An orange frog stood in front of the boys, arms crossed in defiance. His face was peculiar; resembling a daruma doll with an impressive mustache painted across his face. He wore a maroon worker's uniform with wide-legged pants and tall black boots.
"You kids know that sleepin' here ain't legal, right?"
the frog scolded them, wagging a finger at them like he was their father.
Benedict got up. Without thinking, he accidentally slammed his head against the bottom of the park bench. He held his head and cringed from the pain. Kidd yawned as he looked at the frog. Would this guy mind his own business already?
Tank groaned as he forced himself awake.
"Since when?" he groaned.
"Two years ago, that's when!"
the frog pointed at a bronze plaque near the tree. The plaque read 'Generously Paid For by the De Brunhoffs"
"But that don't matter now! If you three don't wanna be arrested for trespassing, then go sleep somewhere else"
"It ain't sleepin, it was a power nap—"
Benedict tried to explain, before Tank and Kidd death glared at him.
"And besides" Tank pointed out.
"We don't have anywhere else to go for the night"
"Oh" the frog shrugged. Well, what did he expect. These boys looked like Pokemon trainers, and those types of guys were usually resourceful.
"Well, I got a place out on Route 116 you can stay at for the night. Any friend of my brother's a friend of mine"
The boys looked at each other in confusion.
"Wait, who's his brother?"
Tank whispered to his friends.
"Well if y'all ask me I'm pretty sure it's that Cousteau guy. I mean, look at that 'stache."
Benedict pointed out.
"…Benedict, did you get hit with a brick back in Unova?"
Kidd facepalmed.
"I mean, look! They're the only two frogs we've seen in Hoenn. But no, it's the mustache that matters"
Benedict rolled his eyes. Did Kidd always have to be such a smartass?
"Just follow me"
the frog said as he pointed to the city limits.
The boys stopped arguing and followed him, too exhausted to pick a fight through the night.
He seemed trustworthy enough.
The group walked through the rest of Rustboro City and back onto Route 116. The route was quiet— not a single Pokemon ran through the grass. There was a small house nearby the tunnel's entrance. The house looked rustic; a cream and brown zen exterior, windows covered with black blinds, navy blue roof, and a black chimney with smoke billowing into the air.
The frog knocked on the door. The wooden surface echoed against the other side.
"ARCEUS DAMNIT, CROQUE! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT TIME IT IS?!"
a deep booming voice hollered from the other side.
"Hey, Big Ben. Why don't YOU tell me what time it is!" Croque scolded him. "Now open the damn door, Rocco!"
The door unlocked and slammed open. A teal hippopotamus stood in the doorway, glaring like he wanted to be anywhere else, like his bed. He wore a black and orange-striped jinbei and black house slippers.
Rocco looked at the boys, then at Croque
"Croque, do you remember the LAST time we let a homeless guy in here?"
"They're not homeless, they're Pokemon trainers"
Croque scoffed as he texted somebody else on a small black flip phone. The clock read "2:30 AM". Once he finished typing, the frog shoved the phone deep into his pants pocket.
"And for YOUR information, they helped my brother, so I owe them something"
"Oh, great" Rocco deadpanned. He glared at the boys. "When you three get inside, DON'T TOUCH ANYTHING"
The boys gulped.
"Yes sir" Tank nodded.
The group walked inside and removed their shoes, placing them near the door. Rocco slammed the door shut, then locked the door three times.
The small house had a masculine yet comforting feel inside. It smelled faintly of cinnamon and sandalwood incense. The walls were a pale shade of beige while the wooden floors were deep brown. The living room had just the bare minimum— a brown and yellow kotatsu in the middle, several red and gold Fearow-print cushions, and a beige and white incense lamp on the table.
The boys sat down on the cushions, relaxing near the cozy kotatsu.
Rocco whispered to his roommate
"Seriously, why do you keep inviting random animals to our house?"
"I already told you" Croque argued back. "I had to run to Rustboro for some stuff, I saw the boys, and I would be a jerk if I let them stay out on the streets"
Rocco huffed
"Well you better make sure they don't trash up the place. I don't want another Pastel incident on my hands"
"Fine"
Croque rolled his eyes.
Rocco grunted as he lifted three futon mattresses from the closet. He laid them out near the living room. He looked over and snorted; the boys were passed out on top of the kotatsu!
Croque grabbed three pillows and thick quilts. He gently placed the bedding on top of each futon.
"So, are we just gonna let those boys sleep on our kotatsu?"
Rocco lifted Kidd over his shoulders
"Yeah, I was thinking that'd be a good idea"
Croque rolled his eyes.
"Well, I'm goin' to bed" he walked to another room. "Don't throw the boys out"
"And why would I do that" Rocco snorted.
After getting the boys to bed, he walked into a third room.
The next morning...
Tank woke up first, still cozy under his mattress. He looked around the house; it felt similar to his old house back in Fortree. Similar architectural design, but not quite the same area of Hoenn. He sniffed the air; was that the smell of scrambled eggs?
He ducked under the covers, but peeked out to watch the kitchen area.
Croque and Rocco were in the kitchen, already dressed in uniform. They were chatting to one another while cooking together.
"I don't get it though"
Rocco ranted as he stirred the eggs in the pot. "I thought Whismur couldn't hear all too good"
"Yeah, but Don said we gotta work on the tunnel"
Croque shrugged. "If you ask me I think he's doing this to get Hoenn News off his ass"
Rocco rolled his eyes
"Are they still going on 'bout his affairs? Guys like him do it all the time"
Croque pulled out a notepad and started writing. He scoffed at his friend as he wrote at lightning speed.
Tank fell back asleep. An hour later, he woke up and found a letter on the table. He picked it up and read it,
"Dear trainer guys"
Tank raised an eyebrow. Oh, right! He and his friends didn't get a chance to tell them their names. Okay, there's always worse nicknames, he thought to himself.
"We were gonna stay a bit longer but we had to go work in Verdanturf Town for the day.
Hey, since you guys stayed the night here, can you do me a favor and deliver these goods to my nephew in Dewford Town?
It'd kill me a trip. Thanks a million!
Croque Grenouille"
Tank set the paper down. He sat down and waited for his friends to wake up. He checked his Rotom Phone for anything new— Champion Apollo was spotted in Dewford Town? For what?
"Oh, morning guys!"
Tank grinned as he waved to his friends.
"Morning"
Kidd said as he fixed his greasy hair in a compact mirror.
"So what's the plan? Y'all wanna head through that tunnel"
Benedict asked as he walked into the kitchen and grabbed a water bottle for himself.
Tank grabbed a package from the table
"Nope! we gotta take this to Dewford Town"
Kidd sprayed some cologne on himself before comfortably sitting down at the table
"And where's that at?" he asked as he looked again in the mirror; ugh, he needed a shower, but at least his face looked alright.
"It's not too far from here"
Tank explained as he pulled the location up on his Rotom Phone.
Benedict walked back into the living room, opening up his bottle of water. He frowned as he looked at the map.
"Yeah, but what the heck are we gonna do about the ocean?"
"…..Swim in it?"
Kidd pointed out. "It shouldn't be that hard"
Tank snorted
"Yeah, we're totally swimming across two routes worth of water"
Benedict and Kidd looked at each other in unamusement. Oh so NOW Tank wants to be snarky.
Tank frowned a little. Maybe that was too much snark for the morning
"…..Oh. Well, hopefully we can find someone with a boat then!"
The other boys nodded— they knew they had to get on the road soon. After putting their shoes back on and grabbing their bags, they easily traveled back through Rustboro City and Petalburg Woods. Tank even had time to stop at the Pokemon Center to adjust his party of Pokemon. No surprise ambushes or pushy trainers demanding a battle this early in the morning!
After leaving the woods, they walked to a small wooden house on the beach shore. The building had several items of boating equipment on the porch— bamboo paddles, bright orange life vests, boxes filled with who knows what. Tank dashed to the door, with Benedict and Kidd tagging along behind him.
Cousteau unlocked the door and opened it up. Peeko-chan comfortably sat on her owner's right shoulder.
"Oh, morning boys!" he greeted the trio.
"Morning"
Kidd yawned, trying not to fall asleep standing up.
Benedict held up the gold and white package to Cousteau
"Croque told us to send this to Dewford Town"
"Oh did he now?"
the frog crossed his arms in amusement.
"Well, I have to be there anyways. How about you boys come along with me?"
Kidd whispered to his friends
"I'm not gonna get boatsick. Right?"
"Dude, you'll be fine"
Tank whispered back. "It's not that big of a boat!"
The boys nodded in understanding, ready to sail the high seas. Cousteau hopped onto the stern while the boys climbed onto the deck. The frog pulled a lever, causing the boat to rumble slightly. He grabbed onto the steering wheel and pushed it forward. Peeko-chan spread out her wings and flew into the skies next to her owner's boat.
The boat picked up speed, water flying behind it in a long trail. Several animals in the water moved out of the way so the boat wouldn't injure them. A group of wild Tentacool trailed behind them, curious on where they were heading to.
Benedict stood near the deck, his wings gripping to the bow pulpit. His hair flew around in the wind as the boat zoomed even faster. He whistled a short catchy melody, then broke out into song
He held a wing out to the skies, letting the cool air blow through his feathers.
Kidd rolled his eyes as he sat on a long white park bench. What does moving on the floor have to do with a bird of paradise?!
And just his luck, Tank stood up and joined Benedict, wrapping an arm around his shoulder
The two boys grinned at each other as they continued to sing off-key.
Kidd facepalmed into both hands;
no, there was nothing nice about a cherry ice cream smile OR catching a mirror out west!
The boys rocked back as the boat zoomed through the waves, thick ocean water drenching them from head to toe. Kidd got up and immediatly spat the water out. He gagged from the salty taste in his mouth.
The boat slowed down and sputtered loud enough to scare wild Pokemon. The trio saw a small dock and town on the horizon before them. The town's buildings were painted in warm colors except for a huge green and white building near the coast.
Dewford Town: A place mostly shut off from the rest of Hoenn. There's no Poke Mart to be seen, restaurants to eat at, or even a decent inn for travelers passing through (leaving most travelers to stay in the Pokemon Center). Most residents travel frequently via boat to get to Slateport City. However, there is a gym that was built just last year, and thanks to social media influencers and a new market in town, there's been a growing interest in the cut off town.
The sky was a soft shade of pale blue. A few clouds formed in the sky near the sealine, swirling around in the air.
A horde of wild Marill played on the beach, some frolicking carefree while others pelted sand at each others' faces.
One young trainer, a blue and green frog with black spots on his skin, faced against the ocean waters. The amphibian wore a navy blue full body wetsuit and bright blue shorts embezzled with green and orange dots.
He sat on the right shoulder of his partner Pokemon, a large cream-colored humanoid with big orange hands and narrowed blue eyebrows. The frog pointed ahead at the water.
"Okay, Hoji!" he commanded. "Force Palm into the waves!"
"HARI-"
The huge Pokemon slammed its palms into the water, forcing a heavy splash throughout the ocean.
"YAMAAAAA!"
"That was gnarly!"
the frog shouted to his partner Pokemon. "You think you can keep that up for our next gym match?"
"Hari, hari!"
The Hariyama closed his eyes and roared happily.
"Radical!"
the frog clapped his hands together.
A high speed boat dashed through the waves, drenching both Pokemon and trainer.
The frog laughed and spat some water out
"Dude! Well, I guess we should train on land now, huh Hoji?"
"Hari- hari!"
The arm thrust Pokemon cried out as it turned around and stomped through the water and back to the sand. It left several large footprints in the beige sand.
The frog backflipped off its shoulder and landed onto the sand.
He flashed a cheeky grin and waved to his Pokemon
"Come on Hoji, we gotta work on our crunches, bro!"
Hariyama saluted its trainer and followed him to a maroon and yellow building. The building had a wooden sign reading:
"Dewford Town Pokemon Gym—
Leader: Frobert Grenounille. The surfing king, fribbit!"
Frobert and his Pokemon walked into a literal gym. The lights were turned off, unnecessary due to the use of sunlight shining in. Despite its supposed cleanliness, the gym smelled musky. A white chicken, in a muscle tank and joggers, ran on a treadmill while a maroon duck in a short-sleeved hoodie lifted black dumbbells with each wing.
"Mornin' dudes!"
Frobert called out to the other animals.
"Mornin', Frob"
the duck grunted as he flexed his arms.
"Hey, Frob!"
the chicken hollered from the treadmill.
"Just reached two miles!"
"Gnarly, Goose!"
Frobert fist pumped in the air.
"Hoji and I landed some good waves! It was totally awesome"
"Yama!"
the Hariyama cried out as it flexed his muscles.
Frobert walked to a row of punching bags. He effortlessly landed several strong kicks against one of the bags, but got interrupted by some buzzing coming from his trunks. It was a miracle he wasn't whacked in the face by the punching bag. He grabbed his waterproof phone from his pockets and swiped right to answer the call.
"Hey uncle, what's up bro? Huh? You brought something over from Rustboro? Radical! Hey, let's meet at the dock then!"
Frobert hung up. He climbed back onto his Hariyama's shoulder and pointed to the door. Hoji nodded and carried its trainer back outside. The duo headed to the docks without a problem. He saw his uncle talking to three animals he never saw before. One of them looked like he was about to throw up while the other two looked energetic enough.
"I'm here for my package!"
Frobert called out to the yellow frog.
"Got it right here, kiddo!"
Cousteau waved in the air with one hand. He held a golden package in his other hand.
Tank scanned the unfamiliar Pokemon with his phone.
"Hariyama, the Arm Thrust Pokemon. A fighting type, and the evolved form of Makuhita. Hariyama practices its straight-arm slaps in any number of locations. Some would describe this Pokemon as an absolute unit"
"So, how's the gym going?"
Cousteau asked his nephew as he handed the package to him.
"Ehh"
Frobert frowned and crossed his arms.
"Not very gnarly. Nobody's given me a good battle this week"
"Gym, huh?"
Benedict raised an eyebrow.
"Yep"
Frobert hopped off his Pokemon's shoulder and picked up the package. He held it close to his chest
"You're looking at Dewford Town's gym leader"
"And y'all's looking atcha next challenger!"
Benedict pointed to himself. He grabbed his Stone Badge out of his badge case
"I already won against Coco, and I can't wait to take y'all on next"
"Pfft, Coco? She's a total pushover"
Frobert snorted.
"Now if you wanna REAL fight, I'll be glad to bring it on later"
"Oh, it'll be on"
Benedict grabbed his hand and shook it.
Frobert fistbumped him after the handshake
"I gotta do some crunches anyways. I'll see ya when you wanna get knocked out, dude!"
The small frog waved as he walked to another building with his Pokemon.
Kidd sniffed the air then cringed in disgust
"….Eugh, I smell terrible"
"Just use some Fraxure spray"
Tank suggested to him.
"Yeah" Benedict pointed out. "We do it all the time back in Unova"
"Ex-CUSE ME?!"
Kidd could NOT believe what he just heard. Arceus Christ, he wanted to slap both of them for saying that. He placed a hoof on his chest.
"I don't care HOW much you Unovans do it! Using an entire can of Fraxure spray does NOT count as a shower!"
"Um, yeah, it does?"
Benedict pointed out. He grabbed his can from his backpack.
"See? It clearly says on the can that yall can use it as one"
Kidd facepalmed and angrily rolled his eyes. He stormed off to the Pokemon Center, muttering to himself in a fit.
"Why do these two have NO standards about hygiene…."
He handed Nurse Shizue his Poke Ball and stormed upstairs. He looked around at the second floor, and it was bigger than he expected. He saw a locker room and ran into it like his life depended on it. Oh thank Arceus, nobody else was inside!
"Oh great, I forgot to get breakfast again" Kidd thought to himself as he lathered his hair in strawberry milk shampoo. The sweet smells filled the air as he thought about what would sound good for breakfast- maybe just coffee with plenty of Moomoo Milk in it.
Forty minutes had passed, and Kidd finally felt clean. He felt relieved to smell like rose cologne and vanilla body wash instead of saltwater and dirt. The goat quickly got dressed and headed downstairs. He grabbed his Poke Ball from the counter and headed back outside.
Tank and Benedict walked up to their friend,
both of them carrying white styrofoam cups and chewing on something.
"What are you guys eating?"
He pointed at the cups in their hands.
"Magikarp roe"
Tank explained to him.
"We got some from one of the fishermen here while you stormed off. You wanna try some?"
Kidd frowned a little. On one hand, the bright red orbs looked incredibly slimy. But, on the other hand, he hadn't eaten all day and would try anything at this rate. He grabbed one of the cups from Tank's hands and started eating some of the roe. His eyes widened in surprise from how delicious it was! The goat scarfed down the rest of his serving, sighing in happiness as the salty fatty goodness filled his throat.
Benedict quietly finished his serving, tossing the cup and spoon into a nearby trash can.
"I'd definitely have that again" he groaned in satisfaction.
"So how'd you guys get the roe again?"
Kidd asked them, neatly dropping his trash into the same trash can.
"We got it for free!"
Tank's tail wagged as he happily explained
"Apparently Dewford animals here don't eat roe, so he was gonna throw it out in the ocean"
"Well I'm glad somebody liked it"
The trio turned around to face another animal. It was a yellow bull with thick brown eyebrows, grey stubble, striped blue horns, and a blue and white fishing outfit. He had a small Pokemon following his lead- a green blob with a yellow crest and a tired face.
"I don't get it though. Must be a city thing" the bull shrugged before tipping his hat.
"Hey, are you guys going to the Dewazon Market?"
"Dewazon...Market?"
Tank asked him. He raised an eyebrow and tilted his head.
"Yeah, it's right up here"
the bull pointed at the green and white building near the shore. Several striped balloons hung from the door, flying around in the wind.
"I'd check it out if I were you guys. It's very trainer friendly"
"Thank you sir!"
Tank bowed.
"It's no problem, lad"
the bull said before he and his Pokemon headed inside.
The boys looked at each other. Going there would help out for traveling throughout the rest of Hoenn. They could get the best necessities- food, sunscreen, Poke Balls, potions, and most important of all, a copy of Fame and the Shame, a magazine dedicated to exposing champions.
They walked through the sand and towards the building. The place was crammed to the brim with activity. Countless vendors of different species lined the place, while other animals walked around, some stopping to look at a booth.
"Hello, hello"
a blue and white otter walked up to the trio. He wore thick black glasses and a red suit. A gold nametag on his left chest pocket read 'Lyle Seariver'.
"And welcome to the Dewazon Market"
"Dewazon Market? Can y'all tell us more 'bout it?"
Benedict was curious on what else to know about the new place.
"Yessirree, I can"
Lyle explained as he adjusted his glasses
"At the Dewazon Market, you can barter anything you want for others' goods. Well, anything except Pokemon or pre-owned clothes, of course"
"What about just cash?"
Kidd asked him.
"Oh, we don't really do cash here" Lyle scribbled onto a red and yellow clipboard.
"But. You can buy tickets and exchange those for goods. Between me and you three, most vendors LOVE tickets more than anything else"
Benedict nodded
"Yeah, guess that'd make sense"
"And just a heads-up" Lyle pointed at a white machine in one of the corners.
"THAT'S where you get tickets from"
The group walked together to the white machine.
"I got this" Kidd grabbed a fistful of coins from his messenger bag. He put the coins in the slot and waited as the machine printed two handfuls of blue and white vouchers.
He handed his friends a few tickets and neatly put his vouchers away in his right coat pocket.
"So, where do you guys wanna go first?"
Tank asked everyone.
"I was gonna look for some battlin' stuff" Benedict pointed at one of the aisles.
"Or, at least, find out more 'bout that gym leader I met"
Kidd looked around the area, unsure of exactly where to go first.
"I'll just go with you for now" he shrugged.
"I'll see y'all at another stand then!"
Benedict waved before he took off.
He looked through the endless line of vendors. One of the booths, a purple and white striped stand, caught his eye. The sign read "Diva Milonga: Not your Average Accessories".
He looked at the rows of countless accessories- long diamond and pearl pendants, tight tattoo chokers, shiny rings with rubies and sapphires embedded, and several different types of hair accessories. Ribbons, bobby pins, headbands, hair ties, even a light pink scrunchie shaped like a cherry blossom flower. But which one looked the cutest... This one!
He picked up a large flower hairclip. It had five wide purple petals and a light blue pistil in the middle.
"Adorable, isn't it?"
A bright purple frog smiled at him.
She wore vivid blue and white makeup, a navy shingle bob cut, and a white and purple space-print dress. Her voice was smooth and comforting, like hot soup on a cold rainy day.
"It's mighty cute" he gently set it down.
"I was thinkin' of gettin' this for one of my Pokemon"
"Well, trust me, sweetie" the frog batted her eyelashes.
"Any Pokemon who wears a flower like that is sure to win anyone over. Two tickets please~"
Win anyone over, huh? Benedict thought to himself. He did find himself charmed by that hairclip, and the way that frog called him sweetie. It made him feel warm inside. He happily handed over two of the tickets, and watched as the frog wrapped the flower in light blue tissue paper. She gently placed a sticker over the folds and handed it over to him.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the hall...
Tank ran to the left half of the hall, dragging Kidd with him by the hoof. He stopped at a green and white gingham booth and looked at both table and stand— several long fishing rods in multiple colors, lures and hooks on the table in different patterns.
"Can I help ya find somethin?" A brown and yellow octopus asked him.
The cephalopod had green freckles on his cheeks, round black dots, and a wooden pin holding his brown hair back in a low bun.
"Yeah, which one of these is the best for catching Pokemon?"
Tank asked the vendor. His left elbow pressed against the table.
"Depends on what type a Pokemons ya wanna catch!"
The octopus pointed at the rod rack.
"Well, I wanna catch as many as I can. Professor Nook wants me to catch them for his research"
Tank brought a hoof to his chin.
"If ya aint sure on a type, I got the perfect model for a rookie like ya"
The octopus grabbed a blue and green striped rod.
It shone underneath the harsh white fluorescent light.
Tank looked back down at the rows of lures. Some were shaped like water dwelling Pokemon while others took on the form of things like shells and seaweed. One of the lures caught his eye— a red and yellow Octillery shaped lure. Kidd picked one up as well- a cream and pink one resembling a long serpentine Pokemon with a blue tail.
"Is this lure good?"
Tank picked the Octillery lure up in his palms.
"Sure is. That one there's a best seller" the octopus said as he held the striped fishing rod in his hands.
"If that's all ya gettin, its gonna be….hmmmm…two tickets"
Tank pulled two tickets out of his pants pocket and handed them over.
The octopus wrapped both lure and rod together with a dark green ribbon. The rhino lifted the rod up and carried it on his shoulder.
Kidd set the lure down and followed Tank to the middle of the market. Neither of them saw Benedict nearby though.
The goat stopped at a pink and black stand. A white light came from his messenger bag. Mudkip released herself from the ball, eager to explore what she could. The mud fish Pokemon jumped up onto the booth. Fortunately, she didn't knock any goods over.
"Mudkip, mud!" she cried out.
Kidd got flustered and picked her up off the table
"Sorry about that!"
"Don't worry about it" the other animal reassured him with a hand wave.
She was a brown rabbit with short blond hair, pink blush on her cheeks and wore a short yellow dress.
"Hey, are you doing Contests by any chance?"
The goat looked puzzled. He held Mudkip in his arms and tilted his head.
"Contests?"
"Yeah!" the rabbit eagerly explained to him.
"They're this super cool thing where a trainer and their Pokemon perform together to show their bond!"
"So, like Showcases in Kalos?" Kidd asked her. He remembered seeing a couple of them back home and found them interesting, but found it off-putting that only girls could perform on it.
"But way better!" the bunny pointed upwards. She clapped her hands
"As in, guys can do contests too!"
"That sounds pretty fun!" Kidd perked. "So what stuff would I need for it?"
"Oh, you're totally gonna need a LOT for it" the rabbit listed off the basics at lightning speed- a contest pass, berries and a Pokeblock kit, accessories for both trainer and Pokemon, fancy outfits, and most importantly, confidence.
Mudkip wriggled in her trainer's arms. She pointed at one of the items on the booth- a long white scarf similar to her trainers's. The only difference was that it had several gold stars trailing at the end.
The rabbit held the scarf up
"I know, isn't it super cute?"
Kidd looked down at his Pokemon.
He did want to make her happy, after all. Maybe contests was both of their calling, he thought. Being in the spotlight, both of them by each other's side. It all seemed to fit together, like peanut butter and fluffernutter...
"I'll take it" Kidd reached into his pocket and handed her three tickets.
The rabbit smiled happily as she loosely wrapped the scarf around Mudkip's neck.
"Thank you so much"
Kidd had a soft smile on his face that could warm even the coldest heart.
"Oh, it's no problem"
the bunny handed her customer a mint green and brown business card. It read- "Bonnibel 'BonBon' Andesa: Contest Consultant".
When the boys left the Dewazon Hall, they noticed something off.
Cousteau's boat was no longer at the dock. Perhaps he had to go back home for the afternoon, they thought. They sat down together on the dock.
Tank grabbed his fishing rod and cast it into the water. The lure bobbed three times, but nothing was biting down. Darn!
"Maybe this fishing thing's a bust" Tank thought to himself, then tried again. And again. But nothing would bite down!
"Guys?" Tank asked. "Anyone wanna give this a try before I get a refund?"
"I'll do it!"
Benedict said. He took the rod for himself, then cast it.
The lure bobbed in the water for two minutes, then tugged down underwater.
Easy does it, easy comings... What the hell?!
Benedict hollered as the fishing rod pulled him off the dock and into the water. He held onto the fishing rod, holding his breath and closing his eyes as he thrashed through the water.
In defeat, he let go of the rod and climbed back onto the dock to see what grabbed the fishing rod. The boys all saw it— a golden Magikarp leaping into the air, still holding the fishing rod in its mouth. Sparkles trailed in the air, cascading into the water. Its shining white whiskers flapped through the wind.
"It's beautiful!"
Benedict cried out, his eyes sparkling in excitement. Magikarp weren't too common in Unova, but a golden one?!
"It's just a Magikarp"
Kidd snarked
"They're twenty Poke Dollars a dozen"
"Yeah but most Magikarp ain't golden"
Benedict rolled his eyes
"And I'm gonna catch it! I need a good Water type on my team anyways"
"Water-type, huh?"
Tank asked him.
"Hey, I got an idea, how about you borrow one of my Pokemon?"
"Really? Y'all mean it?"
Benedict cocked his head.
"Of course! I just know who'd be willing to go, too"
Tank smiled as he released one of his Pokemon and leaned down
"Hey, little guy, can you follow my friend over there?"
"Shroom, shroom!"
Shroomish chirped as it shook its small body.
The mushroom Pokemon hopped over and nuzzled the top of its body against Benedict's leg.
With both arms, Benedict picked up Shroomish and carried it underneath his right arm. He waved to his friends
"Wish me luck, y'all!"
He gulped before leaping into the water with a large splash.
Shroomish floated back to the top and paddled with its stubby feet, watching for any Magikarp leaping into the air.
"That karp's gotta be here somewhere"
Benedict thought as he paddled through the thick ocean waters. Several wild Pokemon swam away from him, worried they'd end up his next dinner.
A small trail of sparkles shined before his eyes.
This was it.
He swam towards the Magikarp like a Tentacool being chased by a strong Sharpedo.
"Come on..."
Benedict grabbed onto the white tail and held on as the Pokemon tried to thrash him off, like a stubborn Tauros kicking off its rider. He held on tighter as the Pokemon swam upwards and emerged above the water.
Benedict sharply gasped as he left the water. He knew he had to act fast. The bird reached into his right pocket, grabbed an empty Poke Ball, and slammed it against the Magikarp's right fin.
Magikarp was absorbed into the ball. The ball shook twice before the fish Pokemon broke out, white sparkles blasting out at the same time.
Fuck.
Benedict grabbed onto the loose Magikarp again and held onto the scales like his life depended on it. He closed his eyes as the saltwater splashed into his face. Despite the nasty taste and rough conditions, there was no way he would pass up on such a nice Pokemon.
Suddenly, a collision forced Magikarp stopped moving in its tracks.
The bird opened his eyes. Shroomish bobbed in the water as it released a small white substance from its body. The pores scattered across Magikarp's face, making it fall asleep in the water. The fishing rod floated nearby in the water. At least it was still usable.
"Now's my chance!"
Benedict thought as he gently tapped the water type with the same ball he used before. This time, Magikarp didn't fight back. The ball shook three times before stopping with a small ding. Three white stars popped out from the ball's surface.
Yes!
Benedict stashed the ball into his hoodie. He grabbed the fishing rod with his beak, placed Shroomish on his shoulders and swam back to shore
"Guys, I got it!"
He hollered as he scaled up the side of the dock.
Benedict flopped onto his stomach as he held the ball up in the air. He panted from all the swimming he had to do, but he knew deep down getting that golden karp was worth it. Shroomish hopped off of Benedict's back.
Tank ran over and effortlessly lifted Benedict over his shoulders. He carried him from the dock to the Pokemon Center. Kidd followed his friends without saying a word, cringing from the smell of sea salt and Magikarp scales. He crossed his arms and shook his head in disapproval. Why did Benedict have to be so crazy!
Shroomish stumbled around in the sand. The mushroom Pokemon got blocked by a huge shadow. He looked up at the source of the shadow, curious on its intentions.
"Hey, are you lost, little dude?"
"Shroom?"