Frying Nemo [WPM]

[Kat]

John was pretty clueless about fishing. Sure, he'd bought a rod when he landed in Vermilion, but he had just about no clue how to use it! It wasn't until he was safely on Route 12 that he set about using it, since there were fewer people around to embarrass himself in font of. There were a few fisherman scattered about though, but luckily they turned out to be super nice! One of them explained the basics to him.

And so now John was sitting on the bridge with his line cast. There was a berry on the end of it that he was using as bait; he's bought it from a shady looking man in a black coat. bluh, some mystery prize that had turned out to be! Casey sat besides him, nibbling on the Lava Cookie he'd also "won".

With a bit of luck, they'd get a bite soon. With luck, it wouldn't be a Magikarp. One could only hope.

[Wild Pokemon]

Day 12, 1:45 pm. Food supplies still out; hunting not going so well. I've been managing to catch Basculin and Remoraid, but they taste nothing like the Piplup back home. Why just this morning, I even had to resort to Tentacool for breakfast! If I never have to eat that goop ever again, I will be a satisfied woman.

Though it has been twelve days since I left Antarctica on a stray ice floe, and nine days since the ice floe melted and I had to resort to swimming, the shoreline of Kanto is finally in sight. As my Grandpa Walrein always taught me, "Pursue your dreams with diligence and your reward shall come eventually”.

Though I will miss Grandpa, Mother, Father, and everyone else in my pod, they know I cannot stay in the middle of nowhere forever. You see, I’ve wanted to be a trainer’s Pokemon since I was little. Experiencing new environments, meeting new Pokemon! Surely there’s more to the world than icebergs and tundras. The fact of the matter is that nobody lives in Antarctica. I wouldn’t be able to achieve my goal if I had stayed at home.

I think I see an adult human fishing on the beach. Or… is it an adult? I’ve never really seen a human before, so I wouldn’t know how big a young one is. This one seems pretty large compared to myself, at least. I will take his bait and report back soon.

The young spheal quit monologuing to herself and dropped into the water from the driftwood she had been resting on. Peeking above the water occasionally to make sure she was going in the right direction, she made her way over to the boy’s baited line.

This was it. All she had to do was eat a fruit to change her life forever. She was sure this was symbolic of something in at least one culture. Unfortunately she couldn’t remember which culture, or what it was symbolic of. Maybe she’d learn on her journey?

Though the hook hurt her lip, she chomped down on the bait with enthusiasm.

[Kat]

Woah, was that a bite? Wow! John clumsily reeled the line in, almost dropping his rod in excitement, and hauled the thing onto the decking.

At first he thought it was a Seel, but upon closer inspection, it was way too fat and way too blue to be one of those. A Spheal? Oh man, John had hit the jackpot. Talk about beginner's luck!

Okay, better battle that cutie. Whilst attacking a Pokemon entirely unprovoked felt a little mean, he had to make sure it wouldn't just jump back into the water and run for it. "Casey," he began, giving his Charmander a nudge, "I'm gonna need your help, okay? Use Ember." Casey stood up, putting the cookie down for a second, and aimed a small jet of flame in the Pokemon's direction. Spheal was an ice type, right? Fire should be at least reasonably effective. He hoped.

[Wild Pokemon]

When she had been pulled onto the deck, Spheal unhooked her lip from the line and clapped at the human who had caught her. Oh man, where to begin? She should probably introduce herself. She let loose a few short barks, which roughly translated to:

"Hi! How are you? How old are you? Are you big for your age? That's okay, I'm big for my age too. Except not height-wise, more wide-wise. Mother says it just means my ability is Thick Fat instead of Ice Body. I'm not 100% sure what that means. Where do you come from? I'm from Antarctica! Do you know where Antarctica is? It's really far away! Do all humans look like you? I don't know if all humans look alike but Spheals look pretty different from each other. Or maybe they don't? Maybe I just know how to tell Spheals apart because I am one. Or maybe it's because I grew up around a bunch of other Spheals! Wait, I think this is called nutrients vs. nurture. That's psychology, you know. Auntie Sealeo taught me all about that and a bunch of other stuff too! I'm super smart. I hope you're smart! I wouldn't want to be stuck with a dumb trainer."

Spheal suddenly felt a sharp sensation that was extremely foreign to her on her side. She turned around to see a strange lizard Pokemon with a flame on its tail. Had it just attacked her with fire? Is that what a "burn" feels like? Wow, it didn't feel nearly as bad as one of her friends had hyped it up to be.

Spheal wasn't sure where this Pokemon came from or why it was trying to singe her, but she had to get her trainer to save her. She Growled at her attacker, hoping it would attract his attention. Trainers are supposed to defend their Pokemon, right? ...Wait, was this human technically her trainer yet? Was there some kind of ceremony involved?

[Kat]

Hmmm, looked like Casey's attack hadn't had a massive effect on the Spheal. He guessed that meant she was pretty tough! John looked at it quizzically. Regardless, fire should have at least some effect, right? Weird.

At the Pokemon's growl, Casey quickly backed off, hiding behind John's leg. He groaned. "Casey! How many times, you are supposed to fight! Come on, give that Spheal a growl of your own." He patted her on the head and pushed her gently forwards.

Casey looked at the Spheal and hesitated, before letting out a very timid growl. It was not exactly formidable, and probably wouldn't scare anyone. She didn't want to disobey orders, but she wasn't sure attacking the Spheal was the best idea! Its growl was scary, but she didn't exactly seem hostile. She was trying to talk to John, after all.

"Char... mander. Char char?" Um... humans don't speak our language. Are you trying to talk to my trainer? She was kind of nervous addressing a wild, and potentially savage, Pokemon and so her voice came out quietly.

[Wild Pokemon]

The firey Pokemon was... being commanded by the boy? Perhaps the human had ordered the earlier attack, but she was too busy thinking of things to say to notice. Father always said her overly talkative nature would get her in trouble someday.

So this human wasn't catching her, he was hunting her. This was just like the horror stories her friends told her late at night. Arctic Spheals were supposedly subject to impalement by harpoon, being whaled on by clubs, and sometimes being lowered into Sharpedo tanks just so humans could watch the carnage. (Okay, maybe that last story wasn’t true.) Perhaps she should have stayed at home and learned to dealt with her sheltered existence.

Spheal was preparing herself for death when she heard the Pokemon who had attacked her speak in a nonthreatening voice.

"Spheal Sphe Sphe Spheeaal!" I, er... I honestly didn't know that. I've never seen a human before in my life, so I wouldn't know. ...Anyways, aren't you supposed to be beating me up?

[Kat]

"Char???" Never???? This Spheal was missing out! Casey hated to think how scary and awful living in the wild must be, with no trainer to protect you and care for you. Where did they get their food? How did they know what attacks to use in a battle? What did they even do with their lives, if not helping their trainer?

Though shit, the Spheal was right. She was supposed to be beating her up, right? Casey looked at John for orders uncertainly.

John had been watching their whole exchange curiously, though. It looked like Casey might actually be making a friend, which was kind of exciting! She always seemed so afraid of other Pokemon, after all. Maybe he'd hold off on getting her to attack?

Her trainer just smiled encouragingly at her, as if telling her to just do her own thing. Hesitantly she walked over to the Spheal, offering it the cookie she'd been nibbling. "Charmander! Char, Char." You must have come a long way! Take this, I'm not going to beat you up.