Not Being a Trainer This Time

Chapter 850 - 431: Fishing Master and Milotic

Tatsugiri raised its head high, looking adorably at the humans in front of it.

Naoki glanced at the Poke Ball containing the Fish-type Pokemon beside him, wondering if such a docile Tatsugiri really needed to be stored in a Poke Ball.

After thinking for a moment, he placed the Tatsugiri into a small bucket filled with water nearby.

"Stay here obediently, okay!"

With a splash, Tatsugiri slid into the water bucket.

Naoki turned around and continued fishing, occasionally checking back to find it indeed waiting obediently in the bucket.

Tatsugiri poked half its head out of the water, peering outside.

I have to admit, Tatsugiri looks quite cute like this.

Naoki flashed it a slight smile, then turned back to focus on fishing.

The fishing competition continued.

Suddenly, a loud splash was heard from the direction of a girl in a short skirt not far away.

The surrounding anglers turned their heads in unison to see a large, fat catfish-like Pokemon leaping out of the water.

"Oh my! Another contestant after Sato Ken and Naoki has caught a Fish-type Pokemon!"

"Can Ming Lan handle it and conquer that Dondozo? Go Ming Lan!"

Spectators on the shore cheered for the girl named Ming Lan.

But the Dondozo was simply too strong, far beyond what she could handle.

Despite Ming Lan’s efforts to reel it in, the Dondozo eventually escaped, nearly dragging her fishing rod away with it.

Witnessing this, people sighed with regret.

"What a pity!"

"Fishing requires patience and technique. You must fish without damaging your rod; brute force won’t catch rare fish," Sato Ken said calmly.

Just as he finished speaking, the float on the water in front of him bobbed.

Ripples radiated from the fishing line’s center, spreading outward.

Sato Ken’s gaze suddenly sharpened as he maintained a steady rhythm in reeling in. Soon, he caught a regular river fish.

This time, it wasn’t a rare Fish-type Pokemon, but Sato Ken wasn’t discouraged. He placed the fish into the bucket, then sat back on his stool, continuing to fish.

Sato Ken looked like a master detached from worldly concerns, which left Naoki momentarily stunned, realizing the other truly had skill.

Determined, he also decided to get serious.

Here comes a fish!

The float on the water bobbed, appearing quite heavy, suggesting a big catch!

What kind of fish would be caught this time?

Judging by the weight, could it be a Dondozo?

Recalling the Dondozo caught by the girl earlier, Naoki prepared his stance to reel it in.

Because Dondozo is incredibly reckless, even if not too smart, it’s really strong.

If he wasn’t ready, Dondozo’s struggles might drag him into the water.

Naoki exerted power in his arms, starting to reel in forcefully.

To his surprise, the fish didn’t struggle at all upon being hooked.

Naoki was left bewildered.

Was it not a Dondozo?

Soon, he found the answer to his question.

What he caught wasn’t a Dondozo, but a Pokemon with a pink body, chubby figure, two curly ears, and a creamy mouth.

The Pokemon was biting the hook tightly with a dazed expression, its long pink tail hanging down.

Is this... a Slowpoke?!

Naoki was dumbfounded.

What’s going on? Slowpoke isn’t supposed to live on riverbanks?

Soon, others noticed the scene on his side.

"Wow! How surprising, Naoki caught a Slowpoke!"

Some spectators attending the fishing competition for the first time looked confused: "Is Slowpoke considered a Fish-type Pokemon?"

"In a conventional sense, not really. But under the fishing competition’s rules, whether you catch regular fish or Pokemon, each counts as a point! If it’s rare enough, one could be worth several!"

"That’s some decent luck," Sato Ken observed the Slowpoke.

According to him, Slowpokes usually spend their days idly lying by the sea and rivers, often spacing out, seldom venturing into the water.

But that doesn’t mean it never happens.

Some Slowpokes float on the water with their companions, lost in thought, allowing the currents to carry them afar.

Naoki: "..."

He helped free the Slowpoke from the hook, placing it on the grass nearby.

Throughout the process, the Slowpoke remained unresponsive, staring blankly, looking rather dumb.

In the end, it sat beside Naoki and spaced out.

This is Slowpoke?

Its name certainly suits it...

Shaking his head, Naoki cast his fishing rod again, ready to catch the next fish.

Time ticked by; gradually, other anglers also caught quite a few fish.

There were ordinary river fish and some Fish-type Pokemon.

Common ones in the river were Magikarp and Feebas, among others.

Though some lucky ones caught Dondozo, they all managed to escape.

Soon, three hours had passed, leaving only ten minutes.

During this time, Sato Ken and Naoki caught several fish and Pokemon.

The fishing competition organizer glanced at the time, then announced to the crowd: "Attention all participants! There are ten minutes left until the fishing competition ends!"