Pokémon : Forced to Be a Ghost Champion

c17: Kaina City's Marine Team

Alex and Ruby arrived at the Slateport City Shipyard in the afternoon to deliver the Devon Goods to the shipyard's director. Ruby quickly approached a nearby employee to ask for directions.

"Excuse me, sir. Where can we find your director? We're here on official delivery."

"Oh, you mean Director Kusunoki? He should be over at the Oceanic Museum now. He's been studying some submarine schematics. You'll find him there, it's just a short walk up the main road, east of the shipyard."

Alex and Ruby thanked the man and made their way toward the Oceanic Museum known in the local guidebook as a historic exhibit housing both research material and salvaged maritime Pokémon artifacts.

After buying tickets at the front desk, the boys stepped into the grand exhibition hall.only to be greeted by a bottleneck of people near the stairway. But these weren't tourists.

Dressed in blue bandanas, black vests, and sea-farer gear, the crowd was clearly Team Aqua operatives.

Alex and Ruby exchanged glances. This wasn't their first encounter. The familiar insignia, the wave-shaped "A".confirmed it.

Trying not to draw attention, they slowly edged toward the stairs. But just then, a familiar grating voice rang out.

"Oi, oi, oi! You two little demons again?! What are you doing here?"

They turned to see the sharp-nosed, monkey-faced Team Aqua grunt they'd previously encountered back on Route 110—the very same who had tried and failed to ambush them.

"You again?!" Ruby groaned.

"Look, look, I don't want trouble!" The grunt flailed his arms, panic on his face. "Here, take these TMs for Thief! Just don't chase me anymore, okay?! I surrender! Mercy!"

He shoved the discs at them and bolted down the hall like a startled Meowth.

"This poor Aqua grunt must've been traumatized by us," Alex muttered, half amused.

"What was that, Xiao Xingzi?" Ruby raised an eyebrow, catching his tone.

"Nothing, nothing at all." Alex turned his attention to the TM in his hand. Thief, a dark-type move capable of stealing held items from opposing Pokémon. For a trainer who battled wild Pokémon often, this was a godsend. Nuggets, Leftovers, or even rare evolutionary stones any held item was fair game.

Silently, the two crept upstairs, successfully avoiding further Aqua scrutiny. There, in the research room, they finally found Director Kusunoki distinguished by his lab coat, glasses, and a briefcase full of submarine schematics.

He gratefully accepted the parcel and gave his thanks. "Ah, you're the Devon delivery boys! Thank you, truly. This is crucial data for our deep-sea exploration sub. I'll be"

But before he could finish, a clatter echoed from below.

Team Aqua had begun to surge up the stairs.

"Director, stay back!" Ruby shouted.

Two Aqua grunts blocked their exit and stepped forward with malicious intent. The tension snapped in an instant.

"How dare they attack us in broad daylight?" Alex growled.

"Gengar! Time to show them why we're feared!"

"Sceptile, go! Let's cut through these fools!"

"Hehehe!" Gengar let out a low laugh, stepping forward with glowing red eyes, already phasing into battle mode.

Gengar appeared without a word and immediately launched an Energy Ball at the opposing Basculin, which struck with pinpoint accuracy. The attack was super effective, and Basculin fainted on the spot.knocked out cleanly in one hit.

"Huh, looks like Gengar's been paying attention to my strategies." Alex gave a small grin, the kind of look a proud trainer gets like a father watching his kid win their first gym match. "You're starting to handle battles on your own, buddy."

Meanwhile, on Ruby's side, Sceptile swiftly took out the level 26 Poochyena with a single well-timed Giga Drain, restoring some of its own stamina in the process.

Just then, the atmosphere changed. From below came the heavy thud of boots on metal stairs. A towering man in a pirate uniform, wearing a thick gold chain and radiating intimidation, appeared. This was none other than Archie, the leader of Team Aqua himself.

Alex immediately tensed up. In the Pokémon Adventures manga, Archie was no joke. Even though he wasn't quite on the same level as Giovanni in sheer power or strategy, his Mega Sharpedo was known to slice through a standard-armored Metagross. His strength was brutal and direct.

Luckily, this version of Archie wasn't attacking at least, not yet. Instead, he looked the two boys over and muttered cryptically:

"Ruby, Alex… which side are you on, really…?"

Archie clearly thought this line was dramatic like a final boss planting seeds of doubt. He stood there, arms crossed, backlit by the hallway lights as if expecting applause.

But his voice.gravelly, rough, and a bit too nasal.broke the illusion. In fact, it was more like the quack of a hoarse Psyduck than the growl of a villain.

Behind him, even his own grunts were covering their faces, trying to suppress laughter.

"Does the boss even realize how he sounds?"

"Nope. Zero self-awareness."

Alex and Ruby both tried hard to keep a straight face. As experienced trainers, they usually kept their composure—but this moment tested their limits.

Once the awkward standoff passed, and Archie seemed satisfied with his performance, Alex and Ruby escorted Director Kusunoki out of the museum. The scene behind them faded, and the boys made plans to resume their journey first thing the next morning.

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