Chapter 26: The King of the Lake

A thin mist drifted over the Whiscash Lake, with no end in sight from the shore.

"Look, this is my fishing haven," Nate proudly pointed to the open space by the shore, where a small stool was placed with a bucket of water and bait. A fishing rod was propped up by the lake, and the bobber floating on the water was faintly visible.

"Oh, so how many fish did you catch today?" Summer asked.

"Uh..." Nate's face suddenly turned embarrassed, muttering under his breath, "Um, didn't I mention earlier? It's harder to fish in foggy weather than usual, so... Today, no, today isn't over yet!"

"I'll definitely catch some fish today!" He suddenly shouted, raising his arms.

"Um, it seems like you've got a bite over there?" Summer pointed to the side.

"What?!" Nate turned sharply to look at the lake, where the bobber was bobbing up and down, a sign that a fish was hooked.

But it seemed that because of Nate's shout, the fish under the lake got scared and started to struggle violently. Before he could grab the fishing rod, the lake surface returned to calm, and the fish got away.

Faced with this cruel reality, Nate fell to the ground in despair. It was the first time in half a month that he had a fish on the hook.

"Darn it, why did I have to shout just now?" He kept pounding the ground, filled with regret.

"Well, fishing is a process of waiting for unknown joys. Occasionally, bad luck is normal," Summer comforted.

"But I haven't had any catch in half a month."

After a moment of silence, Nate slowly stood up, sat on the stool, changed the bait on the fishing rod, and then cast it into the lake.

"Oh, you're right. It's only been half a month. How can it defeat the resilience of a fisherman?" Then Nate said somewhat apologetically, "My attitude just now wasn't good. Sorry."

"It's okay. By the way, can I watch you fish from the side?"

"Of course, but the process is quite boring. You just have to endure it."

Summer nodded in agreement and found a relatively dry spot to sit down, while Thwackey sat beside him.

The waiting process was indeed as boring as Nate had described, and he couldn't help but start a conversation with Summer out of boredom.

"Do you know why this lake is called Whiscash Lake?"

"I don't know," Summer replied frankly.

"Because this lake is home to many Whiscash, but the true king of the lake is someone else!"

Nate's words piqued Summer's interest, and he gestured for Nate to continue.

"Well, to be honest, I don't know its true identity. All I know is that it's incredibly powerful!" Nate paused for a moment, his eyes shimmering with ambition. "Catching the master of the lake is my first goal, and I want to fish in rivers, lakes, and even the ocean. That's what it takes to become the Fishing King!"

Everyone has the right to establish a connection with Pokémon, and the young man in front of him does it through fishing. He wants to conquer everything in the water with his fishing skills.

"Good luck."

"Of course, I will."

After a brief conversation, the two fell silent again, watching the bobber on the lake surface.

Meanwhile, Thwackey had reached its limit. Its species' characteristic made it always want to drum, but Summer was still nearby, so it drummed softly.

"Boom boom~"

In a quiet environment, people's hearing becomes more sensitive, and Nate soon noticed Thwackey drumming, followed by bubbles rising from the nearby lake.

There's a fish! I just had a bite after it drummed. Could its drumming have attracted the fish!?

Seeing hope, Nate suddenly turned to Thwackey and said, "Please keep drumming! Please!."

Nate's words made Thwackey stop the drumming, looking puzzled. Wouldn't the noisy sound scare the fish away?

"Drum, Thwackey, do you remember what I said?"

Thwackey, listen carefully. Your drumming won't annoy anyone, or any Pokémon. Summer's words echoed in its mind, and Thwackey looked serious. Then let's go all out!

"Boom boom boom~!"

The intense drumming spread all around, and bubbles on the lake surface became more and more dense. More fish swam over to this side.

"It really works! Haha, more and more fish are coming over here!" Nate was excited, and suddenly the bobber sank, "Got one!"

He leaned forward, grabbing the fishing rod, and the powerful pull almost made him fall off the stool.

"So much strength, it's a big one!" Nate leaned away from the stool, firmly planted his feet on the ground, and exerted all his strength. But even so, his body was still slowly moving forward, being dragged into the lake.

"Thwackey, let's help too."

Summer grabbed the fishing rod with Nate, while Thwackey hugged Summer's right leg tightly, stabilizing his body.

"Thank you, please help me open the Poké Ball at my waist. I have a Pokémon that can help too," Nate shouted laboriously.

"Oh, sure, Thwackey, please."

"Thwack!"

Thwackey freed one hand and accurately threw its wooden stick towards the Poké Ball at Nate's waist. After a flash of light, a round blue Pokémon appeared beside him.

"Swampert, lend a hand!"

"Swampert~" Swampert grabbed the end of the fishing rod, and instantly, Summer felt much relieved.

"My Swampert has the ability Huge Power!" Nate shouted, also yelling at the Pokémon in the lake.

"Swampert!"

The huge blue Pokémon leaped out of the water, creating waves. Its expression was ferocious, with its mouth wide open and its crimson eyes emanating a destructive aura.

"King of the Lake!"

"Gyarados!"

Both of them shouted at the same time. Gyarados in the air shot out a pure white beam of destructive energy from its mouth, scorching the fishing line. It fell into the water and disappeared without a trace.

"Did you see that, Summer? We caught the King of the Lake!" Although they didn't capture it, for Nate, who had been fishing for so long, this was undoubtedly a huge surprise.

"Oh, um..." Summer's response was subtle. He had thought the Gyarados they caught would go berserk and attack them, but it surprisingly returned to the lake obediently.

"But thanks to you both, it was your drumming that attracted the King of the Lake. So, how about I train a Thwackey too?" Nate pondered.

"Is that so? But my Thwackey's drumming is unique," Summer said proudly.

"Oh, by the way, Summer, do you want to try fishing too?"

"I want to try." Catching the Gyarados earlier had also excited him, sparking his interest in fishing.

After a brief instruction from Nate, Summer successfully cast the fishing rod and patiently waited for the fish to bite.

"Thwackey, let's try a different rhythm this time."

"Thwack!"

"Is there another rhythm?" Nate was somewhat surprised.

"Thwack~Thwack~Thwack~" The melodious drumming spread across the lake, bringing peace to mind and body. After about five minutes, the bobber started to sway.

"Now's the time, pull the fishing rod!"

Summer exerted all his strength, pulling up the fishing rod. A Pokémon leaped out of the lake and flew into the air. Both of them looked closely and shouted at the same time:

"Why is it this?"

"So it was this?"

(End of this chapter)