Chapter 150: Sabotage

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A crackling sound of electric sparks filled the air.

A sudden jolt of electricity struck Golbat's hastily-formed energy shield. Though the shield absorbed most of the electric attack, a small portion of the current managed to bypass it, shocking Sato.

For a moment, Sato's nerves were overwhelmed by searing pain, almost causing him to black out.

Seeing Sato injured, Bellossom became enraged. A dazzling green light burst from her body, and an array of vibrant green energy leaves materialized around her.

Under Bellossom's command, the leaves whipped into a green energy storm and shot toward the source of the electricity. Bellossom's Leaf Storm, unleashed at full strength, was terrifyingly powerful, destroying everything in its path.

The mysterious trainer lurking in the shadows, who had ambushed Sato, panicked and had his Pokémon execute a powerful counterattack.

A hurriedly-fired Zap Cannon met the incoming Leaf Storm, and the two attacks clashed head-on.

The next instant—

"Boom!" A tremendous explosion erupted.

A heavily damaged Magneton collapsed to the ground, unable to continue fighting. However, the mysterious trainer quickly recalled Magneton into its PokeBall as it fell, managing to escape.

Meanwhile, a Pidgeotto successfully snatched the Great Ball in its claws and flew off into the night, vanishing from sight.

"Don't bother chasing, Golbat. Bellossom, please help me with Grassy Terrain to heal my injuries."

Watching the figure in black disappear into the forest and Pidgeotto vanish with the Great Ball, Sato, half-crouched on the ground and pale-faced, spoke to Golbat and Bellossom.

Hearing Sato's request, Golbat obediently returned to his side, and Bellossom quickly began using Grassy Terrain to heal him.

In no time, thanks to Bellossom's Grassy Terrain, Sato's injuries healed quickly. He stood up and walked over to the spot where the enemy had been.

"Hmph, just wait. What's mine will be returned—and with double the interest."

Noticing fresh bloodstains and a torn black fabric scrap left on the deck, Sato released Growlithe and instructed it to memorize the smell on the scrap. Once Growlithe nodded, signaling it had memorized the scent, Sato thought to himself.

The opponent likely hadn't expected it—Sato's current face was a disguise, so they hadn't seen his true identity.

Moreover, they had no idea that he had a Growlithe, which could recognize and track thousands of scents without fail once memorized.

If the enemy remained on the St. Louis, Sato could rely on Growlithe to locate them.

But before all that, Sato first had to overcome the immediate crisis. The sudden appearance of a Gyarados earlier confirmed the tall sailor's warning: the St. Louis was at risk of a Gyarados swarm attack.

The captain and his Tentacruel had not yet returned, which likely meant they were still locked in battle with that high-level Gyarados—and potentially struggling due to the arrival of enemy reinforcements.

Until the danger had passed, Sato knew he had to stay on the deck and assist the ship's guards, who were vigilantly monitoring the waters around the St. Louis.

Although guarding the St. Louis was primarily the ship's crew's responsibility, having witnessed Gyarados's sheer ferocity and the crew's capabilities, Sato felt uneasy.

After all, they were on the same ship. Helping these guards protect the St. Louis was, in effect, protecting himself. Sato had no desire to sail across the ocean on a vessel that could sink at any moment.

The St. Louis managers were quick to act. Upon learning that the ship might be under attack from a swarm of Gyarados, they immediately broadcasted the alert and asked the trainers on board to assist.

Upon hearing that the St. Louis might be attacked by a Gyarados swarm, a few confident trainers stepped forward and went to the deck to help the ship's guards fend off the threat.

However, the number of Gyarados that actually appeared wasn't large; counting the initial Gyarados and the one defeated by Sato, there were only nine in total. As the tall sailor had mentioned, the St. Louis had strong defensive power.

Aside from the sailor captain who could battle a Level 45 Gyarados on the open sea alone, the ship also had two deputy captains with comparable strength.

Each of them commanded a Water-type Pokémon at Level 39, with one of them even possessing a Gyarados.

Thanks to the combined efforts of these powerful trainers and the ship's guards, the remaining Gyarados were swiftly defeated, with several of them being caught by trainers and crew members alike.

In the end, once the sailor captain successfully returned after driving away the initial Gyarados, the St. Louis had safely weathered the unexpected Gyarados swarm attack.

Learning that the ferocious Gyarados had all been defeated by the trainers and ship's guards, the other passengers finally felt relieved. Many of them enthusiastically praised the brave fighters who dared to stand against the Gyarados.

Thanks to this, even though it was already late at night, a small celebration was held on board the St. Louis.

Inside the captain's cabin:

With a creak, a tall sailor in a captain's uniform stepped out and gently closed the door behind him.

"How did it go? Are all the goods intact?"

Hearing the door open, the older man inside, watching the distant sea through the cabin window, asked without looking away.

"Captain, someone did manage to breach the cargo hold, but nothing was stolen. Also, one of the men found this under the hull."

Responding to the elder captain's question, the sailor respectfully produced a small, palm-sized device from his pocket.

The device was heavily damaged, with a large hole in its center, as if something inside had exploded and destroyed it.

"Heh, nothing's missing, then. That's a sound emitter, right? Could this be what lured the Gyarados here?"

The elder captain gave a dry chuckle, took the device, and immediately recognized it, his expression turning grim.

"We're not entirely sure. The man who found it said it self-destructed the moment he did, and it's too badly damaged. The ship's tech team lacks the resources to repair it, so it'll have to be sent to the nearest base."

The sailor lowered his head even further, speaking tensely.

"Then make it quick. Get this wreck sent to the closest base for repairs. And find the fucking rat who did this. You know the importance of this shipment. If anything goes wrong, we're both done for."

After a brief pause, the elder captain tossed the broken device back to the sailor and turned, his expression severe.

"Yes, sir. I'll handle it immediately." The sailor let out a small sigh of relief, accepted the broken device, and hurriedly bowed as he exited the captain's cabin.

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