30. Planning The Escape

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"Are we diving into the water next?" Ash asked.

Brock gently stirred the seawater with his hand, then said worriedly, "But if we dive down and swim for a long time only to find a dead end or a gate we can't open, we'll be in serious trouble."

"That's why we'll rely on our Pokémon!" Misty said as she pulled out a Poké Ball, releasing her Goldeen into the water. "Goldeen, go check out the situation and find us an escape route!"

Goldeen nodded, dove into the water, and disappeared quickly.

However, time passed, and it didn't return.

"Just as I thought..." Misty frowned. She was about to dive in herself when the water suddenly rippled.

After a moment, a dishevelled figure emerged, its head bobbing on the surface like a water ghost!

"Ahhhhhhhhhhh!!!!"

The unexpected sight startled everyone. Misty screamed and instinctively hid behind Kai, clutching the edge of his sleeve and trembling.

Unlike her, Kai was calmer. Forcing himself to stay composed, he observed the head as it rose further and realized it was Team Rocket's trio floating up.

"Don't worry, everyone. It's just Team Rocket," Kai said, patting Misty on the shoulder. She peeked out and sighed in relief when she recognized them.

"What in the world?! Why are they in the water?"

Jessie, James, and Meowth lay sprawled on the deck, coughing up seawater and looking utterly exhausted.

But the moment Misty's voice reached them, they jumped to their feet with surprising vigour.

Jessie snapped, "Of all the rotten luck! We run into you again?!"

The atmosphere grew tense as both sides reached for their Poké Balls. Jessie and James sent out Arbok and Koffing, while Ash and Brock countered with Squirtle and Geodude.

"Wait!" Misty stepped forward, waving her arms to stop the confrontation. "Hold on, all of you! My Goldeen just saved you from drowning! Look around this is no time to fight! If we don't work together to find a way out of here, we're all going down with the ship!"

Her words managed to stop the clash, though the two sides still eyed each other warily.

At that moment, James pointed at Kai and exclaimed, "Hey! It's you! Thanks for earlier if it weren't for you, I would've been scammed into buying that useless Magikarp!"

"Idiot!" Jessie slapped James on the head. "We're bad guys! We don't thank people!" She glanced at Kai, narrowing her eyes. "But wait... who is he?"

James flushed, unwilling to confess that he almost wasted their salaries on a Magikarp that could only flop around.

Kai stepped forward to defuse the situation. "Misty's right let's stop this nonsense. Time is running out!"

Reluctantly, both sides withdrew their Pokémon. Through their exchange, Kai and the others learned that Team Rocket hadn't evacuated the S.S. Anne in time.

When the ship capsized, the trio had tried to break through the hull to escape, only to flood the cabin further and get swept into the currents.

If not for Goldeen passing by, they might not have survived.

"Hmph!" Jessie crossed her arms smugly. "Don't think this is over. This is just a temporary truce! We'll deal with you later!"

Kai smirked. "Do you even have any Water-type Pokémon? We'll need to swim to escape soon, so maybe tone down the arrogance."

At this, the trio's faces fell as they realized their predicament. In an instant, they dropped their pride and bowed apologetically. "We're sorry! Please help us!"

Kai couldn't help but chuckle. Despite the tense situation, Team Rocket always managed to lighten the mood.

Once the Rockets were dealt with, the group could finally discuss their escape plan.

Brock stroked his chin thoughtfully. "So, how do we get out of here?"

"Leave it to me!" Misty declared confidently, puffing out her chest. "I once studied a model of the S.S. Anne. I know its structure well. Since the path below is blocked, we'll need to head upward. I remember the hull below the engine room is weak. If we break through there, we can escape!"

Ash and Brock nodded in agreement, but Kai raised a hand in objection.

"No, we can't break the bottom of the ship!"

"Why not?" Misty asked, puzzled.

"If we breach the hull, water will pour in from above. The pressure will be too intense to swim against, and the cabin will flood completely, leaving us no time to try another method if this fails."

Misty's eyes widened in realization. "I see! So, what's your idea?"

Kai explained, "Since the lower section is already submerged, we should have our Water-type Pokémon create an opening in the ship's wall where the water has pooled. That way, we'll face less water pressure when we escape."

"But..." Misty hesitated. "That'll take longer than going upward. Can we hold our breath that long?"

"Don't worry," Kai reassured her. "I just glanced out the window. The ship sank in a shallow area, and we're not far from the surface." He pointed to the water below them. "Look what's that?"

Everyone turned to see several empty plastic bottles floating nearby.

"Those bottles must've drifted here after being emptied. If we use them as makeshift air pockets, we'll get a few extra breaths, which should be enough to make it to the surface. Plus, the shallow depth means we don't need to worry about them getting crushed by water pressure."

Misty looked at Kai, impressed by his quick thinking. "That's brilliant!"

The others exchanged uncertain glances, but with Misty's support, they eventually nodded in agreement.

"All right," Ash said decisively. "Let's do it!"

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