"Time to keep fishing!"
After sending Krabby on its way, Caster cast his line again. Gary continued fishing beside him.
"If Blastoise isn't interested in my bait, send me a few Squirtle instead!"
Caster watched his float and prayed silently.
The stronger a Pokémon was, the less it cared about ordinary food. Caster's bait could not tempt Blue's Blastoise. He was disappointed, but there was nothing he could do.
Since Blastoise was out of reach, Caster turned to Squirtle instead. It was Blastoise's pre-evolved form and one of the three starter Pokémon.
Professor Oak gave new Trainers their first Pokémon, so he kept several starters in his habitats.
Professor Oak only raised top-quality Pokémon!
The rewards should be good too.
Whoosh!
A few minutes later, Caster's float moved again.
"This one doesn't feel very big."
Caster yanked on the rod and felt the pull through his hands.
As an experienced fisherman, he was certain this catch was small.
Twang!
A tremendous force hit the line. It went taut in an instant, and the rod bent into a deep arc.
The sudden burst of strength nearly dragged Caster into the pond.
"It's small, but this strong? What kind of Pokémon is it?"
Caster braced himself and pulled against the Pokémon below. Its strength made no sense for something so small.
"Caster, I'll help!"
When Gary saw how hard he was struggling, he put down his own rod and hurried over.
Even with Gary pulling, the Pokémon below did not budge. Instead, it pulled both boys inch by inch toward the edge of the pond.
"What kind of monster did you hook? Arcanine, help us!"
At Gary's call, Arcanine and Pikachu both joined in.
Pikachu offered more moral support than actual strength, but the enormous Arcanine was another matter.
Even Arcanine could barely bring them to a draw at the water's edge.
"Caster, what kind of freak did you catch? How is it this strong?"
"You're asking me? I was about to ask you! Do you have a Machoke or Machamp that likes diving?"
"We have Machoke and Machamp, but I don't think any of them go diving!"
"What about Snorlax?"
"No!"
The two boys and two Pokémon clung to the rod and pulled with all their strength.
Caster was sure they had it now. Four against one. The advantage was theirs!
As time passed, Caster's side began to tire.
The Pokémon underwater never seemed to tire. Every so often, it yanked the line and sent the others stumbling.
"Dragonair, help us!"
Caster used the last of his strength to call for help.
Professor Oak was interested in the unusual size of Caster's Gyarados and Dragonair, so both Pokémon were inside the laboratory helping him collect data.
"Droo!"
Glass shattered as Dragonair burst through a laboratory window. It flew to Caster's side and wrapped its tail around the fishing rod.
Dragonair looked long and slender, but the giant Dragonite's scale and a steady supply of Energy Orbs had made its body thick and powerful.
With Dragonair pulling, the Pokémon lost ground at once.
"Get up here!"
Caster roared, and Dragonair heaved with him. Together, they dragged the catch up from the depths until its body rose toward the surface.
A mass of mud came up with it, clouding the pond and hiding the Pokémon from view.
Splash!
They hauled their catch out of the murky water. At last, they could see what it was.
It was small, with slick blue skin and a tall fin on its head. Bright orange gills flared from both cheeks, and an enormous tail fin trailed behind it.
"Mudkip!"
Caster's head buzzed as he stared at the sturdy little Pokémon.
Mudkip, the Water-type starter from Hoenn. It was the fish of his dreams.
He rubbed his eyes. The same little blue Pokémon was still there. He wasn't seeing things.
But what was a Mudkip doing in Professor Oak's habitats?
[Caught "Mudkip." Reward: 1 Superpower TM.]
[First time catching "Mudkip." Bonus reward: 1 Power Orb.]
The system notifications brought Caster back to his senses. Mudkip's status panel appeared next.
[Pokémon: Mudkip]
[Type: Water]
[Ability: Torrent (Powers up Water-type moves when HP is low)]
[Moves: Water Gun, Mud Shot, Rock Smash, Strength, Foresight]
"It knows Strength! No wonder it was so powerful!"
The move list explained the whole tug-of-war.
Mudkip might be small, but the species was famous for its strength.
According to the Pokédex, a Mudkip in danger could shatter rocks larger than its own body.
On land, it could brace all four feet against the ground and lift enormous boulders.
This Mudkip was strong even for its species. On top of that, it knew Strength. No wonder Caster's group had nearly lost despite outnumbering it four to one.
Its other moves were nothing to scoff at either.
Water Gun was a basic same-type move that almost every Water-type Pokémon could learn.
Mud Shot was an excellent Ground-type move that dealt damage while lowering the target's Speed.
Fighting-type attacks had excellent coverage, and Mudkip had the muscle to make Rock Smash hurt.
As for Foresight, it was an improved version of Lock-On.
Foresight guaranteed its attacks would hit and let Normal-type moves affect Ghost-type Pokémon. That gave Mudkip reliable accuracy and a way to hit Ghost types.
"Caster, what kind of Pokémon is that? You recognize it?"
Gary studied Mudkip, but his Pokédex had no entry for it.
"It's a Mudkip. They usually rest with their bodies buried in mud at the bottom of rivers. Underwater, they breathe through the gills on their cheeks."
"The fin on its head works like a highly sensitive radar. It can detect its surroundings from movements in the water or air without using its eyes."
"When it paddles with that enormous tail fin, it can swim much faster."
Caster could recite Mudkip facts with his eyes closed. He adored the species.
Mega Swampert. What rain-team Trainer could resist a Pokémon like that?
"You know so much, Caster!"
Gary gaped at him in admiration.
As Professor Oak's grandson, Gary had grown up surrounded by Pokémon research and considered himself quite knowledgeable.
But compared to Caster, he had lost again.