Pokémon: From Pirate to Just

Sieg had a few Pokémon stand guard around him, then released the unconscious Castform.

"Sigh, was that really necessary? If you'd just let me capture you peacefully, you wouldn't have had to get beaten up."

Sieg let out a quiet sigh and pulled out a spray bottle of healing medicine from his coat. Carefully, he unscrewed the cap and gently applied it on Castform's wounds.

As soon as the cool mist touched the injuries, a soothing sensation spread through Castform's body.

In an instant, the unconscious Castform jolted awake.

"Forrrrrr~!"

With a crisp, alert cry, Castform's eyes flew open. Like a coiled spring, her body shot up into the air.

Her wide eyes darted around in panic, and she immediately locked eyes with a group of fierce-looking Pokémon, all staring at her intently.

Especially that massive Sharpedo and the Crawdaunt with its terrifyingly huge pincers, those savage expressions sent shivers down her spine.

They looked like they could pounce and tear her apart at any moment.

Faced with such a powerful lineup, the young and inexperienced Castform couldn't help but feel helpless and overwhelmed by fear.

In her heart, she began to regret leaving that tree, began to regret her curiosity about the outside world.

Her small, fragile body trembled, and a few wisps of air drifted out from her gaseous form.

"Hehe, Castform, no need to be scared. From now on, you're a Pokémon with a Trainer. Here, I've got a little gift for you."

Sieg smiled kindly and slowly pulled out a Pokéblock from his spatial backpack, offering it to Castform.

In his mind, no wild Pokémon could resist such a delicacy.

But the result shocked him.

Castform floated cautiously toward him, sniffed the Pokéblock, then carefully took a tiny nibble. After chewing a little, she spat it out and looked utterly disgusted.

Sieg blinked in surprise, then quickly realized maybe it was just a matter of taste. He swapped it out for another kind of Pokéblock.

"Here, Castform, you should like this one. I added extra spices!"

This time, he handed over a pink Pokéblock, a special snack he had prepared just for Eevee. It didn't offer much nutritional value or energy, but the flavor was fantastic.

Sieg refused to believe any Pokémon could resist such a treat.

"For Foor Fooor~"

Castform sampled another bite, but still wore that same disgusted expression.

That really ticked off Eevee. That was her special treat! Not only had this little blob dared to eat it, but she even made such a face afterward. What was that supposed to mean?!

Eevee stared at Castform, her gaze turning slightly hostile.

Sieg was genuinely confused this time. As far as he knew, his Pokéblocks were top-notch...

He broke off a tiny piece and put it in his own mouth, savoring it carefully.

"Tastes fine to me..."

Completely baffled, Sieg realized that if gourmet treats wouldn't win Castform over, he'd have to resort to force.

He let each of his Pokémon fight once against Castform and she was beaten pretty badly. Even her gaseous form had grown visibly thinner.

It was clear a few more wisps of air flew out during the scuffle.

Sieg grew a little concerned, but after consulting his Pokédex, he learned those wisps could be replenished via water vapor collection.

Only then did he breathe a sigh of relief. Still, this kind of unique physiology intrigued him deeply.

"No time to waste. Let's keep moving. We need to get through this forest, Lavaridge Town is just ahead."

Sieg cracked his knuckles, eager to set off.

But just as he lifted his foot, something unexpected happened. The previously quiet and now obedient Castform suddenly let out a sharp, urgent cry.

"Fooooooorrrrrrr!"

She floated up again, as if drawn by some mysterious force, drifting gracefully in the opposite direction from where Sieg was headed.

It was like she was using her own unique way to tell Sieg something, motioning for him to follow.

Faced with this abrupt development, Sieg frowned, suspicion growing in his heart.

"Is she trying to take me to her parents for help? Or maybe... leading me into a carefully laid trap?"

He didn't rush after her. Instead, he paused and fell into thought.

His experience as a pirate had shaped his cautious and skeptical nature. He always remained on high alert, especially when his own safety was involved.

Sieg knew all too well how treacherous, people and Pokémon, could be. A single careless step could lead to ruin.

This mindset, though somewhat extreme, had saved his life more than once.

Without warning, he drew Castform's Pokéball and returned her instantly, then locked the ball tight.

"Sorry, Castform."

He murmured softly toward the Pokéball.

Still, he decided to investigate the direction Castform had tried to lead him to. Glancing around at his Pokémon, a sense of safety settled over him.

"With you all here, I'm protected. You're my strongest defense."

Sieg seriously doubted there were any high-level Pokémon in such a small forest. The fact that Castform was over level 20 had already been a major surprise.

After all, even in the forest's center, most wild Pokémon hovered between single and teen levels.

"And that look Castform had earlier didn't seem like a bluff. More like an instinctive reaction..."

Sieg trusted his judgment. It was what had helped him grow so far, even winning the favor of both, Norman and the Joy family.

After weighing all the possibilities, he gave his Pokémon a firm instruction.

"If anything happens to me, use Protect immediately."

"Daaauuunt!"

"Eevee~!"

"Sharrrrrr!"

"Crawwww crawwww..."

Each Pokémon nodded solemnly. Sieg had given this order many times before.

At this point, reacting with Protect had become second nature to them. It was etched deeply into their minds.

Sieg was very pleased with that.

"Preserving your own life is always the highest priority."

As the sun slowly dipped below the trees, Sieg carefully explored the forest for several hours, but found nothing unusual.

The only thing remotely strange was a deep, bottomless cave. He had spent nearly half an hour probing inside, yet it remained an endlessly dark tunnel.

There seemed to be no end to it. Sieg eventually withdrew, deciding not to take unnecessary risks for now.

"Could it really be that cave?"

Leaning against a giant rock, Sieg pondered silently.

Murkrow stood vigilantly on a nearby tree trunk. The Crawdaunt stood guard by his side. These had become instinctive behaviors for his team.

Eventually, he decided to summon Castform again for a proper explanation.

But first, he had his team form a tight circle to prevent any escape. Only after setting up all the safety measures did he release her.

"For foor foor~~~!!"

As soon as she appeared, Castform let out a tearful cry, her face filled with grievance, as if accusing her heartless new Trainer.

Sieg wasn't moved. He simply pointed at the nearby cave.

"Earlier, were you trying to lead me into that cave?" he asked bluntly.

Given the situation, Castform was like a fish on the cutting board, there was no need for mind games or vague hints. Direct questioning would do just fine.

"Foor!!"

Castform shook her body excitedly, the little thing on her head suddenly standing upright.

Seeing her so animated, Sieg turned and stared at the dark cave, deep in thought.