Without realizing it, the novice Trainer May now had five Pokémon, just one shy of a full team!
Having left the Forbidden Forest, Ash and his friends arrived at a large city. May sent out her Bulbasaur to see the world, and Ash sent out his own Bulbasaur to look after May's. Ash's Bulbasaur was known as the "Backyard Administrator" at Professor Oak's lab, so looking after one naive Bulbasaur was an easy task!
[Bulbasaur (May's)]
Ability: Overgrow
Strength: Normal - Late Stage
Moves: Razor Leaf, Vine Whip...
Tera Type: Grass
Its strength was comparable to Swablu. May certainly had her hands full with these two little darlings!
Later, Ash and the others ran into Team Rocket attempting to steal Pokémon using a teleportation device. Honestly, with technology like that, if they gave it to Giovanni, Team Rocket would have taken over the world long ago!
Predictably, they were blasted off again like shooting stars, and the stolen Pokémon were safely recovered!
Fishing for Feebas
Aiming for Mauville City, Ash and his friends stopped by a clear lake to enjoy lunch!
After eating, Ash examined the lake, nodding as if confirming something.
"Ash, what are you thinking about?" May asked, watching Ash study the lake.
"Nothing much, but this lake is incredibly clear. If I'm not mistaken, there should be Feebas in this lake! Alright! I'm going fishing for Feebas!"
Feebas? May curiously opened her Pokédex and searched for Feebas's data: Feebas...
"Ah! It's so ugly!" May exclaimed. "Ash, why would you want this Pokémon? It doesn't even look very strong, does it?"
Ash wagged his finger. "May, don't just look at the surface. Even an ugly duckling can turn into a swan! Feebas evolves into Milotic!"
"Milotic? That sounds familiar!" May searched her Pokédex again. Squeal! "Ah! So that's Milotic! It's beautiful, I want one!"
Ash pointed to the clear lake with a smile. "Feebas only lives in clean waters, so there's a high chance they are here!" At the same time, he redeemed two Advanced Fishing Rods and bait from his system, handing one set to May. "Here, let's see who can catch a Feebas first!"
"Ash, you came prepared!"
"Ever since I saw Robert's Milotic, I've been prepared, but I just hadn't found a suitable body of water yet." Ash then took out a special lure shaped like Misty, a gift she gave him when they parted ways in Kanto, hoping it would bring him luck in catching Feebas!
May noticed the Misty-shaped lure in Ash's hand. "What is that?"
Ash smiled, reminiscing. "This was a special gift Misty gave me after my journey in Kanto ended!"
Brock popped out, also recalling the moment. "Yes! That goodbye was heartbreaking!"
May pouted but said nothing.
Ash and May then began their relaxing fishing time by the lake!
...
An hour later, "Argh! Why isn't anything biting!" Ash hadn't even caught a Magikarp, let alone a Feebas.
Just then, May's rod moved, and her eyes lit up. "A bite! Come on out, Feebas!"
Splash! May reeled in her rod, revealing a bright red Magikarp wearing a golden crown.
... A flock of Murkrow flew past...
"Hello, young lads and lassies! Are you here to fish for the Lord too?" A skinny old man with white hair approached Ash's group. "Looks like you have some high-end gear!"
"The Lord?" Brock asked curiously.
"He's a giant Whiscash!" The old man grew excited when he mentioned the Lord. "The Lord has been living here for over a hundred years! And I, Mr. Suzumura, the legendary fishing master, have been chasing him for fifty years!"
Meanwhile, Team Rocket, floating on the lake, overheard the news of the giant Whiscash and grew interested!
"Um, we're not here to catch the Lord, we're here to catch Feebas!" May explained.
"Oh, I see!" Mr. Suzumura was enthusiastic now that they weren't competing for the Lord. "There definitely are Feebas in this lake. I've caught some here before!"
"So there really are Feebas! Alright! I'm going to catch one!" May was filled with determination upon hearing that Feebas was truly present!
Ash, May, and Mr. Suzumura began fishing together! Mr. Suzumura was a true fishing enthusiast; while Ash and May were still empty-handed, he had already caught several Pokémon, including Magikarp and Goldeen!
Finally, Ash couldn't take it anymore. "Darn it, if fishing doesn't work, I'll just catch the fish directly! I choose you, Feraligatr!" "Wani~"
Ash showed a picture of Feebas on his Pokédex. "Feraligatr, I'm giving you a crucial mission: catch this fish for me!" "Wani!" Feraligatr saluted with its right hand, indicating the mission would be accomplished!
Ash had briefly considered using Pikachu to shock the fish, but thought better of it, deciding to send Feraligatr to catch the fish manually!
Everyone was shocked. "Ash~" May's eye twitched. It was the first time she had seen Ash this aggressive; usually, he was calm in the face of any difficulty, but this fishing session had clearly frustrated him!
Feraligatr took the mission, plunged into the water, and began searching for Feebas. Search, search, search. Swimming from one side of the lake to the other, Feraligatr's persistence finally paid off: it found Feebas, two of them!
Feraligatr immediately launched a Ice Fang attack and subdued both Feebas. Feraligatr nodded in satisfaction, grabbing the two Feebas and returning!
Ash waited on the shore for Feraligatr's return. Splash! "Wani!" Feraligatr leaped out of the lake, holding a Feebas in each hand!
Ash's eyes lit up. "Great job, Feraligatr!" "Wani!"
"Wow! You really caught Feebas!" May exclaimed in delight.
[Feebas]
Gender: Female
Type: Water
Ability: Swift Swim (Speed increases in rain)
Strength: Normal - Early Stage
Moves: Splash, Tackle
Tera Type: Water
The stats of both Feebas were identical. Ash nodded and said to May, "May, let's each take one!"
"Gasp! Really? Thank you, Ash!"
Ash and May each threw a Poké Ball and successfully caught the Feebas! May's team was now complete, and Ash then used the system to send Grovyle back to Professor Oak's lab.
"May, you need to train Feebas well. Feebas can only evolve into the beautiful Milotic once it gains confidence!"
"Yes!"
"Congratulations on achieving your goal!" Mr. Suzumura congratulated them from the side.
"That's wonderful, Sister!" Brock and Max, who had been watching the spectacle, also came over to congratulate her.
Just then, Ash's stationary fishing rod began to shake. Ash quickly grabbed it and pulled, but the resistance was surprisingly strong; even his Super Pallet Town Human physique couldn't reel it in!