Bait scattered. Lures cast. Hooks plunged into water.
While most of the campers were still visibly uneasy and no longer in the mood to fish after Goh's near-death encounter with Gyarados, Ash had already begun his own fishing session—calm, composed, and precise.
But unlike the others, Ash wasn't here just to fish random Magikarp or Goldeen like Gary had jokingly suggested.
He had a different goal entirely.
Ash extended his Aura, silently searching for the massive Gyarados that had earlier helped him cripple Goh as part of their secret deal.
He wasn't interested in luck-based fishing for size or weight like the others. According to the camp rules, Professor Oak would later evaluate the campers' performance based on the total mass and stats of the water-type Pokémon they caught.
Ash had no intention of leaving that to chance.
If he wanted top scores—and he did—then he had to control the outcome.
That's why he made capturing Gyarados his primary target.
Not just to catch it, but as part of their agreement.
As his Aura rippled through the surroundings, it took him less than a minute to locate Gyarados again—lurking deep in the central lake of the valley camp.
[Gyarados. We've moved to a new creek. Come find me. And while you're at it—bring five other large water-types with you.]
[Once you fulfill our agreement, I'll help you refine your potential and treat the injuries you sustained from your forced evolution.]
"Rooooar…" came a low growl from the lake.
Gyarados had received the message—and began moving.
While the League's patrol units frequently scanned the wild Pokémon in the forest, the rivers and lakes were largely neglected. Water-types had limited mobility and posed less threat to humans on land.
Especially in the central lake—where some truly high-level "missed fish" still swam freely.
And now, under Ash's command, Gyarados began herding several large water-types toward the very creek the campers were fishing in.
It was as if Ash was orchestrating the entire field trip from behind the scenes.
…
Whether it was due to Goh's earlier misfortune cleansing the group's bad luck, or the sheer density of water-types in this new location, something shifted.
Campers barely had time to cast their bait before fish started biting.
And not just for one person—nearly everyone was getting a hit!
In an instant, the gloomy air that had clouded the riverside lifted. Exclamations and cheers filled the air as water-types surfaced one after another.
Even Gary, Green, Serena, Tierno, and Trevor were pulling up Magikarp and Goldeen—nothing impressive, but at least something.
What they didn't know was that Ash had already arranged for certain Pokémon to "accidentally" get caught by them… Pokémon that would earn them high scores in the rankings.
Still, Gary and the others weren't clueless. They knew that just catching a basic Magikarp or Goldeen wouldn't get them very far.
So after measuring each one and feeding them some Poké Snacks, they released them back into the creek—waiting for better prey.
Ash, meanwhile, had the best bite rate of all the campers. Thanks to his specially prepared bait, he was practically hauling in water-types by the minute.
Even though his real goal was Gyarados, he still enjoyed the process.
To him, even common water-types were worth his attention.
[Pokémon: Poliwag]
Level: 6
Potential: Green (Average)
Copyable Moves: Water Gun, Pound, Hypnosis
[Pokémon: Magikarp]
Level: 3
Potential: White (Ordinary)
Copyable Move: Splash
[Pokémon: Goldeen]
Level: 5
Potential: White (Ordinary)
Copyable Moves: Peck, Tail Whip, Supersonic
….
"System," Ash murmured in his mind, "Copy their moves."
[Copying...]
[Progress: 3%... 7%... 10%...]
They might have been common Pokémon, but Ash was still ecstatic.
This was the first time he'd fished for water-types since transmigrating into the Pokémon world.
And it wasn't just exciting for the sake of nostalgia.
Every time he reeled in a water-type, he gained something invaluable:
He could copy their skills.
He could grant them the power of Source Cleansing.
And each time he did, his Viridian Power surged within him, growing stronger, hotter, more vibrant.
Alongside yesterday's harvest in the forest, where he absorbed several unique herbs and stimulated his power through gifting Viridian techniques—
Ash had unknowingly caused his total Viridian Power to surpass his Aura Power by more than double!
Even he was shocked by this development.
When he'd first realized that the [All Things Listen] meditation method only worked to cultivate Aura, he'd worried about how to boost his Viridian energy.
After all, Viridian Power didn't directly improve his Trainer skills—but it did grant him powerful abilities like Healing Grace, Natural Affinity, Source Cleansing, and Will Empowerment.
And in terms of helping him reach the top—to become the strongest Trainer in the world—
Viridian Power might just be more important than Aura.
…
"ROOOOAR!!"
Suddenly, a thunderous growl echoed from the water.
More than ten minutes had passed, and most campers were satisfied with their catches.
Now, Gyarados had finally arrived.
She was pushing forward several massive water-types—"missed fish" that had somehow escaped the League's cleanup patrols.
Ash, still seated calmly at the riverside, received the message through his Aura.
A quiet smile spread across his face.
[Gyarados, those two giant Magikarp—have them bite the blue and yellow fake lures near those two students standing side by side.]
"ROAR!!"
Gyarados turned and gave a guttural command to the two hulking Magikarp, who obediently surged forward toward the assigned lures.
"Whoa!! Something's biting again! It's really strong! Did I hook a monster this time?!"
"Wait, me too! This one's huge!"
Just as Ash gave the command, loud cheers erupted from Tierno and Trevor.
They had both hooked the exact Magikarp Ash had arranged for.
These weren't normal Magikarp.
They were nearly twice the size of a regular one.
Compared to the other campers' catches, these would dominate the rankings.
And because Ash had informed Gyarados ahead of time, the giant Magikarp didn't struggle much. They were easily reeled in and even easier to catch.
With these two in their Poké Balls, Tierno and Trevor were practically guaranteed a spot in the top three.
All according to Ash's hidden plan.
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T/N:
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