Ash's Pokémon Travel Has Big Problems

I wonder when I'll be able to awaken my Aura power.

"Hmm...over there...water? Something moving? Eating?...Wait, biting the hook?"

Ash's eyes lit up. "Someone's fishing? By the river?"

As expected... is it Xiaoxia?

"Coo coo!" Bobo nodded vigorously, flapping its wings even more enthusiastically.

"Ha! A fisherman never comes home empty-handed!" Ash grinned. "Let's go take a look! Pikachu, Pidgey, keep quiet!"

"Pee~" Pikachu immediately covered its little mouth.

"Gurgle." Bobo also softened his movements.

The person and their two pets kept quiet and, guided by Bobo, parted the dense bushes and soon arrived at a river bend in the woods.

The river water was clear, shimmering in the sunlight.

On a large rock on the shore sat a girl with orange hair.

She was intently watching the float on the water's surface.

A bucket sat at his feet, its contents shimmering with a silvery light, indicating a good haul.

Yes, it really is Xiaoxia.

The clear river water flows gently, and sunlight shatters into leaping golden scales on the surface.

Xiaoxia's orange ponytail swayed slightly as she focused on her work, the fishing rod held firmly in her hand, the float bobbing gently in the ripples.

Two goldfish were wagging their tails in the bucket.

Ash's face instantly switched to a slightly silly yet pure and enthusiastic smile as he strode out.

"Wow! I caught so many!" His voice, with the exclamation typical of a teenager, startled Xiaoxia so much that she almost dropped her fishing rod into the river.

The goldfish in the bucket were so frightened that they splashed water everywhere.

Xiaoxia turned around, annoyed: "Hey! You scared my fish away!"

She looked at the strange boy who had suddenly appeared, the Pikachu at his feet, and the Pidgey on his shoulder, her eyes filled with wariness and displeasure at being disturbed.

"Ah! I'm so sorry!" Ash clasped his hands together.

"I'm Ash, a rookie trainer who just started out here, from Pallet Town!"

"I never expected to find such a fishing expert here. I couldn't resist coming to take a look!"

His gaze was fixed intently on Xiaoxia's fishing rod and bucket, his eyes so sincere they seemed to sparkle with admiration.

"so amazing!"

"I've been a super-loving Water-type Pokémon since I was a kid!"

"pity……"

Ash sighed at the opportune moment, his expression turning one of deep regret, and patted his empty pockets:

"I was in such a rush that I forgot to bring a decent fishing rod! And... I got accidentally shocked by Pikachu a few times on the way, and my wallet seems to be..."

He glanced at Pikachu, who immediately scratched its head with its little paws, two tiny sparks of electricity popping out of its cheeks, looking completely innocent.

"Pikachu?" (No way?) Pikachu's little brain hadn't yet realized that Ash was just talking nonsense.

Xiaoxia's brows relaxed a little.

The other person seems to be just a clumsy rookie trainer, and... loves Water-type Pokémon?

This commonality significantly lowered her natural guard.

Especially seeing Pikachu's "silly and cute" appearance, and Ash's eyes lighting up whenever he mentions Water-type Pokémon.

"Hmph, I see." Xiaoxia's tone softened, even carrying a subtle sense of recognition that she had met a "fellow enthusiast."

"Your love for Water-type Pokémon is definitely commendable!"

"They are the most beautiful, elegant, and powerful beings in the world!"

"But the greatest Water-type Pokémon Master must be me!"

"Hello, I'm Xia from Hualan City."

She straightened her chest.

Unfortunately, no matter how hard you try, nothing will come of it.

What can a ten-year-old possibly have?

The surface is perfectly smooth!

"I won't let you have it!" Ash wants to become the greatest champion, and he certainly can't lose in the Water-type arena!

"I like Greninja, Inteleon, and Gyarados, they're so cool!"

"Of course, the evolved form of the Goldfish, the Kingfisher, is also very impressive!"

Hearing this, Xiaoxia couldn't help but smile.

This kid has pretty good taste!

She took a spare fishing rod out of her backpack.

It was a travel folding rod, though not as good as the one she had, it was still quite good.

“Look,” Xiaoxia said, looking at the spare rod, “You’re so sincere, and you’re a fellow water sports enthusiast… so I’ll lend it to you.”

"Don't break it! I've taken such good care of it!" she emphasized.

It's supposed to be a spare fishing rod, but it's not cheap.

"Thank you so much! Xiaoxia, you're such a kind person!" Xiaozhi cheered, immediately rushed over, picked up the fishing rod, and deftly baited the hook—his movements were surprisingly skillful.

A tiny notification flashed across the system's view:

[Obtained Item: Xiaoxia's Spare Fishing Rod (Excellent)]

The two men stood a few meters apart, each finding a rock on the riverbank to sit on, and cast their fishing rods into the water.

“Speaking of which,” Ash said, staring at the float as he launched into his bragging mode, his tone carrying a sense of world-weariness, “I used to fish in Pallet Town, and that was some serious excitement!”

Guess what I've caught?

"What?" Xiaoxia's curiosity was piqued.

"A Gyarados!" Ash whispered. "Those red scales under the moonlight, wow... When it used Dragon Rage, it almost ripped up the surrounding forest!"

"But in the end, I was moved by the friendship between my (future) partner and let it go back to the deep water."

Xiao Zhi had a deep look on his face, as if he had "unbearable memories to recall".

Actually, we were fishing in the courtyard behind Oki's lab.

Since these are all Pokémon raised by trainers, it's just for teasing the kids.

Moreover, they were accompanied by Gary's older sister Nanami, and Professor Oak's Dragonite provided protection, so there was practically no danger at all.

Xiaoxia's eyes widened in surprise: "Gyarados?! Really?!"

“Absolutely true!” Ash said confidently. “And another time, I almost caught a Wailord! That guy, when he opened his mouth, it felt like he could suck my boat in! Luckily, I was clever and used a special bait that Wailord loves to eat, the inner lining flavor, to lure it away... Otherwise, you might not be seeing me now.”

"The bait that tastes like the whale king's favorite inner lining?" Xiaoxia looked at her with a "you're kidding me" expression. "What the hell is that?"

"A secret recipe!" Ash winked smugly. "...Uh, it's really difficult!"

He made up a story with great seriousness.

Xiaoxia's lips twitched. Although she thought this kid was talking nonsense, his boasting was quite detailed and strangely interesting.

She couldn't help but retort, "Nonsense!..."

The two began a heated discussion about the various bizarre fishing experiences that Ash had fabricated and the habits of Water-type Pokémon.

Xiaoxia would roll her eyes from time to time at Xiaozhi's wildly imaginative "experiences," yet she couldn't help but want to hear what other tricks he could come up with.

Pidgey stood on Ash's shoulder, its sharp eyes scanning the river and its surroundings, dutifully serving as a sentry.

Pikachu squatted at Ash's feet, looking at the trainer who was talking animatedly, and then at Misty who was listening with a complicated expression. Its little head was full of big question marks.

"Pikachu?" (People... are so complicated...)

Chapter 7 Croak! It's a Shiny Finch!

Fishing on the third day.

Fishing on the third day.

Fishing on the third day.

The mornings in the river bend are always crisp and refreshing with moisture.

Xiao Zhi sat cross-legged on the wet rock, flicked his wrist, and the fishing line cut through the thin mist, disappearing into the rippling river with a "plop".

Beside him, the bucket was empty, with only ripples of water.

Xiaoxia glanced at it and couldn't help but speak up again: "Hey, Ash, it's been three days! You've released all the Magikarp you caught! Not a single one left?"

Her own bucket was crammed full of goldfish and mosquito tadpoles, their silvery scales shimmering in the morning light.

She simply couldn't understand why this guy, who claimed to love Water-type Pokémon, was so "disdainful" of the Magikarp that had come to him.

Xiao Zhi didn't even turn his head, his gaze fixed on the small buoy on the water's surface, his face showing an almost devout focus.

Fishing is all about a bit of mystery.

The more anxious you are, the less likely you are to catch anything.

"Oh, Misty," Xiaozhi drawled, his voice carrying a matter-of-fact calm:

"Fishing is all about the process!"

"Look at the water, the sunlight, the pounding anticipation in my heart while waiting... how wonderful!"

"Catching the Magikarp and then releasing it is also a way of communicating with them, letting them know that there is a vast world beyond the river!"

He paused, glanced at Xiaoxia's "Are you kidding me?" expression out of the corner of his eye, and quickly added:

"Of course! The most important thing is to hone your fishing skills!"

"What I'm pursuing now is the state of 'fishing with a straight hook, and those who are willing will take the bait'!"

He waved the spare fishing rod that belonged to Xiaoxia in his hand with great seriousness.

"Pikachu..." The Pikachu at his feet rolled its eyes and covered its face with its little paws.

It knew all too well what nonsense its trainer was spouting.

Bobo on my shoulder was very serious, its sharp eyes still scanning the river and the woods on the opposite bank, doing its duty diligently.

Xiaoxia's lips twitched, but she ultimately said nothing more.

Well, even though this guy is full of nonsense, at least his focus is real, and... he did quietly accompany her fishing for a few days, unlike when they first met when he made a lot of noise and scared away her fish.

She sighed resignedly and refocused her attention on her float.

Just then, Ash caught another fish.

He casually tossed the Poké Ball over, and a notification silently popped up in the upper left corner of his field of vision, on the system interface that glowed with a faint blue light:

[Target detectable]

[Pokémon: Magikarp]

[Level: 5]

[Feature: Free and easy movement]

[Overall Individual Value Assessment: Average]

Ash remained completely unmoved.

With a deft flick of his wrist, the Poké Ball opened, and an orange-red Magikarp that could only hop and flutter appeared on the ground.

"Friend! Have a happy life!" Ash walked over with a grin and poked Magikarp with his finger.

Magikarp stared at him with its dull eyes, its tail thrashing weakly against the ground.

"Go! Return to your river! Remember today's encounter, and strive to become stronger!" Ash encouraged solemnly, bending down to release Magikarp back into the water.