Day 1 of fishing.
Day 2 of fishing.
Day 3 of fishing.
Morning at the river bend always came with a crisp chill and a veil of mist.
Ash sat cross-legged on a damp rock. With a flick of his wrist, the line whistled through the thin fog and landed in the water with a soft plop.
Beside him, his bucket was completely empty, save for gently rippling water.
Misty glanced over and finally couldn't hold back anymore. "Hey, Ash, this is the third day! You've released every Magikarp you've caught! Not keeping even one?"
Her bucket, in contrast, was packed full—Goldeen and Poliwag bumping against each other, silver scales flashing in the morning light.
She just couldn't understand how someone who claimed to love Water-types this much could be so "picky" about the Magikarp practically throwing themselves at his hook.
Ash didn't even turn his head. His gaze stayed locked on the tiny bobber, his expression nearly devout in its focus.
Fishing, at its core, was pure superstition.
The more impatient you were, the less you caught.
"Come on, Misty," Ash drawled, his tone full of leisurely certainty.
"Fishing is all about the process."
"Look at that water, that sunlight, that thump-thump of your heart while you wait… Isn't it beautiful?"
"Reeling in a Magikarp and letting it go—that's a way of communicating with them. It lets them know there's a whole wide world beyond the river, you know?"
He paused, catching Misty's"are you kidding me" expression out of the corner of his eye, and quickly added:
"Of course, the most important thing is training my skill."
"I'm aiming for that realm where I can fish with a straight hook and still have them lining up to bite."
He gave a solemn little flourish with Misty's Spare Rod.
"Pika pika…"Pikachu rolled its eyes and covered its face with both paws.
It knew exactly how full of it its trainer was.
Pidgey on his shoulder, however, stayed perfectly serious, continuing to scan the river and the opposite bank with unwavering vigilance.
Misty's mouth twitched again, but in the end she didn't argue.
Whatever. This guy might talk nonsense all day long, but at least his focus was genuine. And… he had quietly sat and fished with her for several days now, without scaring off her catch like when they first met.
She sighed in resignation and turned her attention back to her own bobber.
At that moment, Ash got another bite.
He casually tossed out a Poké Ball. As it flew, a soft blue system window slid into the upper-left corner of his vision.
[Catchable target detected]
[Pokémon: Magikarp]
[Level: 5]
[Ability: Swift Swim]
[Overall Individual Values: Average]
Ash felt nothing.
He flicked his wrist, and the ball opened. An orange-red Magikarp that knew nothing but "flop flop flop" appeared on the ground.
"My friend! Live a happy life!" Ash chuckled, poking Magikarp gently.
Magikarp stared back at him with blank fish eyes, tail slapping weakly against the ground.
"Go on then! Back to your river. Remember this encounter, and work hard to get stronger!" Ash said with exaggerated solemnity, bending down to place Magikarp back into the water.
With a splash, the orange-red shadow vanished beneath the glittering surface.
Misty facepalmed. "…As long as you're happy."
Time flowed quietly by in this cycle of "reel in—check—release."
The sunlight shifted from crisp to burning, then slowly turned warm and golden as it sank.
Ash's patience seemed bottomless. Every cast was as focused as the last, and every release came with nearly the same speech.
Only he knew that his real "rod" wasn't just the one in his hands.
It was the system in his mind that let him peek at hidden potential.
He was waiting.
Waiting for a Magikarp truly worth investing in.
He was also waiting for… a change in the weather.
Sometime during all this, the sky had grown heavy with thick, leaden clouds pressing low overhead, the wind carrying a damp, earthy chill.
Birdsong in the trees grew sparse. The air turned so stifling it felt hard to breathe.
"Looks like it's going to rain."Misty glanced up and started packing up her gear. "We should call it a day."
Ash's heart skipped a beat—then started hammering wildly.
It's here.
He forced down the excitement boiling up inside and only answered with a calm-sounding "Mm," but his eyes couldn't help drifting toward the darkest, deepest part of the clouds.
"Whoooosh—!!"
The long-brewing storm finally broke, pouring down in sheets. Huge raindrops slammed into the river, exploding into crowded bubbles and instantly turning the world into a gray blur of water and mist.
Everything was swallowed in the roar of rain.
"Come on! Back to the tent!"Misty grabbed her bucket and called to Pikachu and Pidgey, turning to run for the trees.
"Got it!" Ash followed right behind her.
They ran—and then, just like that, the sky cleared into dazzling blue.
A rainbow arced across the air.
"Wait, Misty!" Ash suddenly grabbed her arm, his voice trembling with barely restrained excitement.
"Look over there!" He fumbled out his Pokédex and opened the recording function.
He had to get this on video for Professor Oak.
The man had given him such a ridiculous Pikachu—Ash felt obligated to be a professional protagonist in return.
Misty looked over in confusion.
There, beneath the rainbow—
A radiant golden light appeared.
That light was so sacred, so brilliant, it carried the authority of something far above all other beings.
It wasn't stationary. It glided slowly through the clouds.
With every beat of its shining wings, it sprinkled countless glittering flecks of gold. Even from such a distance, that glow etched itself into their vision, burning with a heat that seemed to sear the soul.
A cry rang out—long, distant, clear, like it came from the dawn of time itself.
And it sounded directly in Ash and Misty's hearts.
"SKREE—!"
It wasn't a sound they heard with their ears, but a tremor felt deep in their spirits.
Majestic. Sacred. Looking down on all living things with cold indifference and quiet pity.
Pikachu's fur puffed up all at once, golden arcs crackling uncontrollably around it.
Its tiny body froze in place, black eyes reflecting streaks of gold.
Pidgey hunched its neck, its sharp gaze completely stolen by the miracle in the sky.
Misty was stunned rigid, mouth slightly open, orange hair plastered wetly to her forehead.
Her eyes were round as saucers, filled with nothing but that burning sheet of golden sky and that cry now branded into the depths of her soul.
"That's… Ho-Oh?" she whispered, her voice as light as a feather.
Ash's heart pounded so fiercely it felt like it would break his ribs.
He'd found it.
The legendary keeper of the flame of life.
The golden light blazed in his dark eyes, reflecting that distant figure.
He stared up at it, as if trying to carve this moment forever into his soul.
Under their gaze, Ho-Oh vanished into the clouds.
Its sacred cry seemed to linger in their spirits, echoing on and on.
The world felt like someone had pressed pause.
Only the sound of their beating hearts remained, and that majestic silhouette burning across the sky.
From far away, Ho-Oh really did come with a powerful beauty filter.
Up close, though…
Uh… maybe let's not drag "shiny Fearow" into this.
They'd just witnessed something sacred. Probably not the best time to make that joke out loud.
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