I, Gary, Want to Become a Pokemon Master

"I didn't plan on capturing Whiscash. I just hooked it while fishing, and then it attacked me, so I had no choice but to defeat it," Gary explained.

"Oh, so you weren't planning to catch it," Sullivan said in surprise.

After all, Sullivan had been pursuing this Whiscash for many years and was still reluctant to let anyone else have it.

"I planned to let my companion catch it," Gary replied.

Gary didn't say no outright—after all, the old man carried a Master Ball. He had never seen a real Master Ball before, and he was curious to see it in action.

"Young man, my name's Sullivan. I haven't asked for your name yet," Sullivan suddenly asked.

"My name's Gary."

Sullivan smiled. "Gary, seeing you fishing here, I figure you're in need of a Water-type Pokémon."

Gary was a little surprised. He didn't expect Sullivan to see right through his reason for fishing—searching for a strong Water-type for his team.

"Yeah, I am short of one," Gary admitted, curious to see where this conversation was going.

"How about this—what kind of Water Pokémon do you need? I'll trade you this Whiscash for it. What do you think?" Sullivan offered.

Gary was stunned.

This old man was definitely not normal, casually offering to trade the Whiscash he'd spent years pursuing.

For him to offer that, he must have a Water Pokémon of high potential or rarity.

But Gary already had his targets in mind—he needed a Water-type native to Hoenn, either Milotic or Swampert. Anything else, he wasn't interested in.

"I'd be open to a trade, but do you have the Pokémon I need, Mr. Sullivan?" Gary asked.

"Tell me what you're after. I've been fishing my whole life. I've got quite the collection, even Feebas," Sullivan said proudly.

Gary wasn't too surprised. A fisherman of Sullivan's caliber could certainly catch a Feebas. The real question was whether it had the potential he wanted.

"I need either Milotic or Swampert. Their pre-evolved forms are fine too, but I'm a trainer, so the Pokémon's potential needs to be high. I won't accept anything mediocre," Gary said firmly.

"Oh, Swampert, huh? I just caught a Mudkip recently. Take a look," Sullivan said, pulling out a Poké Ball and opening it.

Flash!

[Lv. 18 Mudkip ♂ / Champion Potential]

A blue Mudkip with orange gills on its cheeks appeared in front of them.

Champion potential!!

Gary's eyes widened. He knew Mudkip lived in this area, but he never expected Sullivan to have one with champion-level potential, and freshly caught too.

"What do you think, Gary?" Sullivan asked, slightly nervous.

Sullivan had caught the Mudkip about a week ago, but he hadn't checked its potential. Still, he wasn't clueless—usually, a wild Pokémon that hadn't evolved yet might still hold high potential. If it had already evolved, it was harder to tell.

"Mr. Sullivan, are you using an Everstone on Mudkip?" Gary asked.

"No, I just caught it and kept it as a pet. It's got a gentle temperament," Sullivan said.

Gary had wondered why Mudkip, at level 18, hadn't evolved yet. Now it made sense. Mudkip wasn't forced to stay in its current form; it was suppressing the urge to evolve itself.

A Mudkip with champion potential would definitely feel the drive to evolve once it reached the right level—but this one had consciously resisted it.

"Mr. Sullivan, I'd like to ask Mudkip a few questions," Gary said.

"Go ahead."

Gary crouched down.

Mudkip tilted its head at him, its dark little eyes filled with confusion, looking adorably clueless.

"Mudkip, do you not want to evolve?" Gary asked gently.

"Muud—kip!"

Mudkip shook its head and glanced at Sullivan, clearly implying that the decision had something to do with him.

Gary turned to Sullivan again.

Sullivan waved his hands. "It's got nothing to do with me! I never told it not to evolve."

Gary believed him. Sometimes, Pokémon hesitate to evolve because they're afraid their trainers won't like their evolved forms.

Mudkip might feel that way too. While Marshtomp was still cute, Swampert's big, bulky appearance wasn't exactly charming to everyone.

"Then, Mudkip, are you willing to come with me?" Gary asked softly.

Mudkip looked a little stunned.

You're just giving me away?

He had only just built some trust with Sullivan, and now he was being traded? How was Swampert inferior to Whiscash anyway?

You old man, what a betrayal!

"Muud—kip!"

Mudkip nodded and walked over to Gary, showing his willingness to follow him.

Gary hadn't expected Mudkip to be so straightforward, but it made sense. Mudkip and Sullivan hadn't been together long, and now that Sullivan was giving him away, there was no loyalty to hold him back.

"Mr. Sullivan, let's make the trade," Gary said.

"Deal!"

Sullivan beamed, handing Mudkip's Poké Ball to Gary before quickly walking over to Whiscash. He tossed out a Poké Ball and captured it on the spot.

"Hahaha! I finally caught my prize!" Sullivan laughed, his grin wide and joyful.

"Gary, thank you so much. I'll be heading out!"

With his long-sought-after Whiscash finally captured, Sullivan happily rushed off toward the Pokémon Center to get it treated.

Gary watched him go, a little worried whether Sullivan could actually handle Whiscash.

After all, Pokémon with the word "king" in their names—like Whiscash (from "whiskers" and "catfish king")—often had nasty tempers and were hard to tame. (Except for Magikarp, of course.)

"Let's take a look at your stats," Gary said, patting Mudkip's round, slippery head as he opened the Pokédex.

[Pokémon: Mudkip ♂]

[Type: Water]

[Level: 18]

[Potential: Champion]

[Ability: Damp (Prevents explosive moves like Self-Destruct from activating by dampening the surroundings.)]

[Moves: Tackle, Growl, Water Gun, Rock Smash, Rock Throw, Protect, Supersonic, Water Pulse]

[Friendship: 86/255]

"Damp… huh."

Gary was a little surprised.

For a champion-potential Mudkip, the Damp Ability wasn't exactly ideal. Usually, Mudkip lines had Torrent, a much more useful battle Ability.

"Well, looks like I'll need to wait until Ability Capsules are more widely available," Gary muttered.