After the tournament, the four of them gathered to compare their results.
Brock didn't even need to be mentioned.
Despite having the darkest skin among them, he somehow fished up two living fossils—an achievement so outrageous it was practically a crime against humanity.
You had to understand: in the Kanto Region, Kabuto and Omanyte still had no official records whatsoever.
On paper, they didn't even exist yet.
Blue, meanwhile, had picked up a Feebas for free.
Ash had traded his luck for a special Eevee exchange voucher.
All things considered, it was a double win for Pallet Town's friendly neighbors.
Overall, everyone could be said to have reaped massive rewards.
"So… in the 'lucky zone,' this is all you caught?"
Ash, Brock, and Blue looked at Misty with sly smiles.
Earlier that morning she'd been beaming, but now her mood had clearly taken a hit.
The water in the high-end zone had been too clean.
The only Pokémon around were Tentacool and Tentacruel, which the rich folks happily reeled in one after another.
Even with her three-star Fishing Master certification, Misty couldn't work miracles without good resources.
In the end, she'd only caught a single pink Pokémon.
The Pokémon was entirely pink, with spiral ears on its head and a long, thick tail behind it.
It looked… delicious.
Pokédex (Ash):
"Slowpoke, the Internet Celebrity Pokémon. Its tail is edible, extremely expensive, and considered a delicacy. Eating it is illegal."
Pokédex (Blue):
"Slowpoke, the Dopey Pokémon. Its brain has only one nerve. Its reactions are extremely slow, and no one knows what it's thinking."
As the three stared at it, the Slowpoke sat on the deck for a long moment—
then finally tilted its head.
"Slow…?"
The three of them fell into silence.
Then—
They burst out laughing.
They all agreed unanimously that this Slowpoke suited Misty perfectly.
Blushing furiously, Misty recalled the Slowpoke into its Poké Ball.
She wanted to throw it away—but couldn't quite bring herself to.
It was dumb, sure… but also kind of cute.
In frustration, she stomped her foot and swore loudly in front of the three of them:
"Hmph! If I ever catch another Pokémon this dumb, I'll quit being a Water-type Trainer forever!!"
Nightfall
The four of them wandered the deck together, eating street snacks and browsing stalls.
As dinner hour arrived, all sorts of bizarre shops sprang to life.
Octillery selling takoyaki
Jynx performing chest-smashing stone tricks
Cloyster demonstrating "high-pressure spraying"
It was sensory overload.
"Hey! You there—the rich kid!"
A low shout caught their attention.
They turned to see a middle-aged man calling out to them.
He was short, balding, with a headband tied around his head for flair.
His face looked honest—like a proper businessman.
Following his gaze, Ash instinctively pointed at himself.
"Yep, yep, that's you! Young master rich kid!"
The man grinned.
Ash's face immediately flushed red. He took a few deep breaths, then proudly patted Brock on the shoulder and ruffled Blue's hair.
"Haha! I've hidden it for so long, and today someone finally saw through me!"
He laughed loudly with his hands on his hips.
Blue, however, pouted in confusion.
"That's not right. Three generations of our family have been farmers. When did you become a rich second generation?"
"You don't get it," Ash sniffed.
"I inherited two acres of land in Pallet Town. How is that not rich?"
Then he turned back to the man.
"So, sir with excellent taste—what can I do for you?"
The man leaned in conspiratorially.
"Oh, a deal this big? I wouldn't even mention it if you weren't a rich kid."
He reached into his pocket and produced a golden Poké Ball, shining brilliantly.
"See this? A Golden Poké Ball!
And inside it—a priceless Golden Magikarp!"
The golden glow nearly blinded the four of them.
Ash's gaze was immediately locked onto the ball.
"Gold…"
He murmured softly.
Gold.
Luxury.
Opulence.
Seeing the country boy completely mesmerized, the man smirked internally and continued.
"Do you know what a Golden Magikarp is? It produces gold!
One ton per month! Fifty tons a year!
In less than five years, you'll be the richest person in all of Kanto!"
"Gold…"
Ash repeated blankly.
Finally, the man revealed the price with dramatic flair.
"Special deal! Discount on top of a discount!
Originally worth 100 million, but today—only 3 million!
Buy it, and you become the world's richest man!"
Ash looked utterly conquered, clutching the golden Poké Ball with a blissful expression.
The other three said nothing.
It was obviously a scam.
And honestly, only Ash would fall for it.
But since he clearly couldn't afford it anyway, there was no need to intervene.
Barefoot people didn't fear shoe thieves.
"One ton a month, but twelve tons a year? Can't even get the math right. What a disgrace to Pallet Town."
Blue scoffed and flipped Ash off.
"So? Young master—buying it or not?"
The man asked eagerly.
Ash suddenly snapped back to reality.
Gripping the Poké Ball tightly, he asked anxiously:
"So you're saying… the Golden Magikarp costs 3 million, meaning as long as I pay that, I can take this Poké Ball?"
The man froze.
Wait… is this kid actually rich?!
He hurriedly rubbed his hands together.
"Y-Yes! Just 3 million, and the priceless Golden Magikarp is yours!"
"Oh. Got it."
Ash suddenly raised the Poké Ball and pressed the button.
Pop!
A golden Magikarp flopped onto the deck, splashing wildly.
Ash ignored it completely, calmly pocketing the Golden Poké Ball.
"Then I'll take the Poké Ball. Bye-bye."
He turned to leave.
The man's brain shut down.
"???"
He grabbed Ash's wrist.
Ash looked even more innocent than before.
"What's wrong? Golden Magikarp costs 3 million.
Golden Magikarp plus Golden Poké Ball also costs 3 million.
Round it off—doesn't that mean the Poké Ball is free?"
He casually placed the Poké Ball onto Pikachu's paws.
There was no way he was giving it back.
From the moment he saw that luxury noble-gold Poké Ball, he'd decided Pikachu deserved a new home.
The man: "?"
The other three: "?"
Why did that logic somehow… almost make sense?
"Oh, wait—free items aren't allowed, right?"
Ash thought for a moment, then flicked over a single coin.
"Then I'll use all my savings to buy this freebie.
You're making a huge profit. Bye!"
And with that, he dragged the others away at top speed.
The man stood there, staring at the coin in his palm.
After a long pause, he pulled out another Golden Poké Ball and recalled the gold-painted Magikarp.
"Damn it… are kids these days all this sharp?"
"A single coin and he scammed me out of a gold-plated Poké Ball?! How is a con artist supposed to survive like this?!"
Gritting his teeth, he tied his headband tighter.
"Even if I get my legs broken today, I will scam some idiot into buying this fake Golden Magikarp!"
That headband?
It was there to buy him one extra second to escape when trouble came.
He'd long since come to terms with life and death.
Hear the truth in the morning, die in the evening—so be it.
At that moment, a blue-haired man in floral beach shorts and flip-flops strolled past, whistling casually.
"Hey! You there—the rich kid!"
James froze.
His entire body jolted.
Damn it—did my family finally find me?!
He turned slowly and saw the middle-aged man pointing straight at him.
"Crap—how does he know I'm actually rich?! Is he from my hometown?!"
Sweat poured down James's face as he mechanically walked over.
The man leaned in eagerly.
"I've got a Golden Magikarp here! It produces gold—ten tons a month, a hundred tons a year! In five years you'll be the richest man in Kanto!"
James relaxed instantly.
Oh.
Gold?
That's it?
As a child, his bed had been made of gold.
When tables wobbled, they were propped up with gold bars.
Become the richest with this?
"Get lost. Don't bother me."
James waved him off dismissively.
A crushing aura of true wealth slammed into the man's face, nearly suffocating him.
He suddenly felt the urge to kneel
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