⚠️ Spoiler Status (Chapter 201 - 400): Find more details on my Patreon here:
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Upon hearing Jin's words, the captain observed Cain a little more closely, but he still couldn't figure anything out.
He signaled the sailors around him to calm their Pokémon.
Once the Pokémon around him adopted a less aggressive stance, Cain finally sighed in relief.
These Pokémon were not low-level; if they suddenly attacked, Slowpoke might not be able to get him out of there safely.
However, Cain kept his hand on Slowpoke's back, not letting go.
"Captain, I have a way to get us out of here. Staying in this place isn't a solution; nearly all the ship's passengers have been captured. One of Team Aqua's objectives could be those talented civilian trainers," Cain said after organizing his thoughts.
"Right now, Yamamoto and the Elite Four-level experts of Team Aqua are being held back by the Alliance's Elite Four experts."
"If the captain can lead a counterattack, it's not impossible to win this battle. Also, I still don't know what Team Aqua is after, but I estimate that if it's not in Yamamoto's room, it's on his person."
Cain shared all his speculations.
The captain listened to Cain's words with a frown, especially when he mentioned that the passengers had been captured.
As the captain of the S.S. Anne, he was responsible for each of the passengers. However, with Team Aqua's attack, he and his team were trapped here while the passengers were captured.
He had the strength of an Elite-level trainer, only one step away from Elite Four level, and could have gotten out directly. However, without knowing the outside situation, he couldn't act recklessly. After all, many passengers were also seeking help in the captain's room, so he was responsible for them as well.
"How can you prove what you're saying?" the captain asked after a brief silence, staring intently at Cain. Any sign of suspicious behavior from Cain, and he would detain him immediately.
Cain looked directly at the captain and responded calmly, "Captain, with your strength, you could surely protect yourself. If any of what I say is false, you could go out and report it to the Alliance, and I wouldn't survive in the Alliance after that."
"I can't prove what I'm saying right now; it all depends on your judgment. But at least, the Alliance Elite Four expert who is still fighting above is someone I know."
"Perhaps you saw us on the security cameras; we used to sit together to eat and drink tea. Does this help you trust me a bit more?"
Indeed, when Cain ate with the old man Matsuda, they didn't hide at all, fully exposing themselves to the cameras on the S.S. Anne. If anyone had paid attention, they might have seen it.
The captain signaled a sailor to check the camera recordings.
"Most of the time, we were at the dining table. Focus on the dining room cameras," Cain suggested.
Cain had no objections to the captain's caution. At times like these, being careful was crucial. If Cain were an infiltrator from Team Aqua, they would indeed be in danger.
As for identifying old man Matsuda, the captain had probably seen him on the external cameras when the powerful trainers began to fight and caused large disturbances.
After a moment, the sailor returned to the captain and whispered something in his ear.
The captain's expression softened gradually. Earlier, his concern was that Cain could be a Team Aqua spy, but upon learning that Cain knew the Alliance expert fighting outside, he lowered his guard a bit.
After all, not everyone can be recognized by an Elite Four expert, and someone like that wouldn't stab others in the back.
Once Cain's identity was verified, he was considered a passenger on the S.S. Anne, and to the captain, every passenger was someone he had to protect.
Only, these passengers had very varied skills.
"I'm sorry, I'm the captain, and I have to be responsible for everyone in this room," the captain said with a touch of apology.
Cain quickly brushed off the captain's gesture of apology and waved his hand, saying, "Captain, there's no need to apologize; it's what you must do."
This gesture earned the approval of most of the sailors.
To them, the captain was like a father, and the way Cain respected him made them accept him.
"So, little brother Cain, what idea do you have? Can your Slowpoke take us all?" asked the captain, unable to hold back after apologizing.
After all, the ship's passengers were suffering, and as captain, it was hard to shirk responsibility for what was happening to them.
Cain nodded, "Slowpoke can't take everyone at once, but he can do it in several rounds. Also, before coming here, I had Slowpoke leave a mark in a temporarily safe place. If we go now, there will basically be no safety issues."
The captain's spirits lifted, "Could you take these passengers to the lifeboats first, so they can leave the S.S. Anne?"
"Captain, to be honest, I don't support the passengers leaving first. We don't know if there are more enemy ships at sea; leaving recklessly would be dangerous. Also, if everyone in the captain's room disappears, the remaining guards might disperse."
"We must remember that a large portion of Team Aqua's forces is here. If we can keep them here, it would be better to let them stay here."
The captain pondered Cain's words, while the others remained silent, relying on the captain.
"What's your suggestion, then?" the captain asked after some thought.
"My suggestion is to leave some people to distract Team Aqua outside, at least to ensure they stay here. We can dress some up as the captain and sailors, and make noise to make them believe they're still inside."
"Since they fear the captain, they probably won't dare to enter; it's more likely that they'll stay at a standoff, which would keep those inside safe."
"As for the captain and the sailors, I suggest they dress as passengers and attack Yamamoto's room. They might find something important there, or they could attack the area where Team Aqua is holding the passengers."
"However, my suggestion is to attack Yamamoto's room first, as there will likely be fewer people there. The Elite Four experts are fighting there, so there should be few Team Aqua members left."
"If we attack what they're trying to protect, and if there's something valuable in Yamamoto's room, they'll surely send reinforcements. At that point, we can attack the passenger area, increasing our chances of success."
Cain laid out his entire plan.
Of course, this was in an ideal scenario, if everything went smoothly.
However, Cain didn't share all his thoughts.
(End of chapter)