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Boom!!!
When Team Rocket crashed into the cabin, the ship shook violently. The bow of the ship collided with the massive vortex ahead and was quickly sucked in.
At the stern, the searcher was struggling. The vibration caused the ropes on some lifeboats to snap due to the weight of the passengers, sending them plunging into the water.
Ash, Misty, and Brock, influenced by Team Rocket, ended up boarding a lifeboat. But as the stern of the ship lifted, they lost their balance. Ash and Misty tumbled, followed closely by Brock.
"Ah!!"
"Brock, Misty!"
Ash heard the shouts and instinctively reached out to grab them. But in the chaos, with the ship rocking and his footing unstable, he couldn't get a hold of them, and all three were swept away.
They slid down the slanted deck as the entire ship was pulled uncontrollably into the vortex. The massive ship partially blocked the swirling water, which reduced the vortex's strength.
Lifeboats near the vortex escaped its pull, but the main ship was swallowed like it had been drawn into a black hole.
Inside cabin 980, Ash and his friends tumbled down the stairs along the corridor. The entire ship shook, making it impossible for them to steady themselves. After what felt like forever, the ship finally came to a violent stop.
The three crashed into each other and pressed against the wall. Finally, they managed to stand up, feeling slightly more at ease.
"Finally stopped!" Ash sighed in relief.
"Are you guys okay?" he asked, checking on Pikachu before turning to Misty and Brock.
"I'm fine!"
"Me too!" the two replied, standing up and shaking their heads. Only then did they realize everything around them was upside down. Chairs and sofas lay scattered on the floor, and the chandelier was smashed and upside down as well.
Ash looked out the window. It was pitch black, and he could see fish swimming by. The ship was clearly upside down now.
"What's the situation?" Misty asked, rubbing her sore arm and trying to make sense of what had happened.
"It doesn't look good," Brock replied, glancing out the window with a frown.
"Ah? We're at the bottom of the sea? What do we do now?" Misty gasped, rushing over to see for herself. She quickly realized they had indeed sunk to the ocean floor.
"The ship's upside down, which means the deck is now below us. The exit might be sealed off, so we'll have to climb up and find a way to open something. Then we can use Water-type Pokémon to help us reach the surface," Ash explained calmly. He had expected things to go wrong ever since Team Rocket showed up.
"Looks like that's our only option," Brock agreed, nodding slightly.
"Let's go!" Ash called, leading the way.
The trio set off, encountering several challenges along the way due to the ship being upside down. Navigating the unfamiliar path was tricky, but with the help of their Pokémon, they managed to overcome the obstacles. Along the way, Ash gathered some food that had remained intact.
"Ash, why are you collecting that stuff?" Misty asked, puzzled as she watched him store away the unspoiled food.
"We're still at sea. It's smart to bring as much food as we can," Ash replied.
Realizing they needed to prepare for survival after reaching the surface, Misty and Brock started gathering supplies too.
After about twenty minutes of maneuvering through the ship, they finally reached the bottom, now close to the surface of the water. Though there was still oxygen inside, time was running out, and the sea water was beginning to seep in faster.
"Here it is! Everyone, get ready."
Ash had found a relatively open area. Since the ship had flipped upside down, the water stayed lower, giving them a bit more time to escape before the entire ship was submerged.
Misty released Starmie and Staryu, while Brock pulled out a rope and tied himself to the two Pokémon. Ash did the same, releasing Squirtle and securing both himself and Pikachu.
"By the way, what about Team Rocket? Weren't they here too? Wonder what's happening with them," Brock suddenly asked.
Ash shrugged. "They always manage to survive. No need to worry about them right now. Charmander, use Flamethrower to heat the iron plate!"
Charmander didn't need much convincing—after all, Team Rocket never seemed to stay down for long.
Ash threw the Poké Ball, and Charmander appeared, ready for action.
Following Ash's command, Charmander unleashed a stream of intense flames, heating the iron plate at the ship's base. The metal glowed red hot, and as the cold seawater hit it from the outside, the rapid temperature change weakened the structure. Finally, with a loud crack, the iron plate split open, and seawater began pouring in.
"Charmander, return!" Ash called out, quickly recalling his Pokémon.
"Let's go!" he shouted.
With the water gushing in, Ash took the lead. Squirtle jumped into the water and began swimming upward, pulling Ash along. Misty and Brock followed close behind, being pulled by Starmie and Staryu.
The three held their breath, while Pikachu clung to Ash. With the help of their Water-type Pokémon, they swam towards the surface as fast as they could. Though all three could swim, they let their Pokémon handle the heavy lifting.
Meanwhile, inside the ship...
"Ah!! Why is water coming from above?!" Jessie yelled as she, James, and Meowth spotted the rushing seawater.
"The top is now the bottom of the boat, and water's coming in. That means there must be an exit up there, meow!" Meowth pointed out.
"So what? Even if there's an exit, how are we supposed to get out of here?" Jessie fumed as they ran.
"We can't, unless we had a Water-type Pokémon, meow!" Meowth added helplessly.
"Hmph!" James suddenly stopped running, his expression darkening as he let out a low chuckle.
"You two have been calling me an idiot, but now you're going to thank me!" he said smugly. With a confident grin, James pulled out a Gold Poké Ball, holding it up triumphantly.