The chapter opens with Maylin and Dango saying goodbye to Albert. Albert gives Maylin a TM and tells them to visit anytime, especially her. Maylin promises, taking the TM before leaving with Dango.
Dango feels a little salty because he didn't get a gift. Maylin just smiles and says they can share. On their way to Vermilion City, they meet a boy named Jack Lima who is twelve years old. He quickly annoys them by challenging them to a battle.
Dango accepts, and Jack sends out his Nidoran. Dango responds with Staravia. The two Pokémon clash fiercely, with Staravia bullying Nidoran before knocking it out with a single Steel Wing. Shocked, Jack starts crying. Dango snaps at him to shut up. Jack stops crying immediately.
Dango tells him that if he wants to be an official Pokémon trainer when he turns thirteen, he has to stop feeling sorry for himself. Without saying another word, Dango walks off, recalling Staravia. Axew munches on a berry perched on his shoulder as Maylin follows closely behind, quietly noting that small outburst as strange.
They eventually arrived at Vermilion City, heading straight for the Gym—only to find it closed, much to their annoyance. With nothing else to do, they decide to train while waiting for the Gym Leader. Axew steps forward, ready to face Maylin's Drillbur, when suddenly, a wave of screams stops them in their tracks. They rushed toward the source of the commotion, which led them to Route 11. There, a crowd had gathered, murmuring anxiously.
Dango and Maylin pushed their way through the people, and when they reached the front, they were met with a horrifying sight—two male police officers, bloody and battered, lying on the ground. Their Poké Balls were gone. Their Pokémon had been stolen.
Among the murmurs, the crowd spoke of more cases. Several people had been found injured recently, all with their Pokémon missing. The idea that even officers were among the victims sent a chill through the air. But it was the part about Pokémon being stolen that caught Dango's attention most.
Woman: "Are they—"
A group of Officer Jennys rode in on their Arcanines, taking in the chaotic scene. The lead, Jenny, shouted for everyone to clear out. As the crowd began to disperse, Dango caught something from the corner of his eye—two sketchy figures: a man and a woman dressed in trench coats, sunglasses, and hats.
The man spoke into a device hidden in his suit, and Dango instantly recognised his voice. Without hesitation, Dango trailed them, Maylin close behind. The suspicious duo stopped at the S.S. Anne and slipped inside. Dango followed—but before he could get far, he was shoved to the ground. Getting up, Dango faced a sailor.
Sailor Guy: "Tickets, now!"
Dango: "What? You let those guys on without trouble?!"
Maylin: "Yeah."
Sailor Guy: (mocking) "Which guys? All I see are two runts. Now get out of here before I call your mommies."
Reluctantly, the two heroes began to turn away. As Dango's mind raced, formulating a plan to sneak onto the ship, Maylin suddenly dug into her bag and pulled out an S.S. Anne ticket. Dango, caught off guard, recalled her mentioning she'd gotten it back at Mt. Moon.
Dango reached for the ticket, but Maylin held him back. She hadn't agreed to hand it over just yet. She needed answers first, especially since his expression showed he'd pieced something together.
Breaking the silence, Dango revealed his suspicion. The shady figures they'd seen were likely operatives of Team Blitz. Maylin's eyes widened in shock. Judging by the voice of the man they overheard, it had to be Kai, accompanied by Lia.
Why would they be involved in this? Dango figured it might be because the city's Gym Leader was absent, making it easy pickings for Team Blitz. Still, he couldn't say for sure. But if the S.S. Anne held the key to the answers he was looking for, there was no time to waste. Reluctantly, Maylin handed over the ticket. With a confident thumbs up, Dango set off on his next move.
Meanwhile, far away, at Bill's house, we see the researcher in his secret basement as he conducts checks on Sugar, his Mew. While on an audio call with Daisy, she talks about how Rose has grown into an incredible battler, with Bill even adding that at the rate she's going, she will probably become the next champion.
Bill asks how Blue is doing, since it's been years since he last saw him. Daisy tells him he's just fine and that he visited a couple of days ago. As the two reminisce about the old days, and as Bill finishes Sugar's checkup, a knock on the door pulls his attention. He heads upstairs, hanging up the call, but not before telling Daisy he loves her.
As the Basement entrance closed, Sugar managed to slip through unnoticed to Bill. Bill opens the door, and it's revealed to be Mike carrying a long bag. He greets the researcher before asking him if he's interested in honey. Bill tells Mike he doesn't like honey and tries to close the door, but before he can, Mike puts his foot in the way, much to his annoyance.
Mike explains that this isn't just any regular honey from Combees but Beedrill honey. Catching his attention, Bill opened the door again, a bit sceptical, as he had never heard of Beedrill making honey, but he asked for a bottle anyway. Mike handed him a small one, and after paying, Bill was given Mike's number.
As Mike turned to leave, his eyes caught something in the corner of the house—a glimpse of Mew, hovering for just a second before vanishing. Surprised, Mike paused, assuming he imagined it, and left, still unsure of what he saw. Inside, Bill spotted Sugar outside the basement door. He opened it and called out for her to return.
Sugar giggled, then flew down gracefully, disappearing back inside. Watching her go, Bill wondered if Mike had actually seen her. Still a bit tense, he took a small taste of the honey, and to his shock, it was incredible. Smirking to himself, Bill decided he'd be calling Mike tomorrow.
Meanwhile, Dango walked toward the S.S. Anne, determined. The same sailor from earlier moved to stop him, but after seeing the ticket, he stepped aside. Not before Dango and Axew gave him the finger, grinning as they ran inside. Annoyed, the sailor muttered under his breath, then tapped a hidden communicator in his collar.
He spoke calmly, alerting the sketchy pair already onboard, now revealed to be Lia and Kai. Glancing at his watch, the sailor narrowed his eyes. Only two hours left before everything began. Inside the ship, Dango and Axew walked around, taking in the sight of passengers busy with all sorts of activities.
The ship was set to leave in two hours, and Dango had no intention of sailing with it, so he needed to find something fast. An hour passed. Now walking alone with Axew, having searched almost every corner of the ship, Dango had found nothing. Just as he started to believe his hunch had been wrong, Dango suddenly heard it—a sound, faint but clear. A Pokémon, crying out for help.
Dango: "There it is, let's go, Axew."
Without hesitation, Dango and Axew bolted toward the sound, weaving through the corridors until they reached a locked door. From behind it, more cries echoed—desperate, pained. At Dango's command, Axew unleashed a Dragon Rage, blasting the door off its hinges.
Inside was a horrifying scene. Pokémon were strapped down in cages, some with tubes injecting strange fluids into their veins, others being shocked by electrical pulses. The room reeked of cruelty.
Dango sprang into action, rushing to free them—but before he could, a group of Team Blitz grunts appeared, blocking his path. Furious, Dango threw out Primeape. The moment Primeape saw the look in his trainer's eyes, his own fury ignited.
Axew and Primeape charged forward, tearing through the grunts' Pokémon with unrelenting force. One after another, they overwhelmed them, allowing the grunts to flee. With no more opposition, Dango sent out the rest of his team. Together, they worked to free every injured Pokémon in the room.
Although the Pokémon were now free, they were too injured to move. Dango realised he would have to alert the authorities. But then, the ship suddenly jolted. It had started moving. Dango froze, eyes wide. The S.S. Anne was leaving.
Meanwhile, just minutes earlier, right before departure, Maylin had spotted the same sailor from before—only now, she saw him changing into a Team Blitz uniform. Though surprised, Maylin felt a rush of relief. She was right to trust Dango. After swiftly defeating the fake sailor, she leapt onto the ship as it began to pull away. The S.S. Anne was at sea. And Maylin was ready to back up her friend.
To Be Continued!