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Sato had no interest whatsoever in learning about how Alice ended up in tears because of him, nor did he feel any sympathy even if he knew. Quietly, and under the wary eyes of the people around him, he left the harbor.
Time soon reached seven, and with the sun disappearing over the horizon, the last traces of daylight faded, ushering in the evening at Vermilion City.
At this time, Sato was situated in a quiet part of the sea, barely 100 meters from the Vermilion City dock. Sitting atop a Lapras, he was fishing with a sleek, modern fishing rod in hand.
This fishing rod had cost him 20,000 PokeDollars at a nearby fishing store. According to the store owner, this rod was the latest model and highly recommended for beginners, supposedly increasing the chance of hooking a wild Pokémon.
But whether it was due to bad luck, unsuitable bait, or his novice fishing skills, Sato had spent more than half an hour without catching a single Water-type Pokémon—only some common sea fish.
Meanwhile, other fishing enthusiasts in nearby boats had already reeled in several Water Pokémon, each successfully captured in a Net Ball after a brief battle.
"Come on, is my fishing skill really that bad? Not even one Water-type Pokémon!" Sato thought, growing frustrated as the float on the water remained still.
With plans to embark on a sea voyage tomorrow, Sato had thoroughly prepared with essential survival items like life rings, an inflatable raft, goggles, and other ocean survival gear. However, he realized one crucial item was missing—a Pokémon that could function well in the water.
Sato's current Pokémon team consisted of Golbat, Nidoran, Bellossom, Growlithe, and Ditto. Of these, only Ditto could potentially battle in the sea, but the rest were land-dwellers. If they fell into the ocean, the results could be disastrous.
As the saying goes, "It's better to rely on oneself." In a crisis, he trusted his own survival skills rather than depending solely on his Pokémon.
Yes, the Lapras he was sitting on was actually Ditto, transformed. In addition to fishing, Sato was also training Ditto to maintain its Lapras form.
Though Ditto could sustain the Lapras form long enough for Sato to sit on, expecting it to battle in this form was too much, especially given its low level of 15, which meant its combat ability was minimal.
Sato shook his head to dispel his disappointment, refocusing on the float bobbing in the water and calming his impatient mood.
Soon, he saw the float suddenly sink a little, bringing him a rush of excitement. Finally, after so much waiting, something was biting!
"It's strong… maybe it's a Pokémon this time."
The creature pulling on Sato's line had significant strength, so he cautiously let out some line, gradually reeling it back in, wearing down the sea creature bit by bit.
The rod was also equipped with a small electric generator that delivered mild electric shocks down the conductive line when he turned the handle, subtly weakening the hooked creature.
Eventually, through his careful effort and the rod's electric pulses, the creature's resistance waned. With one strong pull, Sato finally lifted it from the sea, and it slipped off the hook.
In the moonlight, Sato could see his first catch—a fish with red scales and a golden crown on its head.
Evidently, this was the most common Water-type Pokémon in the Pokémon world, one that could survive even in the harshest waters: Magikarp.
However, this Magikarp was quite large, measuring at least 1.2 meters long.
After realizing he had reeled in a Magikarp, Sato's eyes glimmered with a faint blue light as he quickly accessed the Magikarp's information.
Magikarp Info:
Pokémon: Magikarp
Level: 16
Type: Water
Ability: Swift Swim
Gender: Female
Known Moves: Splash, Tackle
Being pulled from the sea had understandably put the Magikarp in a foul mood. Furious after freeing itself from the painful hook, it leapt out of the water again, using its jump to launch a Tackle straight at Sato.
Unfortunately for Magikarp, it barely closed within a meter before a small white whirlwind appeared right in front of it, sweeping it up. When the whirlwind dissipated, Magikarp was left dazed, floating on the surface.
Following Sato's command, Golbat hadn't used any force; it merely created the whirlwind to make Magikarp dizzy and disoriented.
Soon enough, Magikarp regained its senses and warily eyed Sato and the Golbat perched on his shoulder. Realizing it was no match for the Pokémon trainer before it, Magikarp felt like fleeing, but instinct told it there was no escape.
"It's alright, Magikarp. You're free to go. Here, take this as a little compensation."
Noticing Magikarp hesitating to leave and watching them with caution, Sato took out a mid-quality PokeBlock and tossed it into the water in front of the Magikarp with a friendly smile.
Upon hearing Sato's words, Magikarp let out a sigh of relief, quickly diving underwater while making sure to gobble up the PokeBlock floating in the water.
The PokeBlock dissolved almost immediately upon contact with the water, and by the time Magikarp ate it, about half of it had melted. Yet the rich flavor instantly won Magikarp over.
Despite the delicious taste, Magikarp didn't linger around. After a moment's hesitation, its two yellow whiskers twitched, sensing something, and its eyes flashed with a hint of fear before it quickly swam away from the area.
After successfully reeling in Magikarp, Sato's luck seemed to turn. He began catching Water-type Pokémon one after another, but none met his standards, so he released them all.
"Another Tentacool… Golbat, send it back."
Seeing yet another Tentacool, Sato glanced at it briefly using his detection ability and, with a look of mild disappointment, gave Golbat the command.
Golbat nodded, lightly flapping its wings forward to create a small white whirlwind that swept up Tentacool and gently sent it back into the ocean.
By this time, it was nearing midnight, and a light white mist began to gather over the surrounding sea.