Pokemon: A Fisherman's Tale

On the fifteenth day of survival on the island, the weather was overcast.

It had rained lightly the night before, and the sound of rain lulled Ryan to sleep. He slept well.

But this morning, he was woken up by the urgent cries of the Poliwag.

"Poli! Poli!" Poliwag cried frantically.

"What's wrong, Poliwag? Why are you shouting like that?" Ryan had just woken up and saw the wooden door of the treehouse had fallen off.

This door had not been modified since they built it. It was simply propped up against the trunk, and even a little wind could knock it down. Ryan made a mental note to reinforce the unstable door later if time allowed.

When he approached the door, he noticed a Caterpie lying curled up on the ground, covered by a broad leaf.

Upon seeing the Caterpie for the first time, Ryan was stunned.

Why was there a Caterpie at his door? Was it delivering itself as breakfast?

However, Poliwag's reaction was strange. It didn't seem excited about seeing a potential meal. Instead, it seemed worried.

"Poliwag, what happened to this Caterpie?" Ryan squatted down, addressing the first one to notice the Caterpie.

"Poli! Poli!" Poliwag dipped its tail into the cool water near the door and pressed it to Caterpie's forehead, signaling that Caterpie was burning up.

Caterpie's symptoms mirrored Ryan's from earlier — it had a high fever.

After demonstrating this, Poliwag believed Ryan would understand.

"Fever?" Ryan touched Caterpie's forehead. It was indeed hot.

He then moved his hand down to feel the rest of its body, which was just as warm.

After confirming that Caterpie likely had a fever, he quickly picked it up and brought it inside the treehouse. He cut a piece of cloth, soaked it in the cold water from the bucket, and placed it on Caterpie's forehead.

But while he had experience dealing with fevers in humans, he had no idea what to do for a Caterpie. He was at a loss.

"There must be a way, there's always a way," Ryan muttered to himself, thinking hard as he sat on the foam board bed.

Half a minute later, Ryan's eyes lit up. "That's right! Berries! Berries can cure Caterpie!"

"What kind of berries treat burns in the games?" Ryan thought back to the berries used in games to treat burns.

This type of berry was often used, and he remembered it resembled a blue strawberry.

"That's it, Oran Berries! Oran Berries can cure burns," Ryan exclaimed, rushing out of the treehouse. But before he left, he recalled the sick Caterpie with his Poké Ball and checked its stats.

[Caterpie]

[Type: Bug]

[Gender: Female]

[Potential: 58%]

[Level: 4.44%]

[Abilities: Shield Dust/0.71% Hidden Ability: Run Away/2.23%]

[Move Mastery: (Confusion/0.54%) (Tackle/0.71%) (String Shot/3.55%)]

After a quick glance at the potential and move list, Ryan confirmed this was the same Caterpie that had left him earlier.

If it weren't, he wouldn't have bothered to save it — maybe even eat it. He was pragmatic like that.

He wasn't going to risk his life for just any Caterpie. He wasn't a saint, after all.

But it was no "what if." If it weren't for this specific Caterpie, it wouldn't have braved the rain to find its way back to him, and it wouldn't have stayed outside his door all night.

Since it had come back, there was no way he would abandon it now. He was determined to find an Oran Berry to help it.

Oran Berries were known for treating burns, and fever symptoms were similar to burns in that both involved a high body temperature. Just like burns from attacks in the games, Oran Berries could lower the fever.

But where could he find Oran Berries?

"Maybe the Beedrill's territory? That's the only option. I'll have to take my chances," Ryan decided. He had spent half a month avoiding both the Kingler and Beedrill swarms.

But now, he had no other choice. He knew from experience that a fever wouldn't kill a human, but he wasn't sure if a small Caterpie's body could survive it. It was possible the fever could reduce its potential — a loss that Ryan didn't want to see.

So, he had to venture into Beedrill territory and find those berries.

"Poliwag, come with me to the Beedrill territory," Ryan sighed, calling the Poliwag beside him.

Going alone was too risky. Even if he found the berries, he'd be helpless if he were stung by a Beedrill. His resistance to poison was virtually zero.

With Poliwag as a companion, he at least had a helper, either to cover for him or distract the Beedrill if needed.

As long as they didn't encounter an overly powerful Beedrill, a few Water Gun attacks from Poliwag should take care of the Beedrill. And if not, they could always fire a few more shots.

"Poli!" Poliwag nodded. It knew how dangerous the Beedrill's territory was, and even if Ryan had refused to let it come, it would have followed him. There was no way it would let Ryan face the danger alone.

"Alright, fill up on water. You'll probably need your Water Gun later," Ryan instructed as they stepped outside the treehouse. He closed the wooden door behind him, leaving both Caterpie and Magikarp inside.

The journey ahead was dangerous, and there was no need to bring along Caterpie or Magikarp.

After Poliwag had drunk half a bucket of water, they set off towards Beedrill territory, deep within the forest controlled by the Beedrill swarm.

The forest wasn't far. The beach where Ryan scavenged, and the jungle close to it, all fell under Beedrill's territory.

In the past, he and Poliwag had always avoided the area, but this time, they had no choice but to venture inside. The Oran Berries were on the fruit trees there, and the trees outside, guarded by Kingler, bore no fruit.

Besides that, it could have been the wrong season. Ryan had scoured the island before and only found berries guarded by the Kingler.

He was confident there were berries in the Beedrill's territory because the Beedrill were gathering there. It wouldn't make sense for overlords of the forest like Beedrill to gather if there were no berries.

Since they were congregating, it made sense for them to guard a few fruit trees. Not only would this help them take care of their young, but they'd also have berries to eat. Other Pokémon wouldn't dare challenge a group of Beedrill.

As Ryan and Poliwag ventured deeper into the jungle, the daylight passing through the canopy grew dimmer, and the forest became darker and darker.

Ryan, wearing only shorts, began to feel anxious. He feared being bitten by an Arbok, a Zubat, or an Ekans, any of which could end him.

As they traveled, they passed more and more Weedle and Kakuna, all still resting after the previous night's heavy rain.

Ryan and Poliwag moved quietly, cautiously venturing two or three hundred meters into the forest. As they approached the core of the Beedrill's territory, they finally began to see fruit trees.

Now, the search for Oran Berries began…