Beside the fishing platform stood a sign that read, "High-strength custom fishing super rods, suitable for catching all kinds of marine Pokémon."
Clearly, this was a leisure activity specially prepared for passengers who enjoyed sea fishing.
Just as Theo approached the platform, he heard an excited shout.
"It's hooked, it's hooked! Come help me!"
A crowd had already gathered by the railing. In the center, a middle-aged man was gripping a fishing rod tightly, his face flushed red. Two companions stood beside him, helping stabilize the rod, while their Pokémon also assisted nearby.
The man shouted, veins bulging on his forehead, "What strength! This has to be a big one. It might even be a Gyarados or a Sharpedo. Easy, steady!"
Curious, Theo moved closer. The fishing rod was bent into an exaggerated C shape, the line humming as it was forcefully pulled outward, sometimes being yanked away at high speed, sometimes slowly reeled back in.
The three men shifted back and forth following the direction of the rod, sweat forming on their foreheads, yet their faces were filled with excitement.
The surrounding passengers were drawn in as well, holding their breath as they stared at the sea.
"This fishing rod is incredible," Theo thought in amazement. A normal rod would have snapped long ago.
As time passed, the pulling force gradually weakened. Clearly, the Pokémon beneath the water was running out of stamina.
The middle-aged man exchanged a glance with his companions and suddenly shouted, "Pull!"
"Splash!"
Water burst upward as a massive shark-like Pokémon was dragged out of the sea, tracing an arc through the air before revealing itself.
"It's a Sharpedo!"
Someone exclaimed in shock.
Theo focused his gaze. This Sharpedo was nearly two meters long, its gray-blue skin gleaming coldly, its sharp teeth flashing with a dangerous glint. It looked extremely ferocious.
Unlike sharks from his previous life, this creature had no lower half of its body, which made Theo feel oddly uncomfortable looking at it.
The system panel appeared at the right moment, displaying its information.
[Pokémon: Sharpedo]
Type: Water / Dark
Category: Brutal Pokémon
Ability: Rough Skin (Its body is covered in sharp barbs, dealing damage to enemies that make contact)
Moves: Aqua Jet, Bite, Crunch, Ice Fang, Poison Fang, Liquidation…
Theo had just been wondering how it swam without a tail when he got his answer.
From the rear of its body, Sharpedo suddenly expelled a powerful jet of water, using the recoil to dash across the surface. The fishing line was pulled out again, and its agility was astonishing.
"That's insane! You actually hooked a Sharpedo!"
Cheers erupted from the crowd. The middle-aged man proudly said to his companions, "Told you! With that kind of strength, it had to be either a Gyarados or this!"
Sharpedo, clearly furious at being hooked, swam rapidly across the surface, struggling to break free.
Seeing this, the man excitedly threw out a Poké Ball. A flash of red light appeared, and a massive Gyarados emerged onto the sea.
With his other hand, the man pressed a button on the rod, instantly releasing the fishing line and freeing Sharpedo.
"Sharpedo, how about a battle with my Gyarados? If you win, I'll let you go. If you lose, you'll become my Pokémon!"
Sharpedo seemed to understand. It immediately spat out a stream of water toward Gyarados, accepting the challenge.
Gyarados roared loudly, its thunderous cry echoing across the sea as it confronted Sharpedo.
The surrounding passengers erupted in excitement.
"They're going to fight!"
"Gyarados versus Sharpedo, this is a rare matchup!"
Theo watched with great interest, his hands not idle as he pulled out his phone and began recording.
As a streamer, how could he miss such excellent footage? He had already started recording when Sharpedo first surfaced, capturing the entire scene.
The battle on the sea began instantly.
Gyarados struck first, swinging its massive tail and unleashing Aqua Tail.
Sharpedo reacted quickly, using the recoil from its water propulsion to dodge sideways, then lunged forward with Crunch, biting fiercely into Gyarados's side.
"Roar!"
Gyarados cried out in pain, but quickly counterattacked, its body glowing with intense blue light as it used Waterfall.
However, while dealing damage to Sharpedo, Gyarados also grimaced in pain. Sharpedo's Rough Skin ability had triggered, inflicting recoil damage.
The two Pokémon fought back and forth intensely.
Sharpedo's ability to briefly hover above the water using its water jets allowed it to evade several of Gyarados's direct attacks, making the battle extremely tense.
The audience on the deck watched without blinking, cheers rising one after another.
In the end, Gyarados proved stronger.
During a close-range clash, it seized an opening and suddenly fired a golden bolt of electricity from its mouth.
It was Thunderbolt.
Sharpedo had not expected this move at all. Struck by the electric current, its body stiffened instantly before it convulsed and collapsed onto the water's surface, completely unable to continue fighting.
"I won!"
The middle-aged man shouted excitedly. He quickly threw a Poké Ball at Sharpedo. After three shakes, the ball fell still, floating on the water.
Sharpedo had been successfully captured.
Gyarados used its tail to lift the Poké Ball and handed it to its trainer.
Applause broke out among the crowd. Theo clapped as well, but at the same time, his hands started itching.
It had been a long time since he last went fishing. After all, he did have the achievement of catching a Feebas once. This was the perfect chance to try out the advanced fishing rod. He did not ask for much, just catching a Gyarados would be enough.
"Larvesta, help me film this."
Theo handed his phone to Larvesta and picked up an unused Super-grade rod, attaching the special bait before casting it into the sea just like the middle-aged man had done.
Larvesta patted its chest and chirped confidently, clearly satisfied with the task. It held the phone steady, occasionally turning the camera toward the two little Vulpix playing nearby.
However, reality soon gave Theo a harsh slap in the face.
One hour passed, and the fishing line did not move at all.
Two hours passed, and not even a Magikarp showed up, let alone a Gyarados.
People around him came and went. Some caught Tentacool, others caught Luvdisc, but Theo's rod remained completely still.
As for Larvesta, it had long since lost its patience.
After filming for twenty minutes with no results, it ran back to the room, fetched a phone stand, set the phone in place to record automatically, and then happily ran off with the two little Vulpix to play on the deck.
…
(End of Chapter)