Pokémon, Ash's art style is off!

But a win is a win; the details don't matter!

Xiao Zhi took a few seconds to process it.

"That... about Dr. Fried's teacher..."

Xiao Zhi still wouldn't give up.

“That’s true!” The old captain quickly seized this opportunity to prove he wasn’t just bragging. “I taught him how to keep the bow steady in a storm and how to navigate using star charts. In the art of sailing, I’m practically his mentor!”

"Grandpa, what do you do for a living?"

Xiaoxia asked curiously.

"A sailor? Or..."

The old man straightened his not-so-straight back.

"I am the captain."

He pointed to the ground beneath his feet.

"He is the captain of this ship, the 'St. Anne'."

"captain?!"

Xiao Gang and Xiao Xia were also dumbfounded.

"Are you still on duty? Is it really okay to drink now?"

"Of course it's not allowed according to the rules."

The old captain took another big gulp and let out a satisfied sigh.

"But what can I do? I'm the rule."

"Besides, I didn't want to drink it either..."

He gazed at the sea and suddenly sighed.

"Besides... I don't really want to drink it."

Is there something you're having trouble saying?

Xiao Zhi pressed for an answer.

"Pretty much, but I get seasick."

Xiao Gang: "?"

Xiaoxia: "?"

Xiao Zhi: "?"

"seasick?"

The three spoke in unison.

A captain, seasick?

"Yeah, I get seasick. I feel nauseous and want to vomit as soon as I get on the ship. It's an old problem of mine."

The old captain spoke as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"If I don't have a drink to calm my nerves, how can I direct navigation when I'm dizzy and lightheaded?"

Even though he's drunk, he can't give orders.

But it doesn't matter, he's been a captain for decades, he can steer the ship well even with his eyes closed!

"So...drinking alcohol is to cure seasickness?"

"That's one way to understand it!"

"If you drink too much, you won't feel the boat rocking anymore!"

"Fight poison with poison, you brat!"

"This is the wisdom of navigators!"

The old captain tilted his head back and took another big gulp of wine.

Of course, his heavy drinking wasn't solely to combat seasickness.

It's mainly because of the past two days.

There is a notorious hothead in the alliance, a famously low-EQ, red-haired kid, and a senior prosecutor who is always subservient to women.

Taking advantage of the darkness, he sneaked into his captain's cabin.

Without distinguishing right from wrong, it was a sneak attack.

They gave him a good beating.

I only remembered to speak to him in a human voice after I finished hitting him.

They forced him to tell them who the Rockets were on the ship and made him produce a list.

Heaven help him, how could he have known!

He was drunk all the time, and he would forget everything that others had told him as soon as he was drunk.

If this cloaked monster were to say that he himself didn't know this cruise ship belonged to Team Rocket!

After surrendering, the cloaked stranger instructed him to steer the ship to another coordinate.

He guessed that they wanted to work together with the alliance to wipe them out in one fell swoop.

But he never asks about such taboo matters.

Fortunately, there were no landmarks on the sea, and after two days out, no one has noticed that we have deviated from the course.

Seeing the ever-changing expression on the old captain's face, Ash couldn't help but ask with concern.

"But... is it really safe to drink during work hours?"

"Safety?"

Upon hearing this, the old captain straightened his back instantly, temporarily forgetting his previous grievances, patting his chest, and making the wine jar rattle loudly.

"Young man, what a question you ask!"

"I've been sailing for so many years, and I can't say anything else but one word—steady!"

"Even in the fiercest storms, my boat won't even rock..."

His bold words had not yet fully dissipated in the sea breeze.

Sudden--

"Boom!"

The ship tilted noticeably to one side, and a muffled thud and a slight tremor came from the deck.

"Pikachu?!"

Pikachu almost slipped off Ash's shoulder.

The old captain's words came to an abrupt halt, and his body swayed.

The smug expression on his face froze instantly.

"...Ahem," he cleared his throat, trying to regain his composure, and waved to Xiaozhi and the others, attempting to save face, "It's just a small wave, a small wave! The ocean, after all, has its ups and downs. This isn't really a rocking wave! I'm referring to the real kind..."

"Boom—crash!"

The entire St. Anne suddenly shook violently!

The lights on the deck flickered a few times, and in the distance came a few soft gasps from passengers and the clinking of cups and plates.

Except for Xiao Zhi, whose lower body was extremely stable and who remained rooted to the spot, everyone else was staggering.

The old captain was caught completely off guard and stumbled. If Ash hadn't caught him quickly, he would have almost rolled over.

The old captain leaned on the railing, watching the empty wine jug roll away.

Then look at the three boys' faces, which are filled with "Didn't you just say it wouldn't shake?"

His face flushed red, and after a long pause, he managed to squeeze out a sentence with extreme embarrassment.

"...Tonight's waves...they...they're unreasonable!"

"Could it have hit something?"

"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"

The old captain waved his hand.

"I know this area well... uh, anyway, there's no way there's anything there!"

Even if he wasn't familiar with the route, he was still a veteran captain with decades of experience!

How could I possibly make such a basic mistake!

It was as if it was meant to slap him in the face—

"Ahhh—!"

"Look over there!"

An even louder cry of alarm suddenly erupted from the bow of the ship.

I looked in the direction of the sound.

Several thick tentacles, resembling giant pythons and covered with suckers, suddenly burst through the sea surface, crashing heavily onto the railings of the upper deck with a splashing sound!

Immediately afterwards, an extremely large shadow, resembling a small hill, slowly rose from the side of the ship.

That giant Pokémon that looks like a jellyfish.

Its umbrella-shaped head is blue.

There were also two large and one small red agate-like objects on its head.

Blue, pincer-like objects grew from beneath its body.

"It's a stinging jellyfish!"

Misty recognized the Pokémon.