Pokemon: A Fisherman's Tale

When they arrived, Ryan immediately lit a fire, the only source of warmth and security in the cold night. Poliwag hopped around him energetically, as though greeting him home.

"Alright, calm down, I don't have the strength to hold you," Ryan muttered as Poliwag jumped at him playfully. He patted the little Pokémon's head before releasing the unconscious Magikarp from its Poké Ball.

Magikarp had recovered somewhat but still tried to flop its way back to the water.

"Poliwag, use Double Slap!" Ryan called.

"Yo yo, yo yo," Poliwag responded instantly, slapping Magikarp again and again, sending it flying into a nearby boulder.

Magikarp, though clearly weakened, continued to struggle until Poliwag delivered another slap that finally knocked it out cold.

"Good job, Poliwag," Ryan praised, patting his Pokémon on the head. Poliwag closed its eyes in satisfaction, clearly enjoying the attention.

As Ryan turned his attention back to Magikarp, he couldn't help but think about training Poliwag further. The Pokémon had gained some experience from the battle, and its proficiency with moves like Double Slap and Water Gun had improved slightly.

Still, the idea of keeping Magikarp around solely to help Poliwag level up seemed impractical. There were plenty of weaker Pokémon on the island to train with, though Ryan was careful to avoid the more dangerous ones, like the Beedrill swarms.

He could also train against wild Bug-type Pokémon like Caterpie or even Pidgey and Spearow. These wild Pokémon would make excellent sparring partners for Poliwag.

As Ryan sat by the fire, contemplating his next steps, Poliwag rested beside him, its head comfortably resting on his lap. The night stretched ahead, and despite his exhaustion, Ryan felt a sense of peace in the simple security of the shelter.

As the Magikarp lay unconscious, Ryan set to work on preparing it.

Despite its reputation as a useless fish, Magikarp was actually quite appealing in appearance. The vibrant red hue, combined with its long catfish-like whiskers and golden crown-shaped dorsal fin, gave it a regal air. Ryan couldn't help but appreciate its beauty, running his hand over its hard scales before getting down to business.

Since Magikarp's scales were tough, Ryan decided to cut it open first. As he did so, he felt something granular inside. Under the firelight, he examined the yellowish granules in his hand and realized it was fish roe — eggs that the Magikarp hadn't yet laid.

He wasn't particularly surprised. One of Magikarp's defining traits, besides its resilience, was its incredible fertility. This is how Magikarp managed to spread across the world, by reproducing in vast numbers.

The fish seller who once tricked James (from Team Rocket) mentioned that each female Magikarp can lay up to a thousand eggs annually. But Ryan suspected that number was an understatement, especially when considering factors like hatch rates and survival rates. He believed the number of eggs laid could be even higher.

This incredible fertility, though, meant little in practical terms. Most Magikarp were valueless, found commonly in all bodies of water. Only the rare few that evolved into Gyarados were truly worth anything.

However, evolution wasn't guaranteed. Before a Magikarp transformed into a Gyarados, no one could tell if it was capable of evolving at all. Investing in a Magikarp was a gamble many trainers avoided, preferring to catch a fully evolved Gyarados instead. Unless, of course, you had unlimited resources and could afford to take risks.

Ryan pondered these thoughts while continuing to prepare the fish. To avoid a repeat of earlier mistakes — like having the fish innards stolen by crabs — he decided against keeping the offal as bait. Instead, he gathered fish roe, some edible offal, fish oil, and other parts for a seafood stew.

He was grateful that seafood had a naturally salty taste because he hadn't eaten any salt in days and felt his energy waning.

The Magikarp's bones were roasted over the fire, making them brittle. He planned to feed the crispy bones to his Poliwag to help it get used to land life. Poliwag's legs were still a bit weak for walking on solid ground.

Ryan had to admit, Misty was right — there wasn't much meat on a Magikarp. Between the internal organs and the bones, the actual amount of meat was meager at best. If only he had something more substantial, like duck with green onions, which was at least a dish with its own sides built-in.

These thoughts made Ryan's stomach growl, and he found himself drooling at the idea.

Dinner that night wasn't too bad, though. He had grilled the Magikarp, and with the kelp, shells, and roe he'd gathered earlier, he made a hearty seafood soup.

Watching the mixture of kelp, shells, and fish roe bubbling in the pot, he couldn't resist sniffing the air. The savory smell was irresistible. He swallowed hard, trying to keep the drool at bay.

Though it was hardly a gourmet meal, it would fill him up. Ryan wasn't concerned about the quality of his food — hunger was the only thing on his mind after an exhausting day.

In the pot, the fish offal cooked faster than the bones. Ryan kept stirring the stew until everything was almost done. He wasn't going to wait for it to cool off this time. He planned to eat it like a hotpot, using a large leaf as a makeshift bowl for both him and Poliwag.