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Suddenly ambushed by so many Electric-type Pokémon, Sato was caught off guard for an instant — but not panicked. In a flash, he threw out a red PokeBall etched with a lightning bolt symbol.
The moment the PokeBall burst open, all the Electric-type attacks directed at Sato abruptly curved midair — veering toward the Pokémon that had just emerged.
That Pokémon was, of course, Pikachu. Thanks to its Lightning Rod ability, it drew in every Electric-type attack released nearby, absorbing them all harmlessly.
In fact, instead of taking damage, Pikachu's Special Attack power began to surge rapidly.
However, Pikachu could only absorb so much electricity before it became uncomfortable. To vent the excess energy, it began to release everything it had absorbed.
"Pika—CHUUUU!!!"
A devastating Thunderbolt erupted from Pikachu's small body — so powerful that the lightning flashing from it was tinged with black.
Although the surrounding Electric-type Pokémon were highly resistant to electricity, the boosted Pikachu's Thunderbolt was overwhelmingly strong. Even with the damage divided among them, many still couldn't withstand it.
In an instant, a large number of Magnemite, Magneton, Voltorb, and Electrode were charred black by the current and collapsed to the floor, completely unable to battle.
But the crisis was far from over.
These Pokémon, assigned to guard the prison, were clearly following special orders. Upon realizing that the intruder was too powerful, they immediately resorted to Self-Destruct or Explosion, choosing to perish together with the enemy.
Some of the downed Voltorb and Electrode had the Aftermath ability. As soon as they fainted, their bodies began to glow with a blinding white light — ready to explode.
Even Sato felt his scalp tingle at the sight of a densely packed line of Voltorb and Electrode preparing to self-detonate.
Inside the prison cells, the captives who saw this could only stare in despair.
But strangely — even after ten seconds, there was no explosion.
The Voltorb and Electrode, though clearly in a self-detonation state, didn't go off. They were like damp fireworks — the fuse lit, but refusing to explode.
Then it became clear why. A massive Swampert stood protectively in front of Sato, releasing waves of moist air that spread throughout the prison. The humidity in the room skyrocketed.
The Explosion fizzled out completely. The Voltorb and Electrode, realizing what they were facing, looked terrified. The moment their eyes fell on Swampert, they turned tail and fled.
Of course, Sato wasn't about to let all that easy experience slip away. He immediately ordered Swampert to block the exit and released Staryu to assist Pikachu in finishing off the fleeing Pokémon.
In a matter of moments, every Electric-type guard in the prison was defeated and unconscious.
"Looks like your Swampert has the Damp ability… We're lucky to have you."
"You must be from the League, sent here to rescue us! Please, hurry and get us out!"
"And… if you have any food, could you share some too?"
A frail old man, his tattered clothes stained with blood, struggled to his feet and spoke weakly to Sato.
The other prisoners, upon hearing this, turned hopeful eyes toward him — faces filled with desperate longing.
"You must be Prof. Todd," Sato said calmly. "I was sent by Reggie to rescue you. My mission is only to get you out. As for the others… I can't save everyone."
By now, the commotion had surely alerted the Team Aqua members aboard the submarine. Time was running short, and Sato knew he couldn't possibly evacuate everyone. After confirming the old man's identity, he sent a telepathic message directly to Prof. Todd.
Without another word, he ordered Swampert, Pikachu, and Staryu to destroy all the iron bars of the prison cells. Then he took several packets of prepackaged food and bottled water from his storage gear and placed them on the floor.
Prof. Todd, a man from an older generation, immediately understood Sato's intentions through the telepathic message.
He watched the other prisoners devour the food and water with trembling hands and sighed deeply — but said nothing.
He knew it was impossible to save everyone. The fact that Sato had managed to rescue even him — from a heavily guarded Team Aqua submarine — was already nothing short of a miracle.
Sure enough, just as Sato finished freeing Prof. Todd, several Team Aqua members burst in through the entrance, commanding their Pokémon to attack Swampert, Pikachu, and Starmie.
The first wave of reinforcements wasn't strong. Swampert and Pikachu overwhelmed them instantly — leaving the Aqua members and their Pokémon sprawled unconscious on the floor.
After taking care of the initial attackers, Sato quickly recalled Swampert, perched Pikachu on his shoulder, and let Staryu shrink and cling to his back using its strong adhesive surface.
Without pausing to ask Prof. Todd's opinion — who was barely conscious by this point — Sato grabbed the old man's hand and vanished from the prison in an instant using Teleport.
When they reappeared, they were already outside the submarine, hidden in a secluded area. Before infiltrating, Sato had left a psychic marker here — now it had come in handy.
He had also left a secondary, concealed psychic coordinate inside the submarine itself, just in case.
"Here — this is a Team Aqua uniform. Put it on quickly."
"And this is a potion that'll help heal your injuries fast. Drink it now."
After confirming via psychic scan that the area was clear, Sato handed Prof. Todd a Team Aqua grunt's uniform and a potion from Team Rocket's stockpile.
Prof. Todd's condition was dire — burning with fever and covered in serious wounds. Sato feared the old man might lose his life any moment, so he had no choice but to use some of his rarer supplies to ensure the mission's success.
Without hesitation, Prof. Todd changed into the uniform and downed the potion.
Within seconds, its effects kicked in. His wounds began to close and scab over, color returned to his face, and his breathing steadied.
However, the side effects soon followed — severe fatigue. The old man's body went limp as the strength drained from his limbs.
Meanwhile, Sato quickly changed into a Team Aqua elite uniform and put on Baku's human-skin disguise once again.
Then he released Swampert and ordered it to carry the weakened Prof. Todd as they moved toward the exit.
At that time, the entire fifth floor was filled with Team Aqua personnel hurrying through the undersea tunnels to evacuate the base.
Sato and Prof. Todd blended seamlessly into the retreating crowd — slipping away unnoticed.