Do you have a USB TTL converter? I'd maybe try using that to flash the ESP8266. You'd have to solder wires onto the ESP8266 pins but it's worth a try.
When the Pico is connected to power, A2/A3 should be open circuit so if you've got them connected to the USB TTL converter you should be fine.
@Gordon started
Espruino is a JavaScript interpreter for low-power Microcontrollers. This site is both a support community for Espruino and a place to share what you are working on.
Do you have a USB TTL converter? I'd maybe try using that to flash the ESP8266. You'd have to solder wires onto the ESP8266 pins but it's worth a try.
When the Pico is connected to power, A2/A3 should be open circuit so if you've got them connected to the USB TTL converter you should be fine.