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"Are all teams in position?"
"Don't worry, Captain. Everything is ready."
"Good. Do not make any mistakes. This mission was personally assigned by that lord. If anything goes wrong, no one will be able to protect us."
At the mention of that lord, the surrounding Team Rocket members felt a chill run down their spines.
"Absolutely no problems, Captain," one of them said quickly—then hesitated. "However…"
"If you have something to say, say it now," the captain snapped impatiently.
Seeing his anger, the subordinate no longer dared to hide anything.
"One of the VIP passengers we originally planned to capture is named Sam. His strength… exceeded my expectations."
"Exceeded your expectations?" The captain immediately understood what he meant.
Without another word, he took a Poké Ball from his belt and tossed it to him.
"I don't want any surprises."
The subordinate caught it and smiled faintly.
"Leave everything to me, Captain."
---
Late at night, Sam did not go to bed.
Instead, he sat calmly in his seat, waiting.
Suddenly, the S.S. Anne lurched violently. A deep tremor rippled through the hull—and the lights went out all at once.
Sam showed no panic.
He calmly lit the candles he had prepared earlier, stood up, stretched his shoulders, and said casually:
"So… Team Rocket has finally made their move."
Boom!
A violent explosion tore through the corridor, blasting the door to Sam's suite wide open.
"Move! Rush in! Don't let him escape!"
A cold, hoarse voice echoed from outside. Under that command, five Team Rocket members charged into the room.
Five operatives—plus a commander.
Six people in total.
Quite the lineup.
The moment they entered, however, the room fell into a strange silence.
The leading Team Rocket member swallowed nervously.
This wasn't how things were supposed to go.
They had expected Sam to panic—to run around the room like a headless chicken after the explosion—so they could storm in and subdue him instantly.
Instead…
Sam stood calmly under the dim candlelight, hands relaxed at his sides, a faint smile at the corner of his lips—as if he had been waiting for them.
The eerie calm left the Rockets momentarily at a loss.
"What are you standing around for? Capture him—now!"
The captain reacted first, hurling his Poké Ball forward as he sensed something was very wrong.
Sam raised an eyebrow, slightly surprised.
Sharp instincts, he thought.
Team Rocket truly deserved its reputation. Even a mid-level commander had impressive composure.
Unfortunately for them, it was pointless.
Sam was already stronger than everyone here—and with preparation and perfect timing on his side, there was never any chance of failure.
If his opponents could still turn the tables under these conditions, he might as well stop being a Trainer altogether.
The outcome was decided.
Sam snapped his fingers softly.
"Gengar. Take them away."
The room fell silent once more.
Sam didn't even glance at the figures lying motionless on the floor. His expression never changed.
He picked up the diving suit he had prepared in advance, called over a slightly unsatisfied Gengar, and left without hesitation.
---
By now, the entire S.S. Anne had descended into chaos.
Battles were breaking out everywhere.
Sam had originally planned to find Ash and the others—but the scale of the disturbance forced him to abandon that idea.
Forget it.
Ash and his friends carried the aura of protagonists. They wouldn't run into serious danger.
Right now, Sam needed to focus on himself.
After all, he had just wiped out an elite Team Rocket squad in one go. Given Team Rocket's infamous tendency for revenge, this wouldn't be the end of it.
He would deal with future problems later.
For now, escaping the S.S. Anne was the priority.
Sam had no intention of saving everyone aboard.
He wasn't a hero—and he certainly didn't have the power to protect an entire ship.
Team Rocket operations were nothing like standard Trainer battles. One mistake could cost a life. Sam wasn't willing to gamble his own life for strangers.
Besides, the passengers weren't in immediate danger. Team Rocket was here for money—as long as the ransom was paid, most people would be spared.
Moving quietly through the corridors, Sam followed the escape route he had planned long ago. With Gengar's guidance, he avoided all trouble along the way.
The upper deck was completely empty.
Most of the passengers had likely already been rounded up.
From the railing, Sam could see numerous ships surrounding the S.S. Anne, floating silently in the dark.
If his guess was correct, they all belonged to Team Rocket.
There was no way so many Rockets could appear onboard without preparation. Some must have boarded earlier in disguise, while the rest arrived afterward using these ships.
Sam didn't dwell on it.
He put on his diving suit, took one last look at the massive cruise ship, and leapt into the sea.
Cutting through the cold water, he swam toward one of the nearby vessels—disappearing into the darkness as the S.S. Anne continued to burn with chaos behind him.
--------------Author---------------
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