Fishing Master

"Heave-ho!"

After checking ahead and behind to make sure no one was nearby, Tong Hua cast his hook, landing it precisely at his intended fishing spot.

"Come to think of it, I haven't seen Nagi."

Tong Hua looked around. Most of the people who had come to fish were middle-aged men.

Most were somewhat overweight and wore broad hats, seemingly to cover their severely balding heads.

It felt a little rude to think so, but one look at them told Tong Hua that he was competing against a bunch of veteran anglers.

"It's raining today, so maybe she's working as a river lifeguard. But would any kids still be playing outside in this weather?"

As soon as Tong Hua said that, he remembered what had happened the last time it rained.

"Oh, apparently they would."

"Tur." Turtwig tugged at Tong Hua's clothes, pulling him out of his memories.

"Min, min!" Minccino watched the distance curiously. The angler who had just shouted that he had a bite didn't seem to have managed to land his fish.

Even his line had snapped. He looked pretty miserable.

Among all the onlookers, one person stood out: Mifal Hayato.

The freelance writer was bustling around Wind-Famous Beach taking photos, pointing his index finger as he energetically interviewed the anglers.

He seemed just as determined to get the king fish, though not for the fish itself, but for an exclusive story about it.

The rain grew heavier, and the sea breeze blew the briny scent of the ocean into their faces.

Tong Hua looked away and gently patted Turtwig and Minccino on their heads. "All right, all right. Enough watching the excitement. Let's focus on our own fishing."

"Besides the king fish, Wind-Famous Beach has plenty of other valuable fish."

Tong Hua took out the Fishing Notes and turned to the page recording the fish found here.

"Seabream, conger eels, cod... Seems like this rig could catch any of those."

Holding his rod, Tong Hua began to look forward to his catch. What he didn't know was that cod generally only migrated into coastal waters in winter. There were none to be found this time of year.

Likewise, conger eels were nocturnal fish that liked to hide in sandy mud or crevices in the rocks. Catching one at the open spot Tong Hua had chosen was essentially impossible.

Tong Hua had certainly done some homework, but that was about as far as it went...

Whether he caught anything still came down entirely to luck...

While Tong Hua waited eagerly, the other anglers on the beach gradually began landing fish.

"Damn it, another porcupinefish!"

One angler cursed as he wiped his shoe with the little porcupinefish, then tossed it back into the sea.

It wasn't hard to see why he did that. Porcupinefish weren't worth much and easily cut fishing lines, making them the number one fish anglers hated catching.

Hayato didn't miss the incident. He snapped a series of photos with one hand, recording the angler's transition from excitement to irritation and finally acceptance.

It would fill at least a few lines in his article. Not bad material.

"But there's still not a single lead on the most important thing-the king fish..."

Hayato was gradually getting anxious. This was one of his shortcomings as a writer.

Although he understood that gathering material sometimes took a great deal of time, he occasionally couldn't help wanting to get it done faster.

The sooner he finished his article, the sooner he could secure an exclusive. That idea had slowly become his motto.

Over time, Hayato had developed into someone who was quick to act, but also impatient and overbearing.

That was why the Bald Editor-in-Chief scolded him. His reports were usually highly subjective, always trying to push his one-sided views onto the public, with his personal opinions coloring everything.

The objectivity and neutrality journalism demanded were completely absent from his reporting.

"Squawk! Squawk!"

Just as Hayato stared out at the sea, hoping to spot some sign of the king fish, the Chatot that had been sitting silently on his shoulder suddenly cried out.

"Oh, did you find something, partner?"

Hayato turned toward Chatot on his shoulder and pointed his index finger at the bird out of habit, then withdrew it before getting pecked.

Chatot had been his partner since his school days. They had once explored their campus together, gathering material for news stories, and over time had become each other's best partners.

Chatot always had a keen nose for hot news. Usually, whenever the bird spoke up, it meant there was a scoop nearby.

"Squawk! Squawk!"

Chatot flapped and pointed toward Tong Hua with a beak, letting out urgent cries.

Hayato looked in that direction and saw Tong Hua's rod bent sharply, its line stretched taut as it cut a swift trail across the surface.

"Interesting..." Hayato immediately raised his camera and rushed over.

Tong Hua was completely absorbed in battling the fish on his hook. Turtwig wrapped vines around his waist, helping him keep his balance.

Beside them, Minccino nervously held up an umbrella and cheered Tong Hua and Turtwig on.

"Min, min!"

Tong Hua could feel it: whatever was fighting him at the other end of the line had to be even bigger than the Red Seabream from a few days ago!

Without his profession bonus and increased Fishing Ability, he probably would have lost his grip on the rod and been dragged into the sea already!

"Hold steady! Turtwig, back up slowly!"

Tong Hua gritted his teeth, sweat mingling with the rain as it slid down his forehead. He instinctively adjusted his stance, bracing the butt of the rod against his waist and trying to fight back with his entire body.

Hayato had already rushed to the best shooting position, aiming his lens at the fierce tug-of-war. Chatot hopped excitedly on his shoulder, occasionally letting out shrill cries.

"Here comes the big one! Here comes the big one!" Chatot shouted excitedly, repeating a phrase picked up from somewhere.

The cries drew the attention of nearby anglers, who all turned to look.

A moment later, an enormous splash erupted from the sea. A huge figure leaped high into the air, then swiftly dropped back down and plunged beneath the surface again!

The crowd caught only the vague outline of a massive fish. For some reason, it had remained wrapped in Water Veil even after jumping out of the sea.

It had to be at least twelve meters long!

"It's the king fish! It really is the king fish!" The surrounding anglers put down their rods and surged over.

"What a shame!" Hayato wailed. He had only managed to capture a blurry image of that moment. He still hadn't figured out

what the king fish really looked like!

"You-your name's Tong Hua, right? Come on! Hurry up and reel it in!"

Hayato pointed at Tong Hua and earnestly demanded that he try harder.

"Easy! For you! To say!"

Tong Hua clenched his teeth and strained with all his might, both excited and afraid!

He was excited because he seemed to have hooked something truly incredible! Judging by its size alone, it probably weighed over fifty kilos! Even if it wasn't the king fish, it had to be worth a lot!

He was afraid because he had no idea whether this rod could withstand such a tremendous pull!

After all, it was only a rod worth 3,500 League Coins. If it broke, buying another would be a minor issue. What mattered was that the fish would get away!

"I'm not giving up! Hold on, fishing rod!"

Tong Hua's feet kept slipping along the slick shore, while Turtwig's vines dragged deep furrows through the ground.

Minccino hopped anxiously beside them. Suddenly struck by an idea, Minccino curled a tail around a seashell on the beach and hurled it hard toward the sea.

"Min! Min, min!"

The shell traced an arc through the air and struck the Water Veil precisely as it leaped out of the sea again.

In an instant, the Water Veil scattered, revealing what was really inside!

It wasn't an ordinary fish at all. It was a Pokémon!