Chapter 51: The Password is, Grimer, Rotten Shrimp?
Another half hour passed. The two successfully untied the Vine Whip and smoothly stripped the two Team Rocket Grunts of their clothes.
Along the way, they even managed to interrogate them. Due to the effects of the potent Paralysis Powder, the two grunts had no way to fight back. Cornered by one interrogator playing the "bad cop" and another the "good cop," they could only stammer out all the information they had.
However, since the two were only of the second-to-last rank, Fearless Bronze, they didn't know much. They only revealed that most of the current staff on the ship were actually Team Rocket members in disguise.
Of course, there were also some temporary workers who had been randomly pulled in. If anything were to happen, these temps would be the ones Team Rocket used as scapegoats.
As a multinational corporation, it was standard procedure for Team Rocket.
After dealing with the two grunts, the pair, now dressed in sailor uniforms, decided to first scout out the captain's quarters.
A direct assault on the enemy's core from the get-go—that was the mark of a proper gamer.
On the way.
"Speaking of which, Team Rocket's ranking system is hilarious. How can someone not reach Glorious Gold in twenty years? If it were me, I'd have become a Pokémon Master long ago!" Ash quipped with a laugh, his expression full of confidence.
Brock, however, squinted his eyes and said grimly, "The stricter the hierarchy, the more it proves how unshakable the organization is."
He had only vaguely heard that Team Rocket was a large organization before, but now, it seemed truly extraordinary.
The two headed toward the Old Sea Captain's room. They encountered many crew members along the way, but seeing that they wore the same uniforms, no one stopped them, simply letting them pass.
It didn't matter if their faces were unfamiliar; Team Rocket only recognized uniforms.
*Creeak!*
There was no one outside the captain's cabin. Ash gently pushed the door open. It was pitch-black inside, and there was even the sound of light snoring.
After all, it was already almost four in the morning. People who lived to the captain's age were the health-conscious types who started drinking goji berry tea at twenty and went to bed as soon as the sun set.
As for those still out partying, they were mostly the ones with "promising futures" who were about to die from overexertion.
The two snuck into the room like thieves. Due to the poor visibility, Ash even accidentally bumped into Brock.
"Hey, Teacher Brock, open your mouth a little wider and show your teeth, otherwise I can't see you," Ash quickly reminded him.
Brock: "?"
It was impossible to do anything in the pitch-black darkness. Ash had a flash of inspiration and threw out a Poké Ball.
A red light flashed, and a small, orange Charmander landed on the floor. The moment it appeared, it was baring its fangs and brandishing its claws, looking quite fierce as waves of heat radiated from its body.
A familiar, ferocious draconic aura immediately filled the surroundings.
Charmander was imitating the aura of the Charizard it had caught a glimpse of in the misty sea by the Lighthouse that day!
Its intimidating presence built to a peak. Charmander wanted to roar at the sky and spew a scorching flame to vent the turbulent emotions that were still boiling within it, even late at night.
"Roar—cough, cough!"
Ash quickly lunged forward and used Throat Chop, clamping Charmander's mouth and throat shut.
*If you actually roared, we'd be done for!*
Only when the little dragon in his arms had completely calmed down did Ash speak.
"Charmander, if you please, use a not-so-bright Flash!"
"Chaa."
The calmed-down Charmander nodded, condensing the power at the tip of its tail and then lowering that power to a minimum.
In an instant, a small beam of light illuminated the dark room, like a tiny torch.
Under the faint light, the two quickly looked around the room.
Although it was the captain's cabin, the furnishings were extremely simple and plain: two beds, a desk, and not much else.
On one bed slept a white-bearded yet quite sturdy old man, and on the other was a little girl who looked to be about four or five years old.
"Is that his granddaughter...?"
Ash casually picked up a photo frame from the desk. The photograph showed only the old man and a little girl with a small ponytail, smiling as they posed.
The two then rummaged through the documents inside the desk. They were mostly ordinary papers and a logbook, with the cover titled…
*The Old Man and the Seafood*?
The two exchanged a glance and began to read.
"In a small boat in Vermilion Port, an old man was fishing alone. For eighty-four whole days, he hadn't caught a single shark..."
The two engaged in a round of quantum speed-reading, finishing all forty thousand words of *The Old Man and the Seafood* in just half a minute. After reading it, a passionate feeling welled up in their hearts.
The indomitable spirit of a human refusing to bow to fate, the never-say-die fighting spirit, and the positive, optimistic attitude—all of it made them admire this Old Sea Captain.
*Except, the sea around Vermilion City isn't inhabited by sharks at all, right? Are you fishing for sharks in the void?*
The end of the log stated that last month, the Old Sea Captain had received funding from a charitable enterprise called the Rainbow Group, allowing him to become the captain of this S.S. Anne and realize his great voyage.
"Looks like this captain is on our side."
"Misunderstanding cleared."
The two carefully put the logbook away, preparing to leave the room.
As they were leaving, a dazzling reflection shone from a corner.
Ash's sharp eyes spotted a plain-colored disc in the trash can by the door, and he grabbed it on his way out.
Out in the hallway, Ash took a closer look. The cover of the disc had the three bold, calligraphic characters for "Quick Draw Slash," which filled him with joy.
*A legendary TM?*
Judging by the name, it seemed like a very powerful move. He wondered if his Pidgeotto could learn it.
"So what's the next step? Go back to sleep?" Back in the hallway, Brock yawned.
Now that the main base was a dead end, they couldn't just search room by room.
Besides, it would be morning in another four hours, and they still had to participate in that fishing contest. Although he wasn't interested in catching a Water-type Pokémon, what if he managed to fish up a Kabuto or an Omanyte?
But a glint of wisdom, one that seemed to have never appeared before, flashed in Ash's eyes. He put away the Charmander and the TM and said with a proud smile, "Hmph, I saw a very big clue."
Brock: "Elaborate?"
He raised his eyebrows and said, "The Rainbow Group! The Pokédex said that gaudy Archer is the head of the Rainbow Group, get it?"
Since the captain wasn't a wolf, then that Archer must be the wolf.
Tonight was destined to be a night of all-out revelry!
A crew member walked toward them. Brock gestured to Ash, then put on a smile and approached the crewman, asking politely, "Excuse me, could you please tell me which room Officer Archer is in?"
The crewman's face was all thick flesh. His gaze toward the two held a hint of suspicion.
He raised an eyebrow and barked, "Hey, you two, you're not one of us, are you?"
The two: "!"
*Have we finally met a Team Rocket member who recognizes faces and not just uniforms?*
"Damn it! Since when does our great Team Rocket talk like that? Using polite words... Who are you looking down on?" the beefy-faced man added, sounding very displeased.
Team Rocket had always convinced people with their... manners.
Hearing this, Ash immediately understood. He gently patted Brock's shoulder, coughed, and gestured for a switch.
So now it was time for a war of words?
"Sorry, he really didn't mean it. My brother's eyes are just naturally narrow like that. He's just... naturally looking down on you," he said with a smile.
Beefy-faced man: "..."
Brock: "???"
*Is he now insulting both enemies and allies with a single sentence?*
"Hurry up. When we ask where Officer Archer is, just spit it out. Don't stand there messing around. My brother has small eyes and holds a grudge. You're just a little Bronze, right? Be careful, or he'll throw you into the sea to feed the sharks tonight."
Ash's commanding presence, despite being half a head shorter, completely overwhelmed the beefy-faced man.
However, after hearing this, the man actually showed a look of... satisfaction?
Then he suddenly shook his head violently again and said doubtfully, "No, no, that's too suspicious. Quick, what's the password for this operation? Or I'm calling the cops!"
Seeing that the situation had turned sour, several other ill-intentioned Team Rocket members immediately swarmed over.
Ash and Brock exchanged a glance, their expressions tensing. There was a password?
A major crisis! They were going to be exposed this time!
Seeing the man looked like he was about to make a call, Ash could only swallow hard, brace himself, and stammer out tentatively, "The password is... uh, Grimer, stinky fish... I'm a rotten shrimp?"
Brock: "?"
*They're a major organization, after all. What kind of password is this? Was it made by a three-year-old?*
The beefy-faced man was silent for a moment, but in the next instant, a grin spread across his face.
"Password correct. Officer Archer's room is at the end of corridor 3. It's the most luxurious one."
Brock: "???"
(end of chapter)