On this day, the sun was shining brightly. Caster sat on a rock by the shore, fishing as usual.
Whoosh! The float suddenly sank, and Caster quickly pulled up the rod. As the big fish emerged from the water, his cheat ability's reward arrived as promised.
[Caught 'Magikarp,' rewarded 1 'Energy Orb.']
[The catch limit for 'Magikarp' has been reached. No further rewards will be given for subsequent catches. Please go catch other Pokémon!]
"Huh???" Caster first froze, then said disappointedly: "There's a catch limit for each Pokémon species? This is troublesome!"
Magikarp was undoubtedly one of the most numerous Pokémon species in this world, able to survive anywhere there was water.
The key was that it wasn't picky about food, would eat anything available, and wasn't afraid of being caught by Trainers.
Because once caught, it meant they'd never have to worry about food again and would have a stable meal ticket. So Magikarp was the easiest fish to catch and Caster's favorite!
His original plan had been to grind Magikarp exclusively until his fish evolved into Gyarados, then launch his fishing tour plan afterward.
But if catching Magikarp no longer gave rewards, that would undoubtedly throw a wrench in the works. Magikarp, don't come next time, I'm afraid other Pokémon in the water will get the wrong idea!
"When is that goofball finally going to show up? It's been three days and not a sign of him."
Caster looked westward toward Mt. Moon. He'd been hoping to discuss bait-making methods with Misty!
Previously, when catching Magikarp still gave rewards, Caster hadn't been so anxious. But now, he was genuinely worried!
However, some things couldn't be rushed, so Caster sat cross-legged on the rock by the shore and opened PokéTube.
His video "Magikarp Goes God-Mode, Sweeps Gym Battle Three-to-Zero!" now had a million views, and his follower count had exceeded 50,000 and was still steadily increasing, with thousands of new followers daily.
But with no new explosive content appearing, the momentum was inevitably declining.
While scrolling, Caster came across Erika's channel, currently live-streaming a fashion show.
"A perfectly good Gym Trainer, but she has to go out doing fashion shows. Really neglecting her proper duties." Caster first complained, then happily began his 'critique,' eyes glued to the screen.
...
Meanwhile, three figures appeared at the far end of the road, one with a Pikachu perched on his shoulder.
"Ash! Brock! We're almost at Cerulean City, hurry up!" A girl wearing a yellow tank top and blue shorts with orange hair turned around, constantly urging her two companions behind her.
"Misty, what's gotten into you? You were so reluctant to go to Cerulean City before. Why are you suddenly in such a rush?"
Ash, wearing a blue short-sleeved jacket and cap, was very confused. Pikachu stood on his shoulder, also blinking its little eyes.
"Misty saw a video online before and has been like this ever since." Brock, with eyes narrowed to slits and a mature, steady demeanor, was very observant.
"Huh? A video? What video?"
"Seems like a Trainer used a Magikarp to win a gym battle. I was recommended it too."
"What? Isn't Magikarp the weakest Pokémon?" Ash blurted out: "What gym is so terrible that it could be beaten by a Magikarp?"
As soon as the words left his mouth, Ash suddenly felt a murderous aura, his neck feeling chilly.
Turning his head, he saw Misty had turned red. She seemed to want to refute, but couldn't. After all, this was a fact. The internet had gone crazy over it.
"It's all that 'Fishing Dreamer's' fault! Why is he so mean!" Misty stomped over to the roadside to sulk.
With Magikarp's victory, Caster had indeed gained traffic and buzz, but Cerulean Gym had also become the laughingstock of the Pokémon world.
Online public opinion was turbulent, with criticism everywhere.
After all, if you couldn't even beat a Magikarp, was there really any point in this gym continuing to operate?
Before becoming a Water-type Pokémon Master, Misty hadn't wanted to see her sisters again, but now, with the gym facing a crisis, as a member, she naturally couldn't stand aside.
"If only I'd been there that day. A mere Magikarp would be no match for me." Misty gritted her teeth.
Although Misty was the youngest of the Cerulean Sisters, in terms of Pokémon battling ability, she was undoubtedly number one.
So her rush to get back was actually to restore Cerulean Gym's reputation.
"Huh? That person is..." Suddenly, Misty saw the handsome young man sitting by the lake not far away, her eyes widening: "It's him! That Fishing Dreamer?!"
After confirming the person's identity, Misty stormed over viciously: "Making my Cerulean Gym a laughingstock, and you dare appear in front of me? You're asking for it!"
"Hey, hey, hey, Misty, what are you going to do?" Ash and Brock, sensing something bad might happen, quickly followed.
...
By the shore, Caster, who'd been watching intently, vaguely heard footsteps and reflexively closed his phone.
Turning his head, his face immediately showed joy. The protagonist team had finally arrived!
Ooh, Pikachu! So cute, I want to pet it!
"Hey, you're the PokéTube streamer 'Fishing Dreamer,' right? I'm Misty, and I'm challenging you!" Misty came on strong, directly pulling out a Poké Ball.
"Huh? Misty? Misty from Cerulean City?" As the instigator, Caster naturally knew why Misty was angry.
But he'd already prepared a response plan, so he pretended to be surprised: "The 'Talented Beautiful Girl' of the Cerulean Four Sisters, the 'Tomboyish Mermaid,' Miss Misty?"
Caster's acting went online, like a fanatic fan meeting a celebrity.
After carefully looking Misty over a few times, his eyes even began to sparkle as he exclaimed: "It really is you! You're even prettier in person than in photos. I almost didn't recognize you."
"???" This combination punch from Caster completely threw Misty off. Her earlier intention to condemn him had long been tossed to the back of her mind.
"You... know me?" Misty's eyes flashed.
Cerulean Gym was clearly run by four Trainer sisters, but almost everyone only knew about the Cerulean Three Sisters and followed their water ballet performances.
As for Misty, she was always overlooked. Over the years, Misty had gotten used to it. But she never expected that here, someone would pay such attention to her?
"Obviously!" Caster gave a quick nod, throwing in just the right amount of charm. "Honestly, out of the Four Cerulean Sisters? You're miles ahead. The others just had a head start, that's all.
They're older and have had more time to develop. But in terms of raw talent, or understanding Water-types? Beauty, too, if I'm being real? They don't even come close to you."
Misty blinked, then grinned, clearly eating it up. "Well, someone's got a good eye," she said, half-laughing, half-smug. He'd hit the bullseye with that one.
Seeing her reaction, Caster pushed a little further, just enough to keep the momentum. "To tell the truth... when I came to challenge the Cerulean Gym, I wasn't really aiming for your sisters.
I came hoping to see you, Misty. I wanted to learn—like, really learn—how to handle Water-types from someone who gets it."
He scratched the back of his neck, a little sheepish. "But you weren't around that day, so I ended up battling the others instead. Kind of... accidentally won."
Misty's expression shifted—surprised, then thoughtful, and finally, like something clicked into place. "Ohhh. So that's what happened. Well, if that's the case, I guess... it wasn't your fault."
And really, what could she even blame him for? The guy clearly admired her, maybe even looked up to her. There was something kind of refreshing about it.
Plus, she knew exactly what level her sisters were at.
Let's be real. Sometimes they handed out Gym Badges just for helping mop the floor. It was infuriating. Total disgrace to the Gym.
Meanwhile, Caster had basically rocketed to the top of her "not annoying" list in like, five minutes flat.
Off to the side, Ash and Brock were frozen mid-blink. They turned to each other, basically whisper-shouting:
"Wait, Misty is a Cerulean Gym Leader?!"
"And he's the guy who won that viral Magikarp battle online?" Brock added, eyes wide. "This dude might actually be... kind of a big deal."
Ash didn't wait. He stepped forward with that familiar glint in his eye. Classic Ash-mode activated.
"I'm Ash, from Pallet Town!" he said, totally fired up. "Wanna have a Pokémon battle?"
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~ Push the story forward with your Power Stones