"Run! Go on—keep running! Why'd you stop now?!"
Cole kicked the tightly bound figure sprawled across the deck, sneering as he spoke. "Ariados, wrap him up tighter. This guy's built like a tank—I don't want him slipping loose and making a break for it."
A massive spider Pokémon—well over a meter tall—slowly crawled down the wall. Its fangs gleamed as it hissed, firing strands of white silk in rapid succession, binding the man several more times until he was completely immobilized.
Ariados, a large spider-type Pokémon native to the Johto region, was a favorite among Johto police forces. Once its webs were spun, criminals rarely escaped.
Humiliated and furious, the bound man roared, "If you've got the guts, just kill me!"
The one shouting was Mondo, who had only just managed to escape from Kael earlier. His main Pokémon, Machamp, had been crippled, and during his flight he'd been ambushed by Ariados—allowing Cole to pick him up without much effort.
"I'm not killing you," Cole shot back smugly. "You're going to rot in prison until the floor wears out beneath your feet."
Cole loved verbal sparring, and his sharp tongue quickly flushed Mondo's face red with rage.
Boom!
Another explosion echoed from somewhere aboard the S.S. Anne.
The entire ship suddenly lurched—tilting sharply to starboard.
"Are you kidding me?!" Cole cursed loudly. He glanced at Mondo, who had rolled into a corner. "Ariados—pin him to the wall. Don't let him fall into the sea."
...
"Captain Hardwin… can the S.S. Anne still hold?" Renard asked calmly.
The violent tilt had thrown the bridge into chaos—equipment scattered, alarms flashing.
Captain Hardwin straightened his crooked cap and stared at the monitor, now filled with red warning alerts. His expression was grim.
"If it were just the turbine explosion earlier, we could've waited for rescue," he said heavily. "But those Rocket bastards sabotaged the outer hull when they withdrew. Seawater's flooding in fast. We need to evacuate the passengers immediately—lifeboats only. If we wait until she goes under, no one's getting out alive."
"…Then there's no other choice," Renard sighed.
Once a ship this large sank, over eight hundred remaining passengers would have no chance.
In the face of disaster, individual strength meant nothing.
...
The ship's severe list made it clear—the S.S. Anne was dying.
With death looming, the darkest instincts surfaced. Chaos erupted—worse than during Team Rocket's attack.
There were only twenty large lifeboats. Even overloaded, each could carry no more than twenty people.
That meant only four hundred could escape.
The rest would be left behind.
Shoving, shouting, and fighting broke out everywhere.
Kael didn't bother competing for lifeboats. In a situation this chaotic, even getting one wouldn't guarantee survival.
When a vessel of this size sank, it would create a massive whirlpool—anything nearby would be dragged under with it.
After packing quickly, Kael sprinted from his cabin. He secured the Poké Balls containing Lulu, Weavile, and Feebas to his tactical belt with locking clasps—losing them now would be fatal.
"Mr. Kael!"
A surprised female voice made him stop.
He turned—and smiled faintly. "You guys."
It was Miki, with Ash, Misty, and Brock beside her.
Before they could speak, Kael cut in sharply. "No time to explain. If you want to live, follow me."
He took off toward the lowest point on the ship's starboard side—the section already sinking.
Miki followed without hesitation.
"What do we do?" Ash scratched the back of his head, confused.
Brock paused briefly, then made a decision. "We go with him. Fighting hundreds of people for lifeboats isn't realistic—and if the ship fully sinks, we're done."
Misty nodded firmly. "He's right."
They took off after Kael.
...
Kael pulled five compact diving masks from his military fold-pack.
The translucent blue masks filtered oxygen directly from seawater, allowing underwater breathing without bulky tanks. The downside: the filtration only lasted thirty minutes before breaking down.
He handed them out and asked, "Anyone here have Water-type Pokémon? If you do, release them now."
Miki and Brock shook their heads.
"I've got Squirtle!" Ash released it immediately.
Misty tossed three Poké Balls into the air. "Goldeen, Staryu, Starmie—come out!"
"Perfect. One each."
Kael released Feebas as well. She was weak and unskilled—but she could swim, and that was enough.
Masks on.
Ash held Squirtle.
Miki clutched Staryu.
Brock held Goldeen.
Misty wrapped her arms around Starmie.
Together, the five leapt from the deck into the sea below.
The drop was barely five meters—no risk of injury.
As a faint pulling force tugged at them from behind, Kael shouted through the water:
"The S.S. Anne is sinking! We need to get clear of the hull now, or we'll be dragged down with her!"
Everyone nodded, kicking furiously.
The Water-type Pokémon sensed the urgency and swam with all their strength—pulling them away from the dying ship.