Chapter 31: Great Escape Under the Sea

As the Poké Balls opened, Misty deployed her Goldeen and Starmie, while Xia You and Ash also released their respective Squirtles. The four Pokémon dove into the water and, at the nearest porthole, simultaneously used Tackle.

The continuous battering caused the porthole to crack gradually, eventually forming a large enough hole for two people to pass through at once.

Furthermore, because the opening was already completely submerged in seawater, no additional water rushed in, nor did it affect the air pressure inside the cabin.

When the Pokémon returned to the group, Brock took several lengths of clothesline from his backpack and tied everyone's bodies to their respective Pokémon.

"Hey, hey!" Seeing that everyone had a Pokémon to ride, Jessie said anxiously, "What about us? We don't have any Water-type Pokémon!"

At that moment, Xia You released his Magikarp.

In the anime, the Team Rocket trio escaped the shipwreck thanks to this very Magikarp; unexpectedly, even with a new master, they were still unable to escape this fate.

James looked down at the bouncing Magikarp and recognized its origin at a glance: "Ah! Isn't that the Magikarp from that unscrupulous merchant!"

Xia You nodded slightly. "That's right. I bought it for 500 yen."

"That bastard!" James clenched his fists, looking absolutely livid. "And he talked so highly of it! This Magikarp really is only worth 500 yen!"

"Alright," Xia You said to the Team Rocket trio. "I'll let this Magikarp take you out. But I'm warning you now—it looks a bit silly, so it might not understand human language. If anything goes wrong midway, I won't be held responsible."

"That's right," Misty added. "And don't you dare try any tricks, or we'll leave you behind to fend for yourselves!"

"Don't worry!" The Team Rocket trio shook their heads hurriedly, looking weak and humble. "In a life-or-death situation like this, how could we possibly cause trouble!"

"Exactly, meow~"

Despite this, Xia You pointed at Meowth and said, "But just to be safe, Meowth, you come over here with me."

Meowth was stunned. "Huh? Why? Meow?"

"Idiot, obviously so you can serve as a hostage." As Xia You spoke, he turned his gaze toward Jessie and James. "Once we reach the surface, if you want to redeem Meowth, take good care of my Magikarp. Otherwise, I'll use it to settle the debt."

Hearing that he was being used as a hostage, Meowth looked at Xia You with eyes full of horror, while Jessie muttered under her breath, "How is this guy even more of a villain than us!?"

Once everything was arranged, Xia You recalled Kirlia to its Poké Ball and tied Meowth to his waist.

Brock then picked up several empty water bottles and handed them to everyone.

"I don't know if this method will work, but it's better to be prepared. Everyone, take one."

Xia You took out his phone and snapped a few photos. Though unfortunate, this was a once-in-a-lifetime experience and a very precious memory.

He then used plastic sealing bags to pack his phone, Pokédex, and wallet. After sealing the bags tightly, he wrapped them securely in a raincoat before placing them in his backpack.

Finally, he put on his diving goggles and took out an underwater breathing apparatus.

Although he could swim, his skills were not great; he couldn't swim fast, nor could he keep his eyes open underwater like the others.

This breathing apparatus was actually just a portable, small oxygen tank. Under normal circumstances, the compressed air could provide three minutes of oxygen, but he wondered how long it would last at this depth.

Aside from him, everyone had an empty water bottle in their mouths, looking quite ridiculous. They looked at each other, their eyes filled with amusement.

Seeing that everyone was ready, Xia You put the mouthpiece in his mouth, gave an "OK" gesture, and dove into the water along with them.

The currents below the surface were relatively stable. Pulled by Squirtle, Xia You hardly had to exert any effort as his body was dragged a great distance.

After swimming about ten meters along the corridor, they finally saw the window broken by the Pokémon.

The group left the cruise ship in an orderly fashion, then turned their angle to swim toward the surface.

Sunlight pierced through the seawater, leaving blurred shadows. Visibility was low; except for the few meters around them, everything was pitch black.

Under the faint light, Xia You could just see Misty's white legs swaying right in front of his eyes, quite eye-catching.

*She really is like a mermaid...*

At this point, the water bottles in everyone's mouths began to deform due to the water pressure, the impact of the currents, or their own breathing. They had no choice but to take a deep breath and discard the bottles one after another.

After swimming up a few more meters, Xia You took a moment to look back, only to see that behind him, Jessie and James's ropes had somehow become tangled together. The two of them were spinning uncontrollably, creating a counter-force against the Magikarp!

Seeing this, Xia You hurriedly pulled the rope at his waist. Squirtle looked back, and upon seeing Xia You's gesture, swam back to Jessie and James.

Xia You reached out his hands, trying to help untangle the ropes, but the two were tangled too tightly; no matter how much Xia You pulled, he couldn't separate them.

Just then, a figure flashed beside them—it was Misty, who had seen them falling behind and rushed over to help!

Even so, they couldn't untie the ropes immediately. Finally, Meowth couldn't stand watching it anymore and used his sharp claws to slash through the rope around James's waist, finally freeing them from the predicament.

However, misfortune struck: during the struggle, Jessie's foot accidentally kicked Misty in the abdomen. Feeling a sharp pain, Misty instinctively opened her mouth, and instantly, bubbles began to escape from her lips.

Seeing that Misty had run out of air, Xia You hurriedly pulled the breathing apparatus from his own mouth and handed it to her.

Without thinking, Misty grabbed the apparatus, put it in her mouth, and took a deep breath.

This single action saved her life.

Returning the apparatus to Xia You, Misty gave him a thumbs-up to signal she was okay.

Xia You nodded, waved to Squirtle, and while each holding one of James's arms, they swam upward again with the help of the two Pokémon.

After the previous accident, the rest of the journey was smooth. The light above grew brighter and brighter, and finally, after swimming up another dozen meters, they burst through the surface of the sea, completely escaping the danger.

(End of Chapter)