After helping out Anthony at the Bulbasaur Adoption House, Summer and her Pokémon learned about Flower's past. Then three boys were about to destroy Anthony's dream when Summer and Flower saved it. Quickly making their way through the CV Underground Path, Summer and Lightning finally make it to Vermillion City. While they go to the beach, Summer saves a boy in the ocean, catching the attention of a local fisherman. Who is this fisherman and how will Summer react to her prized Pokémon?

Chapter 15: The Rarest of the Weak

Lightning and I reached the entrance to the CV Underground Path. We opened the door to the small house and saw a flight of stairs leading into the dark main path.

"I'm not too sure about this," I said, hesitant to climb downstairs.

"Come on, Summer!" Lightning shouted, pushing on my shoulder. "This is the only way we can get Vermillion City!"

"I know…but it's dark…and most likely filled with feral Rattata!"

"Don't worry!" Lightning said confidently. "I'll protect us!"

"Okay, if you say so," I said with a small smile.

I slowly walked down the stairs and entered the poorly lit walkway. The hairs on the back of my neck immediately stood on end. I felt like something bad was going to happen, but I tried to calm myself down.

Okay…there's nothing to worry about…It's not like we're going to be attacked or anything…

Suddenly, I felt something light touch my hair.

"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!" I screamed, immediately running down the path.

Once I saw the bright lights of the exit, I jumped up the flight of stairs, ran outside, and slammed the door. Panting away my adrenaline, I saw Lightning holding onto my shoulder for dear life.

"You okay, Lightning?"

"Yeah…" she grumbled. "I was trying to get something out of your hair…I didn't expect you to react like that."

"Sorry, I had a bad experience with dimly lit places." Looking off in the distance, I changed the subject. "Anyway, I think I see Vermillion City! Let's go!"

We ran down the dirt road of Route 6, and the rows of white buildings with terra cotta roofs became bigger with every step. Once we reached the buildings, a strong salty breeze welcomed us to Vermillion City. The city had large docks for cruise ships, freight boats, and fishing vessels, making it one of the main ports of the Kanto Region. Their beach was the second most visited beach in Kanto, after the many on Cinnabar Island. Sailors, locals, and tourists briskly walked the cobblestone roads, each heading to their destinations.

A sea breeze! Haven't smelled one of these since Petalburg City!

I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.

Lightning looked dreamily content, feeling the breeze on her face. "So this is what the sea smells like…"

I giggled and said, "I wish we could go to the beach now, but we should see if there's a room at the Pokémon Center."

Lightning sighed but nodded. After getting lost within the crowds, we finally found the Pokémon Center near the city's granite fountain.

We entered the red and white building, only to be greeted by a crowded lobby. I was able to wriggle through the Trainers and reach the reception desk.

"Excuse me, nurse. Do you have any rooms available to rent?"

The nurse sadly said, "I'm sorry. All the rooms we have are full due to the S.S. Anne's anticipated arrival. But there's still plenty of camping spots on the beach if you don't mind."

I smiled and thanked her for the suggestion. I gave her my Pokémon to be healed and slowly made my way to the TV.

Although I missed most of the segment, the reporter from Kanto TV talked about the Vermillion City Fishing Guru's fishing workshop for beginners being held tomorrow. He then also talked about the awaited arrival of the S.S. Anne after leaving Kanto 6 years ago. The ship will host an overnight stay for special guests and an open house for the public, complete with free food, vendors, and battle tournaments.

That fishing workshop sounds fun. Maybe I should go see if there's still room... I can't wait for the ship to come tomorrow! All the Pokémon and free food!

I then looked at the Town Map for camping locations along the beach. I saw one spot close by and decided to head there after getting my Pokémon back.

After a few hours, the nurse brought me my Pokémon and apologized for the wait. I understood the reason why and took them without complaints. I thanked her and went to the beach.

After a few minutes of walking towards the ocean, Lightning and I saw the famed Vermillion Beach. The tan sands of the beach were filled with people in swimsuits and bathing suits despite the sun starting to go down. Ignoring the crowds, I found a map of the beach and saw the location of the campsites by some coves. I walked towards the rightmost edge of the beach along the cobblestone road and saw an open spot on the beach.

I walked down a small flight of stone stairs and stepped onto the beautiful beach. The warm sand immediately filled my shoes. I smiled and, remembering the sands in Petalburg City, sat down and took off my shoes.

"So this is what sand feels like," Lightning said with awe after she jumped off my shoulder and landed on the sand. "It feels funny!"

I laughed and said, "It does feel funny at first, but it's fun to walk and play in. Let's get everyone else out to see this. Come on out everyone!"

The rest of my Pokémon softly landed on the beach and were surprised at the new environment.

"Feel free to look around guys," I said, knowing they want to explore. "Just stay out of the water and don't wander too far!"

"Okay!" everyone shouted. Blaze and Lightning explored a nearby cove while Swirls and Errol walked around the beach. Flower stayed behind and looked at me.

"Aren't you going to explore with the others?" I asked.

Flower shyly asked, "Can I help you, Summer? If that's okay with you."

"Of course, Flower," I calmly said. "Thank you." She smiled and helped me get the camping gear out of my backpack.

As I was about to start cooking dinner, Lightning and Blaze ran towards us with worried looks on their faces.

"What happened?" I concernedly asked.

"We heard someone screaming for help!" Lightning frantically shouted while waving her arms. "Swirls and Errol are looking around too!"

I looked around and said, "Okay, let's see if they need any help." The four of us ran towards the ocean and saw Errol flying over the water. Swirls saw us and exclaimed, "There's a boy in the waves, dudette!"

Errol saw us and shouted, "Ms. Summer! I can guide you and Ms. Swirls to the boy!"

I nodded and said, "Come on, Swirls! Let's dive in!"

"You're speaking my language, dudette! Time to brave the wave!"

Both of us waded into the warm ocean and followed Errol's precise directions. I saw the boy about to go under, but Swirls easily dove underwater and brought him to the surface.

Swirls and I can't bring him back to shore by ourselves, we need everyone's help!

"Errol!" I shouted, trying to keep my head above water. "Tell Flower to use her vines to help bring us back to shore!" He nodded and flew towards my worried Pokémon.

"You got him, Swirls?" I asked, trying to block a small oncoming wave with my left arm.

"No sweat, dudette," she grunted, struggling to keep swimming.

I grabbed onto the boy's arms to relieve Swirls' load, then saw two vines shoot towards us. Swirls and I grabbed onto the vines, and the four Pokémon pulled us back to the beach.

Swirls and I panted on the shore, while the boy coughed and slowly got up. He was light skinned with brown hair and eyes, and he wore blue swim shorts.

I asked, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah…" the boy slowly said. "I thought I saw a Pokémon by the shore, but a wave pulled me in. Thanks for saving me."

I smiled and said, "No problem. Just go with someone next time."

"Thanks, bye!" He walked towards the populated side of the beach and disappeared into the crowd.

I turned to my Pokémon and was about to thank them when a girl behind me asked, "Is everything okay?"

We looked towards the stairs and saw a fair-skinned girl with blue eyes and long red hair run over. She was about my height and wore a purple shell barrette, a tan outdoor vest, a red shirt, and green windbreaker shorts. She carried a red fishing rod while a red crab Pokémon following her carried a purple tackle box.

"Yeah, we're okay," I responded.

"Thank goodness," she said with a sigh of relief. In a bubbly voice, she introduced herself, "My name's Ariel. I'm an amateur angler here in Vermillion City."

She then moved her hand to her Pokémon and said, "This is my buddy, Sebastian."

I've never seen that Pokémon before. I took out my Pokédex and it said [Krabby, the River Crab Pokémon. Krabby live in holes dug into beaches. On sandy shores with little in the way of food, they can be seen squabbling with each other over territory.]

After introducing myself and my Pokémon, Ariel squealed and excitedly said, "I've never seen a Poliwag before! Can I pet her, Summer?"

I smiled and nodded. Ariel slowly knelt down and petted Swirls.

I then saw the sun touching the ocean and shivered from the cold, wet clothes.

Ariel saw this and became concerned. "You shouldn't camp out here. It gets pretty cold here at night. Why don't you come to my house, Summer? It's not too far from here."

"Are you sure? I don't want to intrude."

"Oh, don't worry about it. My dad said I should bring friends more often. Come on!"

I was surprised she considered me a friend so quickly, but I went along with it. I packed up my things, put on my backpack and shoes, and returned everyone except Lightning. We then followed Ariel and Sebastian to her house a few blocks away.

The two-story house was filled with fishing gear along the walls. The living room and kitchen had an ocean theme, with light blue walls and sea green furniture. The hallway at the left had multiple rooms, and a wooden staircase leading to the upper floor that had more doors. I saw a shoe rack by the right side of the front door and politely took off my shoes and placed them on the rack.

Ariel put down her things and pointed to the hallway. "There's a bathroom behind the first door. Go ahead and change. You can dry your clothes on the clothes rack in there."

I bowed and did just that. I looked around the spacious bathroom. She and her father must really love the ocean. Shell soap dispensers, pearl handles, and trident towel racks!

I changed into a blue and white tie-dye T-shirt and another pair of blue jean capris and dried my hair. I then left the bathroom and went into the living room.

Once I got there, a man with brown hair and a blue bipedal duck Pokémon came into the house. The man was a little taller than his partner and wore a green fishing vest, a yellow shirt, and blue windbreaker pants.

"Hello, my daughter!" he heartily greeted. "How're the Pokémon biting?"

Ariel sighed. "Only Staryu and Horsea, dad."

The man saw then me and happily shouted, "A guest! Did you invite her, Ariel?"

Ariel nodded and said, "She saved a boy in the ocean. Summer, this is my dad, the Vermillion Fishing Guru."

"Nice to meet you, sir. I saw a segment about you on Kanto TV earlier."

The Guru laughed. "Please, Summer, call me Doug. The Vermillion Fishing Guru is too formal. Anyway, it was my first time on camera." He then put his right arm behind his head. "Sorry if I looked like I didn't know what I was doing."

"Oh no, it was great!" I said, making him smile. "I was wondering if I can join the fishing workshop tomorrow."

"Of course, there's plenty of room! Just come outside the house at 9am. Not only will it be a workshop, there'll also be a fishing contest afterwards. Lunch and the fishing gear will be provided."

I bowed and said, "Thanks, Doug."

He laughed and said, "I should be thanking you, Summer. Ariel has few friends, and I'm glad she brought someone here. Why don't you two go upstairs and chat? I'll make dinner."

"Okay, thanks, dad." Ariel said. She motioned me upstairs. Sebastian, Lightning, and I followed her to a door with a Horsea and Staryu poster.

Ariel opened the door and let us inside. Her room was decorated with bubbles and wave drawings on the walls. A bookshelf by a large window had books about Water-type Pokémon and fishing. Two beds, one for a human and one for a Pokémon, laid opposite the bookshelf. Ariel and Sebastian walked to their appropriate beds and sat on them. On the right of the door, a very large fish tank took up most of the space in the room. A golden fish Pokémon with a yellow top fin and yellow whiskers excitedly swam in a circle.

That's strange. It looks like a Magikarp, but he's golden instead of red.

I took out my Pokédex and scanned the Magikarp. It showed the picture of the red Magikarp and said [Magikarp, the Fish Pokémon. Its swimming muscle are weak, so it is easily washed away by currents. In places where water pools, you can see many Magikarp deposited there by the flow.]

I was a little confused with the two colors until I saw a small yellow star under the picture in the Pokédex. I pressed it and saw the golden Magikarp's picture.

Ariel giggled and said, "I see you're curious about Flounder's coloring."

"Yeah, I've never seen a Magikarp with golden scales."

"That's because he's a shiny Magikarp."

A shiny Pokémon! They're so rare!

I slowly approached the fish tank and politely looked at Flounder. Flounder was a little scared, but curious.

"Is it okay if I pet him, Ariel?"

Ariel was surprised, but said, "Sure, Summer."

I slowly moved my hand over the tank. "Hi, Flounder. It's nice to meet you."

He slowly swam to the surface and allowed me to touch him. When I rubbed his hard scales, he said in a slow, deep voice, "You're a gentle person, Summer."

I smiled and replied, "Thanks, Flounder."

Ariel and Flounder then gasped. "You can understand Flounder, Summer?"

"Uhhh…" I hesitantly replied, not knowing what to say. "Long story short, yeah."

"How? If you don't mind me asking," Ariel curiously asked. "I can understand Water-type Pokémon, but I've never met anyone else who can understand Pokémon languages."

After giving her a small speech about my Pokémon translator app, she was stunned but excited.

"I can't believe it! A new technology where people can understand Pokémon?!" she shrieked.

"Hey, keep it down!" I warned. "It's still in the testing stage, so it won't be ready for a while."

Ariel blushed and shyly said, "Sorry for the screaming. It's just…I don't have many friends because of my understanding of Water-types and my quirkiness. People here tend to like powerful or good-looking Pokémon, but I care more about the personalities of Pokémon."

I smiled and sat next to her. "I know how you feel, Ariel. My Pokémon joined me because I was able to form a bond with each of them. Don't let those superficial people get to you."

Ariel sighed with a smile. "Thanks, Summer. I really needed to hear that."

I looked at the shiny Magikarp and asked Ariel, "How did you meet Flounder in the first place?"

Ariel paused and nervously asked, "Are you sure you want to hear it?"

Curious, I replied, "Sure, if that's okay.

Ariel explained, "A few months ago after a long day of fishing, Sebastian and I were walking back home when I saw some boys looking at a stranded Pokémon by the coves.

I quietly walked towards them and heard them say, 'That Magikarp look different.'

I approached them and explained, 'That's a shiny Magikarp.'

Suddenly, a boy with a Tentacool showed up and shouted, 'That Magikarp is mine! Get away from him!'

Magikarp became scared and tried to flop back into the ocean. 'I don't want to go with him…' he whimpered.

I became angry at his possessive behavior and told him, 'You don't have a right to keep Magikarp!'

He scoffed at my remark and said, 'What do you know, redhead?!'

The boys ran away from the confrontation, but I knew I had to protect Magikarp.

'How about this?' I proposed. 'Let's have a one-on-one battle. The winner gets to choose what to do with Magikarp.'

'Really?' he sneered. 'You're going to battle me?! I doubt you'll win.'

'We'll see about that! Go, Sebastian!'

'Take him out, Tentacool!'

I don't remember much of the battle, but I remembered the boy put up a good fight. In the end, Sebastian narrowly beat Tentacool.

I've never seen anyone so mad about losing a Pokémon battle. He gritted his teeth and scorned me, 'Good riddance…' He then stormed back to the city.

I was about to carry him back into the ocean, but he politely asked, 'Miss, can I stay with you? No one has ever been so kind to a Magikarp.'

So I kept him and nicknamed him after one of my favorite movie characters."

After hearing her story, I complimented, "You did the right thing, Ariel. I know Flounder feels the same."

"Thanks, Summer…"

"Girls!" Doug shouted from downstairs. "Time for dinner!"

"Thank goodness," I said, relieved. "I was starting to get really hungry.

Ariel laughed and said, "You're in for a treat. My dad's an amazing cook!"

"Can't wait! Let's go!"

The two of us ran downstairs with our Pokémon following behind us. After a delicious dinner of pasta and vegetables, Ariel and I spent the rest of the night talking about our adventures until late in the night.

Pokémon: Blaze (Combusken, male): Brave Nature, moves: Quick Attack, Double Kick, Flamethrower, Focus Energy

Errol (Hoothoot, male): Rash Nature, moves: Tackle, Growl, Hypnosis, Peck

Swirls (Poliwag, female): Relaxed Nature, moves: Bubble, Hypnosis, Water Gun, Doubleslap

Lightning (Pichu, female): Adamant Nature, moves: Thundershock, Charm, Iron Tail

Flower (Bulbasaur, female): Gentle Nature, moves: Tackle, Leech Seed, Vine Whip, Sleep Powder

Questions for the Chapter:

What do you think about Ariel and her Pokémon?

Do you like the flashback story? Any suggestions on the formatting/pace?