Early morning, 5:00 a.m.
Ash and Brock finally went to sleep.
Early morning, 8:00 a.m.
Ash and Brock dragged themselves out of bed. After a quick wash-up, they hurried toward Deck Three.
When you've promised friends to go fishing, even exhaustion can't stop you!
"Hahaha—what is this? Hey, hometown hero, your dark circles are huge!"
"Ash, did you guys get beaten up or something? Those panda eyes—are you cosplaying Pancham?"
When daylight broke and they reunited with Misty and Blue, both girls covered their mouths and burst into laughter.
Ash frowned and immediately redirected the fire toward Brock.
"Hey, don't just laugh at me—look at Brock! His dark circles—"
He stopped mid-sentence.
Brock… didn't have any.
Or rather, they had completely blended into his skin tone, making them impossible to distinguish.
The area where dark circles should be actually looked a bit lighter.
Those were aegyo-sal.
"…Never mind then."
Brock: "?"
The S.S. Anne Fishing Tournament was being held on this wide-open deck.
The event ran from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Participants could fish as many times as they wanted, but in the end, only one Pokémon could be submitted for judging.
The judging criteria were comprehensive:
rarity, regional scarcity, battle potential, appearance, and more.
The top three winners would receive generous rewards.
The deck had been split cleanly into two zones, separated by a bold dividing line.
One side was elegant and luxurious.
Rows of professional-grade fishing rods lined the back. A massive buffet table stood nearby—thirsty guests could sip 83-year-old Lafitte, while hunger was soothed with A13,000-grade premium steaks.
This was the world of the elite.
Below that side of the deck lay the best coral reef fishing grounds, where rare Pokémon spawned at incredibly high rates.
The other side?
The commoner zone.
A few crooked, beat-up fishing rods lay scattered around—fragile enough that even catching a Magikarp might snap them in half.
As for food?
Steamed buns with mustard.
Painfully humble.
The fishing spot itself was even worse—a stagnant stretch of open water, dull and lifeless.
Even fishing has class discrimination now? Ridiculous.
The four shook their heads and tried to step into the elite area—only to be stopped by a crewman.
"Sorry. This is an upper-class zone. Please don't enter."
"At the very least, you need a tie."
All four: "…"
The crewman glanced again, then his expression changed to one of respect.
"But this young lady—you may enter."
Everyone followed his gaze.
Orange hair.
Short.
Misty?!
"Oh ho ho~!!"
Misty proudly waved her Three-Star Master Angler ID, her face full of smug delight.
She was a veteran fisherwoman, a true professional. In fishing tournaments like this, real skill could break through class barriers.
Without even looking back, she stepped into the elite zone, holding a premium fishing rod and staring back at the three from afar.
"I'm off to experience upper-class life," she said casually.
"I'll come back later and share some life wisdom."
The three: "…"
Damn it.
But also—
So jealous.
Returning to the commoner deck, the remaining three looked dejected.
Ash casually grabbed a battered fishing rod, slung it over his shoulder, and patted them on the back.
"Fishing is all about skill. What's the point of pay-to-win?" he declared.
"Show some pride! Some spirit! This is how poor people fish!"
".?"
Still, the two were fired up.
They each picked the least-broken-looking broken rod and joined the fishing crowd.
Most of the deck's edge was already packed with anglers, forcing the trio into a tiny corner.
"Farfetch'd damn it… how does the sea even spawn a mudflat?" Ash complained, peering ahead.
"Am I supposed to fish up Mudbray or something?!"
The water in front of them looked like pure sludge—muddy, lifeless, with plastic bags floating everywhere.
With no choice, he cast his baited hook.
Ash wasn't really looking to catch Pokémon anymore—he just wanted to focus on training his Squirtle.
Still, the first place title was tempting.
Brock wasn't greedy either.
His goal was simple:
Catch a Kabuto or Omanyte and put it on display at home.
As for Blue, her objective was even simpler.
She wanted to fish up a rusted cleaver infused with iron oxide, then someday use it on a certain flea's artery.
She'd even named the move already.
"Tetanus Slash."
The sea breeze rolled in with gentle waves.
The three pulled over small stools and began enjoying what felt like early retirement at age ten.
Half an hour later, Ash suddenly felt his rod twitch.
His lips curled into a grin as he jumped to his feet.
With a sharp pull, the rod flicked upward.
Splash!
A small, yellow-brown fish flew into the air and landed in his hand.
It was covered in brown blotches and… incredibly ugly.
Ash frowned.
He felt like he'd seen this Pokémon before.
Pokédex:
"Feebas, the Fish Pokémon. Extremely common. Found everywhere. Completely unremarkable and of no value whatsoever."
"Feebaa…?"
Feebas stared blankly at Ash, not struggling at all.
"Common?" Ash muttered.
Without hesitation, he tossed it back into the water.
He wasn't here to catch Pokémon—he was here to catch something rare enough to win first place.
This thing screamed ordinary.
At least Magikarp would flop around a bit—this one didn't even move.
Nope.
Next.
On the other side, Brock reeled in a strange, crawling Pokémon.
It had a flat, earth-yellow shell on its back, a dark underside, and sharp claws protruding from beneath.
Pokédex:
"Kabuto, the Shellfish Pokémon. An ancient species. Due to humans' love of eating, it went extinct. Cooking methods are only recorded in ancient recipes."
Ash & Blue: "???"
Did he just catch something illegal?!
Brock's eyes gleamed sharply. Without hesitation, he tossed a Poké Ball and captured Kabuto.
Grinning broadly, he recast his line.
"I'm not greedy," he said cheerfully.
"One Omanyte and I'm satisfied!"
Seeing both companions succeed, Blue quickly focused on her own bobber, silently praying to the heavens.
She was a woman of faith.
She worshipped many gods—surely at least one would bless her.
"Got one!"
The bobber twitched.
Blue beamed and yanked the rod up.
A dark object flew into the air.
A big one!
When it landed in her hand—
It was black.
Pokédex:
"Congratulations! You obtained item: Old Boot (Left)."
Blue: "..."
The early successes only fueled their competitive spirit.
Maybe this muddy patch really was a hidden treasure spot?
But before they could cast again, a sudden engine roar echoed across the sea.
Everyone turned to look.
On the water, a spiky-haired boy wearing floral beach shorts and flip-flops was surfing atop a turtle Pokémon, performing flashy stunts.
The massive waves churned the muddy waters into chaos, washing away all three of their bobbers.
"HEY!! YOU FLEA!!"
Blue exploded on the spot.
She ripped off her hat and nearly leapt straight off the deck, fully intent on dragging Gary down with her.
"Calm down! Calm down!" Ash hurriedly grabbed her.
He remembered all too well—his hometown rival was a non-swimmer, hard-countered by Water-types.
As a kid, Gary had once nearly drowned after getting tangled in lake weeds near Pallet Town.
"Hahahaha! Feast your eyes on my handsome back, losers~~!"
Gary flipped them off from the water, laughing wildly.
The Wartortle beneath him powered forward, surfing dozens of meters away until they reached an empty coral reef area.
Only then did Gary sit cross-legged atop its shell, slowing down.
Hmph. Fishing from the ship?
How could you ever catch anything big like that?
Only by surfing with a Pokémon could you land the real prizes!
With supreme confidence, Gary pulled out a premium fishing rod and began fishing as well.
PS: I've been releasing chapters daily . Honestly, it hurts seeing almost no support on Patreon after all that work.
If you're enjoying the fic, even a little, supporting me would mean a lot. It helps a student stay independent .
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