Seeing the situation turn against him, Mondo reached for a second Poké Ball at his waist, but Hisoka wasn't about to give him another chance. In the wild, countless trainers and bounty hunters lost their lives simply because they couldn't bring out their Pokémon in time. In a life-or-death struggle where Hisoka already held the upper hand, he was never going to leave his opponent an opening.
The moment Mondo pulled the Poké Ball out, it was seized by Lulu's Confusion. His arm went limp, unable to resist the mental grip, and the ball slipped from his fingers. Instead of hitting the floor, it floated through the air, guided by the psychic power straight into Hisoka's hand.
Hisoka tossed the Poké Ball up and down, a smirk playing on his lips. "What do you have to say for yourself now?"
Mondo remained defiant. He showed no sign of begging for mercy, his voice remaining cold. "Kid, I admit I underestimated you. The winner takes all, and I have nothing to say about that. But let me warn yousince you've decided to cross Team Rocket, be prepared for the retaliation that follows."
"What's your rank in Team Rocket?" Hisoka ignored the threat entirely, asking a question that left Mondo baffled.
Mondo let out a cold laugh. "Hmph, there's no point in hiding it. I'm a Captain!"
"A Captain is worth a hundred thousand, plus the ten regular members from before... that makes two hundred thousand total. Damn, I feel like I'm getting a bad deal here!"
Hearing Hisoka's muttering, Mondo nearly choked on his own breath. He looked at the boy in disbelief. "You did all this... for two hundred thousand? You crossed Team Rocket for a bounty?"
"Of course... not!" Hisoka laughed. "I am a proud citizen of the League, after all. Isn't it only natural for me to help a League Investigator crack down on criminal activity?"
Natural? Mondo was speechless. This kid had clearly lost his mind.
Rumble...
Accompanied by a deafening roar, the entire S.S. Anne shook violently. Lulu stumbled, nearly falling over, but Hisoka reached out just in time to steady her.
However, the distraction caused Lulu to lose her focus. The grip of her Confusion snapped, and Mondo broke free. He cast a venomous look at the culprit who had ruined his mission. With no time for further threats, he hurriedly used his Poké Ball to recall his unconscious Machamp, spun around, and sprinted toward the stairs at the corner.
Hisoka didn't bother to stop him. He stood up and looked toward the source of the explosion. Thick black smoke billowed from the rear engine section of the S.S. Anne. Flames were flickering amidst the smog; it seemed likely that the ship's turbine engines had blown.
"This is bad! The ship is taking on water!"
Terrified screams echoed from that direction as the remaining tourists rushed out of their rooms. Seeing the sparking flames and the black smoke engulfing the stern, their faces filled with despair.
Hisoka grabbed a passing tourist and asked loudly, "What happened over there?"
The man gasped for breath, his eyes wide with shock. He swallowed hard before stammering, "Someone... someone was fighting the terrorists with a Magmar. His Magmar fired a Fire Blast and hit a warehouse. It must have been full of fuel or something, because everything just went up at once!"
Something big has happened. Hisoka's expression darkened. His greatest fear had come to pass. When Team Rocket attacked the S.S. Anne to steal Pokémon, it was inevitable that trainers would fight back.
But they were in the middle of the vast ocean. Once the ship sustained heavy damage during a Pokémon battleor worse, began to sinkno one knew how many of the thousand-plus passengers and crew would survive.
Hisoka wasn't a saint. He couldn't worry about everyone, and he certainly couldn't save them all. He had to ensure the safety of himself, Lulu, and Weavile. He needed to get back to his room and pack his things immediately.
The violent explosion also startled the two sides facing off on the top deck. The two Arbok were covered in wounds, and the two Fearow in the sky were similarly disheveled. One of the Fearow's heads was turning a sickly shade of purple, clearly suffering from the Arbok's Toxic.
Chief Investigator Baijie's strongest asset, his Shiny Gengar, was being bogged down by Tatsumi's numerous lackeys. Furthermore, against the Normal-type Fearow, Gengar's Ghost-type moves were largely ineffective.
"Chief Investigator of the Kanto League's Eastern Division, Baijie... I'll remember that name." Tatsumi's face was grim. He had actually been pinned down on this top deck by this refined-looking man who resembled a fox.
The standoff had lasted too long. League reinforcements were likely already on their way.
Baijie himself wasn't feeling particularly great either. He had clearly underestimated his opponent. It made sensehow could a criminal who had been on the Kanto League's wanted list for so many years be easy to deal with?
The coordinated attacks of the two Fearow were nearly perfect. Under Tatsumi's direct command, they displayed a level of power far more terrifying than when fighting individually.
"Boss Tatsumi, we have to go! Our mole in the Vermilion City police just sent word. The League has ordered the police forces of Cerulean City, Celadon City, and Vermilion City to provide joint support to the S.S. Anne. If we don't leave now, we'll be surrounded."
The urgent voice of a subordinate crackled through Tatsumi's earpiece.
"Damn it!" Tatsumi slammed his fist into his palm. He barked into the mic, "What was our take for this mission?"
"We lost contact with three squads, but all the wealthy hostages have been loaded onto the speedboats. We can leave at any time."
"Phew!" Tatsumi took a deep breath. He couldn't delay any longer. Kidnapping so many billionaires was effectively half the mission accomplished. He wouldn't face too much reprimand upon his return, though he could forget about any major commendations.
"Listen to my command! All units, retreat!" Tatsumi decided instantly.
"Yes, sir!"
As Tatsumi gave the order, the Team Rocket members who had been in the standoff immediately pulled back to his side. Each of them produced a black, spherical Smoke Ball and slammed it onto the ground. Bang! Bang! Thick white smoke instantly shrouded the entire deck.
By the time the smoke cleared, the figures of Team Rocket had vanished without a trace, leaving behind only a deck layer that had been utterly devastated by the fierce battle.
Baijie watched Tatsumi's side retreat successfully but made no move to stop them. He was alone, and the sailors were effectively useless; compared to the battle-hardened elites of Team Rocket, they were brittle.
Tatsumi alone was enough to stall him. If he wanted to stop them from leaving, he would have to stake his life on it, and the enemy would surely fight like cornered rats.
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