The fishing rod suddenly jolted again.
'Another bite!'
Naoki tensed, focused, and pulled hard.
A dramatic splash followed, and out of the water came a small, blue creature that landed with a thump on the nearby reef.
Naoki's jaw dropped.
"Wait a second... another Popplio?"
He squinted at it.
"Was this bay some kind of Popplio breeding ground? Was it their seasonal migration time or something?"
But then... he looked closer.
This was the same Popplio as before!
Naoki's brow twitched.
He reached out and carefully lifted the playful Pokémon.
"Poppp~!" Popplio gave him a cheeky grin.
Then, just like last time, it slapped its tail and slipped smoothly back into the sea.
Naoki stared blankly.
'Oh no...'
Something told him this little rascal wasn't done just yet.
He reset the bait, casting his line once more with a suspicious look toward the ocean.
Sure enough, just two minutes later...
The rod shook violently.
'Another bite!'
Naoki braced himself, pulling the rod back hard.
Water splashed everywhere.
As the hooked Pokémon flew through the air once more and landed near his feet, Naoki's eye twitched.
"It's you again?"
Naoki put on an exaggerated frown and scolded, "Hey! Don't come back again!"
But the little Popplio wasn't fooled. It saw right through him.
Instead of being scared, it chirped back with a cheerful, "Popp! Popp!"
Naoki sighed. "…"
He took a deep breath, then reached into his jacket pocket. "Looks like we're fated to meet again and again. Alright then, why don't you come home with me?"
He pulled out an empty Poké Ball. It gleamed faintly in the sun.
Originally, this was the ball he had prepared to catch Kyogre.
But before he could even toss it, the Popplio's eyes widened. With a startled squeak, it turned tail and dove straight back into the sea.
Naoki blinked. "Huh. Now you're scared, huh?" He crossed his arms and muttered at the water's surface. "Well, don't come bothering me while I'm fishing, then!"
The sea grew still.
Naoki let out a small breath and resumed his concentration, hoping for a legendary bite.
But not long after, a gentle ripple disturbed the surface again.
He immediately tensed, ready for a strong pull on his line.
Instead, something round and blue slowly popped out of the water.
"Popplio?"
Sure enough, the little Sea Lion Pokémon surfaced with a small fish flopping in its mouth.
It paddled over to the rocks, tossed the fish in front of Naoki, then spun around with a proud little squeak and dove back into the ocean.
Its smug expression seemed to say, "What? I ate a couple of your baits. Here's your payment."
And just like that, it disappeared beneath the waves.
For a moment, Naoki stared at the small fish left behind.
Then, unable to help himself, he burst out laughing.
"This little guy's got personality," he chuckled, shaking his head. "You really can't stay mad at it."
Too bad he hadn't brought any Poké Puffs or Poffins today.
As he looked out over the gently rolling sea, he cupped his hands to his mouth and called out, "Hey, Popplio! I'll be back here fishing at the same time tomorrow! You better show up—I've got something for you!"
After that, the sea remained calm. It was hard to tell whether Popplio had actually heard Naoki's shout or not.
For a while, it didn't show up again, and Naoki was able to fish undisturbed.
But despite his hopes, the results were underwhelming. Perhaps there just weren't many fish left in this part of the bay. Even with the boost from the Paldea Seafood Rice, rare Pokémon were few and far between.
Over the next three hours, Naoki's total catch amounted to three Slowpoke, five Shellder, one Tentacool, two Lumineon, and two Pyukumuku.
Unfortunately, the Tentacool managed to slip out of the bucket and escape.
The three Slowpoke, true to their nature, lay motionless on the warm rocks after being caught, staring blankly into space as they basked in the sun.
Naoki had originally set them aside to continue fishing, but before long, all three of their tails were bitten by the nearby Shellder, triggering a synchronized evolution.
One by one, with a flash of light, they evolved into Slowbro.
The remaining two Shellder, perhaps realizing they had used up their usefulness, clamped their shells shut and peeked out warily through the gaps. As soon as Naoki glanced over, they snapped shut tight.
Naoki sighed. "Really? You guys too?"
At the bottom of the bucket, the two Pyukumuku were just floating lazily, blowing bubbles with contentment, while the pair of Lumineon glided gracefully through the water, casting a soft, glowing light that sparkled like moonlight.
Naoki considered releasing them back into the sea, but strangely, none of them made any move to leave.
Watching their quiet, relaxed expressions, he couldn't help but smile.
"Well then, I guess it's fate." He chuckled. "Alright, all of you, looks like you're coming home with me."
Slowbro, Lumineon, and Pyukumuku were all gentle and easygoing by nature. They'd fit perfectly into the ranch's peaceful lifestyle.
Naoki planned to release them onto the lower layer of Dragonite Island. That area had a thriving ecosystem and plenty of food. These new additions would enrich the habitat and live comfortably without worry.
With the effects of the Paldea Seafood Rice having worn off, Naoki packed up his things, gently transferred the Pokémon into his bucket, and climbed onto Koraidon's back.
Together, they soared back toward the ranch.
When they finally landed, Naoki spotted Iono chatting with a few visitors on the lawn.
She noticed Koraidon in the sky and waved with a cheerful smile. "Oh? Look who's back!"
Her guests, Ash and his friends, turned eagerly toward the landing zone.
"Mr. Naoki!"
Naoki glanced over the group of young visitors.
Ash, Kiawe, Lillie, Mallow, Lana, Sophocles…
"Ash?" Naoki blinked in surprise.
Ash nodded enthusiastically. "Yup! We said we'd come visit, remember? The Pokémon School's closed today, so I brought everyone along. They're all my classmates here in Alola!"
Naoki smiled. "I see." He set down the fish bucket and added, "Where's Miss Delia?"
"Mom went back to Pallet Town," Ash replied. "For now, I'll be staying here in Alola with Pikachu!"
Naoki nodded in understanding.
"Hello, Mr. Naoki! We're Ash's classmates from Pokémon School!" the others greeted warmly, introducing themselves one by one.
Naoki welcomed them with a friendly smile. "Nice to meet you all. Welcome to Tree House Ranch!"
Almost instantly, Kiawe and the others were drawn to the Pokémon Naoki had brought back.
"Whoa! That's a Slowpoke and a Shellder!"
"And look at that glowing fish, so pretty!" Mallow exclaimed.
Naoki chuckled and motioned to the bucket. "These are the Pokémon I spent my whole morning fishing up. Quite the catch, huh?"
"Awesome!" Sophocles beamed, eyes wide with admiration.
But outside the circle of excitement, Lillie stood frozen.
She looked at the many Pokémon surrounding her, so close, so lively, and her body went stiff. Her legs felt like they were rooted to the ground, heavy as lead.
Too many Pokémon… and they're way too close!
Why hadn't she thought of this sooner? I should've worn my protective suit!
At that exact moment, a playful group of Eeveelutions dashed past, chasing each other through the grass.
One of them, in its excitement, lightly brushed against Lillie's leg with its fluffy tail.
It was a warm day, and Lillie had worn a simple skirt. The Eevee's soft fur made direct contact with her bare skin.
Her breath caught in her throat. An overwhelming sense of panic surged through her, mingled with scattered, blurry memories, fragments of fear buried deep.
And then, just like that, her fear reached its breaking point.
Lillie fainted right there on the spot.
...
Next Bonus @1500 Stones
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