Sea Route 16 in Kanto is the essential passage between Vermilion City and Porta Vista. In the early hours of this morning, a disaster occurred in these waters that sent shockwaves throughout the entire Kanto region.
The S.S. Anne, a luxury cruise liner world-renowned for its opulence, sank at 2:35 AM on Sea Route 16. The sinking resulted in the tragic deaths of 163 passengers, while another 32 were declared missing.
In the vast expanse of the open sea, if those 32 missing persons were not found within three days, the police knew their chances of survival were grim.
Police speedboats surrounded Sea Route 16. Along with the officers, reporters from various cities and the anxious relatives of the passengers flocked to the scene.
The scenes among the families were mixed with joy and sorrow. Those whose loved ones had been found safe wept with relief, while those who received confirmation of death were consumed by inconsolable grief.
On every police boat, officers in uniform stood at stiff attention, their heads bowed in a moment of silence for the victims of the S.S. Anne incident.
At the bow of the largest police boat, Officer Jenny stood with a look of profound sorrow, clutching a bouquet of fresh flowers. "One hundred and sixty-three outstanding citizens of the League have left this beautiful world forever," she whispered. "Among you were vibrant young Trainers full of dreams for the future, fathers, mothers, and elites from every walk of life. Yet, because of such a catastrophe..."
Choking back a sob, Officer Jenny threw the flowers into the sea. Her voice rose to a shout. "The police forces of Vermilion City, Cerulean City, and Celadon City hereby swear an oath! We will solve this case swiftly and bring every single culprit responsible for the sinking of the S.S. Anne to justice! We will not let even one escape!"
"Revenge! Revenge!"
The officers on the surrounding speedboats heard her oath and let out a furious roar.
Team Rocket's terrorist attack was a stinging slap in the face to the authorities. The high-ranking officials of the Pokémon League were enraged. They issued a "dead or alive" order to capture Tatsumi, the man responsible for Team Rocket's operation, in the shortest time possible.
Nearly fifty billionaires had been kidnapped by Team Rocket. The collective influence of the families behind these moguls was staggering; the phones of the League's top brass were practically exploding with calls from these powerful individuals.
...
"Boss, do you think that kid is buried at the bottom of the sea, or did he make it out?" Kurama asked, his curiosity regarding Hisoka's safety getting the better of him.
Baijie looked at the suspension order in his hand and sighed. "You know him better than I do. Why are you asking me?"
"That kid is as slippery as they come..." Kurama crossed his arms and rubbed his chin in thought. "Survivors who saw him said he packed his bags and cleared out early. But he didn't join them in the fight for the lifeboats. I think his chances of survival are pretty high."
"Sigh!" Baijie didn't bother looking at him. He propped his legs up on his desk and stared at the ceiling. This time, they had gone for the wool and come back shorn. Although they had eventually captured a small Team Rocket captain, it was insignificant compared to the catastrophic sinking of the S.S. Anne.
As the Chief Investigator for the Eastern League, and being on the ship at the time, Baijie naturally bore the brunt of the responsibility. Some League officials believed his unauthorized actions had forced Team Rocket's hand, leading them to blow up the ship in desperation. The families of the kidnapped billionaires were also venting their fury on him.
Someone always had to be the fall guy. If Baijie didn't have a grandmother who had been an Elite Four member for decades, he would be facing more than just a suspension order right now.
"Boss, this isn't even your fault!" Kurama said, defending him. "Who knew those Team Rocket bastards would be bold enough to blow up the S.S. Anne? That's a direct challenge to the League's bottom line. The League is definitely going to launch a full-scale crackdown on Team Rocket now."
"Who knows, who doesn't..." Baijie muttered. "I'm stuck with the blame either way. But maybe it's for the best. I can take a break for a while and I won't have to look at your annoying face!"
"Ugh!" Kurama's expression instantly soured as if he had swallowed a fly.
...
Meanwhile, in an unknown stretch of sea, Hisoka, Ash, and their companions were facing their greatest crisis yet.
Five Gyarados were swimming in circles around them, faster and faster, causing the seawater to spin violently.
"This is a group Dragon Rage from the Gyarados!"
Hisoka was well-informed. He had once seen a short video of Gyarados using a collective Dragon Rage while hacking into a research institute's main computer.
Generally speaking, Gyarados living in inland rivers are solitary because the limited food supply cannot support multiple large appetites. However, the ocean is vast and boundless with inexhaustible food sources, so oceanic Gyarados mostly live in small social groups.
A mysterious power caused the sea to boil, eventually forming a colossal marine waterspout!
Hisoka's expression was solemn. He shouted calmly, "Grab my hands! Everyone, link up in a circle!"
Maggie and the others struggled through the water and grabbed on, the five of them forming a ring. Lulu clung tightly to Hisoka's neck, hanging onto him for dear life.
The waterspout surged toward them. At the critical moment, Hisoka roared, "Lulu, now! Teleport!"
A brilliant blue light erupted from Lulu's eyes. Since evolving into Kirlia, her mental power had increased significantly. If it were just Hisoka, she could have done it easily, but moving five people was a massive burden on a Kirlia's mind.
The blue glow covered all five of them. With a sharp cry from Lulu, they vanished from the center of the vortex. A second later, they reappeared about fifty meters away from the waterspout.
"Damn, that's too close."
Hisoka finally lost his cool, but he knew Lulu had given it her all. Even if she had moved only him, she could only reach about two hundred meters. At the waterspout's current speed, it would catch up in an instant.
"I'm sorry, Hisoka... Lulu is useless," her weak voice echoed in his mind. Teleporting five people at once had drained her mental energy completely.
"It's okay. You did your best," Hisoka said softly. He then used a Poké Ball to recall the exhausted Lulu.
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