Originally Posted by
Scribe of Gods
Ghalib relished the feeling of the saltwater spray lightly splashing against his face as the vessel pulled into port. Even though he had lived in Port Said his entire life, this was the first time he had left the marketplace and actually stepped on a boat. Earlier that day he had closed up shop and liquidated his inventory to earn passage on a merchant ship. Destination - Shipwreck Cove of the Syreni Islands.
He had given away his last egg, a wild-bred Sandshrew, to a beggar boy. "Now listen, child, and hear me well. Poverty is a mindset. You must always remember that. Everyone can be good at something, and if you're good at something, you can make money doing it. Begging is not your natural talent, that I can tell. Take this Sandshrew for instance. It is not the strongest creature of the desert - but its claws can still dig for shelter and nourishment. Its hide is not made from rock or ore, but it can bend and roll with ease to avoid slow moving predators. It does not have the sharpest eyes of the sand-dwellers - but if it did, it would be blinded by the bright sun! Instead, its snout leads it to the oases. Find your strengths, and be proud of them, my boy."
And now, staring out into the twinkling horizon of azure waves, Ghalib reflected on his own strengths. He may not be the most handsome of men, but his way with words has raised enough corners of lips of fair ladies. He may not be as successful as his brothers, but he found himself content in his cot at night. He may not be a great warrior, but he has never lost a fight. Of course, his practical knowledge of psychology allowed him to have never engaged in violent activity, but the winning streak was there nonetheless.
Above all else, though, Ghalib was a very talented Pokemon breeder. He could of made quite a bit of money breeding them for war; this is what brought his brothers riches. He could also have bred out their wild traits and crafted batches of domesticated beasts. But Ghalib thought Pokemon had the most potential as companions, even as friends. In a world where these creatures are known to commonly want to kill you, this was a very strange idea. Strange enough to entice the wealthy!
Ghalib sighed. Wealth. The amazing things one could do with it. In human society, it seemed like there was nothing more important. Ghalib considered himself lucky to find the quest for riches a pleasurable pastime instead of a struggle for survival. Perhaps this was why he found Pokemon to be so utterly fascinating. Pokemon had a society devoid of wealth or status, free of those distinctly human trappings that bound us to our own Pokeballs. He loved to observe them in their natural habitat, living only to survive another day in a chaotic world of predators and prey.
But Ghalib understood economics. He knew that without money providing the backbone of society, humans would become no different than the Pokemon they dominated. Wealth was what made you a human, and it could indeed buy happiness and sadness and any number of things if you had enough of it.
That was the very reason Ghalib found himself on this ship. Cold hard cash, and lots of it. It was waiting out there, just waiting to be scooped up by the handfuls of the brave and adventurous. The Syreni Islands, home to the sort of Pokemon that people would give their crown jewels for. Not because of their combat prowess or their ability to pull a plow, but because they were exciting! He would bring this excitement to the rich, and become a rich man himself.
Ghalib's stomach grumbled. "How long have I been pondering? All of that self-exploration sure made me hungry." He turned away from the bulwarks and headed down into the galley to see what was being prepared for tonight's meal.