The reporter

Spring, March 16, League Calendar year 112. Rain.

After breakfast, Tong Hua headed out to the fields.

Although he did not need to water anything today, remembering Jessica's warning about the rainy season, Tong Hua decided to use the Waterproof Cloth to put some basic flood protection in place.

With three whole mu of farmland, there was nowhere near enough Waterproof Cloth to go around. Left with no other choice, Tong Hua only protected the few vegetable beds least able to withstand waterlogging.

His main goal today was to fish at Wind-Famous Beach and see if he could catch that mysterious Fish King.

Harbor Town, Almia Times Headquarters.

As the best-selling publication in the Almia Region, the newspaper's headquarters was naturally bustling from morning to night.

The editor-in-chief, writers, reporters, and printing plant liaison were all rushing about.

In the news industry, timeliness was everything.

Unless they stayed ahead of everyone else at every turn, someone would steal their exclusive!

And among all these people, one stood out in particular...

"Hey! Hayato! What's wrong with you? Didn't I tell you to dig up dirt on Angel Company? Why is everything you submitted such boring news?"

The bald editor-in-chief held a manuscript as he yelled at one of the writers. His voice stood out even in the noisy office.

Yet the writer he was berating, a man named Hayato, remained focused on typing his article.

He was strikingly handsome, with an impeccably neat side part, sharp brows, bright eyes, and an intense gaze.

His business suit fit him perfectly and looked like an expensive custom piece. A Chatot perched on his shoulder, remarkably silent despite its name.

Most importantly, he treated the editor-in-chief's scolding as though it were thin air...

"Didn't you hear me? Hey! You!"

Red-faced with anger, the editor-in-chief reached out to snap Hayato's laptop shut!

Smack!

Just then, Hayato closed it first, trapping the editor-in-chief's hand inside.

"Ow! Hiss!"

"Chief!" Hayato shot to his feet and whipped up an arm, pointing his index finger straight at the editor-in-chief.

"With all due respect, the feature you assigned me is simply too boring! I want to write stories people actually enjoy reading!"

After that dashing gesture, Hayato picked up his briefcase and swiftly packed his things.

"Sorry, I'm heading out for interviews!"

"You brat, get back here!" No matter how loudly the editor-in-chief roared behind him, Hayato never stopped.

He stormed off with his belongings, while his coworkers barely blinked.

"That guy's defying the chief again."

"Leave him alone. He's the chief's nephew. He can do anything and get away with it."

Nobody in the newspaper office paid the little incident any mind. They simply threw themselves back into their hectic work.

Outside, a fine drizzle was falling.

After leaving the building, Hayato turned into a sheltered alley, leaned against the wall, and lit a cigarette.

"Phew..."

Amid the curling smoke, his fiery enthusiasm finally settled down.

His name was Mifal Hayato, as printed on his business card, and he was a freelance writer. Family connections had gotten him into the Almia newspaper's headquarters, but he remained a freelance writer.

"All right... what should I go cover next...?"

After finishing his cigarette, Hayato extinguished the butt and tossed it into the alley's trash can.

He opened the notebook he carried with him. It contained plenty of interesting leads written in ballpoint pen, but most had been crossed out.

Only two remained. One concerned rumors of a haunting at the Pokémon Ranger School. The other was...

"The Fish King of Wind-Famous Beach? When did I write this down?"

Hayato thought for a long while but still could not remember where he had copied that information from.

"Oh well, I choose you, then. I can relax by the sea while I'm at it..."

The quickest way to get from Harbor Town to Wind-Famous Beach was by bus.

Once Hayato settled on his itinerary, he immediately headed to the bus station. That exceptional drive to act was what had led him down the path of a writer.

"Hm?"

The moment he boarded, Hayato keenly sensed something unusual.

Why was everyone on the bus carrying fishing gear?

Sitting in the back row, Hayato studied the other passengers. Without exception, everyone besides him had brought fishing equipment.

Could the rumors about the Fish King actually be true?

To investigate and gather evidence, Hayato slowly raised his arm and pointed at the passenger closest to him.

"You. Mind if I ask whether you're going fishing?"

"Huh?" The person he pointed at stared at Hayato's expressionless face for a moment, then nodded.

"Yeah. It's raining today, so it's perfect for fishing."

"Are you going to Wind-Famous Beach?"

"Right."

"Could it be because a Fish King has been spotted there?"

The passenger nodded repeatedly, and Hayato slowly lowered his arm. Then he took out his notebook and asked with interest.

"Interesting. Tell me more. Where did you hear that rumor? Are you confident you can catch the Fish King?"

"Come to think of it, what kind of fish is this Fish King, exactly?"

The bus slowly pulled away. Throughout the journey, Hayato peppered the passenger with endless questions. Their discussion also prompted responses from the other anglers aboard.

Combining the information everyone on the bus provided, Hayato put together a rough summary.

"A mysterious fish silhouette appeared about a week ago. Several veteran anglers returned with broken rods, sparking widespread discussion in fishing circles.

"Yet to this day, nobody has seen what it really looks like..."

Hayato felt this was excellent material.

At the very least, the resulting article would certainly be far more interesting than dirt on Angel Company.

"The battle for the Fish King of Wind-Famous Beach!"

"Shocking! The boss Fish King that defeated countless veteran anglers!"

He believed an idea like this would attract far more attention. After all, who wanted to read conspiracy theories all day long?

And during his interviews, Hayato also picked up some very interesting information...

Two hours later, the bus arrived in Windring Town.

The anglers got off together, and Hayato followed them, preparing to head for Wind-Famous Beach to gather

material.

"Tsk. It wasn't raining yesterday. Of course it had to rain the day after I slept at the office..."

To keep his important partner and briefcase from getting soaked, Hayato bought the cheapest plastic umbrella at a little roadside shop.

An umbrella of this quality was practically disposable, so he would not feel bad even if someone took it from a public place.

Hayato followed the group through Windring Town's streets. Since he rarely came here, he took out his camera and photographed plenty of street scenes.

He never knew when they might come in handy, so the more scenic material he had, the better.

They left town along a small path to the southwest of Windring Town and walked roughly a kilometer to Wind-Famous Beach.

The drizzle fell in silken threads, sending tiny ripples across the sea. Holding his cheap plastic umbrella, Hayato stood at the edge of the beach and surveyed the scene.

More than a dozen anglers had already claimed spots on the rocks or in the shallows. Fishing rods stood everywhere, making it look like a full-scale hunt for the Fish King.

Scattered conversations mingled with the sound of the waves. Some people checked their lines, while others fitted special bait onto their hooks. The atmosphere was tense and focused.

Hayato raised his camera and snapped a few shots, then opened his notebook and quickly recorded what was happening.

"Hm?"

Suddenly, Hayato noticed a figure standing perfectly straight. He had not been on the bus. Had he come from somewhere else?

When writing an article, the more people he interviewed, the better. Hayato strode over to speak to the man.

"Hey, you!" Hayato raised his arm and pointed his index finger straight at him.

"Huh?" The man, who had been about to bait his hook, turned around. Two Pokémon stood beside him.

They were Turtwig, one of the Sinnoh Region's starter Pokémon, and Minccino from the Unova Region.

"Can I help you?"

"My name is Mifal Hayato. This is what I do. Where did you come from?" Hayato handed over his business card, which listed his occupation as freelance writer.

"A reporter? My name's Tong Hua. I'm the owner of Fairy Tale Ranch in Chicory Village."

After accepting the card, Tong Hua let down his guard and explained his circumstances in detail.

"Are you here to catch the Fish King too? Where did you hear about it?"

Tong Hua nodded, then frankly explained that he had learned about the Fish King from the owner of the fishing tackle shop.

"The fishing tackle shop owner?"

Hayato wanted to ask more, but suddenly heard a shout from one of the anglers nearby!

"Got a bite! The first one today!"

"Steady, steady!"

Everyone present looked over, and Hayato's attention was naturally drawn away as well.

"Let's talk in a moment!" Hayato lowered his arm and raced over.

"That guy sure is busy..."

"Min, min." "Turt."

Tong Hua put away the business card, took the bait Turtwig passed him, and gently fitted it onto his hook.

"Little Fish King, I'm catching you today, no matter what!"