Early the next morning, there was no way Tetsuya was going to miss his ride. He got up early, ate breakfast, and boarded the bus to Sunnytown.
Although Stone Town was not far from Sunnytown, the journey was far from convenient. They had to transfer to a ferry to cross the river, making the trip rather troublesome.
It took half a day to reach Sunnytown, which was exactly why they had planned to build the bridge across the river. Once completed, it would take only an hour to travel from one bank to the other.
After a long and bumpy journey, they finally reached the riverbank. The bus drove directly onto the ferry, which was specially designed to transport vehicles of all sizes, including freight trucks, across the river.
After boarding the ferry, most of the passengers chose to get off the bus and head onto the ship's deck to enjoy the breeze and the scenery.
Tetsuya also stepped onto the deck and watched the rolling waves. In the distance, he could see the bridge under construction. However, work had come to a complete halt, and the completed sections had already been heavily damaged by the Water-type Pokémon. Many people sighed at the sight. The League's losses this time were already beyond estimation.
"I'm going to Sunnytown this time to answer Gym Leader Giovanni's call. We'll drive away all these Pokémon so construction can continue smoothly," One of the Trainers on the deck declared confidently.
His words were immediately met with praise from many of the passengers.
Soon, another seven or eight Trainers on the deck also revealed their identities, and a sense of pride naturally welled up within them.
"We're really counting on Pokémon Trainers like you. Fighting Pokémon for the sake of making travel more convenient for everyone… you're truly heroes in our eyes!"
"That's right, that's right!"
The praise practically lifted those Trainers into the clouds, making them feel rather pleased with themselves.
Still, Pokémon Trainers in this world did indeed enjoy a certain sense of superiority.
There were many jobs and responsibilities that only Trainers could handle. Of course, becoming a Pokémon Trainer capable of roaming the wilderness without restraint was no easy feat.
---◓---
The ferry had already crossed more than half the river when the ship's alarm suddenly sounded. Immediately afterward, a loudspeaker announcement echoed throughout the vessel:
[Attention, all passengers. Attention, all passengers! A group of Tentacruel is approaching ahead. Please leave the deck and return to the cabins immediately. We have already requested assistance from the Sunnytown police. Please remain calm and return to the cabins in an orderly manner!]
[Attention, all passengers. Attention, all passengers! A group of…]
[Attention, all passengers. Attention, all…]
…
The announcement continued repeating itself. Many passengers fled toward the cabins in panic, and the scene quickly descended into chaos.
Suddenly, someone in the crowd shouted, "Don't be afraid, everyone! There are Pokémon Trainers here! Surely they can handle a mere group of Tentacruel. Let's see these Trainers show us what they can do~!"
After hearing that, many people felt it made sense. The crowd gradually calmed down, and everyone's attention turned toward the Trainers who had spoken earlier.
'''''''…'''''''
The Trainers forced awkward smiles onto their faces, and even their voices lacked confidence as they said, "E-Everyone, don't worry. We'll definitely, e-eh, protect you!"
The eight Trainers on the deck then stepped to the very front of the crowd, each sending out their Pokémon to prepare for battle.
Meanwhile, the ferry had already come to a complete stop. Faced with a group of Tentacruel, it dared not move recklessly. If the Tentacruel sprayed Acid, a ferry like this, which was not built from any special materials, would inevitably be corroded.
At that moment, the captain also came onto the deck and repeatedly praised the Trainers. "I'm counting on all of you! As long as you can hold off these Tentacruel until the rescue team arrives and keep my ship intact, I'll be sure to reward you generously!"
The moment they heard the words "reward you generously," the Trainers finally gathered their courage and said, "Don't worry. We'll definitely help you."
Tetsuya simply leaned against the railing and watched to see how these "Pokémon Trainers" would perform.
Tentacruel living in the river had all evolved through countless battles. Their strength was certainly not to be underestimated. Moreover, there was not a single Tentacool among the approaching group, which meant every one of them was an elite of the colony. They would not be easy to deal with.
As long as his own interests were not affected, Tetsuya had no intention of making a move. It would be better to conserve his condition and put on a good "performance" in front of Giovanni after arriving in Sunnytown.
In the blink of an eye, the Tentacruel were already close to the ferry. Tetsuya counted them. There were sixteen Tentacruel in total!
"Go, Seaking!"
"Staryu, I choose you!"
"Kingler, drive them back!"
The three Trainers with Water-type Pokémon were the first to act. Seaking, Staryu, and Kingler leaped into the river. However, the moment they saw more than a dozen Tentacruel, they froze in fear. None of them dared provoke the group first. But the Tentacruel charged forward aggressively without hesitation!
A barrage of Poison Sting shot toward them.
Facing Poison Sting from more than a dozen Tentacruel, the three Pokémon had no chance to fight back. They were all overwhelmed and became unable to battle.
"Th… This…"
The passengers aboard the ship were greatly disappointed by what they had just witnessed and instinctively took several steps backward.
"Ahem… there are simply too many Tentacruel! Besides, not all of our Pokémon are Water types, besides these, so we can't fight them head-on," One of the Trainers whose Pokémon had been defeated said, trying to save… well, something.
"Then what are we supposed to do now…? My ship is depending on you!" The captain said, completely at a loss.
"Everyone! Now's the time to send out all of our Pokémon. We'll launch our moves from the deck and stop the Tentacruel from advancing. That's the only way to protect the ship and ensure everyone's safety," Said the Trainer who had been the first to boast earlier.
"That makes sense!"
After saying that, the eight Trainers sent out all of their Pokémon. Excluding the three that had already become unable to battle, they had only fifteen Pokémon in total. Even the Trainer with the largest team had only three Pokémon.
After taking one look at those Pokémon, Tetsuya shook his head. From their condition, body size, and coloration alone, it was obvious that not a single one of them was particularly strong. They had also been raised very poorly.
The Tentacruel colony had already developed hostility toward humans and was charging forward with reckless determination!
There was no way these eight Trainers' Pokémon could stop them. It seemed Tetsuya would have to be ready to step in at any moment. If the Tentacruel actually sank the ferry, it would certainly interfere with his own journey.
The fifteen Pokémon unleashed all kinds of moves from the deck toward the Tentacruel colony in the river. It did manage to slow them down for a short while.
The Tentacruel were forced to stop and use moves such as Poison Sting and Bubble Beam to resist. However, it was obvious that these Tentacruel were battle-hardened Veteran-types of the river. Before long, they completely overwhelmed the Trainers' Pokémon and suppressed all of their attacks.