Thanks to his newly acquired "Fishing Expert" skill, Luo Yuan's movements were seamless, reeling in the line with practiced finesse.
Misty, watching nearby, couldn't help but be impressed.
Growing up in the Cerulean Gym, she was no stranger to Water-type Pokémon, and she'd picked up quite a bit about fishing. Seeing Luo Yuan's technique and the focus in his gaze, she realized he was no rookie—it was clear his skill level was beyond what she'd initially assumed.
Meanwhile, Luo Yuan was too focused on his line to notice Misty's reaction. He could tell right away that whatever he'd hooked was something special. The weight felt different.
A shadow broke the surface, pulled up by the line, and landed on the shore.
"This is...!" Misty's eyes widened as she recognized it.
Luo Yuan looked over as well.
"Dra~"
A blue, serpentine Pokémon lay coiled on the ground, water droplets shimmering on its sleek body. It looked up at Luo Yuan and Misty with wary eyes, clearly on guard.
"A Dratini!" Misty gasped.
Dratini?
Luo Yuan blinked in surprise. He hadn't expected his first catch after unlocking the "Fishing Expert" skill would be this rare.
"Luo Yuan!" Misty whispered urgently, her voice tinged with excitement, as if urging him to act quickly.
She didn't have to explain—she was hinting that he shouldn't miss this chance to catch it.
In Kanto, Dratini was a "mythical Pokémon," exceedingly rare and nearly impossible to encounter. When rumors of one appearing in the Kanto Safari Zone had once spread, it had almost led to a stampede of Trainers.
But while Misty looked tense, Luo Yuan remained calm. "No rush…"
He'd seen plenty of rare Pokémon in his time, so a Dratini wasn't enough to make him panic.
Besides, rushing wouldn't help. He only had two Pokémon, and because he needed to keep a low profile, his Dragapult couldn't be used in public.
Could Charmander actually handle catching Dratini?
Luo Yuan glanced at Charmander, who looked back at Dratini with innocent curiosity, not quite understanding the tense situation.
"Capturing Dratini might just come down to charm—or maybe a little... bribery."
Studying Dratini closely, Luo Yuan noted small injuries on its body and a slightly malnourished look. It must've been starving—that's likely why it took the bait.
Offering it food should work pretty well.
With his plan set, Luo Yuan pulled out his box of Pokéblocks and took out a specially crafted treat for Water-type Pokémon, holding it out to Dratini.
Dratini flinched back a bit, but the enticing scent of the Pokéblock caught its attention. Sniffing cautiously with its white snout, it looked between the treat and Luo Yuan.
Though its instincts warned it against eating food from a stranger, hunger soon won out. It cautiously took a small bite.
The Pokéblock melted in its mouth, the flavors exploding across its taste buds. Dratini's eyes softened, nearly closing in delight.
"Dra~"
The delicious taste and the feeling of a full stomach washed over Dratini, breaking down its last defenses. It quickly gobbled up the rest of the Pokéblock in Luo Yuan's hand.
"Tasty, huh? There's more where that came from."
Luo Yuan smiled, offering another handful of Pokéblocks.
Clearly famished, Dratini quickly dove in, chomping them down one by one.
As Dratini ate, Luo Yuan continued to chat with it.
"Where's your family?" he asked, hoping to learn more about its situation.
Dratini and its evolved forms, Dragonair and Dragonite, were typically social, rarely found alone. Young Dratini were usually guarded by at least one Dragonair, if not a Dragonite.
But it seemed this Dratini had no guardian nearby.
"Draaa…" Dratini's gaze dimmed at the mention of family, its expression tinged with sadness.
Based on Dratini's reaction, Luo Yuan guessed that it had either gotten separated from its family or its parents had been captured.
A Dratini that had been alone long enough to reach this state of hunger likely wouldn't have been able to fend for itself.
"In that case…"
"Come with me."
"If you stay with me, I'll make sure you're safe, and I'll keep you well-fed."
Luo Yuan made his pitch, gently scratching Dratini's smooth head to show it he meant no harm.
Dratini stiffened at first, but then relaxed under his touch, allowing itself to be petted.
With one last look at the box of Pokéblocks in his hand, Dratini hesitated.
Food or freedom?
It was a tough choice.
Eventually, whether from fear of being alone or from finding a sense of security with Luo Yuan, Dratini made up its mind. It nodded slowly.
"That makes us partners from now on."
"Dra!"
Luo Yuan lightly tapped Dratini's head with a Poké Ball. In a flash of red light, it was absorbed without any resistance.
Watching this, Misty struggled to find words to express her amazement.
"That's it? You just caught a Dratini like that?"
If other Trainers found out he'd managed to catch a Dratini with just a few Pokéblocks, they'd probably be green with envy.
Luo Yuan simply smiled. It wasn't as easy as it looked.
First, he'd had to be lucky enough to reel in a hungry Dratini. Then he had to have food suitable for a Water-type Pokémon on hand. Finally, he needed the personal charisma to put Dratini at ease.
Only with all those conditions met could he have caught it this way.
"Come on out, Dratini!"
As the Dratini reappeared, it seemed to have accepted its new situation and was noticeably more relaxed. It gently rubbed against Luo Yuan's side, using its tail to pick up more Pokéblocks and munch on them.
Luo Yuan stroked Dratini's head, then glanced over at Misty. "I didn't end up stealing your target, did I?"
Earlier, she'd mentioned looking for rare Water-types in Viridian Forest. If her goal had been Dratini, he might've just taken it without realizing.
"No, no!" Misty shook her head quickly, dismissing the thought. "I wasn't expecting to find a Dratini. I'd heard there were Horsea sightings nearby."
"Horsea?"
Its final evolution, Kingdra, gained the Dragon-type, making it a rare and valuable Pokémon, though still incomparable to Dratini's evolution into Dragonite.
"I'll help you look."
He wasn't particularly interested in catching Horsea, but since he'd be staying in the area until tomorrow, he figured he might as well lend a hand.
"Really? Thanks so much!"
Misty beamed with excitement. With Luo Yuan's fishing skills, her chances of finding a Horsea had just shot up.
Just then, Dratini tugged on Luo Yuan's pant leg with its mouth.
"Dra!"
"Hm?"
Following Dratini's gaze, Luo Yuan spotted a group of Bug Catchers along the lakeside, waving nets and searching for something.
"When did Bug Catchers start teaming up?" Luo Yuan wondered aloud.
Just then, the Bug Catchers noticed him, their gazes lingering on him for only a moment before shifting behind him.
"There it is!"
The lead Bug Catcher pointed at Dratini, and the group immediately charged forward.
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T/N: bug catchers that's not a bug pokemon!