Inside the massive stadium, even the sound of a pin drop echoed clearly.
Max had gone from initial excitement, to shock, and then to utter confusion.
He stood there, frozen for a long time before finally recalling his Kirlia.
Was the gap in strength that big?
Honestly, no. In fact, the opponent's Litten was clearly a newborn Pokémon, barely capable of battle.
And while Gastly was strong, Kirlia wasn't necessarily outmatched.
The real difference lay in the trainers' command ability—Max had been completely outplayed and read like a book by Caleb.
"I lost."
Max scratched his head in embarrassment, knowing full well that he'd performed pretty poorly.
His attitude toward Caleb had shifted from admiration to full-on respect.
He started calling him "Big Bro" every other sentence—he probably didn't even treat Ash this affectionately back in the day.
The next day.
The fishing tournament was about to begin, and Max managed to register just in time.
This year's grand prize included not only the dream gear set coveted by every angler but also the Mystic Water, a favorite item among Water-type trainers.
It greatly boosts the power of Water-type moves.
The prizes for second and third place were just as generous—an Advanced Water Stone sponsored by Devon Corp, and a set of premium lure balls from Steven himself.
Max had come this time specifically for that Advanced Water Stone.
High-grade evolution stones were known to unlock a Pokémon's true potential.
Caleb took out the rod, bobber, and hooks he had bought during his trip to the mall yesterday. Just like in the games, the more expensive the gear, the better the quality.
On the deck, the place was packed with anglers ready for the tournament. Some used rented boats, while others rode Surf-capable Pokémon to nearby waters.
Green summoned her signature Blastoise and took Fiona out to sea.
"This time I'm gonna catch a few Basculin to keep in the backyard pond."
Stop! Are you actually trying to raise them, or are you just drooling over how tasty they are?
Basculin was famous for its delicious flavor.
Steamed or braised—it was good either way...
That said, the artificial lake behind the gym only had two chubby residents. It was a bit lonely for them.
Maybe this tournament was the perfect chance to get them some neighbors.
The tournament followed the same rules as the Bug Catching Contest—each participant was allowed to catch only one Pokémon. Once chosen, they couldn't catch another unless they released the first one.
After the event, a panel of judges would score the results.
Since he didn't have a Surfing Pokémon in his team, Caleb rented a small boat.
Out on the deep blue sea, anglers from all over the region were already locked in, fully focused.
Each one held high-end fishing gear, eyes sharp, watching the shimmering surface intently.
Just then, Green, who had left early, floated by on her Blastoise.
She lifted a massive Basculin and bragged, "Look—20 kilos!"
Caleb only gave her a relaxed smile and casually cast his line.
Just last night, he had spent the emotional energy he'd been saving over the past few days to do a ten-pull draw.
He ended up getting a Level 4 Fishing Mastery.
Which meant every cast would pretty much guarantee a bite.
With such a powerful skill in hand, if he still managed to lose—he'd eat his own hat!
...
At the back of the boat, a bunch of Magikarp flopped around energetically.
This made ten already!
Caleb was starting to think he'd stumbled into some sort of Magikarp nest—there was just no sign of any other Pokémon.
Even the two old guys fishing next to him were pulling up Remoraid.
"Big Bro Caleb, are you...?" Max walked over, staring in stunned silence at the boat full of Magikarp.
Caleb said nothing. But when he saw the Staryu on Max's boat, his face darkened.
Damn it, why's everyone else got such good luck?!
It had to be the spot. Caleb was now completely sure of it.
He was just about to try fishing somewhere else...
But then Green came drifting over again on her Blastoise. This time, she was holding an even bigger and fatter Basculin than before, drawing envious looks from the nearby anglers.
And that wasn't all—Fiona, trailing behind her, had reeled in a rare Alomomola.
A top-tier physical tank that had been dominant back in Gen 9.
Caleb let out a loud, frustrated roar and left that cursed spot behind.
"I refuse to believe I'm still gonna catch another Magikarp here!"
...
Number twenty...
Caleb stared blankly at the pile of Magikarp now overflowing at the back of the boat, overwhelmed by a feeling too complex to put into words.
This rod must be cursed!
The Magikarp continued to flop about in the tight space, blissfully unaware of their tragic fate.
Pachirisu woke from its nap, eyes going wide at the sight before it. Tears welled up and streamed from the corners of its mouth.
Without a word, it launched itself at a Magikarp and started gnawing on it.
Gastly followed its lead right after.
A second later, two blood-curdling screams echoed across the lake.
"Magikarp's all bone, no meat—not edible," Caleb said gloomily.
Which was why Magikarp was basically useless until it evolved into Gyarados.
"That's... that's insane! I can't believe what I'm seeing!"
From the commentary booth on deck came the high-pitched, excited voice of the announcer.
"Mr. Miles has successfully reeled in a Milotic! This is a historic moment, folks!" The announcer's voice was shaking with excitement. "This record-breaking feat has officially shattered all previous tournament highs!"
The crowd erupted in gasps and cheers.
All eyes turned to the middle-aged man riding on a Lapras.
Milotic—the dream of so many trainers.
Barring any unforeseen miracle, he was almost certainly this tournament's champion.
He was far ahead of every other contestant.
Second place went to Fiona's Alomomola.
Third to a contestant who managed to catch a Sharpedo.
And dead last—unsurprisingly—was Caleb, who had the highest number of Magikarp.
"Dammit!"
At this point, what was the point of even trying anymore?
Someone had caught a Milotic—first place was basically locked in.
Unless he could hook a Kyogre, Caleb couldn't imagine any way to turn this around.
"Geh-heh." Gastly pointed at the fishing rod on the ground.
"You wanna try?"
Caleb handed him the rod. "Careful, alright? Don't get dragged in."
As soon as the words left his mouth, Caleb laughed to himself.
What was he even saying? A ghost catching fish? As if!
"Geh-heh~ (•̀ᴗ•́)و"
No sooner had Gastly picked up the rod than a huge force yanked it hard. Gastly used all its strength to hold on, refusing to let go.
"You actually got one?!" Caleb was stunned and rushed to help Gastly pull.
"So heavy!"
Even the combined strength of man and ghost couldn't reel it in.
At that moment, Chansey heard the commotion and came over to help.
The tension on the line vanished instantly.
BOOM!
A massive splash erupted as a huge, blue-and-white Pokémon burst from the depths.
Staring at the Pokémon Gastly had just pulled up, Caleb blurted out:
"Holy sh*t!"