Route 16 of Kanto—a vital sea lane connecting Vermilion City to Porta Vista.
Yet in the early hours of this morning, a catastrophe occurred in these waters—one that sent shockwaves through the entire Kanto region.
At 2:35 a.m. today, the world-famous luxury cruise liner S.S. Anne sank along Route 16.
The disaster claimed the lives of 163 passengers, while 32 others remain missing.
Out on the vast open sea, if no news emerges within three days, the odds for those officially listed as missing are grim at best.
Police speedboats encircled Route 16. Alongside the officers were reporters from cities across Kanto—and the families of passengers who had rushed in upon hearing the news.
Among the families, there was both joy and despair.
Those who saw their loved ones return safely wept with relief, while others—upon receiving official confirmation of death—collapsed into inconsolable grief.
On every police speedboat, uniformed officers stood at attention, heads bowed, observing a moment of silence for those who had perished in the S.S. Anne incident.
.....
On the largest lead speedboat, Officer Jenny stood at the bow, her normally resolute expression filled with sorrow. Holding a bouquet of flowers, she spoke softly:
"Today, 163 outstanding citizens of the Pokémon League have forever left this beautiful world. I am overwhelmed with grief. Among them were young Trainers full of dreams, fathers and mothers, elites from every walk of life… all lost to this tragedy—"
Her voice caught. She tossed the flowers into the sea, then raised her head and declared loudly:
"Today, the combined police forces of Vermilion City, Cerulean City, and Celadon City swear this oath:
We will swiftly solve this case and bring every last culprit responsible for the sinking of the S.S. Anne to justice. Not one will escape!"
"Revenge! Revenge!"
The officers aboard the surrounding boats roared in unison.
The Rocket Team's attack was a direct challenge to the Pokémon League's authority.
League leadership was furious and issued a direct order: the individual responsible for this operation must be captured in the shortest possible time.
Nearly fifty ultra-wealthy tycoons had been kidnapped by Rocket Team. The combined influence of their families was staggering—League executives' phones were nearly overwhelmed by nonstop calls.
...
"Boss, do you think that kid went down with the ship… or made it out alive?"
Cole sounded genuinely curious about Kael's fate.
Renard glanced at the suspension notice in his hand and sighed. "You know him better than I do. Why ask me?"
"That guy's slippery as hell," Cole said, arms crossed, rubbing his chin. "Some survivors said he packed up and bolted early. Didn't even fight for a lifeboat. If you ask me, chances are he's still breathing."
Renard couldn't be bothered to respond. He leaned back in his chair, legs propped on the desk, staring at the ceiling.
What was meant to be a small gain ended in a far greater loss.
Sure, they'd caught a low-ranking Rocket Team operative—but compared to the catastrophic sinking of the S.S. Anne, it was insignificant.
As the League's Chief Eastern Investigator, and someone who had been aboard the ship at the time, Renard was naturally made to shoulder most of the responsibility. Some within the League accused him of acting independently and forcing Rocket Team into desperation—leading them to blow up the ship. The families of the kidnapped tycoons also redirected their fury toward him.
Someone always had to carry the blame.
If not for the fact that Renard's grandmother had served as an Elite Four member for decades, what awaited him wouldn't have been a mere suspension order.
"Boss, this isn't your fault," Cole protested. "Who could've known Rocket Team would go that far? Blowing up the S.S. Anne was a direct challenge to the League's bottom line. They're going to get crushed for this."
"Who knows… who doesn't know…" Renard muttered.
"I'm carrying this one no matter what. Might as well treat it as a vacation. At least I won't have to look at your annoying face."
Cole's expression instantly soured—like he'd swallowed a fly.
...
At the same time—
In an unknown stretch of ocean, Kael and Ash's group were facing the greatest crisis of their lives.
Five Gyarados circled them faster and faster. The seawater began to spiral violently.
"This is a Gyarados group Dragon Rage," Kael said grimly.
He'd seen footage of it before—while hacking into the mainframe of a research facility.
Normally, Gyarados that lived in inland rivers were solitary; rivers simply couldn't support multiple Gyarados with their massive appetites. But the sea was vast and overflowing with food—ocean-dwelling Gyarados often lived in small packs.
A mysterious force stirred the sea into a furious boil, forming a massive marine vortex.
Kael's expression hardened. "Grab my hands—five of us, form a circle!"
Miki and the others struggled over, clasping hands until they formed a ring. Lulu clung tightly around Kael's neck.
The oceanic tornado surged toward them.
At the critical moment, Kael roared, "Lulu—NOW! Teleport!"
A brilliant blue glow erupted from Lulu's eyes. Since evolving into Kirlia, her psychic power had grown immensely. Teleporting Kael alone would've been easy—but moving four others as well was an enormous strain.
Blue light enveloped all five of them.
With a sharp cry, Lulu activated her power.
The group vanished from the center of the vortex—and reappeared roughly fifty meters away.
"…Damn it. Too close."
Kael finally lost his composure. Still, he knew Lulu had done everything she could. Even teleporting him alone barely reached two hundred meters—at the vortex's speed, that distance meant nothing.
"I'm sorry, Kael… Lulu's too weak…"
Her exhausted voice echoed in his mind. Teleporting five people had drained her completely.
"It's okay," Kael said gently. "You did your best."
He recalled Lulu into her Poké Ball, carefully, as the sea continued to rage around them.