"That's Blue Point Isle, our destination for this trip! The lake on the mountain is Cyan Lake, where the Chinchou migrate to."
The ever-helpful President Kunio pointed to one of the small islands and enthusiastically explained, "Whirlpool Island used to be underwater a long time ago.
Later, due to crustal movement, it rose up and became a small island. Legend has it that Cyan Lake was an ancient nesting ground for Chinchou.
So even now, many Chinchou still retain the instinct to return to their ancestral home to spawn."
"Chinchou born here will eventually head down the mountain to the ocean after some time.
This is called the 'Chinchou Parade.' To ensure the Chinchou can safely return to the sea, the town selects people every year to accompany them."
Hearing this, Caster's heart stirred as he recalled the anime episode where Ash accompanied Dayton and his son during the Chinchou parade.
"Actually, Blue Point Isle's natural scenery is quite spectacular, but unfortunately it's surrounded by whirlpools, making travel extremely inconvenient."
Kunio sighed and shook his head. "Otherwise, the Association would've considered hosting a Chinchou Fishing Tournament here. Not only would it provide food to the migrating Chinchou, but it would also boost the local economy. A win-win situation."
The Fishermen Association was actually something of a semi-official organization.
"President, it looks like someone's already fishing over there."
From Pidgeot's back, the sharp-eyed Caster had already spotted several fishing enthusiasts casting their lines.
Caster wasn't particularly interested in either the Chinchou parade or President Kunio's idea about holding a competition.
Right now, he just wanted to catch as many migrating Chinchou as possible before the parade started, reap his cheat ability's rewards, and boost his Pokémon's strength.
"Alright then, let's land!"
Kunio nodded and signaled Pidgeot to descend to the shore.
Just then, a middle-aged man with a full beard successfully reeled in a Chinchou.
Chinchou's entire body was blue, with a pair of small feet. Its eyes were yellow with black cross-shaped pupils.
Two antennae extended forward from its tail, each ending in a yellow, teardrop-shaped light-producing organ.
According to the Pokédex, Chinchou lived in the ocean depths where light couldn't reach.
In the dark seafloor, the constantly flickering lights on their antennae were their only means of communication.
"Tangrowth, use Giga Drain!"
The middle-aged fisher barked an order. Behind him, a Pokémon covered in long, tangled vines that made it look like a walking mass of weeds immediately extended several vines to bind the Chinchou tightly, rendering it immobile.
As Tangrowth exerted its power, Chinchou's stamina immediately gushed out like water through a broken dam, transforming into glittering green light that flowed into Tangrowth's body.
Tangrowth looked as if it had just had a rejuvenating spa treatment, full of vitality.
The Chinchou, on the other hand, had its eyes spinning in circles, completely knocked out.
Next, the middle-aged fisher stepped forward and began carefully searching the Chinchou's body.
Finally, he pulled out a scale shimmering with a pink luster and said delightedly, "Not bad luck at all. This Chinchou had a Deep Sea Scale on it."
In the end, the fisher kicked the unconscious Chinchou back into the sea like discarded trash.
Caster watched the entire scene, his eyes narrowing slightly.
Deep Sea Scale was one of the Pokémon evolution items that could evolve Clamperl into Gorebyss.
Besides that, due to its attractive appearance, it could also be crafted into various accessories, making it quite valuable.
However, the middle-aged fisher's behavior was somewhat rough, leaving Caster feeling a bit uncomfortable.
Seeing Caster's discomfort, Kunio also sighed. "That man's fishing methods are a bit rough, but they won't fundamentally harm the Chinchou, and his behavior is legal. There's nothing we can criticize about it."
"What you don't know is that some illegal vessels are far worse. They'll use fishing nets to illegally capture migrating Chinchou in bulk, then strip them of their Deep Sea Scales.
When those huge nets drag along the seafloor, many Chinchou get injured, and in severe cases, they even die."
Kunio's expression turned serious as he instructed, "If you ever spot this kind of illegal fishing vessel, make sure to notify Officer Jenny. If you're capable, you can even destroy them directly."
It was clear that Kunio deeply despised this kind of illegal fishing.
"Anyway, let's not talk about such unpleasant things."
Recalling Pidgeot, Kunio patted Caster's shoulder. "You fish here. I need to visit an old friend on Blue Point Isle and have a few drinks tonight. Tomorrow, I'll come back and fish with you."
With that, President Kunio left.
Looking at the sparkling sea surface and the faint lights glimmering beneath the waves, Caster knew a large number of Chinchou must be gathered underwater.
He immediately opened his backpack, took out his fishing gear and bait, and eagerly headed to the shore. "Time to fish!"
Plop!
The bait hit the water, and the ripples that formed were immediately swallowed by the waves.
Caster found a rock to sit on while Pichu lay on the rock dozing off, yawning repeatedly.
Because for Pichu, a life without electrofishing was meaningless.
Soon, the bobber moved. Caster immediately pulled the rod. "Got a bite!"
Splash!
A cute Chinchou was pulled from the water, its cross-shaped pupils curiously staring at Caster.
[Caught 'Chinchou', reward: Thunder Wave TM x1.]
[First time catching 'Chinchou', bonus reward: HP Up x1.]
The cheat ability's reward notification appeared, followed by Chinchou's status screen.
[Pokémon: Chinchou]
[Type: Water + Electric]
[Ability: Volt Absorb (When hit by Electric-type moves, doesn't take damage but restores HP instead)]
[Moves: Supersonic, Water Gun, Electro Ball, Thunder Wave, Confuse Ray]
Caster's face lit up with joy. "Got an HP Up already?"
The effect of an HP Up far exceeded various feathers. It could significantly boost a Pokémon's specific stats and was an extremely valuable reward with a drop rate of less than 1%.
"As expected of a first-catch reward."
Caster sighed contentedly.
"Chin~"
In midair, the Chinchou finally finished eating the bait and spat out the hook.
Although he was short on money, Caster had no intention of stealing Deep Sea Scales, so he waved his hand and let it go.
"Hmm? This kid didn't even check for Deep Sea Scales and just let the Chinchou go? Must be a newbie."
The middle-aged fisher nearby scoffed and happily continued fishing.
But soon, the middle-aged fisher realized something was wrong.
Because as Caster started continuously reeling in fish, his own bobber seemed frozen in place by a Mismagius's Disable, showing no movement at all.
"I misjudged him. This kid's actually a fishing expert!"
The middle-aged man frowned as he looked at Caster.
Clearly, the Chinchou were more interested in Caster's bait.
The Chinchou that should've been his were now all gathering at Caster's spot.
Seeing that Caster never searched for Deep Sea Scales, the middle-aged man clutched his chest in anguish. "All those gorgeous pink Deep Sea Scales just tossed back into the sea. What a waste!"
Suppressing his anger, the middle-aged man walked over to Caster and said aggressively, "Hey, kid! I was here first. If you want to fish, go somewhere else."
۞۞۞۞
~ Push the story forward with your Power Stones