174. Escape From Birth

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Jessie and Meowth had tears in their eyes as they stared at the Poké Ball before them. "This is Magikarp's Poké Ball!"

Earlier, James had been tricked into advancing their salary to buy Magikarp. They had always thought James had been duped by a fool, but now it seemed this Magikarp might actually save their lives.

"It's Magikarp! The king of carp, Lord Magikarp! James, let Magikarp lead us out!"

The two of them gazed at the Poké Ball in awe. James said nothing—escape was their priority. Without hesitation, he threw the Poké Ball, and a rope wrapped around both him and the carp Pokémon.

*Splash! Splash! Splash!*

Magikarp leapt into the water, but remained completely still.

After a long, tense pause...

*Clap, clap!*

Magikarp still didn't move, and the rising sea water was making things more desperate. The three of them exchanged anxious glances.

"This guy... can he do anything besides splash around?" Jessie asked, breaking the silence.

"Why? The twerp's Magikarp was so useful!" James exclaimed, confused. Ash's Magikarp had evolved into Gyarados and caused all kinds of chaos. Even as a Magikarp, it had smashed through their underwater pipes.

Why does *my* Magikarp only know Water Sport?

"It's because this Magikarp hasn't been trained. It's nothing like the twerp's. Magikarp, if it could evolve into Gyarados, we'd be in business." Meowth sighed, shaking his head.

"Darn it! You're useless! I don't want you anymore!" Enraged, James stomped forward and kicked Magikarp, sending it flying.

But the rope yanked it back, and Magikarp splashed into the water again. Its previously dull eyes suddenly sparkled with a new intensity.

!!!

Magikarp's body was engulfed in a bright, blinding light, illuminating the entire area. Jessie and Meowth exchanged worried looks, a sudden dread washing over them.

"This... this can't be..."

Under the glowing rays, Magikarp's body began to grow, expanding rapidly. The massive form of the evolving Pokémon crushed Jessie and James as it transformed, the rope snapping as the shape shifted.

*ROAR!!!*

"G-Gyarados..." they stammered. The Pokémon in front of them had haunted their nightmares before, but they never learned their lesson. They knew Magikarp evolved into Gyarados, yet they couldn't resist pushing it.

James' heart sank. He couldn't believe Magikarp had evolved at such a critical moment. After all the money he'd spent, it felt both a blessing and a curse.

"Storm... Gyarados! Excellent! Now listen, I'm your master! Get us out of here!" James declared boldly, ignoring the fury blazing in Gyarados' eyes.

"Idiot, didn't you just say you didn't want it anymore?" Jessie snapped, unable to believe James' nerve.

*ROAR!!!*

Gyarados roared even louder. Terrified, James clutched his head. It was just like they say—today you ignore me, tomorrow I'll make you regret it. And today, it was James' turn to feel that regret.

With a furious bellow, Gyarados' forehead trident glowed blue. The sight was all too familiar to Team Rocket. A violent hurricane formed around Gyarados, pulling in the surrounding seawater.

The storm spun so fast that electric currents sparked through the air, and Jessie and James were swept into the raging vortex.

"Aaaah!!!"

Astonishing power erupted, and everything around was crushed.

The force of Dragon Rage was greatly amplified by the water, and it continued to expand. The storm raged on, relentlessly tearing through several layers of the ship's cabin, finally smashing into the bottom of the vessel.

But the power didn't stop there. As seawater rushed in and mingled with the Dragon Rage, its strength surged even further, shooting upwards toward the surface without hesitation.

---

**On the surface**

"Phew... finally escaped!" Ash sighed in relief. He, Misty, and Brock had managed to reach the surface of the sea. When the ship sank earlier, many items had floated to the surface.

The three of them had found a large wooden plank and clambered onto it, using it as a makeshift raft. Misty lay flat on the board, breathing heavily, grateful to have survived the catastrophe.

*Boom! Boom! Boom!*

"What was that sound?" Brock asked, still catching his breath. Just as they began to relax, they heard the distant rumbling.

"Something's coming!" Ash looked ahead, frowning.

*BOOM!*

Before they could react, a massive storm exploded from beneath the water, shooting into the sky like a tornado. Luckily, they were far enough away to avoid being swept up by the swirling winds, but they could still faintly hear something.

"What a disgusting feeling!!"

"Team Rocket?" Misty sat up in surprise. She thought those three were still at the bottom of the sea, but after hearing that all-too-familiar voice, Ash smiled confidently.

"I told you—they're lucky!"

"It must be fate, but what are we going to do now?" Misty asked, glancing around. The sea stretched endlessly around them, and on such a small raft, there was little they could do. The hurricane had passed, but they were still stranded in the middle of nowhere.

"Don't worry, things aren't that bad. Come on out, Pidgeotto!" Ash said calmly, pulling out a Poké Ball and releasing Pidgeotto into the air.

"Pidgeotto, find land! If you spot any, come back and let us know!" Ash instructed.

"Pidgeotto!"

Pidgeotto chirped in response and flew off into the distance to search for land. Ash sat back down, cradling Squirtle in the water next to the raft.

"Let's take a break for now. We'll need your help, Squirtle, once we find land," Ash said, pulling out a sandwich from his backpack and offering it to Squirtle.

Thankfully, they had gathered enough food while still on the ship. It would last them a while, enough to regain their strength. Once Pidgeotto found land, they'd make their way there with Squirtle's help.