"Ash, your luck has been way too good lately! You've already captured several Pokémon in such a short time!"
Misty sat quietly by the river, enjoying the pleasure of fishing, but she couldn't help feeling a bit sour over Ash's recent efficiency.
Back in Kanto, Ash had traveled the entire region, collected eight Badges, and participated in the Indigo Plateau Conference, yet he had only captured ten Pokémon in total. Those thirty Tauros were usually counted as just one.
But since arriving in Johto, he had only earned two Badges and had already caught five: Heracross, Bayleef, Quilava, Slowpoke, and Houndour. Meanwhile, as a Water-type specialist, Misty hadn't added a single new member to her team. Brock, on the other hand, had at least obtained a Pineco.
After catching Houndour, Ash had temporarily sent Slowpoke back to Professor Oak.
That Houndour had once been the Alpha of its small pack, a veteran of a hundred battles. Before volunteering to follow Ash, it had handed over the position of Alpha to a healed comrade.
In fact, that comrade's leg injury had been caused by the former Alpha during a challenge for leadership. Now that it was following Ash into battle, it had naturally stepped down.
Because of this, it was truly committed to Ash, and their Compatibility was incredibly high. It had already accumulated enough experience and strength; Ash believed that with a bit of training, it would evolve soon, further boosting their Compatibility. Perhaps it wouldn't be long before they achieved Bond Evolution.
Currently, the Pokémon Ash was most focused on for Bond Evolution was Snorlax. After all, it possessed a maxed-out Compatibility value, so he kept it with him constantly. Next were Slowpoke and Houndour,
both of whom had followed Ash directly after being leaders of their respective groups. As soon as they evolved, their Compatibility might reach its peak, causing their Bond values to soar and potentially triggering Bond Evolution.
However, there was no rush for Slowpoke's evolution. Professor Oak was very interested in this unusually intelligent specimen.
"Stop being so salty, Misty," Ash teased with a grin. "I thought you were the 'Genius Little Fisher' who was going to teach us how it's done? Why haven't you caught anything yet?"
Ash and Misty had obtained Lure Balls, which were particularly effective for Water-type Pokémon. As they happened to pass a nice-looking river, Misty had suggested they stop to fish. Everyone knew the truth, though Misty was just envious of Ash's streak and wanted to catch something for herself.
"I hope I can hook a Shellder. That way, I can help Slowpoke evolve!" Ash said, genuinely enjoying the relaxation.
"If you want a Shellder, the Cerulean Gym has plenty. Should I have my sisters transfer one over?" Misty asked caringly. She assumed Ash wanted to evolve Slowpoke into Slowbro, knowing that a Shellder needed to bite its tail for the transformation to occur.
Ash shook his head. "I'd rather catch one myself. By the way, Misty, your Staryu is already at a very high level. Have you considered evolving it?"
Misty had owned her Staryu long before they met. After traveling through Kanto and the Orange Islands, its strength was undeniable, and it remained Misty's most reliable partner. However, Staryu's evolution, much like Pikachu's, required a specific stone: a Water Stone.
Staryu's evolved form was Starmie. Upon evolving, it gained the Psychic type, significantly increasing its combat power and the diversity of its moves. If Staryu evolved,
Misty's strength would leap forward, bringing her one step closer to her dream of becoming a Water Pokémon Master. For Ash, obtaining evolution stones was now a simple matter of using Exchange Points.
Before Misty could answer, her rod jerked. She pulled it back, only to find a rusty old kettle hanging from the hook!
"Darn it!" She slammed the kettle onto the ground. How could people throw trash into the river? They really needed to learn about waste sorting!
With that interruption, the conversation ended. Ash was about to say something when his own rod suddenly went taut.
"Hmph!"
Ash didn't really know the first thing about fishing technique. A flash of blue light shimmered across his body, and the ordinary fishing rod seemed to be coated in Armament Haki. Eschewing all finesse, he yanked the line straight back, and a small blue crocodile appeared at the end of his hook!
They all recognized it instantly it was the Water-type starter of the Johto region, Totodile! Back in New Bark Town, they had even helped recover a Totodile that had been stolen by Team Rocket!
"Ash, your luck is unbelievable! You even fished up a Totodile!" Misty was once again filled with envy.
"Since I hooked it, I'm catching it!"
Just as Ash was about to throw a Poké Ball, the Totodile opened its mouth, released the hook, and landed on the ground, happily breaking into a dance.
"So cute!" Misty squealed. She had always liked Totodile.
Ash threw his ball anyway, and his Grass-type Bayleef emerged. "Bayleef, use Vine Whip!"
Two thick, powerful vines lashed out toward the dancing Totodile. Surprisingly, the Totodile used its dance steps to effortlessly dodge the attack.
"That dance isn't just for show," Ash praised. "Use Sweet Scent!"
A Sweet Scent wafted from the bud around Bayleef's neck. The Totodile quickly became drowsy, its energetic movements slowing down.
"One more time, Vine Whip!"
The Vine Whip landed a direct hit, and in that same instant, Ash hurled a Poké Ball.
"I caught a Totodile!"
"Pika-Pikachu!"
"Ash, battle me with that Totodile!" Misty called out, already reaching for a ball. "Go, Poliwag!"
Misty's Poliwag also shared a very high Compatibility with her. Ash didn't know why she was suddenly so eager to battle, but since she had already sent out her Pokémon, he wasn't going to refuse.
"I choose you, Totodile!"
Stepping onto the field again, the Totodile had recovered from the Sweet Scent and resumed its high-energy dancing.
"Poliwag, use Water Gun!"
"Totodile, you use Water Gun too!"
Totodile's Water Gun was incredibly powerful, clashing evenly with Misty's trained Poliwag.
"Poliwag, use Tackle!"
"Totodile, dodge and use Bite!"
Totodile's dance steps were indeed extraordinary. It dodged Poliwag's charge with ease and clamped its powerful jaws onto its opponent.
"Good, now toss it!"
Poliwag was thrown back, landing in front of Misty. Suddenly, it began to glow with the light of evolution! It was finally happening!
"Poliwag evolved into Poliwhirl!"
The evolved Poliwhirl had grown arms and legs and lost its tail. It looked like a miniature bodybuilder short legs, a large torso, and strong arms, though its big eyes remained quite cute.
"Wow, so cool! Those slimy muscles feel so good!" Misty cried, practically hugging Poliwhirl's head.
Since Poliwhirl had evolved, Misty lost interest in continuing the battle. She recalled her Pokémon and looked at Ash. "Sorry, Ash. I just wanted to personally gauge your current strength. You already figured out how to utilize Totodile's movements!"
Ash shook his head. "Misty, this Water Stone is for you. Whether it's Staryu or Poliwhirl, they both need it to evolve."
"A Water Stone? Ash, thank you! You've become much stronger than me, but I won't let myself fall behind!" Misty already had a plan for how to use the stone.
Totodile: 110/160
Bayleef: 203/215
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