The moment Caster saw Mudkip, he couldn't look away.
Mudkip was the fish of Caster's dreams!
This Mudkip even knew Strength. Its raw power was exceptional.
Raw strength and the Physical Attack stat weren't identical, but stronger Pokémon still hit harder with physical moves.
When Caster saw the two rewards he had received for catching Mudkip, his breathing quickened and his face flushed.
[Superpower: A Fighting-type move that uses tremendous strength to attack the opponent. After dealing damage, it lowers the user's Attack and Defense.]
[Power Orb: An orb containing mysterious energy. After a Pokémon absorbs it, it greatly increases the Pokémon's potential for physical strength.]
Superpower was one of the strongest Fighting-type moves, right up there with Close Combat.
Despite its Water typing, Mudkip's natural strength made it well suited to Superpower.
The Superpower TM wasn't what Caster had expected, but the reward made sense.
The Power Orb wasn't a gold-tier legendary item, but it still ranked as a purple-tier epic item.
If Caster used it well, he could raise a Pokémon with maxed-out Physical Attack!
The ideal physical attacker for a rain team was standing right in front of him.
No wonder Caster was so excited!
"Mudkip~"
The Mudkip was small and young. It wore a blank, innocent expression, and there wasn't much thought behind its eyes.
Being caught didn't scare it. It sprawled on the grass beside the pond and ate all the bait.
Even after it finished, Mudkip still looked hungry for more.
"Mudkip~"
It glanced at Caster. Instead of jumping back into the pond, it walked straight up to him.
Mudkip ignored the Dragonair, Arcanine, and Pikachu beside Caster as if they didn't exist.
"Mudkip~"
At Caster's feet, Mudkip poked his pant leg and pointed at its open mouth.
The bait had tasted good. Was there more?
Hungry. Feed me!!!
"Mudkip~"
Caster didn't respond, so Mudkip stepped closer and patted his bait box. Its eyes sharpened. It knew where he kept the bait.
I know the bait's in there.
Hand it over!
Mudkip opened the bait box itself and dug in.
Despite its size, it had a huge appetite. It shoveled bait into its mouth with both hands.
A few moments later, Mudkip had eaten nearly half of Caster's bait.
"Hey! Mudkip!"
Gary moved to stop the little glutton. Mudkip gave him a light shove and sent him flying.
"Awoo~"
Arcanine caught its Trainer just in time. Otherwise, Gary would have been hurt.
"Is this thing really not a Snorlax?"
Gary shuddered at the close call.
This tiny Mudkip was absurdly strong.
If Arcanine had been even a moment slower, Gary would have landed face-first and eaten dirt.
"Let it eat! Let it eat!"
Caster liked Mudkip more with every bite.
Then the excitement left his face.
"This Mudkip must belong to a Trainer who's boarding it with Professor Oak, right?"
Caster sighed sadly. "So it already has a Trainer!"
Professor Oak kept a few starter Pokémon there for new Trainers, along with the wild Pokémon that already lived on the grounds. Most of the others belonged to Trainers who had left them in his care.
Mudkip was neither a Kanto starter nor a local wild Pokémon. Someone had to be boarding it there!
"Such a talented Mudkip is being boarded here? What a waste!"
Caster ground his teeth. He wanted nothing more than to beat up Mudkip's Trainer and take the Pokémon for himself.
Caster normally disliked Pokémon trades between Trainers.
Now he was considering one himself. A trade might be his only chance to get this Mudkip.
"No, no!"
Caster shook his head at once.
He had raised every Pokémon with too much care to trade any of them away.
"Gary! Caster! What's going on over here?"
Professor Oak called out, sounding worried.
Caster looked over. Professor Oak was hurrying toward them in his white lab coat, with Caster's Gyarados close behind.
Once they explained what had happened, Gary asked, "Grandpa, is this Mudkip one of the Pokémon being boarded here?"
"Oh, you mean this Mudkip?"
Professor Oak nodded. "Yes. It's being boarded here temporarily."
"I knew it!"
Caster's heart sank. The worst part was having Mudkip right in front of him and still being unable to call it his.
"If I want a Mudkip of my own, I'll have to go to Hoenn."
Caster took a deep breath and forced himself to let it go.
After completing the Kanto League challenge, Ash would be heading to the Orange Islands. Caster, however, had decided to go to Hoenn.
There were several Pokémon there that would be perfect for a rain team!
But Professor Oak wasn't finished.
"This Mudkip was sent over by the Hoenn League. A Torchic and a Treecko came with it."
Professor Oak had no idea what had been going through Caster's head. He stroked his chin and continued, "This year, Kanto and Hoenn are exchanging Pokémon to strengthen ties between the two Leagues and ordinary Trainers. In return, the Kanto League sent some of our own starter Pokémon over there."
Caster perked up. "Professor, does that mean this Mudkip doesn't have a Trainer yet?"
"A Trainer? No, it doesn't have one."
Caster's disappointment vanished.
If Mudkip had no Trainer, Caster still had a chance. Of course he was excited.
This was the fish of his dreams!
The League had chosen the starter Pokémon for this official exchange with care. All three had exceptional talent and potential. Mudkip alone made that obvious.
Mudkip could learn Ancient Power too.
A Primal Stone would make the move even better.
Caster pictured Mudkip as a blood-soaked berserker, crushing everything in its path.
Caster stopped trying to hide how much he wanted it. "Professor, I really like this Mudkip. How can I get it?"
"I've heard that Kanto and Hoenn will hold a major battle tournament as part of the exchange. The Elite Four and Gym Leaders from both regions will send representatives to compete, and young Trainers will be selected to participate as well."
Professor Oak paused to think. "By League custom, these three Pokémon from Hoenn will most likely be awarded to the young Trainers chosen as representatives."
He smiled at Caster. "You might actually have a chance to participate in the regional exchange tournament!"
"Professor, how do I become one of the young Trainer representatives?"
"I'm not sure about the specifics."
Professor Oak shook his head.
That was disappointing, but Caster knew someone else to ask. He pulled out his phone and dialed Lorelei's number.