Chapter 5: Gone Fishing
Giving Lincoln and Misty a polite bow when they entered the lobby the following morning, Joy said "Good morning. I hope you had a restful sleep last night."
"We did, Nurse Joy." replied Lincoln as he removed the key from his pocket and handed it to her. "There's your key back."
"Thank you very much. Now before you go, I believe that Officer Jenny and one of our PokeMart clerks would like to speak with you."
Giving the two adults a questioning glance as they walked over, Lincoln asks "They want to speak with us? Did we do something wrong?"
"Not at all, young man - this is about your battle with Team Rocket last night." answered Jenny reassuringly before a broad smile appeared on her face. "On behalf of the Viridian City Police Department, I would personally like to thank the two of you for your role in protecting the Pokemon Center."
"As I told Nurse Joy last night, it was no trouble at all, Officer - anyone else would have done the same if they were in our place." answered Lincoln with a smile of his own.
"Not only that, but we got the chance to thwart one of Team Rocket's operation as well. Something like that doesn't happen very often." added Misty with a smirk. "Speaking of those guys, did you manage to catch them, Officer?"
Shaking her head, Jenny replied "Unfortunately not. We've searched all over Viridian City and couldn't find them anywhere."
"Sorry about not being able to stop them, Officer Jenny. I tried, but..." mumbled Lincoln as he scratched the back of his head sheepishly.
"Don't worry about it - just the fact that you managed to keep this place safe is good enough for me." said Jenny before gesturing towards the PokeMart clerk. "But anyway, I believe that this gentleman has something to give the two of you as a reward for your actions last night."
Stepping forward, the PokeMart clerk said "On behalf of us working at the Viridian PokeMart, I'd like to offer you two these." before handing Lincoln a plastic bag with what appeared to be clothes inside while Misty got a bag filled with Potions and Pokeballs.
Opening the bag to get a better look at them, Lincoln saw an orange-colored jacket with white trim, a pair of dark brown-colored pants, black fingerless gloves, and a pair of black and orange-colored sneakers.
"You're giving me clothes?"
Gesturing towards the clothing with a look of pride on his face, the clerk says "Those are imported directly from the Kalos region and made with materials that excel in standing against the elements. Now normally, clothing like this would carry a hefty price tag, but since you and your friend managed to ward off those horrid criminals last night, you can consider those a gift from us at the Viridian PokeMart."
Nodding appreciatively at the outfit, Lincoln smiles and replies "Thanks! Do you have a place where I can put these on?"
Pointing at a small booth, the clerk answered "Changing room's right there, sir.", prompting Lincoln to head towards it.
"Hey, Lincoln, wait!" Marucho called out, causing the white haired boy to turn back, seeing an object flying towards him. Luckily, he caught it before it hit him, before getting a good look at the item, a bronze-colored locket. "You said you wanted to keep 'that' safe, did you?"
After taking a few seconds of thinking, Lincoln realized what "that" meant by. The Rainbow Wing. "Thanks!" He said, entering the changing room. After taking a few minutes to change out of his old clothes, he came out of the changing booth dressed in his new outfit, the locket inside his bag.
"So how do I look?" asked Lincoln as he turned around to show off the new clothes.
"Not bad. You almost look like a respectable Trainer now." said Misty with a smirk.
"It's a very nice look for you, sir." commented the PokeMart clerk with an approving nod as he gave Lincoln a thumbs-up.
Nodding in agreement, Runo adds "I think the new look suits you." with a smile on her face.
"Could do with a little less orange, but aside from that, it looks good on you." said Dan, grinning.
"And that's not all, sir. If you would be so kind as to check your pockets?"
At this, Lincoln starts fishing through the pockets of his new pair of pants, eventually finding a dark silver-colored USB stick. Taking it out and giving it a curious glance, he asks "You're giving me a TM, too? What move is it for?"
"The move Steel Wing - Officer Jenny mentioned that you had a Fearow on hand, so I decided to include one of our spare TMs for that particular move as well. Feel free to use it how you see fit."
To Misty, he added "I've also included a TM in your bag for you as well, miss - one for the move Water Pulse."
With an appreciative grin, Misty replied "Nice - I've been after that particular TM for a while. Thanks." before turning to walk away. "Well, I've got to be going, squirt - when you're ready for me to uphold my end of the deal, meet me on Route 2. Later."
"See you then, Misty." responded Lincoln as he waved her off.
As soon as Misty had left, Nurse Joy stepped forward and said "I would like to offer you a token of gratitude as well." before presenting him with a small container that looked to have been made with incredibly advanced technology.
"What is that? It looks like some kind of futuristic shoe box." asked Lincoln as he looked the item over curiously.
Pointing at the container, Officer Jenny says "That's a Traveler's Kit, young man - developed and sold by the Silph Company in Saffron City. It contains equipment that will make life easier for any traveling Trainer - camping equipment, cooking utensils, medical stuff for emergencies - all of that stuff in one easy-to-carry container."
"How in the world does all of that stuff fit into something as small as this?" Runo asked.
"I'm not too sure about myself. I just know that it involves the same pocket technology used for Pokeballs, but that's about it." replied Jenny with a shrug as Joy handed Lincoln the container. "Should make your journey a lot easier to deal with, though."
"And anything that makes things easier for me is always welcomed. Thanks, Nurse Joy." answered Lincoln as he put the container into his bag. Once it was put away, he asked "By the way, do you happen to know where I can find Pewter City? I want to challenge their gym for a badge.", causing the woman to tap her chin in thought.
"Well, you won't have to look far - Pewter's just north of Viridian City. Of course, you'll need to get through Route 2 and the Viridian Forest first. If you're quick, you might be able to make it there by noon."
"So, north of Viridian...got it. Thanks for the help, Nurse Joy." answered Lincoln before turning to leave the front counter. As he started to walk away, he heard the sound of Misty shouting in anger coming from outside, followed by the sight of the furious stomping through the entrance and towards him.
Before he could do or say anything, she snapped "You, come with me right now!" before grabbing his wrist and dragging him out of the Pokemon Center, much to the confusion of both Officer Jenny and Nurse Joy as they watched the two leave with the Brawlers chasing after them.
"Misty, what the heck is wrong with you? Where in the world are you dragging me?"
Lincoln's questions went unanswered as Misty continued to drag him behind her towards the side of the Pokemon Center where the Rockets had detonated their bombs the night before.
Upon reaching the hole, Misty lets go of Lincoln's wrist and points at what appeared to be a mangled heap of metal and snarls "Look what those Rocket jerks did to my bike!"
Glancing at the former bicycle, everyone couldn't help but wince at the sight - to say that it was completely beyond repair would be an understatement.
Before he could offer his condolences, Misty quickly grabs Lincoln by the front of his shirt and exclaims "Do you have any idea how much that bike cost?! Do you?!"
"N-no?"
Shaking him violently, the redhead screamed "One million PokeDollars! I had to save up my money for years to be able to afford it!"
"Misty..." murmured Lincoln with a slightly green face, only for Misty to ignore him as she continued to shake him around.
"I can't go back to borrowing my sisters' bikes - they'd never let me hear the end of it!"
"Misty..." repeated the white-haired boy, this time with annoyance in his voice as he once again tried to get the redhead's attention, only to fail.
"And it'll take forever for me to be able to buy a new bike! I can't wait that long!"
"MISTY!" shouted Lincoln in irritation, causing the redhead to stop shaking him around. "Look, I know that you're upset about your bike and I can understand how you're feeling right now, but I'd appreciate it if you'd put me down - you're starting to make me ill."
Realizing that she had lifted him off of the ground during her outburst, Misty blushed in embarrassment before putting him back down.
"Uh...sorry about that, squirt. I guess I just went a little crazy there."
"...That's alright. Just please...don't do it again." replied Lincoln as he dusted himself off.
"So what are you going to do now?" Dan asked.
With a depressed look on her face, Misty answers "I don't know. All I can think about at the moment is my bike." before letting out a heavy sigh.
After watching Misty mope for a few more seconds, Lincoln sighs and mutters "...I just know I'm going to end up regretting this later..." before walking over and placing a hand on her shoulder, prompting her to give him an odd look. "Misty, how about you tag along with us for a while until you get yourself sorted out?"
"You...want me to come along with you? Why?"
"Well, we can't just leave you here moping, now can we?" countered Lincoln before crossing his arms. "Besides, I could use the advice of someone who knows what it takes to be a successful Pokemon Trainer. And as much as I hate to say it, you know more about this kind of stuff than we do."
"Well, at least you're willing to admit that I'm a better Trainer than you are - that puts you up a notch."
"And where does he stand now?" Runo asked
"Notch one." replied Misty with a cheeky smirk, causing Lincoln to grumble under his breath at the reply. "As for your proposition...I guess I could tag along for a while, but only until we reach Cerulean City. After that, you're on your own. Deal?"
"Deal." answered Lincoln as the two quickly shook hands with each other.
"So now that we've got that out of the way, I'm guessing you're heading to Pewter City to challenge the gym there for a badge?"
"That's right." replied Marucho before taking his map out of his bag. "Nurse Joy said that we'll need to get through Route 2 and the Viridian Forest first before we can get there. We're planning on seeing if there's anything of interest there for Lincoln to catch on the way."
"Viridian Forest?! Oh man, how could I forget that we had to go through that place first?!" exclaimed Misty with a panicked look on her face.
"What's your deal? You're not afraid of a bunch of trees, are you?" Dan asked.
"It's not the forest itself that I dislike...it's what lives inside of it..." murmured the older girl with a shudder before giving the white-haired boy a worried glance. "Do we really have to go in there?"
"Yep." replied Lincoln, his eyes on the map.
"...Is there any chance I can change my mind about tagging along with you?"
"Nope."
"Dang it."
Meanwhile, at Professor Oak's Laboratory…
"And you say that he, alongside the Cerulean City gym leader, managed to thwart a Pokemon theft attempt by Team Rocket?" asked Oak with raised eyebrows as he spoke into his VideoPhone's receiver.
On the screen, Officer Jenny nodded before replying "That's right, Professor Oak - if it wasn't for their interference, those three crooks would have most likely succeeded with their plan."
"I see. So, any idea on where he's heading now?"
"Pewter City - said something about challenging for the badge over there." replied Jenny before giving Oak a curious look. "Why are you so interested in this kid, anyway? Is he a relative of yours by any chance?"
"Not at all, Officer." answered Oak before a grin appeared on his face. "Rather, he's assisting me with my research. I've even given him a Pokedex to help out with that particular task."
"Ah, I see - so he's one of 'those' kind of Trainers, huh?" responded Jenny before moving her VideoPhone's receiver away from her ear. "Well, I've got to go now - I'm on duty right now and my job unfortunately isn't going to do itself. Goodbye, Professor."
"Goodbye, Officer." replied Oak as Jenny ended the call. With a wry smile as he hung up the receiver, he mused "Well now...I believe this is going to be the most interesting first progress report I've sent in a while..."
Somewhere Near Route 1 (9:00 AM)
"So why are we heading back to Route 1? I thought I was done with this place." asked Lincoln as he followed Misty alongside a small riverbank.
"It's the closest source of water I know of since there isn't any ponds or rivers near Route 2." replied Misty before a thoughtful look appeared on her face. "...At least, not any that I know of."
"So this spot you're taking me to - what kind of Pokemon can I expect to see there?"
"I think I saw a few Poliwag when I was fishing here yesterday, so you might get lucky enough to capture one of those."
"Poliwag, eh? Are they any good?" inquired Lincoln curiously.
"They're one of the easiest Water-Type Pokemon for beginners to train, which is perfect for someone like you. They also evolve into some pretty interesting Pokemon if you raise them correctly."
Intrigued, Lincoln asked "Really? Any chance you can tell me about them?"
"Sure. First off, Poliwag evolve into Poliwhirl, which are, much like Poliwag, fairly solid Pokemon in their own right in battle. In fact, I'm in possession of one myself."
"So, Poliwag evolve into Poliwhirl. Go on."
"After that, you'll need a specific type of stone in order to evolve it further into Poliwrath or Politoed." replied Misty before holding up two fingers. "It all depends on whether you use a King's Rock or a Water Stone on it."
"So Poliwhirl has two different options to choose from? That's pretty cool." said Lincoln, smiling. "Which one would you recommend?"
"That's completely up to you, squirt - both of them are good Pokemon in their own right and would make for an excellent member of your team." answered Misty as she continued to lead Lincoln down the riverbank. "And just so you know, Poliwhirl isn't the only species that needs a stone to evolve - that Pikachu of yours will need a stone if he wants to evolve, too."
"She's right, you know." said Pikachu from his spot on Lincoln's shoulder. "My species requires a Thunderstone to be able to evolve into a Raichu."
"So I should see about picking one up for you in the near future, then?"
"I'm...not really sure about just yet, to be honest. I'm actually quite fond of being a Pikachu."
"Well then, we'll wait until YOU feel ready to evolve before seeing about getting a Thunderstone. Sound good?" said Lincoln as he scratched behind the Electric-Type's ear.
"You're...letting me decide?"
"Yep. It's completely your call on when or if it'll happen." answered Lincoln, nodding. "And if you don't want to evolve into a Raichu, then we'll just have to work on making you the strongest Pikachu in the entire Kanto Region."
With a grateful smile, Pikachu says "...Thanks. That really means a lot to me."
"Hey, as much as I hate to break up this feel-good moment between the two of you, I just wanted to tell you that we're here." said Misty before pointing at a large flat rock overlooking the river. "This is my favorite fishing spot on the entire route and where you'll be fishing for that Water-Type Pokemon I promised you."
Giving the older girl a questioning glance, Lincoln asks "Wait...I'm going to be fishing for Pokemon?"
"Hey, you don't expect to just leap into the river and grab one, do you? Now shut up and take a seat."
Once Lincoln and Pikachu had sat down on the rock, she hands over her fishing rod and adds "I'm going to be lending you my rod so you can catch something from the river. It's a Good Rod, so you'll probably end up catching something decent, if you're lucky. Just know that if you lose, break or damage it, you'll be buying me a new one."
"I'll try to be careful with it. So do I need to use any bait or anything like that?"
"Nope, just cast and wait. You do know how to cast a line, right?"
"I picked up a few things from Pop-Pop during one of our fishing trips together, so I'm pretty sure I know how to do something like that." said Lincoln in response before facing the river and casting the rod's line into it.
Whistling in appreciation, Misty replied "Not too shabby, squirt." before taking a seat right beside him. "And now it's time for my least favorite part of fishing for Pokemon."
"What's that?"
"Waiting for a bite. And there's no telling how long it'll take for it to happen - could be a few minutes, could be an hour or more. It all depends on whether the Pokemon goes for the lure or not."
"So they might not even decide to bite at all?" asked Lincoln before a grimace appeared on his face. "...We're going to be here all morning trying to catch something, aren't we?"
Chuckling, Misty replied "Most likely. Might as well sit down and get comfortable - we probably won't be leaving any time soon." before returning her attention back to the river.
2 Hours later…
"This is soooo boring..." muttered Lincoln as he continued to wait for a Pokemon to go after the lure he had cast out. "Why won't something just hurry up and bite? It's been an two hours already!""
Amused, Misty replied "Welcome to the wonderful world of fishing for Pokemon, squirt." before giving the white-haired boy a curious glance. "Say...while we wait for something to bite, why don't you tell me a little bit about yourself? Aside from your name, what Pokemon you have, where you're from and the fact that you have an older sister, I hardly know anything about you."
"You want to know more about me? Why?"
"Just a little curious about you, that's all." replied Misty with a shrug. "If you want, I can tell you a little bit about me as well to even things out."
"Might as well, we're not going to be leaving anytime soon, apparently." added Pikachu with a curious look of his own. "Not only that, but I'm kinda want to know more about you, too."
"...I guess I can tell you two a little bit about myself and my family back home." responded Lincoln as he set the Good Rod down onto the ground. "For starters, as you already know, I'm not from the Kanto region. I came here from the United States."
"And what about your family back home? Can you tell me what they are like?"
"Well...it's a pretty big one. A large majority of its members are female as well - aside from myself, my dad is the only other male in the family." answered Lincoln before giving Misty a glance. "Alright, now you share something about your family."
"So information for information, then? Sounds fair." replied Misty with a nod. "Let's see, where to begin...I was born and raised in Cerulean City with my three older sisters."
Taking out a photograph from one of her pockets and handing it to him, she added "Here, this is a picture of them." before pointing at the three girls posing with each other in the picture. "The blonde one is Daisy, the blue-haired one is Violet and the pink-haired one is Lily."
Smiling wistfully as he thought of his youngest sibling, Lincoln replied "Lily, huh? Believe it or not, I've got a sister with the same name back home in Michigan."
"That so? Looks like we've got something in common then." said Misty with a smile.
"Looks like it." answered Lincoln before recalling something Misty had just said. "Hold on a moment...Cerulean City - isn't that where you said you were going to leave me to travel on my own?"
"That's right. Good to see you managed to remember that." answered Misty, nodding. "There's something else about me regarding the place that I haven't told you about yet."
"And that is...?"
"You'll just have to wait and see what that is for yourself, squirt." replied Misty teasingly before asking "Alright, my turn to ask something - how many sisters do you have? You already know that I've got three of them, but what about you?"
"You should consider yourself lucky that you only have three sisters to deal with - I've got ten of them waiting for me back home. And all of them, with the exception of Lily considering she's just a baby, are a major pain in the butt to deal with."
"Ten sisters!? Geez, I feel kinda bad for you now." said Misty, wincing slightly. "So your siblings like to get on your nerves too, huh? Looks like we've got something else in common."
"Yeah, they're a pain, but I still love all of them a lot despite the fact they usually end up driving me nuts with their antics."
"Same here - Daisy, Lily and Violet may tick me off with their constant teasing, but I wouldn't trade any of them for the world." replied Misty as a smile appeared on her face. "So these ten sisters of yours...what are their names?"
"Well, let's see...there's Lily, Lisa, Lola, Lana, Lucy, Lynn, Luan, Luna, Leni and Lori."
Chuckling, Misty answered "And your name is Lincoln...man, your folks must really like alliteration, huh squirt?"
Annoyed, Lincoln grumbled under his breath before returning his attention back to the river.
After another thirty minutes of nothing but silence had passed, he sighed and muttered "Seems like nothing's going to be biting at this rate..." before turning to Misty and asking "Are you sure that this is the right spot?"
"Hey, who knows more about this kind of thing - me or you?" countered Misty with an annoyed look. "This is the right place."
"Doesn't seem like it to me."
"Just shut up and keep your eyes on the line."
"Uh...since you were taking questions about yourself earlier, do you mind if I asked one of my own?" asked Pikachu, causing Lincoln to look at him curiously before nodding. "When are you going to discuss that 'sore subject' thing with me? I don't know why, but something about it has been bugging me ever since you mentioned it."
"I'm not ready to talk about something like that just yet."
"Come on! I thought we were partners!"
"Partners or not, I'm not ready to talk about that yet!" snapped Lincoln in irritation. After taking a few seconds to calm down, he added "Look, as soon as I'm willing and ready to talk to you about that particular subject, you'll be the first to know. Sound fair?"
"Fine, but I'm still not happy that you're keeping secrets away from me like this."
Pointing at the white-haired boy, Misty said "...Okay, now I know that there's something up with you, squirt - how in the world did you know what Pikachu was saying?"
Before anyone could reply, Dan sniffed the air, smelling a delicious smell. "I don't know about you guys, but I'm getting hungry and I smell something cooking that way!" He said as he ran down the river.
"Dan, wait!" Lincoln shouted, quickly getting his gear before everyone started to chase after him.
The source of what Dan smelled was fish cooking over an open fire. Dan's mouth was watering as he ran for it.
"Hey, what makes you think those fish are yours to take?" Runo asked.
"Hey, don't worry about it. We eat first and ask questions later."
"He'd say anything to fill his belly," Drago commented.
"Some people just have no self-control," Runo said
"HEY" said a new voice suddenly startling Dan. Suddenly, a boy was coming out of the river.
The boy had spiky black hair and wore cut-off jeans and Bakugan Gear. He had a harpoon with a fish skewered on it.
"How dare you steal my fish, you bottom-dwelling thief!"
"Chill out, guy, it's just a few fish," Dan said, trying to defend himself.
"Fish that do not belong to you! And to steal a fisherman's catch proves you have no honor!"
"Hey, wait a minute," Lincoln said, starting to recognize the person. "Aren't you Mako Tsunami, the seventh best Bakugan player in the world?"
"Yeah, and who might you be?" The boy asked in return.
"Hey yeah, you're that freaky fish guy," Dan agreed.
"I AM NOT A FREAKY FISH GUY! I am Mako Tsunami, Brawler extraordinaire of the seven seas!" Mako paused in his introduction as Misty burst into laughter. "Uh... what are you laughing about?"
"Your head! You got a Poliwag for company." Misty pointed to a small, tadpole Pokemon that was on Mako's head, before it jumped off.
"So that's a Poliwag." Lincoln commented, pulling out his Pokedex, and pointing it at Poliwag.
"Poliwag, the Tadpole Pokemon, a Water Type. For Poliwag, swimming is easier than walking. The spiral pattern on its abdomen differs from place to place."
"I'm Lincoln Loud." Lincoln introduced. "This is Dan, Runo, Marucho and Misty. Sorry about your fish."
"Wait, as in the Bakugan Battle Brawlers?" Mako asked, which Lincoln gave a nod of confirmation, making Mako laugh. "What a surprise! It will be a great honor to face you in a battle!"
"Same here, Mako."
"I must apologize, I've been ungracious." He turned to the others. "Please, come sit down and eat your fill."
"Thanks!" Dan exclaimed, as Runo then slapped him.
"That's what you get for running off like that!"
The Loud Residence - Lincoln's Room (11:45 PM)
While everyone else was sound asleep in their beds, Rita was inside of Lincoln's room, sitting on the bed she and her husband had purchased for him over a week ago with Bun-Bun clutched tightly in her arms.
Ever since Lincoln's departure to Kanto over a week ago, she had started staying in his room during the night instead of sleeping in her own bed with her husband, sulking over both her actions during the previous week and her role in sending her only son away.
And though it had only been a week since Lincoln's departure, to her it felt like he had been away for months. Several long, painful, agonizing months that had been filled with sleepless nights, constant anxiety over Lincoln's safety and immense guilt over how she and the rest of her family had mistreated him.
What made her feel worse was the fact that Lincoln didn't exactly leave on good terms with her and the rest of the family, causing her to constantly worry that he despised his family because of their actions and may decide to stay in Kanto instead of coming back home - something that absolutely terrified her to no end.
As she continued to sulk alone in the room, the sound of the door opening could be heard, followed by her husband stepping inside with a look of concern on his face.
"Honey, please...you need to come back to the bedroom and get some sleep. You've gone without it all week." pleaded Lynn Sr. worriedly to his wife, only for Rita to glare at him with bloodshot eyes.
"How can I sleep knowing my son is out there alone and without his family, Lynn? Especially since we all agreed to send him there in the first place!" snapped Rita irritably. "We ostracized our son and sent him away on the belief that he was bad luck - what kind of horrible parents would do something like that to their own child!?"
"...I know that what we did was wrong, but we couldn't afford to let his bad luck bring any harm to the rest of the family. You know that as well as I do."
With a scoff, Rita answered "Bad luck or not, he's still our son and we never should have treated him like an outcast simply because of a foolish superstition." before sniffling as tears started to form in her eyes. "He probably hates us now because of what we've done to him..."
"Rita, don't say that. He may be angry with us for what we've done, but I doubt he hates us because of it."
"And how would you know!? You were more than willing to send him away from the house so he wouldn't 'curse' the house with his bad luck anymore!" replied Rita in anger, causing Lynn Sr. to back away warily. "That's the only thing you cared about when you sent him to Kanto!"
"Rita...please, you need to calm down..." said Lynn Sr., only for Rita to point at the door with her index finger.
"Get out and leave me alone. Now."
"Say what?"
Glaring heatedly at her husband, Rita snarled "Did I stutter, Lynn? I said 'get out and leave me alone'." before pointing at the door once again. When Lynn Sr. didn't move, she snapped "I SAID GET OUT!"
With reluctance, Lynn Sr. nodded and replied "...Alright, I'll leave you alone. Just please...try to get some rest, okay?" before exiting the room and closing the door behind him, leaving his sullen wife alone.
"Where'd you learn to cook Mako?" Misty asked, as everyone was enjoying their meal, as Pikachu and Poliwag were eating Pokemon Food
"I learned to fend for myself pretty quickly when I was rather young," Mako answered with a sigh, eyes closed as he reminisced, "But it was my father who taught me how to fish as well as to cook."
"Really?" Runo asked intrigued,"He must've been something special."
Mako smiled softly, a distant look in his eyes, his voice dropping to a whisper, "He was..."
"So what's a brawler like you doing in Kanto, Mako?" Marucho asked curiously.
"I was raised my entire life on the sea, I know nor want any other life," Mako answered honestly, "I've been entering Pokemon Leagues like this so I could get enough money and buy and maintain my own vessel, of course,"
"Your own boat, wow, that would be so cool," Dan said with a smile, "Imagine it, living a life out on the sea without so much as a care in the world..."
"Yes, the ocean is a truly magnificent place, and we've shared a special bond since I was born," Mako said also looking out at the sea, a smile on his face, "I can tell when it's happy by how the water sparkles or when it's angry by how the tides shift and the waves roar..." He then turned back to the others and scratched his head sheepishly, "Ah, forgive me, I didn't mean to get so serious and ramble!"
"Don't be sorry Mako, I think it's so cool how you speak so freely about something you clearly love, not a lot of people feel like they can do that." Misty said.
Lincoln then felt a tug on his leg, seeing Pikachu trying to get his attention. " Poliwag wants to talk to you."
"Really? I wonder what about?" Lincoln wondered, as he approached the Water Pokemon, "You wanted to speak with me?"
"You're a human that can understand what Pokemon are saying?" the Poliwag asked.
"Yeah, it's kind of a long story," Lincoln replied.
"That is so cool!" the Poliwag exclaimed with sparkles in his eyes.
"Ok, was NOT expecting that kind of reaction," Lincoln commented. Poliwag took a moment to calm down.
"I have heard about rare cases in which humans can understand what Pokemon are saying, but it is a gift to see it in reality," Mako said.
"Thanks Mako. Anyways, what was it that you wanted to talk to me about?" Lincoln asked.
"Ah, yes, that's right!" Poliwag said, shifting it's stubby legs nervously, "I was hoping to ask you if you would be my trainer?"
"Wait, you're…. wanting to be caught?" Lincoln asked.
"Yes. You see, I want to grow up and be just as strong as my Mom, and I've heard that the best way to do that is to have a trainer," Poliwag explained.
"I see. And your mother is ok with this?" Lincoln asked. Poliwag once again shifted nervously, "You did tell your Mom what you were doing, right?" he asked.
"Well, the thing is… I haven't actually… told her yet," Poliwag sheepishly replied.
"So you were planning to run away from home?" Lincoln asked, his eyebrow raised.
"Maybe?" Poliwag replied sheepishly.
"Well, 'maybe' or not, you might like the idea of traveling the world with me, but your mother might have some conniptions about you running off without a word," Lincoln stated.
"I know, but what if she says no?" Poliwag asked.
"Well, if you talk things over with her, I'm sure she'll agree," Pikachu replied.
"I suppose, but could I ask the two of you to come and help with my case?" Poliwag asked.
"Of course!" Lincoln replied as he got up
"Leaving so soon?" Mako asked to get up along with him.
"Yeah, I'm going to head back with Poliwag to talk things over with his mother." Lincoln said with a smile as he and the others started to walk off when a spear suddenly came flying and embedded the ground close to his foot, making him and the others freeze, wide eyed with shock.
"What's the big idea!" Misty demanded in a yell as they all turned to face Mako, "You could have hurt someone!"
"I treated you to lunch; perhaps you will honor me to a battle." Mako announced.
"You try to skewer Lincoln and expect him to accept your challenge for a Pokemon Battle?" Misty said with rising fury.
"Who said anything about a Pokemon Battle?" Mako asked, confusing Misty.
"He could've just asked him instead of spearing him." Runo deadpanned.
"He's nuts," Dan commented.
"No but I am an expert fisherman and you have taken the bait."
"What bait?" Lincoln asked.
"Why, the fish of course. I laid it out and lured you four right to it." He pointed to the Brawlers. "But I never expected to catch the Battle Brawlers. I reeled in another opponent a short time ago, but he was not a worthy catch." He pointed to Lincoln. "But a Bakugan Battle against you would be an excellent test!"
"Sure, I want to battle, but can it wait until I get back, please? This is very important." Lincoln said politely.
Mako sighed, knowing there wouldn't be any way to battle him immediately. "Fine. I shall await your return!"
"Thanks," said Lincoln before facing Poliwag once again. "Alright then, lead the way."
"Okay! Follow me!"
Somewhere On Route 1 (12:20 PM)
While Poliwag was leading Lincoln and Pikachu towards where his family was staying, a blue, bipedal Pokémon with muscular arms, white gloves on its hands, a black and white swirl on its stomach and round, digit-less feet was pacing around worriedly while numerous Poliwag nearby watched her with concern.
"Oh, where could that boy be? I haven't seen any sign of him all day..."
Earlier this morning, one of her sons had wandered off to go swim in the nearby river, which had been fine with her at first. But as the hours rolled by, she noticed that he hadn't returned back home, nor was there any trace of him to be found anywhere.
To make matters worse for her, she couldn't go out and look for him herself as that would leave her other children alone and unprotected, which meant that all she could do was wait and hope that her son would come back home on his own.
As she started to pace around the area once again, the sound of her children chattering excitedly caught her attention. Turning to see what they were looking at, she saw Poliwag hopping alongside a boy with white-colored hair and what appeared to be a Pikachu.
Quickly hurrying over, the Pokemon quickly ran over and picked up the little Tadpole Pokemon, saying "Oh thank Arceus you're okay! Where were you, son? You made me worried!"
"I'm sorry about making you worry about me, Mom. But I'm okay now, see?"
While the other Pokemon continued to dote on Poliwag like an overprotective mother, Lincoln thought 'Whoa...that thing looks like a fully grown-up Poliwag. What is it?' before he took out his Pokedex and pointed it at the unknown Pokemon.
"Poliwrath, the Tadpole Pokemon,a Water and Fighting Type, and the final evolved form of Poliwag. Poliwrath's highly developed, brawny muscles never grow fatigued, however much it exercises. It is so tirelessly strong, this Pokémon can swim back and forth across the ocean without effort."
'So that's one of Poliwag's potential fully-evolved forms, huh...Lynn would kill to have one of these working out with her.' thought Lincoln as he put his Pokedex away just as Poliwrath took notice of him standing nearby.
"Who in the world is that, son? A friend of yours?"
"Uh-huh - he's the one that brought me back home, Mom." replied Poliwag before gesturing towards Lincoln with his tail. "This is my new friend, Mr. Lincoln."
"...'Mr. Lincoln'...?" said Lincoln with a raised eyebrow at the name the little Water-Type Pokemon had given him. "Did he really need to add the 'mister' part to it?"
"Don't forget that he's still just a child." reminded Pikachu before an amused smile appeared on his face. "Besides, it sounds like a nice nickname for you. I might start using it myself."
"Please don't."
Walking over to get a better look at Lincoln, Poliwrath asks "So...you're apparently a friend of my son, correct?"
"To answer your question - we've only known each other for a short time, but...yeah, I guess you can kinda say that."
"I see. Well, you have my thanks for bringing him back home to me." replied Poliwrath as she gave Lincoln a look of gratitude. "Is there anything I can do to repay you for this kindness?"
"Well...your son wants to ask you about something regarding me - will you take the time to listen to what he has to say?"
"Oh?" inquired Poliwrath before giving Poliwag a questioning look. "And what exactly do you want to speak with me about, hmm?"
Shuffling his feet nervously, Poliwag said "...I, uh...want Mr. Lincoln to become my new Trainer. But he said that I should ask you about it first."
Eyes widened in confusion, Poliwrath asked "You...want to become one of that boy's Pokemon?" before turning towards Lincoln and glaring at him. "Is he making you say something like that?"
"Not at all, Mom - I'm saying this on my own. Honest."
After a few seconds, Poliwrath crossed her arms and replied "...Okay then...so why in the world would you want to go along with someone like him?"
Five Minutes Later…
Once Poliwag had managed to finish his explanation on why he wanted to go along with Lincoln, Poliwrath said "So that's why you wanted to go along with him...you wish to grow up to become a strong Pokemon like myself." before giving her son a worried look. "But what about your life here? If you're worried about getting stronger, we can start working on that right here - there's no need for you to leave."
"As much as I would like to stay here with you, this is something that I want to do, Mom." said Poliwag before looking at the other Poliwag nearby, who were still watching Lincoln carefully. "Not only that, but I don't want to take time away from the others just for you to focus on helping me."
Watching as the two continued to converse with each other, Lincoln turns to Pikachu and asks "Do you think she might actually let him come along with us?"
"I'm not sure. She hasn't flat-out told him 'no' yet, so there's a slight chance she'll agree to the idea."
"Well, let's hope she goes along with the idea - I've only known him for a short time, but I've grown fond of the little guy already."
Giving her son a pensive look, Poliwrath asks "...And you're sure that you want to go through with this? There's still time to change your mind, you know."
"I'm sure, Mom. Besides, I like Mr. Lincoln - he seems like a nice guy."
After taking a few seconds to mull over her son's words, Poliwrath nods in understanding before walking over to Lincoln, causing him to eye her warily. "Human...as much as I'm not exactly happy to say this, I would like to ask a favor of you."
Watching her carefully in case she tried anything, Lincoln replied "Uh...sure. What is it? Does it involve your son?"
"It does." replied Poliwrath before she let out a resolute sigh. "I hate to ask you this, but...can I trust you to watch over him while he travels along with you on your journey? He's rather insistent about going with you."
"You...want me to bring him along? I mean, I don't mind or anything, but...why?"
"Because it's something that my son wants to do. And despite how I feel about the idea, I should support him and his dream of becoming stronger." replied Poliwrath before giving Lincoln a knowing look. "I'm fairly sure that your own mother felt the same way when you set out on your own, too."
"If only that was the case..." muttered Leonidas under his breath before Lincoln gave Poliwrath a nod. "But yeah, I'll be glad to take him along with me as long as you're okay with the idea."
"Very well then." replied Poliwrath before walking back over to Poliwag and saying "I've spoken with that new friend of yours - he's willing to bring you along with him."
"Wait...does that mean that..." said Poliwag, eyes starting to gleam in delight.
"Yes. You're free to go along with him if that's what you want to do." answered Poliwrath before giving her son a stern look. "Just make sure to behave yourself and keep out of trouble, understood?"
"Okay Mom, I will!" replied Poliwag happily before he hopped over to Lincoln's side. "Thank you so much, Mr. Lincoln! You won't regret this, I promise!"
"You're welcome." answered Lincoln as he took an empty Pokeball out of his bag. "So how do you want to do this - through a capture or with a battle?"
"Well...I'm not very good at battling and I really don't want your Pikachu to zap me..."
"I can understand why you'd say that - Water-Types are incredibly vulnerable to Electric-Type moves." said Pikachu, nodding in understanding.
"Not to mention I'd punch you into next week if you even tried to shock my son." added Poliwrath as she eyed Pikachu while cracking her knuckles.
"And I don't think having Fearow battle against you would work out too well, either." replied Lincoln before giving Poliwag a glance. "So I'll just go ahead and capture you without having to battle. Will that work for you?"
"Sounds good to me."
Activating the Pokeball, Lincoln asks "Okay then, here goes. Are you ready?"
"Ready!" chimed the small Tadpole Pokemon, prompting Lincoln to toss the Pokeball at him. With a quick hop, Poliwag leaped into the air and smacked it with his tail, causing the red and white sphere to quickly pull him inside.
Thankfully, Lincoln didn't have to wait long as the Pokeball had quickly managed to complete the capturing procedure within a matter of seconds.
Picking up the Pokeball and looking it over, Lincoln said "That was a surprisingly quick capture - I hardly saw any signs of struggling coming from within the Pokeball." before attaching it to his belt.
Giving the Pokeball a curious look, Pikachu replied "Maybe it's because Poliwag was willing to go along with being captured instead of trying to break free."
"Well nonetheless, we've got a new member on our team now." said Lincoln before giving Poliwrath a reassuring look. "We'll make sure to take good care of him for you. You have my word."
"Glad to hear it. Please watch over him - he means the world to me." answered Poliwrath before starting to walk away, only to come to a stop a few seconds later. "Also...there's just one more thing I need to say to you before you go..."
"Yeah? What's that?"
Turning around, the larger Tadpole Pokemon replied "Should I ever find out you've mistreated my son, nothing will stop me from hunting you down and beating you to within an inch of your life. Are we clear?" as she cracked her knuckles threateningly, causing Lincoln to gulp nervously at the sight before quickly nodding in agreement.
Pokemon or not, he wasn't keen on the idea of having a pissed-off Poliwrath beating the stuffing out of him, even though he had no intentions of mistreating Poliwag in any way.
"C-crystal. I'll take good care of him." replied Lincoln nervously, getting a nod of approval from Poliwrath in response before she waved him off. Taking that as his cue to leave, he started walking away with Pikachu following right behind him.
Author's Note:
There are going to be some differences with Bakugan Loud Brawlers lore due to this being set in the No Such Luck AU, such as Lincoln's relationship with Lori. Next time, the first Bakugan Battle!
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