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Although the number of Water-type Pokémon in the ocean was vast, ordinary fish still outnumbered them by countless times.
Even the most skilled fishermen couldn't guarantee a 100% chance of reeling in a Pokémon—most of the time, they only caught regular fish.
But now, Sato was showing them what it meant to have a perfect catch rate: every single time he pulled on the rod, it was a Water-type Pokémon. What's more, the Pokémon he reeled in were clearly larger than their average counterparts.
That meant the quality of the Pokémon he caught was extremely high—either with excellent potential or already at higher levels.
Naturally, those Water-types Sato reeled in were immediately sought after by the fishermen nearby, who rushed over to purchase them.
In just two hours, Sato pulled up a total of thirty Water-type Pokémon: eighteen Magikarp, nine Tentacool, and one each of Remoraid, Shellder, and Chinchou.
Out of these, Sato gave ten Magikarp to the young fisherman as payment for the rod and bait. The remaining twenty Pokémon he sold directly to the eager fishermen crowding around.
Using psychic to read minds, Sato confirmed that the prices they offered were fair—only about 100 PokeDollars less than what the sailors themselves would have paid.
Each Magikarp sold for 900 PokeDollars, each Tentacool for 1,100 PokeDollars, Remoraid for 1,400, Shellder for 1,900, and Chinchou for 1,400.
Of course, because the ones Sato caught were all unusually large, those fishermen could resell them at much higher prices.
With his mind-reading, Sato saw right through their little schemes. But he didn't mind.
After all, in his role as Tyler, he was just a poor boy with nothing. Suddenly showing off such exceptional fishing skill was already like stealing the livelihood of the other fishermen.
Letting himself take a small loss was actually beneficial. First, it helped the fishermen quickly accept him. Second, it gave him an easy way to buy bait and Lure Balls from them. And third, it encouraged these experienced fishermen to see him as a "foolish boy who laid golden eggs," someone worth protecting.
Since he still didn't have a single Pokémon of his own, getting into a fight with fishermen—who each had many Water-types at hand—would only end badly for him out here at sea. Better to borrow their strength for now.
Thanks to his fishing ability, Sato soon earned a small fortune. By a little past 7 p.m., he had reeled in eighty-four Water-type Pokémon.
Unfortunately, two-thirds of them were Magikarp and Tentacool, which were far too common in the ocean.
After deducting the 500 PokeDollars cost for each Lure Ball, Sato's four-hour fishing spree still netted him nearly 60,000 PokeDollars, turning his near-empty wallet of 1,000 into a heavy one.
Among the haul, he chose to keep one Tentacool and one Chinchou—both of exceptional quality.
The Tentacool had an individual value of 169, already at level 28, with the ability Clear Body. It had inherited Aqua Ring and Mirror Coat, and had also learned Giga Drain and Venoshock.
The Chinchou was a little weaker, with an individual value of 154 and at level 25, with the ability Water Absorb.
But it had its own strengths—it had inherited Agility and Soak, and also mastered Thunderbolt.
Capturing the Chinchou hadn't been easy. The Tentacool, caught effortlessly with Sato's psychic powers, was no match for it. In the end, Sato had to pay 1,000 PokeDollars to rent a Bellsprout from another trainer on the ship to finally subdue it.
Now, with two fine Water-types and a comfortable starting fund, Sato ended his night of fishing and turned his attention to training.
In this world, only those who had their own Pokémon could feel secure. Depending on others was never reliable—at critical times, only one's own strength mattered.
Of course, comfort mattered too. He immediately upgraded his cheap ticket and slipped a sailor some extra money to secure a private ocean-view room.
It cost him 50,000 PokeDollars, leaving just over 10,000 in his pocket—but it was worth it.
From Olivine City in Johto to Slateport City in Hoenn, this ship would take at least a week. Without proper rest, any unexpected danger could prove fatal.
After dinner, and after feeding Tentacool and Chinchou some high-grade Water-type food (which cost another 1,000 PokeDollars), Sato brought them to the ship's Pokémon training facilities and began their regimen.
By now, both Pokémon had seen their trainer's might firsthand.
Back in his new room, the two Water-types—who at first had resisted his commands—had been 'persuaded' effectively.
Tentacool, being part Poison-type, had no chance at all against Sato's psychic powers.
Chinchou had fared no better, battered by iron rods and sheets of metal hurled around by his telekinesis.
"Tentacool, your focus tonight is on Aqua Ring and Mirror Coat. The first will boost your endurance, while the second lets you strike back at your opponents. Don't worry—your special defense is already high. As long as it's not a super-effective special move, you'll have a chance to reflect it right back."
"Start by maintaining Aqua Ring. It's not easy to keep it going. Later, I'll have Chinchou practice Electro Ball against you to hone your Mirror Coat."
"Chinchou, your main focus tonight is Agility. This will be your core move—not only boosting your speed and evasiveness, but also increasing the power of your Electro Ball dramatically."
"Your physical attack is weak, so don't bother much with Spark. Just focus on Electro Ball—work on its speed of formation and accuracy. Once you master that, most Water-types in the ocean will be helpless against you."
"Oh, and don't forget to practice Soak. Improving its accuracy will be important later."
Sato released them into a large pool inside the training grounds, giving instructions via Telepathy.
For his new identity as Tyler, Sato decided he would take the Rain team route. It was a perfect fit for the son of a fisherman—specializing in Water-types was only natural.
Yes, he had already revealed Swampert, Shiny Gyarados, and Shiny Pelipper. But that was fine. Aside from Shiny Gyarados, plenty of people in the world had Swampert and Pelipper.
All he needed to do was catch another Mudkip and Wingull under this new identity, and later, when the time was right, bring out Swampert and Shiny Pelipper again.
For now, what mattered most was making sure everyone knew that "Tyler" was a Water-type specialist trainer.