Chapter 75: Run!
It really wasn't Justin's fault for making the connection; that particular sentence structure is just notoriously ominous.
Usually, when someone says they'll stop after doing just one last thing, they end up disappearing permanently...
However, the era Arthur was familiar with didn't yet have this internet meme, so he didn't immediately sense that anything was amiss.
"What's wrong?"
"Uh... no, it's nothing."
"Then let's go. Keep your movements light."
"Okay..."
Justin had no choice but to carry the camera and follow quietly behind.
Since entering the ship's interior, Pidgeotto hadn't been holding the camera, for fear the sound of her wingbeats would give them away. At this moment, she stood silently on Justin's other shoulder.
The tense atmosphere temporarily made Justin ignore certain physical feedback, so right now, he hadn't yet realized what his shoulder would endure over the next few days...
The pair moved along the silent corridor until they found a staircase and continued upward.
The captain's quarters are typically located on the first floor, level with the main deck.
They ascended two flights of stairs to reach the first floor and continued forward cautiously. The captain's room was just around the next corner. However, right at the door of the captain's room, they finally spotted, for the first time, a figure dressed in a crew member's uniform standing guard.
"There's someone there." Arthur stopped Justin, pulling back around the corner before stating the observation.
"So, what do we do?"
"You stay hidden for now. I'll go over and probe the situation."
"Uh, okay."
Arthur recalled Froakie into its Poké Ball, held it concealed in one hand behind his back, calmly lowered his head, and walked out from around the corner, pretending to casually look up only to notice the person in front of him.
"Halt. Who goes there?"
"Oh, who are you? We haven't seen you before. Why are you standing outside the captain's room?"
Arthur turned the tables, seizing the initiative by questioning first.
The person's face remained largely expressionless.
"I am stationed here under my master's command. Who are you, and why have you come here?"
The conversation continued, which was a good start for Arthur.
At least it hadn't immediately escalated into a full-blown fight.
However, the way the other person spoke instinctively made him feel that something was off.
There was a... strange quality he couldn't quite put his finger on.
"I need to see the captain about something important."
"See the captain? Why come here? Weren't they moved down to the lower cabins quite some time ago?"
In that instant, Arthur's expression remained unchanged, but internally, a storm was brewing.
His earlier premonitions had, unfortunately, all proven true!
The good news was that the captain hadn't defected; this incident apparently wasn't orchestrated by the captain and his officers.
The bad news was that his previous guesses were entirely correct: this ship had indeed changed hands and was completely under someone else's control.
Simultaneously, Arthur instantly understood the source of the strange feeling he had experienced earlier.
"Oh, I see. In that case, never mind. I'll go downstairs to look for them."
He calmly continued playing his part, slowly turning around. During the turn, he swiftly moved the hand holding the Poké Ball to his front, ensuring the other person wouldn't see it even as he turned.
Then, he calmly walked back towards the corner he had just come from, using a normal pace.
But the moment he passed the corner, he immediately grabbed Justin and started sprinting, whispering urgently at the same time, "Run!!"
The sudden pull nearly caused Justin to stumble. He asked frantically while trying to keep his balance, "What exactly is going on?"
"Ditch the camera, we don't need it anymore! Run to the nearest window and jump into the sea immediately! This ship is finished! Also, that person back there wasn't human!"
Hiss!
Justin drew in a sharp breath.
Not human, what the hell does that mean?!
Is the plot finally veering into magical realism now?
For some reason, he accepted this revelation with extraordinary calmness at this moment.
Perhaps it was because he had already suffered too many shocks earlier and had become numb...
Until Arthur quickly added another sentence.
"That was a Zoroark!"
"Phew..."
Justin finally let out a long breath, feeling a wave of relief.
Okay, thankfully, in this world, Pokémon aren't considered supernatural phenomena; they are at least within the bounds of normal human cognition.
Zoroark is a fox-faced, humanoid Dark-type Pokémon. Their innate talent allows them to transform into human form, somewhat similar to Ditto, but their transformation range isn't as broad as Ditto's. They can generally only maintain a basic body shape and make some partial adjustments to facial features.
However, even innate talents require diligent practice. The Zoroark guarding the captain's room earlier clearly lacked finesse in managing the details of its facial expressions, which was the source of the strangeness Arthur had sensed right away.
Of course, the decisive clue that truly exposed it was the sentence it spoke earlier.
It had habitually said, "I am stationed here by my master's command."
Normal humans, unless they have a particular penchant for certain kinds of roleplay, generally rarely speak in such a manner.
"What do we do next?"
Justin asked urgently as they ran.
"After you jump out, have your Pidgeotto fly to the deck immediately! Tell the Dragonite that this ship has actually been hijacked! Persuade them to stop their attack!"
Arthur had wanted to persuade them earlier, but at that time, he lacked a credible basis for his claims.
Now, however, they finally had concrete proof.
From here, as long as they could stabilize the three Dragonite, Arthur believed their side's combat strength would remain formidable. After that, they could slowly focus on catching the insider threats.
The path forward suddenly became clear.
However, often times, plans, while well-conceived, encounter numerous unexpected obstacles in reality.
The next moment, Arthur's peripheral vision suddenly caught a glimpse of a deep purple, ghostly shadow.
"Watch out!!!"
He urgently yanked Justin's arm with great force, pulling him down to the floor.
Pidgeotto took flight, instantly turning back along with him.
Behind them, the phantom image of a ghostly claw was slowly dissipating in the air. The spot where this claw had just appeared was exactly where Justin had been standing before he fell.
Before their plan could be put into action, the enemy's attack had already arrived!
Although the Zoroark had been momentarily fooled by Arthur's acting, it seemed that afterward, it eventually realized something was wrong.
And between Pokémon and their trainers, communication via the mental link established through Poké Balls is instantaneous; information transfer has absolutely zero delay, leaving no possibility of being held up.
"Holy crap?!!"
As Justin scrambled back up, he saw a terrifying ghostly face and two sharp claws right behind him, causing him to scream out loud on the spot.
The one who had launched the sneak attack on him was a Haunter, a dual-type Ghost/Poison Pokémon.
This type of Pokémon possesses the natural ability to temporarily turn its body gaseous, allowing it to phase through walls and objects. This likely explained how it could travel down so quickly from the upper levels and intercept them before Arthur and Justin could jump out the window.
As for the skill it had just used, it was almost certainly the Ghost-type move "Shadow Claw."
The cold glint left behind by the claw strike still lingered in the air, not yet fully dissipated.
This Haunter was not weak!
Indeed, turning plans into reality always seems to encounter significant resistance.
However, Arthur had no time for complaining or self-pity right now.
The Poké Ball he had been holding in his hand opened in an instant.
"Froakie, Dark Pulse!"
Without the slightest hesitation, the counterattack came in a flash!
When it was time to fight, he never hesitated!
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