Pokémon Breeder In One Piece!

Alliance Calendar Year 2, August 31st.

Today, Alliance City was bustling with people.

It was the start of the semester at the Pokémon Academy, and many parents used the opportunity to drop off their children while enjoying a short vacation in the city.

With the influx of people, incidents such as pickpocketing, harassment, and even robbery—though rare—still occurred, making it a particularly busy time for the city's security force.

On this day, Dak did not log into SAO.

It had been two months since the public launch of Sword Art Online (SAO), and players had gradually settled into their respective roles.

10% of players dedicated themselves to progressing through the game, working tirelessly to clear SAO.

35% wanted to return to the real world but were unwilling to risk their lives fighting monsters.

25% were indifferent—whether they returned or stayed in SAO didn't matter. Many in this group had unimpressive lives in the real world, making SAO an equally acceptable place to live.

25% actively did not want to leave. These players faced struggles in reality—financial problems, social isolation, or personal traumas—and saw SAO as an escape, even considering dying in the game a painless release.

The final 5% were those who vehemently opposed clearing SAO.

Among this 5%, there were two distinct groups:

People who enjoyed the lawlessness of SAO, reveling in the freedom it provided.

Yes—those dubbed as "Poké-maniacs."

These players refused to leave SAO because they could not bear to be separated from their Pokémon.

Fortunately, most Pokémon Trainers were kind-hearted people. Even if they resisted clearing SAO, they did not actively sabotage others.

Instead, they silently worried about what would happen to their Pokémon once SAO was cleared.

...

Floor 17.

Among all the floors, Floor 17 was the most beloved by casual and sightseeing players.

Despite its high-level wild Pokémon, the monsters were large but sluggish, making it easy for lower-level players to escape from them.

The terrain of the floor resembled a vast bowl-shaped valley, surrounded by towering mountains with a massive lake in the center.

The mountains were covered with fruit-bearing trees, yellow-named passive creatures, and a variety of fish swimming in the lake.

It was a floor seemingly designed by Kayaba Akihiko himself to serve as a paradise for players who wanted to live in SAO rather than escape it.

Many wealthy players had already purchased permanent homes here.

One of them was Old Man Fuku.

A man well into his twilight years, Fuku had originally entered the game simply to experience a young body once more, exploring the world as he pleased to alleviate his loneliness.

Even when the public test trapped players inside SAO, he remained unfazed.

Because in the real world, Fuku had no family left.

His wife had passed away long ago, and his two sons were so busy with work that they only visited once or twice a year at most.

Despite being incredibly wealthy—practically a local tycoon—his life was empty and monotonous.

Thus, when he got trapped in SAO, he felt a strange sense of relief.

He had been part of the 25% who didn't want to return, thinking it wouldn't be so bad to die painlessly in the game.

Until that day.

The day he went fishing on Floor 5 and met a certain Pokémon.

The Day Everything Changed

Fuku had never feared death.

To him, death was liberation.

With that mindset, he boldly ventured into the dangerous waters of Floor 5, a high-level area filled with red-named monsters.

He wasn't scared at all. What did a man with a death wish have to fear?

As soon as he cast his fishing rod, he got a bite within seconds.

He reeled in his catch and found himself staring at a small, fire-red duck-like creature with a green name hovering above it:

"Magby."

At the time, Fuku had no idea what Pokémon were.

He didn't know what to do with the little creature.

But he didn't have to decide—Magby decided for him.

As soon as Fuku picked it up, the soaking-wet Magby began wailing pitifully, clinging to him and refusing to let go.

From that moment on, Fuku changed.

For the first time in years, he felt like he had a family again.

He dropped his fishing rod, one that had cost him a fortune to custom-make, and ran straight back to a safe zone, terrified that he or Magby would be killed by wild Pokémon.

That night, Fuku and Magby formed a "Diamond Pact."

And from that night on, his life was no longer lonely.

Every day became meaningful.

And suddenly…

He valued his life.

...

Present Day – Floor 17, Lakeside

"Magby! Stay away from the water! A big fish might swallow you whole!"

It wasn't Fuku speaking but another elderly man, a fellow fisherman.

The two had met in SAO and bonded over fishing. Like Fuku, the old man adored Magby.

Fishing with a lively, adorable Pokémon beside them made them feel young again.

Especially when they reeled in a big catch, watching Magby bounce excitedly filled them with pride and joy.

"Magby~"

The little Pokémon wiggled its stubby tail in defiance.

"Hahaha, this rascal never learns."

Fuku chuckled, shaking his head.

He still remembered how Magby had almost drowned after playing too close to the water back then.

If he hadn't fished it out that day, the poor thing might have never survived.

Fuku wasn't a combat player, but he wasn't stupid either. He knew that Magby's fire-based abilities meant it wasn't suited for water.

"Fuku, did you hear? The frontliners have already reached Floor 24."

His fishing buddy brought up the news.

"…That fast, huh?"

Fuku's hands trembled slightly as he stared at his fishing line.

"Yeah. Two months in, and they've almost cleared a quarter of the game. Who would've thought? The hope of escaping SAO feels real now."

"…Yeah. Those young ones sure are incredible."

Fuku praised them, but deep down, he sighed.

The players on the frontlines were risking their lives to clear SAO, yet…

A selfish part of him wished they would slow down.

Because he didn't want SAO to be cleared.

He knew that once ARGUS and Kayaba Akihiko were held accountable for their crimes, SAO would never be relaunched.

If SAO was cleared, he would never see Magby again.

Unless—

Kayaba somehow survived.

Unless someone kept SAO running.

But… was that possible?

"Magby~"

Splash!

Magby clumsily splashed water, scaring off the nearby fish.

"You little rascal."

Fuku's fishing buddy playfully patted Magby's head.

Fuku clenched his fishing rod.

His eyes were distant, looking at something far beyond the lake.

"I need to find a way."

"Hm?"

His friend tilted his head, then suddenly went pale.

"You're not thinking of doing something crazy, are you?! If you try to stop the frontliners, you'll get hunted down—especially by that madman, Zack!"

"I'm not stupid. And I'm not evil."

Fuku rolled his eyes.

"I just want to see if I can preserve Magby's data before ARGUS gets shut down… or maybe… I can fund SAO's continuation."

"That's… going to cost you a fortune."

His friend sighed.

"It's worth it."

And Fuku wasn't alone.

More and more Trainers in SAO were thinking the same thing.

Some might even resort to drastic measures.

After all—

Not everyone had the wealth and power that Fuku did.

(End of Chapter)

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