Wyatt threw an arm around Caster's shoulders, grinning.
"Look, buddy, if you weren't so set on staying single right now, I'd introduce you to my sister in a heartbeat. And I'm not just saying this, but she's absolutely gorgeous, like a flower in full bloom..."
"Like a flower? Yeah, I'll pass!"
Caster shook his head with a laugh.
For some reason, whenever someone used that comparison, his mind immediately conjured up the image of a burly, bearded guy in a dress.
Seeing Caster look away without responding, Wyatt couldn't help but think about his friend's situation. An orphan. Poor guy.
He slapped his chest confidently. "Listen, man, I know money's tight for you. So here's what I'll do: I'll cover the cost of that bait!"
"Seriously?"
Caster's face lit up.
This rich kid really was loaded!
"Why would I lie to you? What's one batch of bait?"
Wyatt thumped his chest again, speaking grandly. "If you'd marry my sister, forget this one batch. I'd cover your bait expenses for life!"
"Wyatt, you really are the best friend a guy could ask for!"
Moved by the offer, Caster handed over the bait formula with a cheerful smile. "I'll buy the main ingredients myself, but I'll leave the other materials to you."
"Now you're pissing me off. What's this talk about main and other ingredients? You think I can't afford your materials?"
Looking annoyed, Wyatt snatched the scroll from Caster's hand and opened it.
But visibly, his hands began to tremble, and the corner of his mouth twitched.
This was supposed to be a bait formula?
Was he sure this wasn't some kind of training supplement for learning a high-level technique?
Wyatt cursed internally. The resources needed for one of his Pokémon to learn Dragon Dance seemed cheaper than this bait formula!
Thinking about his now-empty bank account, Wyatt forced himself to stay calm. "Caster, hold onto that scroll for me. I need to tie my shoelaces."
"Oh, okay!"
Wyatt returned the scroll, and Caster unconsciously took it back.
But soon, he realized something was off.
Wyatt was wearing boots. They didn't have laces. What was he tying?
Sensing trouble, Caster still put on his best innocent smile. "Wyatt, about what you just said regarding the bait..."
"Bait? What bait?"
Wyatt played dumb with a straight face. "I don't even like fishing. Don't talk to me about bait!"
"Man, the weather's really nice today! Oh right, I need to go do some training. Training's great. I just love training so much!"
With that, Wyatt bolted.
Caster: "Son of a..."
---
The night passed without incident.
The next morning, Caster woke early and, under Clair's escort, set off on his return journey to the Kanto region.
After flying over the most dangerous part, Mt. Silver, the Kanto region came into view in the distance.
Mid-flight, Clair called out to Caster, who was riding on his Gyarados. "
I'll leave you to handle the rest of the journey on your own. I won't be going any further. Caster, until we meet again!"
"Thank you for the escort, Miss Clair."
Caster nodded respectfully. "Until we meet again!"
With that, Clair patted her Flygon and turned back toward Blackthorn City.
Before long, the Flygon disappeared into the clouds.
Pulling up a mental map of the Kanto region, Caster pointed east and said to his Gyarados, "We spent a whole month in Johto, so we need to pick up the pace for the Kanto journey. Our first stop: let's head to Vermilion City!"
Vermilion City was a major city in the Kanto region, located at the southern ocean entrance. It served as an important seaport capable of accommodating ships like the S.S. Anne.
As Caster understood it, Vermilion Harbor serviced multiple shipping routes: the S.S. Anne cruised the world and returned to Vermilion Harbor once a year; the Aqua Ship traveled between Olivine City in Johto and Vermilion Harbor; and the Seagallop Ferries ran from Vermilion Harbor to the Sevii Islands.
Because Vermilion City was coastal with an extensive shoreline, it was perfect for sea fishing. Exactly the kind of place a fishing enthusiast like Caster loved to visit.
"I remember that Hatoba Port, near Vermilion City, is famous for catching Tentacool. If you're lucky, you can also hook Horsea, Staryu, and other marine Pokémon."
Caster's eyes gleamed with growing excitement.
Of course, there was another important reason why Caster chose Vermilion City as his destination: it had a Gym.
The Vermilion Gym Leader was Lt. Surge, whose specialty was Electric-types, particularly Raichu, the final evolved form of Pichu.
And Caster was confident he could win that challenge!
"Roar!"
With a roar, Gyarados immediately summoned powerful winds and sped eastward.
After two hours of flight, Vermilion City was in sight.
But just then, Caster noticed a massive lighthouse standing by the sea, its beacon shining brightly.
"Is that... Bill's Lighthouse?"
His heart stirred as he recalled the episode from the original Pokémon series featuring Bill's Lighthouse.
The lighthouse's owner, Bill, was an accomplished Pokémon researcher who had been waiting there for the appearance of a mysterious, unknown Pokémon.
When Ash arrived, Bill did indeed spot an enormous silhouette emerging through the ocean mist.
Just as the figure was becoming clearer, Team Rocket's attack disrupted everything. The Pokémon eventually blasted Team Rocket away and left alone, its true identity never revealed.
But based on the silhouette's characteristics, it was likely a Dragonite of enormous size.
Some speculated it might have been a Dynamax Dragonite.
Either way, it pointed to one thing: this Dragonite was extraordinary.
From his aerial vantage point, Caster observed the lighthouse and noticed no one around. He called out, "Gyarados, let's land near that lighthouse."
The fact that Gyarados could fly was now known to the Dragon Tamer clan, but the information hadn't spread publicly. So Caster decided to stay low-key when possible to avoid unnecessary trouble.
After all, his current strength wasn't enough to fully handle threats from criminal organizations.
He'd even decided to keep Dratini hidden for now.
It was, after all, a pseudo-legendary hatchling!
If it caught Team Rocket's attention, that would be bad news.
The Kanto region was Team Rocket's home turf and their most active area.
While the Team Rocket trio was laughably weak, other members, especially certain executives and special operatives, were anything but.
"Roar!"
Upon hearing the command, Gyarados descended, flying toward the lighthouse and landing in a secluded spot.
Caster then climbed up to the lighthouse.
But since it was daytime, the beacon wasn't lit, and the lighthouse doors were tightly shut. Everything was silent.
Looking down from the lighthouse, Caster noticed a huge number of Krabby on the shore, with quite a few Kingler among them as well.
"Well, since I'm here, might as well catch some crabs!"
Grinning, Caster quickly pulled out his fishing gear and bait.
He'd already caught Krabby and Kingler before, so there wouldn't be any extra rewards, but with so many around, it would still be a profitable haul.
Before starting, though, Caster glanced around again to make sure no one was watching, then secretly released Dratini.
"Dratini, go play in the ocean with Gyarados for a bit! Come to think of it, this is probably your first time seeing the sea, right?"
Caster smiled and patted Dratini's head. The little dragon looked thrilled.
"Yol!"
Having grown up in the Dragon's Den, it had never seen the ocean before!
"But if you spot any humans, make sure to hide and don't let anyone see you."
After giving one final reminder, Caster watched as Dratini, led by Gyarados, dove into the ocean and disappeared from view.
Then he began baiting his hook to fish for Krabby.
۞۞۞۞
~ Push the story forward with your Power Stones