Chapter 113: You Must Be Cheating
That afternoon, Ryu, holding the letter, approached Captain Tom. "I can't read this. I want you to help me," he said. The nearby Corphish understood and waved its pincers at its trainer.
Tom took the letter and read its contents aloud:
"Hello, esteemed stranger. My child, Treecko, has embarked on a new journey. He is a very gentle and kind child. If you see this letter and he is in trouble, I implore you to lend a helping hand. If you have already become his trainer, then I beg you, please take good care of him. His potential is very high and will never disappoint you..."
Ryu listened quietly, not missing a single word. He took the letter back and sat at the stern of the boat, staring at the words he couldn't read but whose power he could feel.
"Hehe~" Corphish appeared beside him, holding two small, toy fishing rods. It wanted to have a competition.
"Alright, let's have a competition then," Ryu grinned. It would take several days to reach Johto, and fishing was a good way to pass the time.
"Cor!" Corphish skillfully cast its line.
"Nonsense," Ryu said, glancing at the unbaited hook before tossing his own line into the sea. "It would be a miracle if you could catch anything with—"
Boom!
A bright red Magikarp was suddenly hanging on Corphish's line. Ryu was stunned. The Corphish used Knock Off to KO the Magikarp and then casually tossed it back into the sea.
'Wait, I can level up by battling the Pokémon we catch!' Ryu's mind suddenly lit up.
"Cor!"
Boom!
A Shiny Feebas was now hanging on Corphish's hook. Ryu was completely dumbfounded. A Pokémon, using a toy rod with no bait, had just caught an incredibly rare Shiny Pokémon.
"Cor!" Just as Ryu was processing this, the Corphish used another Knock Off and sent the Shiny Feebas—a Pokémon that collectors would squander their fortunes for—back into the water as if it were worthless.
Ryu looked at his own unmoving line, and his spirit collapsed. "I don't believe it! You're cheating!" he yelled, rushing over to shake the Corphish.
"Cor? (Catching them is cheating?)" Corphish spread its claws with an invincible posture.
"Hahaha! Don't compare yourself to him, Treecko," Tom laughed from the bow. "Corphish has been fishing for over twenty years. Back then, we used this skill to save up enough money to buy this speedboat."
"Over twenty years?" Ryu's eyes widened. This Corphish had lived for over two decades, and judging by its strength, it was at least Lv. 45. Why hadn't it evolved into a Crawdaunt?
"Corphish, did you have any special experiences before?" Ryu asked, hoping to solve the mystery.
"Cor? Cor." The Corphish recalled something.
"Oh? What is it?"
"Cor~" Corphish smiled in response. He said he had made a promise in his heart to protect Tom and his speedboat with his life. It was a simple promise, but in a Pokémon's heart, that was the most special experience of all.
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