After arriving in Vermillion City, Summer was forced to camp on the beach because the Pokémon Center was booked. After saving a boy from drowning, Summer met a new friend, Ariel. Summer and Ariel became quick friends because of their similar thoughts about Pokémon. After staying the night, Summer will attend a fishing workshop Ariel's dad is holding. A person from Ariel's past ruins the fun, but something else threatens the workshop. Can Summer and Ariel stop it before it hurts the other participants?
Chapter 18: A Fishing Frenzy
My dream of swimming with Swirls was interrupted when I heard someone moving around. I groggily woke up and inched out of my sleeping bag on the floor. I picked up my Pokégear next to my bag and saw it was 4am.
"Did I wake you up, Summer?" Ariel whispered, surprised that I heard her movements. "I was trying my best to not wake you up."
"No, it's okay. I've been getting up before 5am lately. Where are you going?"
"Oh, I was going to check on a fishing spot for the workshop today."
I got up off the floor and asked, "Can I come with you?"
"Sure!" she whispered excitedly. "Get ready and grab any rod downstairs. I'll get the rest of the supplies."
After she left the room, I tiptoed to the door and let Lightning continue sleeping near Sebastian. I quietly went to the downstairs bathroom and changed into my now-dried clothes. I then walked to the living room, picked a long blue rod, and carried it over my shoulder. Ariel then walked up to me with her tackle box and headed towards the harbor.
We walked on the beach under a starry sky. It was dark, but the lamps along the streets lighted our way. When we got to the harbor, we walked to the fishing dock. Ariel unpacked the fishing gear from the tackle box and showed me the different tools and accessories.
I carefully listened to her enthusiastically teaching me about fishing and the different baits and hooks. Then, she patiently taught me how to cast my line.
"That's it, Summer! Now just sit down and wait for a Pokémon to bite."
"Okay…" I said nervously. Fishing seemed so easy, but it wasn't at the same time.
After Ariel cast out her line and sat down on my left, I asked "Hey, Ariel. How did you learn how to fish?"
Ariel dreamily smiled. "I watched Dad fish so many times when I was younger and I wanted to be as great as him. Although Dad was hesitant, he taught me how to fish. He said he was worried about me joining a male-dominated hobby, but I love the patience and thrill of fishing. So I practiced on my own, which was how I met Sebastian."
She then looked at the sky, which was turning purple then orange. "I've always wanted to travel the world and find all of the known Water-type Pokémon. But Dad won't let me go until I have two Pokémon."
"Don't you have two now?"
"Yeah…but I'm worried about bringing Flounder. I'm scared he'll be ridiculed again because of his strength."
"Ariel," I strongly advised. "You need to trust in Flounder. I'm sure you'll see he is strong despite what others think. Trust me."
Ariel pondered my words. We then watched the sun rise over Vermillion City, the light breaking through the dark.
Ariel got up and quietly said, "We should get back for breakfast."
We packed up the tackle box and quietly headed back to her house. We got back and her father finished preparing a hearty breakfast of eggs, ham, and potatoes. I happily ate everything and fed our Pokémon.
After breakfast, Doug said, "Ariel and I need to set up for the workshop. Go ahead and wait by beach until 8:55."
I nodded and went outside and walked to the beach. I let everyone out, and we ran, or in Errol's case flew, laps on the beach. Although I enjoyed the training session, I was worried I upset Ariel earlier.
I hope she's not mad at me…I should reword these kinds of things…
After five laps, I saw several groups of kids heading towards the house. I checked my Pokégear and saw it was almost 9am. I returned everyone and walked back to the house. Ten red fishing rods of the same size lay against the house wall. A table set up outside displayed different hooks and baits. Doug and Ariel had the nine boys who showed up sign in.
I looked at the participants and saw someone familiar.
I walked up to the brown-haired boy and said, "Hey! Aren't you the guy I saved yesterday?"
The boy turned around and was surprised. "Yeah! Thanks again for saving me. My name's Kelvin, by the way."
"I'm Summer. Is this your first fishing workshop?"
"Yeah. I was finally able to go after convincing my parents."
I was about to ask for more details when Doug yelled, "All right, everyone! Gather round!"
The ten of us huddled in front of the table. Doug and Ariel introduced themselves as the leaders for this workshop.
"Welcome everyone to this year's Vermillion City fishing workshop!" Doug boomed. I was surprised he didn't need a megaphone.
"Here's the agenda for today." Doug then took out a piece of paper. "The workshop will be an all-day event filled with education and fun. For the first two hours, Ariel and I will teach you the basics of fishing. After an hour break for lunch, we'll have the ever-popular fishing contest!"
Everyone cheered and gave each other excited looks.
Wow, this must be a pretty popular part of the workshop.
"The fishing contest will be over the course of four hours. Everyone will have the chance to practice not only fishing, but also catching hooked Pokémon. Each person must use a Water-type Pokémon to battle the wild Pokémon and can only catch up to five Pokémon. We will provide the Pokéballs, and they must be returned by the end of the workshop. The person who catches the most Pokémon will win a unique fishing rod. The signups for the Pokémon you'll be using will be during lunch. Now, who's ready to learn?"
The boys enthusiastically raised their hands. I then raised my hand after everyone else.
"All right! Nice enthusiasm! We'll split into two groups and switch off at 10:30. I'll teach you guys about possible Pokémon you can fish through fishing, and Ariel will teach you about fishing spots and equipment. Ariel, I'll take these five and you take the others. Now, let's get started!"
I joined Ariel's group and got a refresher course about what I learned earlier. Ariel showed the different items on the table and described each one's purposes and preferred uses. I liked learning about good fishing spots: areas with clear water, light vegetation and shade, and signs of other Pokémon visiting the fishing spot. That meant it was a safe place for all sorts of Pokémon species.
At 10:30, my group walked over to Doug's talk. He discussed the possible hooked Pokémon found in the Kanto Region. He pointed out the common ones in Vermillion City are Horsea and Staryu and rare ones such as Psyduck and Slowpoke. Learning about the Water-types not found in Hoenn was fascinating, and I eagerly took notes of Doug's discussions.
After the lessons, Doug gathered everyone. "Now that the lessons are over, we'll have our lunch break. We have freshly made sandwiches and an assortment of Berries for everyone. They're on the table along with bottles of water. Go ahead and take as much as you want. Don't forget to stay hydrated and let us know which Water-type Pokémon you'll be using for the fishing contest!"
I took a few egg salad sandwiches, six Berries, and a bottle of water from the table. I walked to the beach and let everyone out. As we were eating the delicious food, I asked Swirls, "Want to be my partner for the fishing contest?"
Swirls' eyes sparkled. "Totally, dudette!"
I smiled. "Okay, you can be out with me. Are you okay with that, Lightning?"
Lightning looked up and nodded.
"Okay, return!" The rest of my Pokémon went back into their Pokéballs, and Swirls and I walked back up to the house.
There was a line for the fishing contest signups when I got there. As I waited in line, Kelvin came by and stood behind me.
"Which Pokémon are you going to use, Kelvin?"
Kelvin showed me a blue Pokémon in his arms. She had two antennae with yellow bulbs at the end. Her eyes looked like plus signs in yellow circles.
"I've never seen this Pokémon before."
I took out my Pokédex, and it said [Chinchou, the Angler Pokémon. When it senses danger, it discharges positive and negative electricity from its two antennae. It lives in depths beyond sunlight's reach.]
"How cool! I've heard about them living in the diving spots in the Hoenn seas."
Kelvin blushed and said, "Yeah, they're pretty rare in the Kanto Region. Hey, you have a Poliwag! Does she have a nickname?"
"Yeah! Her nickname's Swirls."
"Hi Swirls! My Chinchou's nickname is Spark. Say hi, Spark."
Swirls and Spark happily said hi to each other.
Suddenly, a preteen boy with a red-jeweled jellyfish Pokémon pushed me aside. He was taller than me, maybe 5'5', and had deep brown eyes. He wore a red fishing vest and khaki pants. His black hair was hidden under his red cap. His pretty face didn't hide his arrogance.
"So this is the famed Vermillion City fishing workshop," he sneered. The boy then looked at us carefully. "What amateurs…"
"Well we are learning how to fish," I countered. I then looked at his Pokémon and pointed my Pokédex at him. [Tentacool, the Jellyfish Pokémon. Its body is almost entirely composed of water. It ensnares its foe with its two long tentacles, then stabs with the poison stingers at their tips.]
"You don't know what a Tentacool is?! What kind of Trainer are you?"
I sighed, getting slightly annoyed of his ignorance. "I know what it is…" I mumbled.
"What's going on?" Ariel asked, walking towards us. She immediately stopped when she saw the boy. "You!" she shouted while pointing at him. "You're that guy that tried to take Flounder!"
The boy snickered. "Well, nice to see you too. Who knew we'd run into each other again, Ariel. I've heard about you from my mentor."
Ariel gritted her teeth. "Then you must be Kaito, the Fuchsia City Fishing Guru's assistant."
Doug came over and saw us. "Ah, Kaito! So glad you can join us."
Ariel gasped. "Wait, he's supposed to be here?!"
"Yes. He's going to help monitor the fishing contest. Anyway, we should start the contest soon. I've already put down your Pokémon on the signup sheet, Summer and Kelvin. I'll go ahead and gather everyone else."
After a few minutes, all of the participants gathered around Doug, Kaito, and Ariel.
"I hope everyone enjoyed the lunch today!" Doug boomed. "Now, it's time for the fun part of the workshop…the fishing contest!"
Everyone cheered, except for me and Kaito. While Kaito gave an annoyed look, I was cheering on the inside.
"Now, you may be all wondering who this young man is." Doug pointed out. "This is Kaito, the assistant of the Fuchsia City's Fishing Guru. He's going to help monitor and guide everyone during the contest. The rods and hooks here are the same, so everyone has an equal advantage. We'll have three fishing spots today: the beach, the harbor, and the coves. I will be in charge of the beach, Kaito is in charge of the harbor, and Ariel is in charge of the coves. You can switch in between the fishing spots; just let us know where you'll be going. Remember, the contest will end at 4:30. Time management is key for fishing. Now, everyone grab a rod by the house and 5 Pokéballs on the table. Go to the person designated to your spot, and have fun!"
Everyone ran, grabbing their rods and Pokéballs. I just waited until everyone was gone, then grabbed a red rod and the Pokéballs.
Where should I go? I'm not planning to go to the other spots. Kaito…no way… Doug…don't want to be surrounded by crowds again… Ariel…I'm more familiar with that area. Plus, I should apologize to her about earlier.
I watched over to Ariel and Sebastian. I smiled at her, and she smiled back.
"All right, leaders!" Doug shouted. "Move out!" He then led his group of four to the beach.
"Okay, newbs!" Kaito shouted. "Let's go to the best fishing spot here!" I saw Kelvin was in that group and groaned at Kaito's words. He reluctantly followed his leader.
"Well then," Ariel said enthusiastically. "Ready to fish?" The three of us cheered, and we walked on the beach and climbed along the rocks to the further coves.
The rocks around the coves were surprisingly easy to climb over. I didn't want to swim in the ocean again. After a few minutes, we arrived at a secluded cove where no people were present. The sand here was a whiter color compared to the populated beach. A tall cliff about fifty feet from the water's edge was the closest thing to solid ground
"This beach is protected by these rocks, preventing large numbers of people from coming. This makes it a safe haven for Water-type Pokémon." Ariel informed. "Now, if any of you want to switch fishing spots, just let me know and Sebastian here can guide you to that spot."
Everyone in my group nodded, and we split up along the beach. Each of us cast our lines and waited for a bite. We caught so many different Pokémon: Horsea, Shellder, Krabby, Magikarp, and Staryu. Everyone seemed to be having fun and nobody wanted to go to the other spots.
Most of the kids got two or three Pokémon, and, to my surprise, I was able to catch five. Swirls really enjoyed the excitement of getting a bite and battling the Water-types. I was even able to get Pokédex entries of Horsea and Shellder.
Around 3:45, Ariel said, "We should start heading back everyone!"
Everyone was disappointed, but we got our rods and Pokéballs. Suddenly, a large blue and yellow dragon snake-like Pokémon emerged from the water surface. He roared angrily and charged towards us.
Thinking quickly, Ariel shouted, "Everyone, get far away from the beach!"
We ran towards the cliff and saw the large Pokémon stop at the shallow areas of the beach. He then angrily trashed around, breaking several small rocks into pebbles.
"Could it be?" I wondered. I took about my Pokédex, and it said [Gyarados, the Atrocious Pokémon, and the evolved form of Magikarp. It is an extremely vicious and violent Pokémon. When humans begin to fight, it will appear and burn everything to the ground with intensely hot flames.]
That's strange. Why would Gyarados be here? We aren't fighting. Something must be wrong with him.
Gyarados then glared at us and shot orange fireballs from his mouth.
"Oh no! Not Dragon Rage!" Ariel shouted with worry. "Quick, Sebastian, use Protect!"
"Yes, Ariel!" Sebastian shouted in a Spanish accent. He created a light blue shield around the group, and the fireballs immediately dissipated as they hit the shield.
Ariel then ran towards me. "Summer, we need to find out why Gyarados is trashing. I can feel he's in pain!"
The other boys said they can protect themselves.
I looked at everyone and nodded. "Okay, let's try to calm him down. Then we can figure out what's wrong."
Ariel determinedly nodded as well. We slowly approached Gyarados. He noticed us again and shot more fireballs. We quickly dodged the attack.
"Swirls! Use Hypnosis!" I commanded.
"Got it, dudette!" She jumped up and emitted the purple rings from her eyes.
Gyarados easily broke the rings with his tail, then tackled Swirls. She fell to the beach hard and was covered with scratches.
"Are you all right, Swirls?" I concernedly asked. She nodded, but I knew the earlier battles made her more tired.
"My turn!" Ariel shouted. "Sebastian, use Bubble!"
Sebastian shot a small stream of bubbles from his right claw. Gyarados got hit, but it only made him more enraged.
"We should change our strategy," I told Ariel. "Let me use Blaze."
Ariel shook her head. "Don't worry, Summer. I know what to do. I have to take your advice. Come on out, Flounder!"
Flounder came out with gold sparkles around him and landed in the ocean next to Gyarados. Gyarados was surprised but didn't attack the pre-evolution.
"What's wrong, Gyarados?" Flounder asked politely.
Gyarados paused, then lay on the beach, crying. He pointed to something dark blue on its scales with his whiskers.
"Thanks, Flounder." Ariel said. "Gyarados, we're not going to hurt you. Let me help take that off of your scales."
"Okay…." Gyarados whimpered with a low growl. For a powerful-looking Pokémon, this one seemed gentle when gently spoken to.
Ariel gently climbed onto Gyarados's back and looked at the stuck object. "Hey, Summer. Can you come help me get this rock out?"
"Sure." I slowly climbed the Pokémon's back and felt he was not going to attack us. Each taking one side of the heavy rock, we carefully removed the sea rock wedged between Gyarados' scales. The rock then fell into the sea and sank to the bottom of the shallow end.
After jumping off his back, Gyarados nudged us affectionately. "Thank you, ladies. I apologize for my anger. Goodbye, everyone."
Everyone then waved goodbye to the now calm Pokémon as he headed back into the ocean. The boys cheered for Flounder and thanked us for saving them. Ariel and I smiled at each other, and we all headed back to her house.
Once we got there, Doug hurriedly ran to his daughter and bear-hugged her. "Ariel! Are you all right?! We heard news about a rampaging Gyarados."
"I'm all right, Dad," Ariel giggled, hugging him back. "Summer and I took care of it."
"I'm sorry you all got pulled into this mess," Doug apologized to our group.
The boys said if Flounder didn't help me and Ariel, Gyarados would have still been rampaging.
"I see," Doug pondered, stroking his chin. "But I'm glad you all are safe."
"Now then," he addressed the participants. "Although not all of us had such excitement during the contest, but we all had fun, right?"
Everyone cheered, including me.
"Now, Kaito, Ariel, and I will count everyone's Pokémon. Go ahead and put your Pokéballs into these bags and we'll tally the number. We'll need 15 minutes, so go ahead and wait by the beach."
Everyone put their Pokéballs into small drawstring bags and gave them to their leaders. I did the same and saw Kelvin.
"Hey, Kelvin! How did you do?"
He chuckled and said, "I only caught two Magikarp. It's pretty hard, but I'm sure I'll get the hang of it. I think Kaito made the experience not as fun, since he kept criticizing me. Anyway, how did you calm down the Gyarados?"
"Oh. We tried to attack Gyarados, but it only made it worse. Flounder, Ariel's Magikarp, helped us and we were able to solve Gyarados's problem."
"Cool! I can't wait to get a Gyarados someday. I'd love the challenge of raising it from a Magikarp."
"Okay everyone!" Doug shouted from the house. "It's time for the results!"
Once everyone gathered, he announced, "All of you did so well today. Everyone caught at least one Pokémon, so all of you will get a commemorative pin and a discount on fishing supplies!"
Everyone cheered as Ariel and Kaito gave out the pins and discount coupons.
"And now, the moment you've been waiting for…the winner of the contest!"
Everyone held their breath in anticipation.
"The winner, who caught the maximum of five Pokémon, is Summer! Congratulations!" Everyone clapped for me, and I blushed from all the attention.
"Summer, we'll give you your rod at the end of the workshop. Now, thank you everyone for coming, and I hope you can continue to practice fishing. Feel free to come by if you want any refreshers or practice. Have a good night, everyone!" The other boys left with big smiles on their faces and headed back into the city. Only the leaders, Kelvin, and I remained. Kaito began to take down the table and put the supplies away.
"Congratulations on winning," Kelvin said, extending his hand out.
"Thanks, Kelvin," I answered, shaking his hand. "What're you going to do now?"
"I'm going to start my journey soon. I'm going to get the best Water-type team and challenge the Water-type masters around the world."
Doug walked towards us with a fancy red fishing rod. "Here you are, Summer."
I looked at the rod, then back at Kelvin. "Actually, Doug, can I give my rod to Kelvin?"
Kelvin and Doug were surprised. "No, I can't take it, Summer. You earned it, so you deserve it."
I smiled and reasoned, "I won't be fishing as much as you will. I know this rod will help you on your journey."
Kelvin gratefully smiled and said, "Thank you, Summer." He took the rod from Doug, and we said goodbye.
I looked at the time and said, "I should get going. The S.S. Anne should be arriving at the harbor around 5. Thank you for letting me stay at your house and join the workshop, Doug."
"My pleasure, Summer. Now, where did Ariel go? I need to tell her something."
"Here I am!" she called. We saw her run towards us, panting. She had a purple rod in her hands.
"Before you go, Summer, please take this rod. This one's foldable, so it'll fit better into your backpack. Although you won't be using it much, please take this as a reminder of our friendship. I'm sure you'll need to fish sometime in the future."
I smiled and graciously accepted her rod. After I put my new rod into my backpack, Doug put his arms on Ariel's shoulders.
"Ariel," he said, holding back tears. "I know you've wanted to travel for some time now. I think it's finally time for you to do it."
Ariel gasped. "Y-you really mean that, Dad?"
"Yes. I knew when you caught Sebastian, you had conversations with him every day, but they sounded like you actually understood what he was talking about. Just like your mom… She had that gift of speaking to Water-types, and I knew she passed that skill on to you. Please, fish to your heart's content and let me know what you catch. I'd love to see your new friends when you return."
"Thank you, Dad…" she whispered, and they hugged for a long time. I shed a tear, remembering that feeling when I left Hoenn.
"Hey, Summer," she said. "Can we keep in touch? I'd love to see your Gym battle before I leave Vermillion City."
"Sure! I'd love it if you can come! I'll let you know the time and day." We exchanged Pokégear numbers as Swirls and Sebastian said goodbye to each other.
The sound of a ship horn entered the coves. We looked at the sea and saw a large white and black ship entering Vermillion City. I saw the words S.S. Anne on the ship.
Finally! The S.S. Anne is here!
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, Sweet Kiss
Flower (Bulbasaur, female): Gentle Nature, moves: Tackle, Leech Seed, Vine Whip, Sleep Powder
Questions for the Chapter:
Ariel will appear in a future story (she can come back in this story if there's enough interest), but would you want to see Kelvin and/or Kaito in the future?
How will Summer do in the S.S. Anne tournament?