Chapter Twenty: An Unexpected Catch

By a small, woodland stream not far from Viridian City, Am was preparing a meal before the makeshift tent, using a solar-powered rice cooker, while Misty was fishing at a spot where the current ran swift and lively.

Today, it was Am’s turn to cook—when it came to meals, both Am and Misty were equally inept, only capable of following foolproof recipes with a portable rice cooker. Neither excelled, so they simply alternated days.

Conveniently, Misty had discovered this promising fishing spot nearby, and so she and Am had agreed to pitch camp a little earlier.

Misty’s fishing rod looked noticeably more advanced than the usual variety—thicker, with obvious electronic and mechanical components. Most strikingly, instead of a hook, the line dangled a flat, disc-like device resembling a miniature UFO.

This was a specialized tool for catching aquatic Pokémon, equipped with a signaling device.

From the perspective of traditional fishing, the water here seemed far too turbulent—this was a midstream section with a considerable drop and rocks jutting out. Though it was little more than waist-deep and less than ten meters wide, the current was wild and forceful.

Misty had chosen this spot for a reason: she was after Magikarp.

Magikarp were abundant in waters everywhere, especially in Kanto and Johto, to the point of being nearly invasive. With a base stat total of just 200, they ranked among the weakest Pokémon—yet, once evolved into Gyarados, they would surge to a fearsome 540, becoming formidable combatants.

Gyarados not only boasted a diverse move pool and strong stats but, despite being aquatic, could move across land like a giant serpent, holding its own in terrestrial battles for a time.

However, Magikarp’s evolution was no easy feat. Most never reached the crucial level 20, not even achieving level 15 to learn Tackle. Below level 15, Magikarp were virtually incapable of attacking, making it difficult to judge their potential. Scattering Poké Balls at random would be a waste of time and effort.

Thus, it truly tested a trainer’s eye.

Misty’s rationale for fishing here was to observe which Magikarp dared challenge these rapids. Only those with true fighting spirit, willing to brave such currents, would possess the ambition—and thus the hope—to evolve. At least, that was Misty’s belief.

“Lunch is almost ready…” Am called out, just as Misty gave a sudden, vigorous jerk to her rod, her swinging arm suggesting she’d hooked something substantial.

Seeing Misty’s bold motion, Am imagined she had landed a lively, determined Magikarp—but then…

Am caught sight of a flash of yellow leaping ashore, the signaling device bouncing along with it.

It was a Pokémon, its entire body a soft yellow, with small, stubby wings, a large head, and a dazed expression beneath three tufts of hair atop its head.

Am and Misty both stared in silence.

“That’s… a Psyduck, isn’t it?” Am ventured, breaking the silence.

“It… it seems so,” Misty replied, still bewildered.

She had set the signaler’s frequency specifically to attract Magikarp—particularly those with a bias toward speed. Had she misunderstood the frequency preferences of Water-type Pokémon? And why would a Psyduck be in such turbulent waters?

The Psyduck, clutching its head with its short arms, was staggering in circles—it must have been completely disoriented by the swirling current.

“If you want to catch it, now’s the time to send out your Starmie,” Am reminded her.

“No, no, Psyduck isn’t really suited for battles…” Misty replied with clear intent.

Unlike her animated counterpart, this Misty was focused and ambitious—she might well become a Gym Leader someday.

“So… just let it go?” Am had no interest in Psyduck either.

By now, the Psyduck had somewhat recovered and was wobbling back toward the stream, still cradling its head. But as it passed Misty…

With a thud, the Psyduck collapsed at Misty’s feet. She instinctively stepped back, and a Poké Ball hanging from her belt slipped off, landing right on Psyduck’s head.

In this world, Poké Balls only needed their button pressed to release or store Pokémon under normal circumstances. But to capture a wild Pokémon, the ball had to be thrown—a skill that, in ancient times, allowed agile trainers to catch even strong Pokémon with nothing but their aim and timing.

“Ah!” Misty exclaimed.

To their surprise, the Poké Ball actually absorbed the Psyduck; it shook left, then right, and finally, without popping open, signaled a successful capture with a bright flash.

Am was speechless.

That worked?

After a brief pause, Am asked, “Should we release it? I mean, it’s still a Water-type…”

Misty grinned, strode forward, and picked up the ball. “No, I’ll train it,” she declared.

Clearly, Misty believed in fate, and would never abandon a Pokémon without reason—even one caught by accident.

To “celebrate” Misty’s capture of Psyduck, the two made an extra batch of instant drinks—after all, they’d reach Viridian City in a day or two, so there was no need to be frugal with supplies.

It had been ten days since meeting Professor Redwood in Maple Town. Hampered by their cooking skills, they’d eaten over twenty versions of foolproof stews, with the only exceptions being two brief stops in small villages.

At this point, faced with yet another stew, even a drink was needed to help it go down.

Along the way, Am had not encountered any Pokémon worth training. Staying close to the main road meant rare Pokémon were scarce; mostly Rattata, Caterpie, and Pidgey, with the occasional Wurmple, Hoothoot, Sentret, Pineco, Spinarak, and Ledyba.

They’d also twice spotted Shinx.

The one that tempted Am most was a Hoothoot with the ability Tinted Lens—a rare trait for Hoothoot, which could nullify one stage of type disadvantage, meaning that if only one of the opponent’s types was super effective, it would be treated as neutral; if both were, only one stage of effectiveness would apply.

However, Hoothoot’s evolution, Noctowl, had a base stat total of just 452, and its Normal/Flying typing didn’t suit Am’s preferences, so he ultimately let it go.

In these ten days, Am also managed to train Bulbasaur to around level 15; yesterday, it naturally learned Poison Powder and Sleep Powder upon growing.

That marked the end of its rapid growth phase.

Exeggcute, too, had gained a level, reaching 26. Though it always carried a Leaf Stone, evolution had yet to be triggered.

As for the ancient, mischievous Electrode, it remained at level 50. Am still couldn’t command it in battle; for now, its main role was teaching moves to Bulbasaur and Exeggcute.

After dinner, Misty watched as the Electrode demonstrated Energy Ball, overseeing the training of Bulbasaur and Exeggcute, and couldn’t help remarking, “Are you sure Professor Redwood didn’t give you a particularly good-natured Electrode? It’s even teaching other Pokémon its moves…”