As the S.S. Anne groaned its final death throes, Red sensed the water level rising faster. Somewhere, a new breach had opened, and the sea was pouring in. The cause, predictably, was Team Rocket. Having woken up in the chaos, Jessie, in a moment of "clean and efficient" problem-solving, had commanded her Arbok to use Acid on the deck, punching a hole that had immediately flooded their compartment and nearly drowned them.
"We have to get to the bottom of the ship!" Misty shouted over the roar of rushing water. "The deck is completely submerged. The hull is our only way out!" As a child, she had built a model of the S.S. Anne and knew its layout by heart.
As they searched for a path, Misty sent out her Goldeen. It dove into the churning water and, a moment later, resurfaced, dragging the three waterlogged members of Team Rocket with it. They looked less like villains and more like terrifying ghosts from the deep.
The moment they sobered up, they started arguing with Ash. "If you want to die, I don't mind letting you taste the seawater again!" Red said, his voice dangerously cold. The threat was enough to force a temporary, grudging alliance. Pikachu, tasked with sealing the deal with a handshake, couldn't resist sending a mischievous jolt of electricity through Meowth's paw.
"There's a staircase up there!" Red pointed. "Brock, your Onix. It can act as a ladder." Red's own was far too massive to navigate the cramped, inverted corridors.
Brock sent out his Onix, which nimbly braced itself against the walls, allowing everyone to climb to the next level. They soon reached the engine room, but the path was blocked by a chasm of burning wreckage.
"I've got this! Ivysaur, go!" Leaf took charge, sending out her partner. It's tough, and numerous vines shot across the gap, forming a sturdy bridge that allowed them to cross safely to the other side.
Finally, they reached the hull—the very bottom of the ship, now their ceiling. The group prepared their Water-type Pokémon for the escape. Red and Leaf would ride the Blood Red Gyarados, Ash sent out his Squirtle, and Misty lent her Staryu to Brock. Ropes were tied, and everyone held on tight.
"Gyarados, Crunch!" Red commanded. The leviathan bit down on the thick iron plate above them, tearing a huge gap in the hull. Seawater poured in.
"Team Rocket, let's go!" Ash called out as they made their exit, wondering why they hadn't sent out their own Pokémon.
"How are we supposed to follow?!" Jessie cried. "We don't have any Water-types!"
As Jessie and Meowth despaired, a strange, triumphant laugh echoed from James. "Heheheh~ You two mocked me, but I anticipated this very moment!" he said proudly, pulling out a golden Poké Ball.
"That's... Magikarp!" Jessie and Meowth knelt before him, their eyes full of sincere, desperate hope.
"The Magikarp of Magikarp, the King of Magikarp!" James chanted, completely oblivious.
"As expected of James!"
"Lord James! From now on, we'll listen to whatever you say!"
They tied themselves to the useless fish and waited for their grand escape. The Magikarp just used Splash.
After a few seconds of stunned silence, the full weight of Magikarp's reputation as "the weakest and most pitiful Pokémon" crashed down upon them. Hope shattered into despair, and the trio, along with their thirty-thousand-poké-dollar investment, were submerged as the S.S. Anne finally sank to the bottom of the sea.
In the deep, silent world beneath the waves, Red and Leaf were temporarily separated from the others. A barrier of psychic energy kept the crushing pressure at bay, allowing them to breathe freely. The Blood-Red Gyarados's powerful aura scared off most marine Pokémon, carving a safe path through the dark water.
But then, a new threat appeared. A gang of five ordinary Gyarados, their eyes hostile. Wild Pokémon were often aggressive toward shiny variants, and their innate disdain for human-raised Pokémon only fueled their fury. They saw Red and his partner as intruders to be eliminated.
"A bunch of arrogant fools," Red said coldly. "Gyarados, use Hyper Beam."
Golden energy gathered in his partner's mouth. The wild Gyarados quickly tried to defend themselves, but it was too late. A single, focused beam of destructive energy shot out, defeating three of them in an instant. The remaining two turned to flee, their courage broken.
Having won, Gyarados's muscles swelled, its Moxie ability activating three times and tripling its attack power. It locked onto the two fleeing Pokémon, showing no mercy. Leaf watched, not with fear, but with a strange sense of satisfaction. If Red's partner hadn't been strong enough, she would have been the one in danger.
(Red, Red... when will I ever truly understand you?) she thought, her gaze filled with a familiar longing.
"Aqua Tail," Red commanded. The enraged leviathan slammed its massive tail into the two remaining Gyarados, knocking them out with a single, brutal strike.
"Roar!" Its muscles swelled again, its attack power now boosted fivefold. It looked around, disappointed to find no more opponents, and turned to its trainer, expecting praise. But Red was gone.
(Oops! Where's the human girl?!) Gyarados realized Leaf was no longer on its back. It spotted Red already at the seabed, having used his Aura to find her instantly. The violent aftershocks of the battle had knocked her off.
(My body is so heavy... Am I going to... I haven't even... with Red...) Choking on seawater, Leaf's vision blurred. She saw a figure rushing toward her. Just as she was about to lose consciousness, warm air was gently injected into her mouth. She greedily inhaled, not caring where it came from.
Regaining her senses, she opened her eyes. Red was performing artificial respiration. A blush crept up her neck, but she knew they had to escape. And then, a bold impulse took over. She secretly stuck out her tongue, connecting with his.
Red, busy saving her, didn't notice at first. He just thought she wasn't getting enough air and continued his efforts. Then he felt a light bite on his tongue. He realized she was awake. He quickly ordered Gyarados to ascend, and they shot toward the surface in one breath.
They broke through the waves, gasping the hard-won air. They were alone.
"Oh no! Are Ash and the others in danger?" Leaf worried.
"Don't worry," Red said, his voice steady. "With Ash's luck, he'll be fine. Our most important task now is to find an island."
***
(End of Chapter)
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