Chumming the Water with a Human

Fortunately, at the last possible moment, someone's Pokémon used Protect and blocked the blue flames Gyarados spat out.

The Pidgeot overhead finally snapped out of it and launched a swift counterattack.

Translucent blades of wind struck Gyarados again and again, making it cry out in pain.

But just as its pursuer was about to throw a Poké Ball, the battered Gyarados slipped beneath the waves. It fled without a moment's hesitation.

The spectators aboard the Love Milotic sighed in disappointment.

"So close!"

"If they'd thrown the ball sooner, they would've caught it!"

"See? Why provoke a Gyarados for no reason? Look how fast it got away!"

Baimu listened to the chatter around him, but his unease did not fade. He hurried to the rail and looked out over the churning sea.

"Wally! What are the chances there's a school of Gyarados following that school of Magikarp?"

"Huh?"

Wally had been enjoying the spectacle. He answered at once, "That depends on how many Magikarp there are. If there are enough of them, there's a good chance a school of Gyarados will show up."

"Would you call this enough?"

Baimu turned and pointed down.

Wally seemed to realize something too. He rushed to the rail and looked down. At some point, countless Magikarp had filled the once-dark water beneath the ship, swimming back and forth in a red mass dense enough to make anyone with a fear of clusters break out in goose bumps.

"There are so many!"

He shouted in shock, then remembered his fishing rod. "And I still can't catch a single one? That's ridiculous!"

Baimu stared at him. "Is that really what you're worried about right now?"

"Haha..." Wally laughed awkwardly. "It's fine. The Love Milotic's outer hull has protective equipment, just like the Battle Arena. Pokémon can't swarm