Chapter 129: Horsea’s Warning

"Heal Horsea first! Staryu, go!" Misty quickly grabbed a Poké Ball, intending to send out Staryu to bring Horsea ashore for treatment. But just as she was about to act, Horsea moved.

Instead of waiting to be rescued, Horsea suddenly spat ink into the water, forming two distinct patterns on the sea's surface. The images resembled two Pokémon, and though the waves quickly distorted the drawings, Ash and his friends recognized them immediately.

"Tentacool and Tentacruel?" Misty, being well-versed in Water-type Pokémon, identified them right away. But she had no idea why Horsea was drawing these Pokémon and didn't dwell on it too much. Right now, helping Horsea recover was the priority.

"Staryu, bring Horsea up!" Misty commanded as she tossed her Poké Ball. Staryu splashed into the water and swiftly moved toward Horsea, attempting to carry it back to shore.

But Horsea resisted. It struggled free from Staryu's grasp, slipped back into the sea, and once again spat out the same Tentacool and Tentacruel patterns. It let out rapid, high-pitched cries, its small body trembling with urgency.

"Ash, what's it saying?" Misty asked, growing concerned. She knew that Ash had a special ability—he could understand Pokémon.

Ash's expression darkened. This was exactly what he had feared.

The Tentacruel swarm was attacking the underwater construction site. But there was something missing—he couldn't quite recall how the giant Tentacruel came to be in the anime.

And Horsea hadn't mentioned any giant Tentacruel—only a large number of them launching an attack. Ash vaguely remembered that under the leadership of a massive Tentacruel, the swarm had simultaneously used Surf, triggering a tsunami that engulfed Yumachi Wharf and even spread to all of Rampool City, causing enormous destruction.

Just as Ash was about to explain to Misty and Brock—

BOOM!

A massive explosion echoed from afar.

Ash and his friends turned toward the source of the sound, eyes widening in shock. A transport ship on the ocean had erupted in flames!

"This is bad!" Misty gasped. Without hesitation, she tossed another Poké Ball. "Starmie, go!"

Ash quickly followed suit, releasing his Wartortle.

"Everyone, go save the passengers!" Ash commanded, pointing toward the sinking ship.

As the Pokémon rushed toward the disaster site, three crew members leaped off the burning vessel into the ocean. Panic gripped their faces as they struggled to stay afloat. But before they could swim to safety—

Something attacked from below.

The men's expressions froze in terror as unseen forces dragged them beneath the surface.

Fortunately, Staryu, Starmie, and Wartortle arrived just in time. Diving into the depths, they immediately spotted dozens of Tentacool lurking beneath the waves. Their glowing eyes sent an ominous chill through the water.

Realizing the urgency, the Pokémon acted fast—grabbing the drowning men and pulling them to the surface, swimming as fast as they could toward the shore.

Once the survivors were safely brought to land, Brock quickly examined them.

"They're paralyzed… but why?" Brock murmured, noticing their frozen limbs. More and more bystanders gathered, whispering anxiously among themselves.

"Someone needs to call Officer Jenny and get them to the hospital!" Brock instructed a nearby passerby.

"No problem!" The stranger nodded and immediately contacted the authorities.

Meanwhile, Brock turned to Ash and Misty. "Why did the ship explode?" he muttered, frowning. Something wasn't right.

Misty suddenly remembered Horsea's warning.

"Starmie, Staryu, bring Horsea back up," she ordered. The two Water-types carefully lifted Horsea onto the shore, where Brock began administering basic treatment.

Horsea, still distressed, continued chattering frantically. But being out of the water made it difficult for it to communicate properly.

Ash nodded in understanding. "I get it. I'll explain."

"What's happening?" Misty and Brock asked in unison.

By now, most of the gathered crowd had lost interest and started to disperse. The onlookers didn't realize the true danger that was unfolding.

"Horsea says that the Tentacruel swarm is attacking the hotel being built on the coral reef," Ash revealed.

Brock and Misty's expressions darkened. "But why?" Misty asked. "Why would they attack the building?"

Ash sighed. "It's probably because the coral reef is their home."

Misty and Brock exchanged glances. This was serious.

A few minutes later, a police car arrived.

Officer Jenny stepped out, her face grim. She had clearly heard about the explosion before arriving. Her team immediately loaded the three injured workers into an ambulance. Just as she was about to leave—

"Wait, Officer Jenny!" Brock hurried over, looking serious. For once, he wasn't trying to flirt—this was important.

Officer Jenny turned toward him, her expression still stern.

"We have information about the attack," Brock said. "Horsea saw a huge number of Tentacool and Tentacruel in the area. The explosion might have been their doing."

Officer Jenny gritted her teeth, frustration evident on her face. "I already know about the Tentacruel situation… but my hands are tied."

She clenched her fists. "This isn't the first time they've attacked the coral reef."

Her anger wasn't directed at Ash and his friends—it was directed at the people who caused this mess in the first place.

"The leader of Rampool City should never have sold that reef to Mei Ling, that old woman from Silph Co.," Officer Jenny muttered bitterly. "If she hadn't started building that ridiculous hotel, none of this would be happening. No one would've gotten hurt. The Tentacruel would've been left alone."

Brock's eyes darkened. "That explains a lot…"

Ash stepped forward. "Officer Jenny, I think you need to take this more seriously."

Jenny glanced at him, slightly confused. "What do you mean?"

Ash pointed at Horsea, still resting in Misty's arms. "I can understand Pokémon speech. Horsea said there are hundreds of thousands of Tentacool and Tentacruel gathering below the sea."

Officer Jenny's eyes widened. "Hundreds of thousands?!"

"I don't know the exact number," Ash admitted. "But if that many attack Yumachi Wharf…" He trailed off, letting the implication sink in.

Jenny paled. This was worse than she thought.

If hundreds of thousands of Tentacool and Tentacruel launched a combined Surf attack, it would cause a massive tsunami. It wouldn't just flood Yumachi Wharf—it could wipe out all of Rampool City.Chapter 128: Horsea

"Issue a Level-One Security Alert!" Officer Jenny barked at her subordinates. "Report this to the Pokémon League immediately!"

Her officers froze for a moment—then saluted nervously.

"U-Understood, ma'am!"

As the officers hurried to relay the emergency, Ash, Misty, and Brock exchanged tense looks.

The real battle hadn't even begun yet…

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