"Not all the time." Ash looked around, then pointed to Misty's feet.
"Ah!!"
Misty looked down after hearing the sound, screamed in fright, and instinctively jumped back. She took a closer look and saw a Pokémon covered in a carapace on the beach.
It looked like a fiddler crab. Its carapace had two layers, red and white. It was spitting out white bubbles from its mouth. Unlike crabs with small, beady eyes, this one had a pair of large, human-like eyes.
"What! It's Krabby! That scared me." Misty shook her head, trying to calm down. It wasn't that the Water-type Pokémon frightened her, but its sudden appearance at her feet caught her off guard.
"Hmm~~~ Normally, Krabby can grow up to about 40 cm, but this one looks a little underdeveloped!" Brock commented, inspecting the Krabby in front of them.
This Krabby was much smaller, only around 20 cm. Honestly, with its oversized pincers, one might worry about how tired it would get carrying them around.
"Kuku!!!"
Upon hearing Brock's words, Krabby seemed displeased. It spat out some bubbles and let out a small growl, looking slightly indignant.
"Ah! I'm sorry. As a breeder, I shouldn't have said that. I apologize!" Brock quickly responded, noticing Krabby's reaction. He then turned to Misty and asked, "Misty, do you want to catch it?"
"I... I'll pass! This Krabby looks stunted, and I'm terrified of Pokémon with too many legs." Misty shuddered at the thought. Even as a Water Pokémon Trainer, there were some she just couldn't handle.
It wasn't just Krabby. She wasn't fond of Tentacool and Tentacruel either.
"Why do you keep calling it stunted? Maybe it just hasn't fully grown yet," Ash said, taking off his backpack. He approached Krabby and squatted down, thinking, *Silly humans, they don't understand anything about Krabby's potential.*
If it were in his time, Ash might jokingly compare this Krabby to Ma Hongjun (1), although it couldn't take on seven at once, three would still be easy.
"Hey little guy, would you like to be my Pokémon?" Ash asked, looking at Krabby with a hopeful smile.
"Are you serious, Ash?" Misty asked, bewildered. She couldn't believe Ash wanted to catch such a tiny Krabby. She knew the Pokémon Ash had caught before were unexpectedly strong, even if abandoned by their previous Trainers.
Their former owners were clearly short-sighted, but this Krabby didn't look particularly powerful.
And was this really the way to catch a Pokémon? Even though Ash's previous methods were surprising, they at least made sense. But persuading a Pokémon with just a few words? It challenged her entire perspective on training.
"What's wrong with that? If every Pokémon was already super strong, being a Trainer would be boring!" Ash replied, undeterred, still looking at Krabby with anticipation.
"Kuku!!!"
Hearing Ash's words, Krabby lifted its head slightly, meeting Ash's genuine smile. Brock and Misty's earlier comments about its size seemed to stir something in Krabby's heart.
After a brief pause, Krabby narrowed its eyes into a crescent shape, as if smiling back at Ash. Seeing this, Ash smiled too and pulled out a Poké Ball.
"Alright, let's do this!" Ash said, holding the Poké Ball in his hand. He gently tapped it against Krabby's forehead.
The Poké Ball opened instantly, pulling Krabby inside. The ball closed, and its button glowed red. Ash held it in his hands, watching it shake.
After a few moments, the Poké Ball finally stopped moving, and the red light faded away.
"Look! Catching Pokémon isn't just about battling; it's all about the method." Ash shook the Poké Ball in his hand and grinned.
"I agree. Gaining a Pokémon's heartfelt approval is the most important thing," Brock chimed in. Before traveling with Ash, he hadn't really understood this, but after journeying with him, it became clear.
"Hmph! Yes, yes, yes! You're right," Misty responded arrogantly, though deep down, she agreed.
O!!!
At that moment, the Poké Ball emitted a light and then disappeared from Ash's hand. The three of them knew it had been sent to Professor Oak's Laboratory.
"It's getting dark. Are we going to have to sleep outdoors again tonight?" Misty asked, looking at the sky. The sun had already dipped below the horizon. Although she loved the ocean, she wasn't fond of sleeping in the wild, despite being used to it by now.
"There's a lot of sea around here, and no Pokémon Center in sight. It seems like we won't have any other choice," Brock said as he glanced at the map.
"It's not like there's nowhere to go. Look over there!" Ash pointed off into the distance. He had a feeling there should be a lighthouse nearby, and sure enough, he spotted it after a quick scan.
Perched on the cliffs overlooking the beach was a towering lighthouse. As the sky darkened, its beam began spinning, illuminating the night and guiding ships across the sea.
"It's a lighthouse! If the light's on, that means someone's there. But it's probably a private place," Brock remarked.
"Do you think we could stay there for the night? It's got to be better than sleeping outside!" Misty said excitedly. It wasn't the same as a Pokémon Center, and it might not have the best accommodations, but it was definitely better than camping in the wild.
"That's true!" Brock agreed. Having shelter, even at a private residence, would be worth it.
"Then let's go!" Ash said, signaling for the others to follow as he headed toward the lighthouse.
Misty and Brock immediately trailed behind him.
Though the lighthouse wasn't far, its location on the cliff made the climb a bit challenging.
After about ten minutes, they finally reached the gate of the lighthouse.