Pokemon: A Fisherman's Tale

After they found tree trunks for cover, they heard no more banging.

"Yohoo, yohoo," Poliwag heard Ryan's reminder and hid behind a tree trunk, breathing heavily.

Once the sounds of attack stopped, Ryan quietly glanced in the direction of the temporary camp. Instead of chasing him, it knocked over the stew pot, picked up Caterpie that had not yet emerged from the pot with its pincers, and left the temporary shelter.

As expected, the crab had come for food. He hadn't shown up for days, so why now?

The road to the beach was blocked by fallen tree trunks. They must have come from the sea.

Ryan didn't know that these crabs only noticed them that morning while Poliwag was practicing its Water Gun.

Krabby come here to scavenge for food. On beaches with scarce resources, they often compete over food and territory.

When they appeared in the morning, they were merely curious about Ryan's odd pair and had no intentions of attacking. However, when they caught the savory scent wafting from the stew pot, they couldn't resist.

Tempted by the smell of meat, the three crab brothers came straight to the camp, snatched the food, and left.

They originally wanted to test and attack but didn't expect Ryan and Poliwag to be so skittish and flee immediately. They didn't hesitate to enjoy the meal.

By the time Ryan and Poliwag returned to the temporary shelter, the fire under the tree had been extinguished, and the stew pot was overturned.

The scene was a mess. Even the bucket had a hole in it. The fresh water inside was murky, likely punctured by a Mud Shot.

Seeing the chaotic state of the shelter, Ryan felt helpless and angry.

Damn Krabbys, he hadn't provoked them, yet they dared to come and steal his food. How infuriating.

But what could he do?

He couldn't defeat them, not even Poliwag could.

Maybe there was a chance one-on-one, but three-on-one?

Forget it, he didn't want to lose his Poliwag. The Krabbys might be stronger than Poliwag. If Poliwag had to face three of them, its chances of winning were slim.

He wasn't an impulsive kid. Anger wouldn't solve anything. Faced with three Krabbys attacking without any sense of honor, he could only run.

Not run?

Would he really use a level nine Poliwag to fight three of them?

Come on, that's absurd.

Anyone could see the odds were against him. Even basic arithmetic would tell you that.

Now, he didn't dare cook anything. The smell of dinner could attract the Krabbys again.

He couldn't think of any way to handle the three Krabbys. He was sure they'd return to harass him again.

It was getting dark, and the tide was almost out. He glanced toward the coastline, contemplating scavenging before nightfall.

Just grab some seaweed. No need for clams or snail meat. He didn't dare cook anything too meaty, fearing more unwanted visitors.

"Poliwag, let's gather some kelp," Ryan called to Poliwag, who was staring at the bucket hole, looking lost. That was its favorite bath bucket, punctured by a Mud Shot—its little swimming pool gone.

Poliwag resented the Krabby for ruining its bucket and wanted revenge immediately. But as it stood up, its stomach growled—it didn't have the energy for vengeance.

"There are plenty of buckets. I'll get you a new one tomorrow. Let's go get some seaweed and make do for tonight..."

Ryan raised his hand and gently patted Poliwag's head, comforting it. Time was precious, and they couldn't dwell on this.

"Poli," Poliwag nodded and, despite being hungry, followed Ryan to the shore. It hated those Krabbys, vowing that if it ever got the chance, it would feast on those meaty crab claws.

In truth, Ryan felt the same! He had been craving crab for a long time...

Finally, they dragged their tired, hungry bodies back to the temporary shelter with some kelp and began cooking again.

It was dark now, and the stew pot no longer smelled of meat. The kelp rolling in the boiling water didn't attract Krabbys again.

Poliwag, ravenous, ate some kelp to fill its stomach, then waited for more to cook before eating again.

Poliwag barely managed to calm its hunger without causing much fuss.

Ryan also ate some kelp, just enough to stave off the hunger. The days of living off the land felt strangely nostalgic.

Now, the immediate priority was the three Krabbys. After discovering they were easy prey, those crabs wouldn't leave them alone.

He had to figure out a way to deal with the three Krabbys. It wasn't enough with just him, Poliwag, and Magikarp...

"Uh… forget it," Ryan shook his head, dismissing the thought. Magikarp was too weak to be of any help. He fed the Magikarp some kelp.

Rubbing his chin, Ryan pondered how to deal with the crabs tomorrow.

A one-on-one fight was impossible, and two-on-three seemed unlikely. But where would he get a second or third ally? He only had Poliwag.

He didn't count himself—he was weak, and his limbs would probably get pinched off by a Krabby.

And Magikarp? Even more useless than him.

Ugh, what a predicament!

If nothing else, maybe they could dig traps tomorrow. They just needed to slow down one or two of Krabbys, creating a more manageable fight for Poliwag, allowing it to defeat them one by one.

"Alright, even if we have to dig traps, we'll do it tomorrow. Let's get some rest and prepare for the fight..."

"Poliwag, let's head back to the treehouse and rest up. We'll need all our energy tomorrow to face Krabbys," Ryan called out to Poliwag, still fixated on the bucket.

Could it be that Poliwag had grown emotionally attached to its bath bucket?

Ryan used a Poké Ball to return the Magikarp, then grabbed Poliwag, who still hadn't moved on, and carried it back to the treehouse.

It was just a bucket, after all… nothing that important.

…

Boom, boom, boom—

Drip, drop, drip, drop—

It started raining again. On the second night after leaving Ryan and Poliwag, Caterpie curled up in a tree hollow, chewing on bitter leaves, which tasted terrible.

For some reason, after leaving those two strange humans, it couldn't eat or sleep properly. It chewed on the leaves, but its thoughts wandered to the humans and that meal of roasted bird meat.

Aside from being a little harsh, that guy had treated it pretty well. Good food, a warm treehouse, no constant nagging cries of "Be clean! Be clean!"

Maybe it should go back to him?

"Caterpie, you've fallen! That guy gave you freedom, and now you're thinking of going back?" Caterpie shook its head, rejecting the idea.

But those leaves… they weren't nearly as good as meat...