Eventually, after many such disappointments, she had to give up.

"But... things are different now."

Back then, Diana had the intel but no way to act on it. Now, she had the Brave Olivine and the Rising Volt Tacklers at her side. With this team, she believed they could accomplish what she couldn’t in the past.

"Please. Would you help us search for Lapras?"

"Of course! We’re definitely going to find it!"

"I’ll help too!"

"I’m personally interested as well. Naturally, count me in."

With that, every single member of the group accepted Diana’s request, and the Rising Volt Tacklers had their next objective decided.

"First things first, we need to gather information."

"No worries—I’ve already taken care of that."

As Diana spoke, the screen installed in the meeting room displayed a nautical chart of a certain sea area. Red markers began appearing one after another—these were likely locations where the white mist had been reported.

"Grandma, you made this?"

"Not quite. I had Dot put it together. Still… the power of science is incredible, huh? If we had this kind of tech when I was young... Dot, you really are something."

"W-Well, yeah…"

When did that happen…? As expected of Grandma.)

At some point, Diana had become friendly with Dot. Watching them, Liko was reminded of the effort it took her to become friends with Dot, and it made her admire Diana all over again for achieving it in such a short time.

"And there’s more good news. Someone at a nearby port claims to have seen Lapras recently."

Dot tapped away on her computer and marked a new green dot on the chart, indicating the location. It was close—if they left now, they could arrive in just a few hours.

"Let’s go hear what they have to say… Come on, let’s head out!"

---

On a small island within the region where thick white mist had frequently appeared, Jin and the others learned that a Lapras sighting had occurred. They docked the Brave Olivine at the port and disembarked. As usual, the group consisted of Jin, Liko, Roy, and Friede. They headed toward the source of the report: the captain of a cargo ship.

"It was a beautiful song."

At the dock, a small vessel sat moored. Beside it stood a burly man and his Floatzel. Upon asking for details, it became clear—they were indeed the ones who had seen Lapras.

"So it really was Lapras?"

"Yeah. We were delivering cargo when, out at sea, this sudden, all-encompassing fog appeared, and we lost all sense of direction."

…A sudden fog?)

Sea fog usually forms when warm, moist air flows over a cooler sea surface, causing the moisture to condense into visible droplets. Normally, there’d be some signs before it formed.

Given this man’s years as a sailor, he should’ve noticed something, but the excitement of encountering Lapras seemed to have clouded his judgment. Even now, he remained deeply thankful to Lapras.

"Where is that Lapras now?"

"Beats me… It disappeared before we made it out of the fog, so I don’t really remember."

"Captain! We’re starting to reload the cargo now."

"Hm? Ah, good. I’ll leave it to you."

At the captain’s approval, a crew member behind him began loading boxes marked with a Tropius face back onto the ship, with the help of a Buizel.

"Reloading?"

"Yeah. It seems we hit a reef when the fog rolled in. The impact rocked the ship so badly we lost all our cargo overboard."

"…Wasn’t the cargo secured?"

"Of course it was. But the shaking was pretty intense. I guess it all came loose… We have to restock everything now, but considering the ship and crew came out safe and we got to see Lapras, I say it’s a fair trade."

The captain didn’t seem too concerned about the incident, but to Jin, everything about it was suspicious. The sudden appearance of the fog was one thing, but the idea that even strong sailors, working alongside Pokémon, had lost all the cargo? That just didn’t sit right.

…Sudden fog… all cargo lost… Could it be…)

One coincidence might be dismissed. But if it happened again, then someone’s intentions might be involved. Jin was not the kind of person who could ignore that possibility.

"Thank you. Everyone, let’s return to the ship."

"Yeah!"

"Okay."

"…"

"Jin? Something wrong?"

"…No, it’s nothing."

"Even if the fog comes again, don’t worry. I’m sure Lapras will guide you."

As the group turned to return to their ship, the captain called out with a smile, completely confident in Lapras’s goodwill. Jin, wearing a polite smile of his own, responded while feeling a tangle of unease within.

"Yeah… I hope so. Truly…"

---

The Brave Olivine was now sailing northward from the port, heading toward the area where the fog had appeared.

“…I see. Now that you mention it, it is odd.”

In the ship’s control room, Jin was explaining to Friede the strange inconsistencies in the story they had heard from the captain earlier. Friede hadn’t thought much of it at the time, but after listening to Jin and thinking it through more carefully, he couldn’t help but notice the oddities himself.

“I don’t have proof yet. But if I recall correctly, Lapras can use Mist. If it covers the ship in fog and distracts everyone forward, then it wouldn’t be hard for an accomplice to steal from behind.”

With visibility obscured, and a Pokémon as trusted as Lapras seemingly leading the way, it was only natural for the crew to focus their attention forward. That left their backs exposed. If this had been a planned operation, then it was a particularly malicious one.

“Lapras… might not be as innocent as it seems.”

“I’ll say it again—it’s just a possibility. I’m hoping that’s not the case.”

If there was a chance this Lapras was one of the Six Heroes, they might need to form an alliance with it. Jin had no desire to make an enemy out of it if possible. He hoped he was just overthinking things.

“But still…”

“Yeah, we need to verify it.”

“Exactly. We don’t have much time until we reach the area. Let’s come up with a plan quickly.”

Jin and Friede began crafting a plan to uncover the truth behind the incident. Both were well-versed in Pokémon knowledge, so countermeasures against fog came to them quickly. At the same time, they also prepared contingencies in case Lapras was working with an accomplice.

“…Alright, this should do.”

They’d managed to outline a general strategy. Still, due to the limited information, they would need to adapt once they were on-site. And with their destination rapidly approaching, time was tight.

They had considered delaying their arrival, but if Lapras was on the move, they might miss their chance. If they let this opportunity slip by, there was no telling when—or if—they’d see it again.

“Well then, I’m going to start getting ready.”

“Yeah. Catch you later.”

Jin left the control room and headed straight for the deck, where Liko and Roy were already peering out over the ocean.

“What are you two doing?”

“Ah! Jin, finally!”

“We’re looking for Lapras!”

“…It’s not going to show up that easily, you know.”

Whether it matched the rumors or Jin’s suspicions, Lapras was unlikely to casually reveal itself. If it were that easy to spot, there would’ve been many more reports by now.

“Ahaha… I figured.”

“Hey, Jin—have you ever seen a Lapras?”

“I have. Though only from a distance, while on a ship.”

“Wow… I’ve actually met one! It used to come visit the beach near the island. It was super friendly and even let me ride on its back!”

“Really? That’s awesome! I wonder if it’ll let us ride it too if we befriend it.”

“I’m sure it will!”

“Can’t wait!”

“…Yeah.”

Watching Liko and Roy bubbling with excitement at the idea of meeting Lapras, Jin couldn’t help but smile. And at the same time, he couldn’t help but hopeplease let my theory be wrong.

Soon, Quaxly, who had been tasked by Dot to take photos of Lapras, joined them, and the group chatted casually for a while—until the ship began to slowly descend in altitude.

“Huh? Are we dropping altitude?”

“You’re right. Could the air be leaking again?”

Rotom-rotom-rot! Rotom-rotom-rot!

As Liko and Roy voiced their concerns, a call came through the Rotom Phone. It was from Friede, who addressed the whole crew through the app.

“Everyone! We’re going to land the ship on the water. It'll be easier to look for Lapras this way.”

The Brave Olivine gently touched down on the ocean and began cruising along the surface. As it had originally been a fishing vessel, this kind of maneuver was no issue for it.

Alright… time to get ready.)

Once the ship had landed, Jin pulled a Poké Ball from his pocket and tossed it out onto the deck.

“Miloooo!”

The Pokémon that emerged was Milotic. Jin then took out an item from his pouch and began fastening it around Milotic’s neck.

“Jin? What’s that?”

“Is that… a shell?”

“Yeah. Looks good on her, right?”

To Liko and Roy, the item appeared to be a necklace made of seashells—an accessory. Its design was quite charming, and when worn by a Milotic—widely considered the most beautiful Pokémon in the world—it seemed to enhance her elegance even further.

“Yeah, it’s cute… but why now, all of a sudden?”

“Well, it’s been a while since we’ve been at sea. I wanted Milotic to have a chance to swim freely for once.”

Jin explained that water-type Pokémon needed proper skin care. While land Pokémon with fur could get by with brushing, water-types needed to maintain a moist, supple body to stay healthy. That meant not just bathing, but also swimming in open sea was essential for their vitality.

“Ohhh…”

“That makes sense…”

Liko and Roy nodded, clearly learning something new. They didn’t own any water-types, and this was a reminder of how much more there was to understand about Pokémon.

“Pago? Paa-go!”

As they cruised along the water, Terapagos, who had been gazing dreamily at the sea, suddenly cried out. Everyone except Jin immediately turned to focus on it.

“Terapagos?”

“Could it be… Lapras?”

“Maybe it really is one of the Six Heroes!”

“I bet it is!”

“Hey, Jin—what do you think?”

Based on Terapagos’s reaction, it was very possible that the Lapras nearby really was one of the Six Heroes. Filled with hope, Liko asked Jin his opinion. But Jin didn’t even look at Terapagos. Instead, he gave Milotic something to drink and whispered something quietly to her.

“…I’m counting on you.”

“Milo!”

Milotic gave a nod and then leapt off the ship, diving into the sea. With her head submerged, her presence disappeared from view.

“…Jin?”

“Hm? Ah, sorry, sorry. I was listening. So, looks like there’s a real chance it’s one of the Six Heroes, huh?”

“I knew it! I knew it!”

“Y-Yeah!”

Roy responded a little late, but his face lit up with joy at Jin’s words. On the other hand, Liko seemed to sense something strange in Jin’s behavior, though she couldn’t quite place what it was.

『Everyone, we’ve entered the target sea area. From here, I’ll slow the ship down and begin circling the waters. Liko, Roy, Jin, and Miss Diana—find that Lapras.』

With Friede’s instruction, Jin and the others continued their search from the deck while Diana took to the observation room.

“The sea’s wide, so let’s split up a bit.”

Jin remained at the ship’s bow. Liko and Roy went to the stern to eliminate as many blind spots as possible.

“Got it!”

“Leave it to us!”

To increase the number of lookouts, Jin pulled out four more Poké Balls and tossed them into the air. Out came Sceptile, Gardevoir, Manectric, and Salamence. He quickly briefed each one on the situation and gave detailed instructions: Salamence would take Gardevoir and fly overhead, Manectric would stay forward with Jin, and Sceptile would head to the back to support Liko and Roy.

“Alright…”

With that, Jin’s preparations were complete. Wondering how Friede was doing on his end, he pulled out his Rotom Phone to check in.

“How’s it looking over there?”

『All good. Everything’s going smoothly.』

Ludlow was steering the ship, Orla was standing by in the engine room ready to act, and Mollie and Murdock had prepared a massive pile of Pokémon food and berries in the center of the ship. Apparently, Mollie and Murdock had grumbled about the lack of explanation, but things were mostly going to plan.

“Good. Then all we have to do now is—!?”

Just as Jin was about to say wait, the area was suddenly swallowed in a blanket of thick white fog.

“Friede! It’s here!”

『Looks like it. I’m starting the final prep on my end. I’m counting on you over there.』

Jin ended the call and looked around, but the fog was denser than expected—he couldn’t see anything. Moments later, the ship lurched violently. Jin quickly grabbed the railing to keep his balance.

“Exactly like the captain described at the port… This is it.”

With visibility lost, there wasn’t much he could do. He turned his gaze toward the direction of the wing deck. Naturally, he couldn’t see a thing through the fog—but then, a sudden tornado-like burst of thunderclouds erupted from that direction, blasting the white mist away in an instant.

“…Well, that’s something.”

Friede had bragged he’d take care of the fog, so Jin had left it to him—but even he hadn’t expected this solution. It probably wasn’t Charizard, but Cap’s move. Very few Pikachu could pull off something like that.

“I wanted to see it up close… but I’ll save that for later.”

Jin peered over the side of the ship. Moored alongside was a massive whale-like Pokémon—Wailord. On its back were land Pokémon like Ambipom, Clodsire, and Vigoroth. In the sea below, he could see Pokémon like Jellicent, Mantine, and Octillery swimming about.

“Hmph… So my bad feeling was right. To think they thought such a shallow trick would work—how little they must think of us.”

Ambipom and Clodsire jumped onto the ship without permission, charging straight toward the pile of Pokémon food. At this point, Jin had no doubt—his suspicion had been correct.

“Manectric, leave this area and back up Murdock and the others as planned.”

“Manectriiiic!”

“And one more thing… you know the drill. Don’t let those shameless pirates have a single berry or bite of food. Give them a warm welcome.”

Manectric gave a fierce nod and dashed toward the center of the ship. Sceptile had already been instructed similarly, so Liko and Roy would likely arrive there too. Even with just Manectric and Sceptile, the defense should be more than sufficient—the ship would be tightly guarded.

“Now then…”

After sending Manectric off, Jin turned his eyes toward the bow again. There, standing still, was a Pokémon with a rugged shell and the long neck of a plesiosaur.

It was the one they’d been searching for—Lapras. And it had come this close.

“……”

Lapras slowly turned its head toward Jin, wariness in its eyes. Its gaze was sharper than any Pokédex image. A large scar ran across its left eye. No, not just the eye—its entire body was marked with old wounds. It looked like a battle-worn veteran who had fought for years.

…Yeah, this is the real deal.)

The pressure it gave off was on par with Rayquaza, Arboliva, and Galarian Moltres. Jin hadn’t confirmed the presence of an ancient Poké Ball yet, but this Lapras was undoubtedly one of the Six Heroes.

“A gentle Lapras who guides lost ships through the fog… and its true identity is a pirate-like con artist running a staged show, huh? That’s pretty low. You disgrace the name of the Six Heroes. Or is this… perhaps, even this was Lucius’s order?”

“LAAAAAAAPRAAAAAAAAAAAA!”

Lapras let out a thunderous roar in response to what it clearly took as an unforgivable insult. At this point, there was no avoiding the battle. Both Jin and Lapras understood that well.

//END

Some of you may have noticed, but Jin really hates pirates. I plan to reveal the specific reasons for that later in the story—but don’t worry, it’s not because of some overly tragic past.

Next time: Jin VS Lapras!