April 18th.
Today was a special day.
Before dawn had even broken, Silas was already up, washing up and organizing the items he needed to bring.
The Fishing Festival was being held in Coumarine City this year, and he intended to sweep the field and dominate the competition.
Originally, the festival had been scheduled to be postponed for a few days, but thanks to the League's swift handling of matters, Coumarine City had not suffered any major damage during the recent massive blackout. As a result, the Fishing Festival would proceed as planned.
"You all stay home and behave, okay!"
With Minccino perched atop his head, Silas waved toward the group of Pokémon behind him.
"Min!"
Minccino happily waved goodbye. Today was going to be its alone time with Silas.
"Cyc~"
"Phion!"
"Kang…"
The Pokémon collectively protested, making it clear that they wanted to come along too.
"Nope. I'm going to compete today," Silas said, shaking his head as he refused them, while packing up some seafood risotto to bring along.
"I'm leaving the ranch in your hands. When I come back, I'll cook something delicious for you."
After saying farewell to the group, Silas left the ranch and headed toward the nearby ranch owned by John and Penny.
Gario and John were already waiting for him, both carrying fishing gear on their backs.
True fishing fanatics—of course they wouldn't miss a grand event like the one being held in Coumarine City.
"Let's go, let's go. It's about time."
Gario called out, and the three of them climbed into a small truck.
"Huh? Where's Diggersby?"
Gario fastened his seatbelt in the driver's seat and started the truck. "At driving school for its exam!" he replied casually.
Nestled in Silas's arms, Minccino's round eyes stared curiously out the window at the retreating scenery.
With one hand, Silas gently squeezed its big ears; with the other, he rubbed its soft little belly.
"The competition's going to depend on you later, Minccino. Bless me with lots and lots of bites."
Minccino burrowed deeper into his arms, hugging his large hand and nodding happily.
"Min~"
(Mm-hmm! Silas will definitely catch lots and lots of fish.)
Blessed by Minccino's encouragement, Silas broke into a wide grin, anticipation swelling in his heart.
Pressing his face into Minccino's fluffy little belly, he made the kind of delighted sound that suggested little cakes were born to be eaten by their trainers.
Minccino giggled, wrapping its tiny paws around him affectionately and planting a loud kiss on his cheek.
It loved being with Silas the most!
As the truck drove along the road, the closer they got to Coumarine City, the more vehicles and pedestrians filled the streets.
Gario turned onto a fork to the left, and the three of them soon arrived at the city's harbor.
Fishing meant water, of course. The three men and one squirrel climbed out of the truck.
"It's really lively!"
Gario locked the vehicle and gazed toward the crowd ahead, most of them with noticeably darker skin tones—remarking with emotion.
To judge whether someone was a seasoned fishing veteran, you only needed to look at the color of their arms.
The darker the tan, the stronger the skill.
Gario and John chatted as they recalled a previous Fishing Festival where they had encountered an Eighth-Level Fishing Master.
The sheer aura that man exuded upon appearing had stunned every angler present. The deep tone of his sun-darkened arms had been awe-inspiring.
An Eighth-Level Fishing Master —truly deserving of the title.
"Let's hurry and register. If we board the first ship to the competition waters, we'll still have time to prepare."
"Alright!"
After responding in unison, the three of them joined the queue.
More than ten minutes later, they completed registration, received their number tags, and boarded a ship docked nearby.
With a sharp blast of the horn, the vessel set off, carrying over a hundred participants.
"Min~"
Gripping Silas tightly with its little paws, Minccino leaned over the side of the ship to peer outside. It was its first time going out to sea.
Silas rested a reassuring hand on its back, giving it a sense of security.
Their destination was an area near Coumarine City known as Azure Bay.
It was considered the holy land of anglers, gathering most of the fish species found in Kalos's waters.
Someone had even once caught a Kingdra there—and the one who accomplished that feat was none other than the Eighth-Level Fishing Master.
Azure Bay was said, in legend, to occasionally receive Pokémon descending from distant lands.
Silas rubbed his eyes hard.
Why did this place feel so familiar?
Especially that island in the middle…
Wait—wasn't this near Zapdos's nest? On that very island?
Thinking of Zapdos reminded him of Chatot, that troublesome bird.
He wondered how it was doing now.
His mood dipped slightly.
"Silas~ Silas~"
Gario waved a hand in front of his face, calling out loudly.
"What's up?"
Snapping back to his senses, Silas asked.
"We're here. The official competition hasn't started yet. Want to try casting a few lines?"
In a new fishing area, it was necessary to adjust the gear to ensure maximum catches during the competition.
Of course, that was secondary.
The main goal was to scout for spots where fish schools gathered.
"Sure!"
With Minccino now perched on his shoulder and his fishing gear slung over his back, Silas followed the crowd off the ship alongside the other two.
Amid the pale blue sea, several small islands dotted the waters. The competition would take place within this area.
Stepping across the fine sand of the shallows, seawater rose past his ankles, sending a chill through him.
Minccino sat obediently on his shoulder, unwilling to get wet. Its bright eyes stared curiously at the Pokémon swimming ahead, tugging at Silas's hair to draw his attention.
"I see it, I see it. You little rascal, stop pulling my hair."
Silas tapped Minccino lightly in mock annoyance.
"That's Remoraid also known as the Ocean Sniper. The water it shoots is as precise as bullets."
"Min~"
(It looks so amazing!)
Holding its head where he'd tapped it, Minccino's eyes sparkled.
"Hahaha~" Beside them, Gario cast his line, landing it precisely in front of the Remoraid. "Didn't expect you to know so much, Silas. During the competition, catching different kinds of Pokémon earns extra points."
"Is that so?"
Seeing the other two had already cast their lines, Silas felt his hands itch with eagerness.
He first used a depth-measuring line to test the water here. It was only about seven or eight meters deep.
After adjusting his rod, he baited the hook with cat's eye snail meat he had dug up on the beach earlier. With a flick of his wrist, the line traced a graceful arc and landed in the sea.
Minccino immediately leaned forward, its round eyes fixed on the orange-red float, watching alongside him.
"Min!"
Minccino cried out excitedly, clutching his arm tightly.
The float dipped.
An unusual force traveled up the rod, an urgent tugging sensation rising from beneath the water.
Man and fish entered a brief stalemate.
Then the fish lost strength first.
Silas quickly reeled in, lifting it from the water.
The bright red body was unmistakable.
"As expected, a Magikarp."
Magikarp stared blankly with its lifeless fish eyes. Among anglers, this was the most annoying catch of all.
After removing the hook and tossing it back into the sea, Silas prepared to cast again when something caught his peripheral vision.
Not far ahead of them, a small single-person boat drifted slowly across the water. Standing aboard it was an angler.
His skin was the color of dark soy sauce, with an almost jet-black sheen, as if he had been deeply "baked" by the sun—dark, glossy, and reflective.
It was—
The Eighth-Level Fishing Master!!!
(End of Chapter)