Chapter 79: Fishing Tournament
Gold and Crystal bid farewell to Ryan, who had received a Mienfoo. They had one week's vacation left before heading to the Hoenn region, and Ryan was counting on them to get things done.
After a good rest, Ryan continued his journey to Goldenrod City.
Two days later, Ryan arrived at a small town called Cerulean Cape, only to discover a fishing tournament. It was said that the winner would not only get to keep the Pokémon they caught, but also receive a prized Pokémon from another region.
Ryan had little interest in the competition, but he was still fascinated by the Pokémon from other regions, so he signed up for it. With the Super Rod, Ryan had no chance of losing.
But when the contestants entered, Ryan was shocked to see three of the dozen or so contestants.
One was Gary, a familiar figure, with his Eevee. The other was a boy wearing a bandana. If Ryan was not mistaken, it was Ruby from the manga. In the manga, Ruby is Norman's son, and Sapphire is Professor Birch's daughter. But in the anime, Sapphire becomes May, Norman's daughter, with a younger brother, Max. So whose son is this Ruby?!
Ryan accidentally saw Ruby take off his bandana, adjust it, and then put it back on. But the hairstyle revealed was exactly the same as Norman's. Ryan absolutely couldn't believe that Ruby and Norman had nothing to do with each other!
"Looks like after the competition is over, maybe we can have a good chat," Ryan thought.
As for the other one, Ryan looked at the energetic girl and didn't know what to say. She should be Rosa from the Unova region, which is her official name in the games.
She's from Unova, so why is she in Johto? Although Ryan knew the timeline of this world was different from the anime and games he remembered, he suddenly felt the urge to complain when he saw these characters.
The fishing competition in Cerulean Cape was held at the town's signature Cerulean Bay. The contestants sailed into the bay in their small boats, using the provided fishing rods and bait. After catching a Pokémon, they used the provided Safari Balls to capture it. The rarity of the Pokémon was then judged.
Ryan suddenly felt overwhelmed. He had thought his Super Rod would easily win the competition, but now it seemed like victory was a real question.
He attached the bait to the hook and cast the line, sending the hook into the water. Reluctantly, he sat down in the boat and began to wait.
Occasionally, someone would bring in a Magikarp, but most of them were Magikarp, with a few landing Krabby, Goldeen, and the like. Ryan also quickly caught a fish, and with a jerk of his rod, a Magikarp was pulled out of the water.
He despaired at his own performance. Not only had he landed a Magikarp, but it was also a low-quality one. As expected, without the Super Rod, Ryan's fishing skills were truly mediocre.
"System, do you have any similar bait for sale?" Ryan began to call the system.
"Ding. This is cheating, strictly prohibited!" the system declared sternly.
"A system that can break game mechanics, and you tell me you can't cheat? Are you kidding me?" Ryan scoffed. "I'll double the price!"
"Triple it."
"Deal," Ryan declared.
Then, fishing bait appeared in the system store, identical to the bait for this tournament. However, it was priced at 300 credits each, tripled to 900 credits. Reluctantly spending the credits, he bought one and mixed it into his bait. Then, he took the system-provided bait from the tournament's supply.
He attached it to the hook, gave it a gentle flick, and it dove into the water. Ryan sat back in his boat, waiting. His reputation as a "fishing master" had spread throughout Pallet Town. If he didn't win a small competition like this, it would be a disgrace.
Soon, the line straightened, and Ryan reeled it in without hesitation. His exceptionally high Strength stat was perfect for overpowering all sorts of resistance. The underwater Pokémon, before it could react, was pulled to the surface.
Gyarados, elite-grade. Anything produced by the system must be elite-grade. Ryan immediately released Gengar and said, "Gengar, Hypnosis!"
Gengar floated in front of Gyarados and put it to sleep. The dormant Gyarados landed heavily, sending up a massive splash that drenched Ryan.
Looking at his soaking wet clothes, Ryan reluctantly captured Gyarados before rowing his boat to shore to change.
Ryan's performance was quite a sight, drawing the attention of many. Seeing this, Gary shook his head and said, "With Ryan participating, we won't even compete. Enjoy your leisure time, Eevee."
Eevee nuzzled Gary's face, purring in contentment.
Ruby spotted Ryan and exclaimed, "It seems to be the guy Dad mentioned. Let's go meet him after the tournament."
Rosa glanced at Ryan and said, "It seems to be that guy. Damn it! I won't lose, Rosa, keep going!"
Ryan, having changed his clothes, handed Gyarados's Safari Ball to the tournament organizers for inspection. For now, Ryan's Gyarados was in first place, and barring a miracle, Ryan would definitely take first place.
Ryan also came to the shore to watch, checking on the three people he'd been eyeing.
Gary seemed to have given up, simply enjoying the moment. Ruby had a catch, a Corsola, and was now ready to battle.
"No matter how time passes, its beauty remains unchanged. Its lovely form exudes a captivating charm. This is the Pokémon Delcatty, Coco!" Ruby said, sending out her own Delcatty.
"Delcatty? That means Ruby hasn't moved to Hoenn yet. Oh, I remember now. In the manga, Ruby's hometown is Goldenrod City in Johto. It was only after Norman was transferred to Hoenn that the family settled there," Ryan suddenly understood.
According to this analysis, Ruby is Norman's son. Then May can't be May, it must be Professor Birch's daughter, Sapphire.
Ruby was quite capable, and while this Delcatty must have only recently been acquired, her talent truly impressed Ryan. It truly lived up to the saying: Like father, like son!
As for Rosa, her Serperior flew with flying colors, unleashing Leaf Storms and brutally crushing the Tentacool. Watching each Leaf Storm become more powerful, Ryan was convinced that Rosa's Serperior had the Contrary ability.
After the competition ended, first place fell to Ryan without a doubt. After the closing ceremonies, the competition concluded.
Ryan also secured the prize Pokémon he had sought, and the Gyarados was teleported back to his ranch.
"Come out!" Ryan eagerly released the prize Pokémon, wondering what kind of precious Pokémon it was.
A yellow and orange Pokémon appeared before Ryan, a bit short but with a fierce look in its eyes. Seeing Ryan, it smiled and gave him a respectful bow, a gesture of acknowledgement.
"Mienfoo. That's a pleasant surprise!" Ryan said excitedly.
"Hey, it's a Mienfoo from the Unova region. Looks very strong," a female voice said.
Ryan turned around and found Rosa standing behind him, looking at him with a smile.
(End of Chapter)
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