There was no Poké Mart in Pallet Town, but there was an old fisherman—one whom Hayato knew well. The man was something of a local legend, rumored to own more fishing rods than anyone could count. Now that he was old, though, those rods were mostly gathering dust.
Inside a small house in the village, Hayato was talking to the old man.
"Grandpa Katō, please sell me a fishing rod! I really need one!"
The elder hesitated for a moment, but Hayato had grown up before his very eyes, and given the misfortunes that had recently befallen the boy's family, refusing him didn't sit right with him.
"Hayato, these rods are my treasures. They're not just any old tools, you know. But… go ahead and pick one. Take it as a gift from your Grandpa Katō."
Hayato was caught off guard by the kindness, and thanked him repeatedly.
There were over ten rods in total, each a different color, each clearly well made. After a moment's thought, Hayato chose the golden rod—instantly making the old man wince.
"Grandpa Katō, I'll take this one! Thank you so much!"
As Hayato left, the old fisherman could only shake his head helplessly."That kid's sharp as a Scyther's claw—took my best rod without hesitation. Ah well, I don't really use them anymore. Back in my day, though, reeling in a Gyarados was the thrill of a lifetime! And the fishing contests… the top prize used to be a Golden Magikarp!"
The sky was still bright, and Hayato, full of energy, made his way toward Azure Lake, a large freshwater lake deep within the forest. With a diameter of over 500 meters, it gathered all the surrounding streams into one sparkling pool. Many Water-type Pokémon made their home there—Magikarp and Poliwag being the most common sights.
Wooden platforms lined both banks, forming perfect spots for anglers to set up.
After securing a specially prepared bait to the hook, Hayato cast his golden rod into the lake.
"One Magikarp. That's all I'm asking for. You bite, I win; you don't, fine, I'll take the loss. But once I reel you in, you're fish jerky, got it? And if you tick me off, I'll rub essential balm all over your scales!"
"Eh? The line's sinking! Something's biting!"
Hayato braced himself—the pull was strong. He used all his strength to haul up the rod, but what surfaced wasn't a Pokémon at all.
It was… a large wooden chest.
"You've got to be kidding me. Which idiot fish tangled my hook on this thing? Ugh, just my luck! Still… sounds like there's something inside. Could it be treasure?"
He took out a small knife, pried off the rusted lock, and opened the chest.
To his astonishment, three Ultra Balls were nestled inside—far superior to ordinary Poké Balls.
"Haha! Jackpot! …Wait, could there actually be Pokémon sealed inside?"
Of course, that was just wishful thinking. No sane Trainer would ever trap Pokémon that way.
Pocketing his find, Hayato cast the line again.
Time passed, and once more the surface rippled—the line jerked violently from side to side.
"Got another! This one's gotta be a Magikarp for sure!"
When the catch broke the surface, the telltale yellow fins, red body, and those blank, glassy eyes left no doubt. It was a Magikarp.
Magikarp were about as weak as Caterpie—harmless before evolution. Hayato wasn't the least bit intimidated.
Magikarp – the Fish Pokémon.It can live in even the dirtiest of water. Though weak and pathetic, it's remarkably hardy and can jump surprisingly high. It evolves into Gyarados.
Dragging it onto shore, Hayato wasted no time. With a loud whack! from his frying pan, the poor fish fainted on the spot.
"No need for words. Let's get straight to synthesis—I can't be bothered to catch you properly."
Hayato opened the Fusion Interface, confirming his choices: Caterpie + Magikarp.
"Come on out, Thundurus! Tapu Koko! Latios! Anything in the Tier 2 Legendary or Pseudo-Legendary class will do!"
[Fusion Failed: Same gender detected. Please select Pokémon of opposite genders before proceeding.]
A cold realization hit him like a bucket of water. Both his Caterpie and Magikarp were male.
"Seriously?! Useless fish!"
With an Olympic-level throw, Hayato hurled the Magikarp back into the lake. But the moment it hit the water, a dazzling white light enveloped it.
"Wait—what? Evolution?! Damn it, I take it back! A Gyarados would've been great!"
But Hayato wasn't stupid. Gyarados were notoriously violent, and he knew exactly what he'd just done to it—and worse, he hadn't even captured it.
"Oh, crap. Time to run! It won't come ashore, right? Please don't come ashore!"
Technically, a Gyarados could—it had the Flying type, after all—but it preferred the depths.
From behind a distant tree, Hayato peeked out to observe. Just as expected, the enraged Gyarados roared and rampaged across the lake, releasing bursts of Dragon Rage in fury.
"So terrifying… nearly gave me a heart attack!"
After a while, the monster calmed down. Finding no sign of its aggressor, it swam off down the stream toward the sea, leaving the lake in ruins.
With the coast clear, Hayato returned to his spot and resumed fishing.
After some time, he finally reeled in a female Magikarp—no trouble at all.
"This time for sure!"
Following the system's instructions, he initiated the fusion once more. Two white lights intertwined and vanished. In their place, a small Pokémon Egg marked with a spiral pattern appeared before him.
(Note: Pokémon used in synthesis are not killed—they're stored within the system. Once upgraded, the system can release them in random regions, erasing their memories of the process.)
"This egg's so tiny… What could hatch from it? Please let it be a Pseudo-Legendary baby…"
He wondered—if it were a Salamence hatchling, shouldn't the egg be massive? Or maybe all eggs were the same size regardless of species? Only one way to find out.
"How do I even hatch this thing? If it takes months, that's gonna be a pain…"
Fortunately, his worries were unnecessary. The egg began to tremble, cracks spreading across the shell—until a dazed-looking Psyduck popped out, staring up at him like he was its father.
"You've got to be kidding me! This is what I get? Are you sure this system's random?!"
Hayato was about to explode, but there was nothing he could do. The next synthesis mission had already refreshed.
Next Fusion Task: Oddish + Sandshrew(Available in 7 days)
"Well, I guess even a dumb Psyduck's better than a Caterpie. And right now, it's the only one I've got."
He tossed a Poké Ball and captured the Psyduck without resistance.
On the way home, he vented his frustration by chucking a rock ahead of him—only to accidentally nail a Spearow square in the head.
The furious bird shrieked and dove straight at him.
"You stupid bird! You think I'm Hello Kitty or something? Psyduck, get it!"
The clueless Psyduck just covered its face and stood there, trying to look cute.
"You've got to be joking! You're useless!"
Hayato dodged the Spearow's attacks, weaving between trees with surprising agility. Then, with a swift motion, he grabbed the bird's leg and slammed it against a trunk.
Thunk!
Spearow was instantly stunned. Hayato followed up with a series of smacks from his trusty 24K iron pan.
"Dumb bird—get in the ball!"
Ping! Capture successful.
"Man… Handsome as I am, I still have to fight my own battles because none of my Pokémon can! Is this what being the main character's supposed to feel like? Something's definitely off here…"
(Author's Note: The protagonist may seem immature now, but his personality will evolve over time. His misfortunes—like being struck by lightning—will shape him into someone more grounded and empathetic.)
As dusk settled over Pallet Town, Hayato headed home.
"My journey begins tomorrow. But Oddish and Sandshrew don't appear nearby… I'll have to look in Viridian Forest. Next stop—Viridian City!"
(End of Chapter)