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he knowes pokemon more than i know _Chapter_058_en
Chapter 58
Chapter 58: Farfetch'd Gurgle Gurgle
2024-05-15 Author: Samsung Charmander (Author Name)
Time rewinds to the moment the ship struck the reef.
*Rumble!!*
Another violent tremor. The entire hull lurched, tilting sharply, and the world spun. Everyone onboard slid a great distance across the deck.
*Rumble rumble!!*
Explosions could even be heard from all directions. It seemed as if the entire frame of the Cruise Ship was cracking apart.
“Did we really just get ganked by the heavens?”
Archer’s brow furrowed deeply. This chaotic and noisy environment was not conducive to a pleasant robbery.
Damn it, this was supposed to be a top-tier luxury Cruise Ship. Even the decor was worth a fortune.
How did it end up like it was made of paper? It hit a reef and now the whole thing was about to explode?
Seeing the panicked expressions all around, his eyes shifted, and he quickly formulated a plan.
Cut the losses! The key now was to cut their losses!
Taking advantage of the last moments of available power, he snatched a microphone and yelled:
“Listen up, everyone! This Cruise Ship is beyond saving. The only thing that can save you now are the special-issue rescue boats of our Team Rocket.”
“But space is limited. Each ticket costs 300 million!”
The moment he finished speaking, the crowd erupted into an uproar.
300 million. Forget ordinary Trainers, most of whom could never earn that much in a lifetime; even the wealthy tycoons here would have to exhaust nearly their entire fortunes.
At this moment, their location was at least a three-hour journey from the coast. Without a boat and without powerful Water Type Pokemon, going into the sea was undoubtedly suicide.
“Let’s just kill that green-haired effeminate guy! Then we can seize the boats!” a Trainer suddenly shouted.
“Makes sense! Defeat the evil forces and achieve our own liberation!”
“He’s got a point.”
“+1.”
The next second, the Trainers united in an uprising, pulling out their Poké Balls and releasing their prized Pokémon.
The likes of Raticate, Caterpie, Goldeen, and so on.
On the other side, the Team Rocket Grunts also threw out their own Poké Balls. Dozens of Koffing, Ekans, and Zubat appeared on the floor.
*Kaka…*
The two groups of Pokémon faced off. The sudden extra weight caused the already tilting S.S. Anne to lurch again, vibrating violently as its hull neared the point of shattering.
Archer, however, just sneered disdainfully and pointed a finger. “Houndoom!”
The Houndoom took a large step forward. A vicious glint in its eyes condensed into visible black energy. The intimidation from a single dog completely overwhelmed the combined auras of dozens of other Pokémon.
“D-Don’t be afraid! That big black dog is a Fire Type! According to Type Effectiveness, I’ve got this in the bag!” one of the Trainers declared, mustering his courage as he commanded:
“Squirtle, use Water Gun!”
A Squirtle leaped out, shooting a jet of blue water from its mouth. Yet Houndoom didn't even dodge, allowing the spray of water to hit its flank.
*Pffft-hiss…*
The Water Gun had barely touched Houndoom’s jet-black skin before it instantly evaporated into a puff of white smoke, and nothing happened.
When the level difference is extreme, type effectiveness is completely meaningless.
“Hnngh…?”
Houndoom’s cold, blood-red eyes turned toward the Squirtle. It opened its maw, lined with sharp teeth, as if it was about to swallow the turtle whole.
“Squirtle…!”
The Squirtle took several steps back, scratched its head, and then, with an embarrassed look, vanished into a red beam of light, scurrying back into its Trainer's Poké Ball.
*So this is a Fire-type, huh? Truly terrifying for a turtle…*
“Don’t… don’t be afraid! As long as there are enough of us, we can’t lose!” that same Trainer shouted, trying to stir things up again.
“Right! I have a Squirtle too! Use Water Gun!”
“Goldeen, use Water Gun!”
“Poliwag, use Bubble Beam.”
Several Water Type Pokemon launched their attacks at once. The streams of water spiraled together, merging into a massive blue column of water with immense power, strong enough to shatter gold and stone.
*Boom-pssh!*
Yet as the giant water column shot toward it, Houndoom’s eyes merely flashed. A strange, cyan energy membrane materialized in front of its body, effortlessly deflecting the fierce assault.
Protect.
Archer, however, had lost his patience. He barked a soft command:
“You weaklings… Houndoom, use Snarl!!”
Houndoom threw its head back and roared. A terrifying sound, thick with dreadful intent, poured from its mouth, like the gluttonous cry of a beast from hell.
*Swoosh!*
*Swoosh!*
Dozens of Pokémon were simultaneously forced back by the roar. A fear that struck them deep in their souls drove them to flee frantically back into their Poké Balls.
In an instant, every Trainer in the hall was stunned into silence by the roar, ceasing all movement.
Archer revealed a satisfied smile and gave an elegant, slight bow, saying:
“Now then, ladies and gentlemen, please board the boats in an orderly fashion.”
With Team Rocket’s grunt Pokémon surrounding them from the front and a ferocious-looking Houndoom at their back, all the passengers finally gave up the idea of resistance and could only line up obediently.
As for the Trainers who had no money to buy a ticket, they were forced into another corner.
If anyone dared to make a move, Houndoom would leap on them with a flurry of vicious bites.
In the end, they could only abandon the lifeboats and choose to jump ship from the other side, planning to find a few wooden planks and swim back to the continent on their own.
Team Rocket couldn't care less if they lived or died.
Soon, several lifeboats were filled to the brim.
Ash and his group, however, were treated as Team Rocket’s guests of honor, getting a free ride into a lifeboat. They were even seated in the exclusive luxury lifeboat reserved for Team Rocket’s elite.
The four of them: “???”
Watching the nearby Archer treat them as if they were his own people, the four were completely dumbfounded.
*Are we that close?*
But since it was a free ride, only a fool would turn it down.
The situation had already devolved from Team Rocket’s purely criminal robbery into a gray area of on-the-spot price gouging.
To put it bluntly, it was opportunistic extortion. But since the lifeboats belonged to Team Rocket, they got to decide who could board. By that logic, it almost seemed reasonable.
“Well, let’s just not worry about it then.”
Ash and his group decided to go with the flow. They simply found a place to sit down, started drinking ice-cold cola, and began chatting with Archer.
“Ash-kun, what do you think of our Team Rocket’s team-building?”
Though the waves raged outside, Archer was all smiles and laughter, composed as a great general.
Ash waved his hand dismissively, affecting the air of a master.
“It’s alright. It’s just that the quality of some of the bronze members is too poor. They go around calling people ‘stinky fish and rotten shrimp’ all day.”
“Ideological education is indeed a major problem…”
Archer nodded earnestly.
A smile played on his face. Getting on good terms with this master named Ash might prove very helpful for his future plans to overthrow Giovanni, perhaps?
The lifeboats were now ready, and the massive S.S. Anne was teetering on the verge of collapse, sinking steadily.
Elsewhere, many Trainers were already abandoning the ship to save their own lives, fleeing in panic.
To remain on the ship would be to get caught in the terrifying pull of the massive whirlpool created when the Cruise Ship fully submerged. That would truly be suicide.
Ash, who was lounging on a sun chair, suddenly slapped his forehead, asking in confusion:
“Hey, did we forget something…?”
On another sun chair, Blue took a big sip of red cola, tapped her lips with a finger, and asked with hazy eyes, “Hmm? Did we forget something? You, me, Teacher Brock, and Misty are all here.”
“True. Then it’s nothing.”
“Heehee~”
Hearing this, the two once again lay back on their sun chairs, relieved.
10 minutes later.
The lifeboats and the poor Trainers had all moved far away from the S.S. Anne.
By now, only the very tip of the Cruise Ship remained above the water; 90% of its volume was already submerged in the sea.
*Whoosh…!*
The sinking of the massive vessel was changing the gravitational pull in this sea area. A giant whirlpool began to form, spiraling and pulling everything nearby toward the seabed at its center.
Suddenly, on the tiny bit of space left on the sea surface, a Spiky-Haired Youth walked out.
He clutched his head with one hand and steadied himself against a nearby wall with the other, groggily getting up and stumbling to the top of the S.S. Anne.
His head was spinning, and a thick stench of alcohol emanated from his body.
In the hazy memory fragments, he seemed to recall drinking a yellow beverage from large glass mugs with Ash and Blue last night.
Then, he had lost consciousness.
*Were we drinking… orange juice? Weird, I clearly hate orange juice.*
*Splash!*
A huge wave crashed against Gary’s face. The bone-chillingly refreshing sensation and the sight of the monstrous waves before him finally jolted him fully awake.
Damn it!
Did I get transported to another world?!
He hastily looked around. There was nothing but the tiny foothold he was on, surrounded by a furiously spinning ocean whirlpool.
“What the Farfetch'd!?”
He was stunned.
He woke up and the ship had sunk?
Did Team Rocket blow up the ship just to rob it?
Damn it!
The sheer scale of the waves in front of him meant that sending out his Wartortle would be a useless sacrifice. He quickly slapped his head and cried out anxiously:
“Brother Green, Brother Green, SOS!”
But only silence answered from his soul for a long time, before a broken, intermittent response came back.
“Stupid… Red… can’t even hold his liquor… what kind of man… ha, hehe…”
It seemed Green wasn’t awake yet.
Gary: “???”
Another massive wave struck. He failed to dodge in time and was hit full in the face by the surf. The terrifying force even dragged him into the sprawling whirlpool.
The sea swept over everything, completely submerging Gary as the frigid seawater rushed madly into his mouth.
“Farfetch'd gurgle gurgle…”
The next second, the entire S.S. Anne, along with Gary, sank into the depths of the sea, leaving not another sound behind.
(end of chapter)
2024-05-15 Author: Samsung Charmander (Author Name)
Time rewinds to the moment the ship struck the reef.
*Rumble!!*
Another violent tremor. The entire hull lurched, tilting sharply, and the world spun. Everyone onboard slid a great distance across the deck.
*Rumble rumble!!*
Explosions could even be heard from all directions. It seemed as if the entire frame of the Cruise Ship was cracking apart.
“Did we really just get ganked by the heavens?”
Archer’s brow furrowed deeply. This chaotic and noisy environment was not conducive to a pleasant robbery.
Damn it, this was supposed to be a top-tier luxury Cruise Ship. Even the decor was worth a fortune.
How did it end up like it was made of paper? It hit a reef and now the whole thing was about to explode?
Seeing the panicked expressions all around, his eyes shifted, and he quickly formulated a plan.
Cut the losses! The key now was to cut their losses!
Taking advantage of the last moments of available power, he snatched a microphone and yelled:
“Listen up, everyone! This Cruise Ship is beyond saving. The only thing that can save you now are the special-issue rescue boats of our Team Rocket.”
“But space is limited. Each ticket costs 300 million!”
The moment he finished speaking, the crowd erupted into an uproar.
300 million. Forget ordinary Trainers, most of whom could never earn that much in a lifetime; even the wealthy tycoons here would have to exhaust nearly their entire fortunes.
At this moment, their location was at least a three-hour journey from the coast. Without a boat and without powerful Water Type Pokemon, going into the sea was undoubtedly suicide.
“Let’s just kill that green-haired effeminate guy! Then we can seize the boats!” a Trainer suddenly shouted.
“Makes sense! Defeat the evil forces and achieve our own liberation!”
“He’s got a point.”
“+1.”
The next second, the Trainers united in an uprising, pulling out their Poké Balls and releasing their prized Pokémon.
The likes of Raticate, Caterpie, Goldeen, and so on.
On the other side, the Team Rocket Grunts also threw out their own Poké Balls. Dozens of Koffing, Ekans, and Zubat appeared on the floor.
*Kaka…*
The two groups of Pokémon faced off. The sudden extra weight caused the already tilting S.S. Anne to lurch again, vibrating violently as its hull neared the point of shattering.
Archer, however, just sneered disdainfully and pointed a finger. “Houndoom!”
The Houndoom took a large step forward. A vicious glint in its eyes condensed into visible black energy. The intimidation from a single dog completely overwhelmed the combined auras of dozens of other Pokémon.
“D-Don’t be afraid! That big black dog is a Fire Type! According to Type Effectiveness, I’ve got this in the bag!” one of the Trainers declared, mustering his courage as he commanded:
“Squirtle, use Water Gun!”
A Squirtle leaped out, shooting a jet of blue water from its mouth. Yet Houndoom didn't even dodge, allowing the spray of water to hit its flank.
*Pffft-hiss…*
The Water Gun had barely touched Houndoom’s jet-black skin before it instantly evaporated into a puff of white smoke, and nothing happened.
When the level difference is extreme, type effectiveness is completely meaningless.
“Hnngh…?”
Houndoom’s cold, blood-red eyes turned toward the Squirtle. It opened its maw, lined with sharp teeth, as if it was about to swallow the turtle whole.
“Squirtle…!”
The Squirtle took several steps back, scratched its head, and then, with an embarrassed look, vanished into a red beam of light, scurrying back into its Trainer's Poké Ball.
*So this is a Fire-type, huh? Truly terrifying for a turtle…*
“Don’t… don’t be afraid! As long as there are enough of us, we can’t lose!” that same Trainer shouted, trying to stir things up again.
“Right! I have a Squirtle too! Use Water Gun!”
“Goldeen, use Water Gun!”
“Poliwag, use Bubble Beam.”
Several Water Type Pokemon launched their attacks at once. The streams of water spiraled together, merging into a massive blue column of water with immense power, strong enough to shatter gold and stone.
*Boom-pssh!*
Yet as the giant water column shot toward it, Houndoom’s eyes merely flashed. A strange, cyan energy membrane materialized in front of its body, effortlessly deflecting the fierce assault.
Protect.
Archer, however, had lost his patience. He barked a soft command:
“You weaklings… Houndoom, use Snarl!!”
Houndoom threw its head back and roared. A terrifying sound, thick with dreadful intent, poured from its mouth, like the gluttonous cry of a beast from hell.
*Swoosh!*
*Swoosh!*
Dozens of Pokémon were simultaneously forced back by the roar. A fear that struck them deep in their souls drove them to flee frantically back into their Poké Balls.
In an instant, every Trainer in the hall was stunned into silence by the roar, ceasing all movement.
Archer revealed a satisfied smile and gave an elegant, slight bow, saying:
“Now then, ladies and gentlemen, please board the boats in an orderly fashion.”
With Team Rocket’s grunt Pokémon surrounding them from the front and a ferocious-looking Houndoom at their back, all the passengers finally gave up the idea of resistance and could only line up obediently.
As for the Trainers who had no money to buy a ticket, they were forced into another corner.
If anyone dared to make a move, Houndoom would leap on them with a flurry of vicious bites.
In the end, they could only abandon the lifeboats and choose to jump ship from the other side, planning to find a few wooden planks and swim back to the continent on their own.
Team Rocket couldn't care less if they lived or died.
Soon, several lifeboats were filled to the brim.
Ash and his group, however, were treated as Team Rocket’s guests of honor, getting a free ride into a lifeboat. They were even seated in the exclusive luxury lifeboat reserved for Team Rocket’s elite.
The four of them: “???”
Watching the nearby Archer treat them as if they were his own people, the four were completely dumbfounded.
*Are we that close?*
But since it was a free ride, only a fool would turn it down.
The situation had already devolved from Team Rocket’s purely criminal robbery into a gray area of on-the-spot price gouging.
To put it bluntly, it was opportunistic extortion. But since the lifeboats belonged to Team Rocket, they got to decide who could board. By that logic, it almost seemed reasonable.
“Well, let’s just not worry about it then.”
Ash and his group decided to go with the flow. They simply found a place to sit down, started drinking ice-cold cola, and began chatting with Archer.
“Ash-kun, what do you think of our Team Rocket’s team-building?”
Though the waves raged outside, Archer was all smiles and laughter, composed as a great general.
Ash waved his hand dismissively, affecting the air of a master.
“It’s alright. It’s just that the quality of some of the bronze members is too poor. They go around calling people ‘stinky fish and rotten shrimp’ all day.”
“Ideological education is indeed a major problem…”
Archer nodded earnestly.
A smile played on his face. Getting on good terms with this master named Ash might prove very helpful for his future plans to overthrow Giovanni, perhaps?
The lifeboats were now ready, and the massive S.S. Anne was teetering on the verge of collapse, sinking steadily.
Elsewhere, many Trainers were already abandoning the ship to save their own lives, fleeing in panic.
To remain on the ship would be to get caught in the terrifying pull of the massive whirlpool created when the Cruise Ship fully submerged. That would truly be suicide.
Ash, who was lounging on a sun chair, suddenly slapped his forehead, asking in confusion:
“Hey, did we forget something…?”
On another sun chair, Blue took a big sip of red cola, tapped her lips with a finger, and asked with hazy eyes, “Hmm? Did we forget something? You, me, Teacher Brock, and Misty are all here.”
“True. Then it’s nothing.”
“Heehee~”
Hearing this, the two once again lay back on their sun chairs, relieved.
10 minutes later.
The lifeboats and the poor Trainers had all moved far away from the S.S. Anne.
By now, only the very tip of the Cruise Ship remained above the water; 90% of its volume was already submerged in the sea.
*Whoosh…!*
The sinking of the massive vessel was changing the gravitational pull in this sea area. A giant whirlpool began to form, spiraling and pulling everything nearby toward the seabed at its center.
Suddenly, on the tiny bit of space left on the sea surface, a Spiky-Haired Youth walked out.
He clutched his head with one hand and steadied himself against a nearby wall with the other, groggily getting up and stumbling to the top of the S.S. Anne.
His head was spinning, and a thick stench of alcohol emanated from his body.
In the hazy memory fragments, he seemed to recall drinking a yellow beverage from large glass mugs with Ash and Blue last night.
Then, he had lost consciousness.
*Were we drinking… orange juice? Weird, I clearly hate orange juice.*
*Splash!*
A huge wave crashed against Gary’s face. The bone-chillingly refreshing sensation and the sight of the monstrous waves before him finally jolted him fully awake.
Damn it!
Did I get transported to another world?!
He hastily looked around. There was nothing but the tiny foothold he was on, surrounded by a furiously spinning ocean whirlpool.
“What the Farfetch'd!?”
He was stunned.
He woke up and the ship had sunk?
Did Team Rocket blow up the ship just to rob it?
Damn it!
The sheer scale of the waves in front of him meant that sending out his Wartortle would be a useless sacrifice. He quickly slapped his head and cried out anxiously:
“Brother Green, Brother Green, SOS!”
But only silence answered from his soul for a long time, before a broken, intermittent response came back.
“Stupid… Red… can’t even hold his liquor… what kind of man… ha, hehe…”
It seemed Green wasn’t awake yet.
Gary: “???”
Another massive wave struck. He failed to dodge in time and was hit full in the face by the surf. The terrifying force even dragged him into the sprawling whirlpool.
The sea swept over everything, completely submerging Gary as the frigid seawater rushed madly into his mouth.
“Farfetch'd gurgle gurgle…”
The next second, the entire S.S. Anne, along with Gary, sank into the depths of the sea, leaving not another sound behind.
(end of chapter)
