Chapter 433: The Master Angler and Menas

Chapter 433: The Master Angler and Menas

Miltank stood tall and proud, its eyes gently fixed on the human before it.

Naoki glanced at the Poke Ball containing his caught Pokemon and wondered if such a docile Miltank needed to be recalled. After a moment's thought, he placed the large Pokemon in a small bucket of water nearby.

"Stay here and be a good girl, okay?"

With a plop, Miltank slid into the bucket.

Naoki turned back to his fishing, but soon glanced over his shoulder to find the Pokemon obediently waiting in the bucket, just as he'd asked. Only half of Miltank's head poked out of the water as she gazed outward.

Admittedly, she looked rather adorable like that.

Naoki offered her a gentle smile before turning back to focus on his fishing.

The tournament was still ongoing.

Suddenly, a huge splash emanated from a girl in a short skirt not too far away.

All the anglers nearby swivelled their heads to see a massive Fat Catfish Pokemon leaping out of the water.

"Wow! Following Sato Kenji and Naoki, another angler has caught a Pokemon!"

"I wonder if Ming Lan can handle and subdue that Loudred! Come on, Ming Lan, you can do it!"

The spectators on the shore cheered and shouted encouragement for the girl named Ming Lan.

However, the Loudred's strength was simply too much for her to handle. Despite her efforts to reel it in, the Loudred broke free, nearly pulling the rod out of her hands.

The onlookers sighed in disappointment at the scene.

"What a shame!"

"Fishing requires patience and technique," Sato Kenji commented calmly. "It's about angling without damaging your rod and using brute force won't help you catch rare fish."

As he finished speaking, the float on the water's surface near him quivered.

Ripples spread outward in circles, emanating from the fishing line.

Sato Kenji's eyes sharpened, and with a rhythmic motion, he began to reel in his line. Soon enough, he pulled out an ordinary river fish.

Although it wasn't a rare Pokemon this time, Sato Kenji didn't seem discouraged. He placed the fish in his bucket and sat back on his small stool, continuing to fish.

Naoki was slightly taken aback by Sato Kenji's demeanor, which seemed otherworldly and skilled. He could tell that his competitor was indeed very talented.

Determined to step up his game, Naoki focused intently on his fishing.

A bite!

The float on the water's surface wobbled, seemingly weighed down by something massive. It was clear that a big catch was on the line!

What could it be this time?

With this weight, could it be another Loudred?

Naoki's mind flashed back to the Loudred that the girl had hooked earlier, and he quickly prepared himself to reel in whatever was on the line.

Loudred tended to be reckless, possessing great strength despite their lack of intellect.

Without proper preparation, there was a good chance that the Loudred's struggles could pull him into the water.

Naoki braced himself and began to reel in the line with force.

However, what surprised him was that the catch on the line didn't struggle at all during the entire process.

Naoki was perplexed.

Wasn't it a Loudred?

Soon enough, he had his answer.

Instead of a Loudred, he had caught a pink-bodied, chubby Pokemon with curly ears and a cream-colored mouth. It was currently biting down hard on the hook, its eyes vacant, and a long, pink tail hanging down.

A Slowpoke?! Naoki was stunned.

What was a Slowpoke, a Pokemon that usually lived on the riverbank, doing here?

Soon, people began to notice the unusual catch.

"Wow! This is truly unexpected! Naoki has caught a Slowpoke!"

A few spectators who were watching the tournament for the first time looked confused. "Is Slowpoke considered a fish Pokemon?"

"Not in the conventional sense, but in this tournament, any catch, whether it's a regular fish or a Pokemon, counts as a point! And if it's a rare one, it could be worth several points!"

"Not bad," Sato Kenji remarked, having also noticed the Slowpoke.

To his knowledge, Slowpoke Pokemon usually spent their days spacing out on beaches and riverbanks. They were often in a daze and rarely ventured into the water.

However, that didn't mean it never happened.

Sometimes, groups of Slowpoke would float on the water's surface, spacing out together as the current carried them away.

Naoki: "..."

He carefully freed the Slowpoke from the hook and placed it on the grass nearby.

Throughout the process, the Slowpoke showed little reaction, its eyes vacant and its expression blank.

In the end, it simply stayed by Naoki's side, continuing to space out.

So, this was a Slowpoke. Truly, its name suited it well...

Shaking his head, Naoki cast his line back into the water and continued fishing.

Time ticked by, and gradually, the other anglers also started to reel in their catches, which included both regular river fish and some fish Pokemon.

Common sights were Pokemon like Magikarp and Barboach.

While some lucky anglers had hooked Loudred, they had all been unable to keep them from breaking free.

Before long, only ten minutes remained of the three-hour tournament.

Ten minutes? Naoki calculated in his mind, estimating that he could probably catch one last fish.

Just then, there was a commotion coming from Sato Kenji's direction.

Violent vortices appeared on the water's surface, as if something massive was thrashing about wildly.

Here comes the big one!

Sato Kenji felt the power transmitted through his rod, and his expression turned solemn.

He braced his arm, exerting force to steady the rod and prevent the fish from breaking free.

At the same time, he started to reel in the line. When the distance was close enough, Sato Kenji pulled with all his might.

The next second, a huge Basculin leaped out of the lake, its body towering over Sato Kenji, casting him in shadow.

"It's another Basculin!" The onlookers exclaimed, their eyes wide with excitement.

"This is the eighth angler to hook a Basculin today! Unfortunately, all the previous attempts failed. I wonder if Mr. Sato Kenji will succeed."

"He has a good chance. After all, Mr. Sato Kenji is the man who once tamed a wild Gyarados!"

Amidst the spectators' chatter, Sato Kenji's expression remained intense.

It was evident that he dared not underestimate the powerful Basculin.

The Basculin finally landed on the shore, anger flashing in its eyes as it surveyed its surroundings. It opened its mouth and unleashed a Water Gun attack directly at its captor.

The water stream condensed into a column, shooting forward at incredible speed.

Fortunately, Sato Kenji had anticipated this and sidestepped swiftly to avoid the attack.

Taking advantage of the Basculin's momentary vulnerability, Sato Kenji took a bold step forward, leaped onto the Basculin's back, and grabbed hold of its two long whiskers, pinning it down beneath him.

With its whiskers restrained, the Basculin thrashed about furiously, stimulated by the struggle.

However, being on land put it at a natural disadvantage, and the Basculin couldn't exert its full strength.

It struggled, but Sato Kenji held it firmly in place.

The man and Pokemon then became locked in a stalemate.

From here on out, it would be a test of endurance to see who would last the longest.

Naoki watched this unfold, his eyes wide with astonishment.

Is this how fishing is done? Why are they fighting the fish?

But then again, the physical prowess of humans in the Pokemon world is quite astonishing!

Time ticked by, and the Basculin's struggles gradually weakened until, finally, the exhausted Pokemon lay panting on the grass, having conceded defeat to the human.

It had finally submitted to this human...

Witnessing this, Sato Kenji knew he had succeeded.

He breathed a sigh of relief and took out a new Poke Ball, capturing the Basculin within.

Perhaps due to the Basculin's exhaustion, the Poke Ball only shook a few times before coming to a stop.

"Tap, tap, tap!"

The onlookers on the shore burst into applause, impressed by the display.

"As expected of Mr. Sato Kenji!"

"Amazing! He actually subdued a Basculin!"

Naoki, too, was full of admiration for his competitor. He knew he couldn't have climbed onto the Pokemon's back and subdued it like that.

With only a little over a minute left in the competition, it was unlikely that he could catch another fish.

Additionally, with someone having already caught a Basculin, the rest of the anglers conceded defeat and began to reel in their lines, preparing for the upcoming evaluation.

Naoki also intended to follow suit and put away his rod, but just then, the float on the water's surface wobbled once more.

This indicated that another fish had taken the bait! Naoki hesitated for a moment, but his hands moved instinctively.

With a splash, a slender figure leaped out of the lake, sending water droplets flying in all directions. In the refraction of the sunlight, the droplets sparkled like a beautiful rainbow.

The commotion immediately drew the attention of everyone nearby.

And when they saw the Pokemon that had been hooked, their eyes widened in disbelief, and they stared at the Pokemon with incredulous expressions.

It was a Pokemon with a slender body, a creamy-colored torso, eyes like dreamy rubies, and a coat of blue and pink scales.

Its form was exquisite, its scales shimmering in the sunlight, and its streamlined, slender body was breathtakingly beautiful.

"Mew~"

With a melodious cry, the Pokemon freed itself from the hook and plunged back into the lake.

"Menas..." Sato Kenji muttered, dumbfounded, as he recognized the Pokemon.

To every angler, a Menas was a mythical, dream-like existence.

They were incredibly rare.

"Naoki, quick! Capture it!" Sato Kenji exclaimed, snapping Naoki out of his daze.

Having been captivated by the Menas, Naoki was momentarily lost for words.

Capture it? How?

Would he need to climb onto the Menas' back and restrain it? Forget it! Just throw a Poke Ball!

Naoki gritted his teeth and forcefully threw the Poke Ball in his hand.

The next second, the Poke Ball made contact with Menas, and the Pokemon's body turned into a red stream of light, being drawn into the Poke Ball.

"Buzz... Buzz..."

The Poke Ball that had landed on the lake's surface began to shake vigorously.

Naoki hardly dared to hope that he could capture Menas with a single Poke Ball. It seemed impossible. After all, he wasn't a Poke Ball Master, and he had no emotional connection with Menas; they were strangers to each other.

Menas would surely break free from the Poke Ball and then turn and swim away, disappearing from the lake's surface.

That's what Naoki thought, but at that moment, the Poke Ball floating on the water's surface suddenly stopped moving.

Seeing this, the onlookers burst into delighted cheers.

"Yes! He caught it!"

"Wow, Mr. Naoki! You actually caught a Menas, such a rare Pokemon!"

Sato Kenji also heaved a sigh of relief. Compared to the Menas, the Loudred and Sliggoo he had caught were somewhat inferior.

It looked like the champion of this fishing tournament had been decided.

However, this time, he admitted defeat wholeheartedly!

Naoki's mind went blank. How had the Menas he had caught acknowledged him?! What was going on?

The Poke Ball containing Menas was washed ashore by the waters of Lake Pot. Naoki, feeling bewildered, walked over and picked it up.

He pressed the button on the Poke Ball, and with a flash of white light, the Menas reappeared before everyone.

Instead of turning to flee, it gazed at him with gentle eyes.

Naoki's mind was filled with exclamation marks.

Could the Poke Ball have some sort of brainwashing ability?!

"Menas?" he tried calling out.

Menas looked at the human before it, its eyes curious.

There was a strong natural aura about him!

Menas, born in nature, instinctively felt a sense of affinity for this aura.

Someone chosen by nature couldn't be a bad person!

Naoki didn't have the Translation Peanut Brittle with him, so he couldn't communicate with Menas, but seeing that it seemed content to stay, he turned and prepared to take the Pokemon he had caught today for the final evaluation.

The other anglers looked at the Menas with envy in their eyes.

"It looks like everyone has had a fruitful day!" Mayor Thomas walked over with a smile. "Now, let me see what you've all caught."

The final results of the fishing tournament were determined by points.

There were further subdivisions: for example, regular fish were worth one point, while fish Pokemon were worth two.

If the fish Pokemon caught was a rare species, the points would be even higher.

These points were then totaled for each participant's final score.

Mayor Thomas and the judges began checking the catches of each contestant.

While waiting for his turn, Naoki looked at his haul for the day.

Three Miltank, two Bite Turtler, one Yawn Duck, a pile of perch and shrimp, and a Menas.

He should get quite a few points for all of these, Naoki thought, turning to look at Sato Kenji.

He had quite a catch as well.

Four Sliggoo, five Magikarp, one Loudred, and a bunch of regular river fish.

"Sato Kenji, your final score is 42 points!" Mayor Thomas announced after examining his Pokemon.

Compared to the others, this was already a high score.

Recalling how Sato Kenji had physically subdued the Pokemon, Naoki felt genuine admiration for his skill.

He truly was a Master Angler!

At that moment, Mayor Thomas approached Naoki.

After a thorough inspection, the mayor smiled and announced the results: "Naoki, your final score is 52 points! And this is the first time anyone has ever caught a Menas in this tournament!"

52 points, a full ten points higher than Sato Kenji.

As expected, Naoki won this fishing tournament and received a champion medal from the Fishing Association.

Afterward, Sato Kenji walked up to Naoki.

"I admit defeat wholeheartedly," he said, his admiration evident.

Naoki: "..."

"No," he shook his head. "I was just lucky."

The Dragon's Might combined with the Padiah Seafood Rice gave him an unfair advantage over the other anglers.

Sato Kenji, on the other hand, was a true Master Angler.

Hearing these words, Sato Kenji smiled and shook his head. "Sometimes, luck is also a part of strength. I'm glad we got to compete today, and if there's an opportunity in the future, let's go fishing in the vast ocean together!"

Compared to landlocked lakes, the endless ocean was home to countless fish Pokemon.

It was the ultimate fishing destination for anglers.

Naoki: "..."

If he went out to sea, he feared he might end up catching the small Gaiouka that Water Lotus had caught.

After all, he had witnessed the effects of the Padiah Seafood Rice firsthand.

Nonetheless, Naoki replied, "Okay."

Only then did Sato Kenji smile in satisfaction. "Then let's conquer the sea and the fish Pokemon within it together!"

After the fishing tournament ended, some anglers released their caught Pokemon back into the lake to preserve the ecological balance of Lake Pot.

Menas stood on the grass, looking over at them.

Naoki smiled and said, "Thank you all for today. Thanks to you guys being willing to take the bait, I was able to win the fishing tournament. Now that the competition is over, if you want to go back, you can go."

As he spoke, Naoki placed the bucket by the lake.

The two Bite Turtler reluctantly let go and looked around before swimming off into the lake, disappearing from sight.

The three Miltank stayed in the bucket, jumping about, while the Yawn Duck continued to space out.

It seemed like these Pokemon had no intention of leaving.

If that was the case, he could bring them back to the World Tree to live.

With that in mind, Naoki turned to Menas.

He took out his Rotom Phone and asked the Rotom inside to help translate.

"Menas, do you want to come with me too?"

"Mew~" Menas nodded gently.

Naoki was even more astonished.

Puzzled, he asked, "Why did you choose me?"

Menas: "Mew~"

Rotom helped translate, "Menas says, 'Because you have a wonderful scent'!"

Hmm? What scent? Naoki hurriedly lowered his head to smell himself but didn't detect anything.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

Menas struggled to describe it, "Mew... (It's a bit like the wind, and a bit like green leaves. Mew, I don't know how else to explain it...)

" Naoki was stumped.

But soon, a bold guess popped into his mind.

Could the scent Menas was referring to be the aura of the World Tree? And because he had previously eaten dishes made with the World Tree's leaves... Could that be why this Menas chose to be caught by him?

Was the allure of the World Tree so strong for regular Pokemon?

Naoki truly hadn't expected this situation.

He recalled the reactions of Zapdos and Wigglytuff when they saw the World Tree and felt he had his answer.

It seemed like the natural aura-rich environment of the World Tree was highly appealing to Pokemon.

After some thought, Naoki asked again, "So, do you want to come back with me?"

Menas nodded happily.

The fishing tournament had come to an end, and people gradually dispersed.

Naoki recalled Menas into its Poke Ball and then picked up the Yawn Duck, carrying the bucket with the Miltank back to the ranch.

As soon as he landed, he headed straight for the World Tree and made his way to the lake at the top.

"Come out, Menas!"

White light flashed, and Menas appeared, landing in the lake.

Sensing the even more intense natural aura around it, Menas was filled with wonder.

Naoki then released the three Miltank and the Yawn Duck.

Menas was gentle and disliked conflict.

The Miltank were relatively weak and rarely provoked other Pokemon.

As for the Yawn Duck, true to its name, it spent its days spacing out on the shore, contemplating life.

These Pokemon were unlikely to cause trouble, and it would be easy for them to become friends with the Big Adventure Team.

Moreover, Menas and the Miltank could help with irrigation for the crops on the World Tree.

"This is inside the World Tree," Naoki introduced the place to the Pokemon before him. "I plan to build an Adventure Team Guild here, a place where all Pokemon can live in harmony and help each other. I welcome you all to join!"

The Miltank poked their heads out of the water, and Menas blinked its eyes.

They seemed curious about this so-called Adventure Team Guild.

Naoki smiled and then called over Oliver. He said to him, "Oliver, these Pokemon are new companions who have joined us. I'll leave it to you to show them around."

Oliver readily agreed.

As there were still things to do on the ranch, Naoki left the World Tree.

After Naoki left, Oliver warmly introduced the new companions to the World Tree, including the Big Adventure Team, the Adventure Team Guild, the Pokemon Restaurant, and the Pokemon Orchard and Farm.

Soon, the Wood Guardians were also drawn over, curious about the new companions.

Oliver continued his introduction, "Li~Li!" ("Once this place is built, everyone will live happily here together~ The Wood Guardians want to be servers in the cafe. If you're interested in working, you can help out too!")

The Miltank jumped excitedly in the bucket.

They said, "Mi!" ("We want to be the sushi restaurant managers!")

Menas' eyes sparkled, and for a Pokemon who disliked fighting, this place seemed wonderful!

"Mew!" (Then I'll help with watering!)

Menas said.

Oliver nodded gently and said warmly, "Li~" ("From now on, we're all companions. Please take care of each other~")

As for the Yawn Duck, it continued to lie on the shore, spacing out.

---

Bonus: A secret base of Mythical Pokemon.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end