70 Chapter 70
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"Have you read the newspaper lately?"
"I haven't looked at that thing in a long time."
Kozaburo shook his head. He had completely given up on keeping up with the world's affairs, caring only that nothing interfered with his fishing.
"Alright, Darkrai, come out for a moment."
Dak called upon Darkrai directly.
However, Darkrai did not appear immediately.
"There's a fish, there's a fish, wahahaha, this is the first fish I've caught in 78 days, it's going to be a big one!"
Kozaburo, unconcerned with what Dak just said, began to reel in his line eagerly.
Swoosh.
A dark figure was pulled up.
Dak watched as Darkrai appeared, waving at him, and he nearly lost his composure.
"..." x2
The manner of Darkrai's appearance left both onlookers in stunned silence.
Kozaburo flicked the rod, sending Darkrai back into the lake, then turned to Dak:
"What were you saying?"
"I was saying, take a look at this."
Dak, acting as if nothing out of the ordinary had just occurred, pulled out a Pokémon Pokédex and flipped to a certain page.
[Honedge]
"What's this?"
Kozaburo's eyes were immediately drawn to the colorful illustration. He had never seen such a peculiar sword, complete with eyes.
"This is a Pokémon, a magical creature with great potential that has become well-known across the seas. Many people long to have a Pokémon of their own."
Dak flipped through a few more pages, showing Koushirou the diversity of Pokémon beyond just Honedge.
"So, what are you suggesting?"
Kozaburo furrowed his brows, thinking back to Dak's mention of a unique sword.
"Right now, in your son's dojo, there's a unique Pokémon."
Dak turned the Pokédex to the page on Pawniard and showed it to Kozaburo.
"Hmm, these are part of their body?"
"Yes, which is why I mentioned that your traditional forging methods won't work."
"Interesting."
Kozaburo's eyes sparkled with intrigue. Pawniard indeed caught his interest.
"I have many, many dreams. This child's desire to grow stronger is his dream, and therefore, it's my dream as well. I've entrusted him to the Isshin Dojo. What I value is not your son's teaching level, but your forging skills."
Dak could be straightforward with Kozaburo in a way he couldn't with Koushirou, "I want to use your skills to help him become the strongest sword in the world."
Ensuring there's no misunderstanding about his intentions.
"You have that much confidence in me?"
"Yes."
'Well, I have no one else to turn to.'
Dak nodded, his face showing complete trust in Kozaburo, whose forging skills were indeed among the best in the world.
Hearing Dak's decisive words, Kozaburo couldn't help but feel a bit proud and happy.
"If it's your dream, why not try to achieve it yourself? Can dreams really be entrusted to others?"
"Because I lack the ability, my assistance would be limited, and besides..."
Dak paused, then recalled a saying,
"Is there anything wrong with a man entrusting his dream to another man?"
This quote came from the owner of a weapon shop in Loguetown, East Blue, who had entrusted Zoro with the Great Grade sword Yubashiri.
"Alright!"
Kozaburo didn't expect such a compelling statement from Dak and leaped up excitedly, standing before him.
Dak was nearly taken aback.
"Leave your sword to me!"
"Oh! Thank you!"
...
When Dak returned to the Mystery Hatchery House, the baby Pokémon were already asleep on the lawn.
Dak tiptoed back to his bedroom, feeling a bit weary as he sat at his desk.
"The mission's already completed? When did that happen?"
Dak was surprised to see the main quest had been completed, as he hadn't heard the notification.
But it was late, and he decided to leave the Pokémon Pokédex Fabricator for tomorrow, focusing on the new quest instead.
[Main Quest: Breeding Lesson 7 - Battle]
[Objective: Breeders are also responsible for strengthening their Pokémon, not just in health and vigor but also in combat skill. Please have two of your Pokémon (not older than three months) battle, with at least 100 spectators. 80% of the audience must find the battle genuinely thrilling, recognizing the charm of Pokémon battles!]
[Reward: First Generation Pokémon Ball Manufacturing Machine]
The quest was straightforward, unlike the previous abstract task.
However, Dak was somewhat disappointed with the reward.
He had never planned to introduce Pokémon Balls into this world.
Although Pokémon Balls could be highly convenient and effective, the idea of forcibly confining Pokémon was distasteful. Not every Pokémon was as willing as Misty's Psyduck to enter and exit a Poké Ball freely.
Moreover, Poké Balls could limit and tame wild Pokémon upon capture, a function Dak did not want.
Pokémon should choose their trainers. Unwillingness should not be overridden by a mere ball.
Still, Dak searched the Mystery Market:
[First Generation Pokémon Ball: Allows carrying Pokémon conveniently without any special effects. Pokémon can enter and exit freely according to their will.]
"That's interesting."
This version seemed to be made from special wood or fruit, appearing rather primitive but effectively capturing the essence of what Dak found acceptable.
If this type of Poké Ball could be mass-produced, the Navy would surely buy them in bulk for surprise and raid battles.
The reward was modest, merely adding a slight benefit from Dak's perspective, as he didn't intend to use Pokémon Balls himself.
After closing the quest panel, Dak decided not to dwell on it further and went to sleep.
Everything could wait until tomorrow.
Otherwise, he'd end up too restless to sleep.
The next day,
Dak's first update was from Franky, who reported as expected, Tom was too busy with the Sea Train to construct a building for them. He was dedicated to its completion.
But there was good news.
According to Bon Clay, Tom hesitated significantly upon learning it was for a Pokémon store, taking an entire afternoon to decide before ultimately refusing Bon Clay's request.
Dak quickly understood Tom's reasoning.
Tom must have witnessed Sceptile's power and knew it could help minimize the damage from Aqua Laguna, potentially saving a significant loss.
Moreover, the presence of a Pokémon store would undoubtedly increase traffic to the island, benefiting local businesses.
But Tom realized this was a temporary solution; the Sea Train was the key.
Hence, Tom's refusal.
"Alright, his hesitation suggests there's room for negotiation."
Dak nodded, satisfied with the outcome.
"What was Iceburg's reaction?"
"He's quite interested in Pokémon, as is the blue-haired Franky. If not for Tom's refusal, they'd likely be eager to help with the store's construction to observe Pokémon up close."
"Hm."
Dak acknowledged.
Franky's curiosity was unsurprising; his fascination with Sceptile was predictable.
"What's the plan now?"
Bon Clay inquired about Dak's next steps.
"I'll visit them this afternoon to discuss things."
Dak decided to handle it himself, instructing Bon Clay, "Contact some reliable builders to construct a store on the northern vacant lot. It doesn't need to be big; we're not planning to put much inside."
With Dak planning to talk to Iceburg that afternoon, establishing that connection would make it irrelevant whether Tom was involved in the construction.
"Should we pay extra to expedite the construction?"
"Yes, have it done within a week. By then, the Navy and the Whitebeard Pirates will likely start buying Pokémon in large quantities."
Dak agreed, seeing the value in the necessary initial investment.
Then, he moved on to activate the Pokémon Pokédex Fabricator.
The machine wasn't large, so it didn't require much space. Otherwise, the fabrication room would indeed feel cramped.
"If only there were a quest reward for expanding store space."
Without dwelling further, Dak focused on the machine, intending to create a Pokémon Pokédex to test its functionality.
[Please insert materials: .#%*&^@]
Dak followed the material list, purchasing each from the Mystery Market and noting the cost.
"Not cheap."
After gathering all required materials and loading them into the machine, Dak let out a deep breath.
The materials were scarce but mostly consisted of unheard-of rare materials. No wonder Pokémon Pokédexs hadn't been mass-produced in the Pokémon world.
Material cost: 600 Magical Coins, equivalent to 6 million Belly.
(End of Chapter)
