These were Hisoka's self-made Air Bombs. They possessed little power and weren't lethal to humans, let alone having any real effect on a Pokémon. He had originally designed them as a diversionary tactic for missions, intended to create a distraction or draw the attention of wild Pokémon groups.
The device had no real merits other than being incredibly loud. However, he hadn't expected them to be so effective for blast fishing. When an Air Bomb violently struck the surface of the water and exploded, the resulting shockwaves were enough to stun the fish and shrimp beneath.
Boom! Boom!
Hisoka tossed the Air Bombs into the surrounding sea one after another. Soon, his dozen-or-so bombs were exhausted, replaced by large fish and shrimp floating listlessly across the water's surface.
With a cheer, Rhydon began grabbing them by the handful, continuing until the two-meter-tall bamboo basket was overflowing.
The day's fishing was over! Hisoka stretched his limbs on the boat before untying the rope around Rhydon's waist. With a sudden leap from the wooden boat, he landed on Rhydon's back. Grabbing onto one of the spikes on its spine, he scrambled up like an agile little monkey until he reached the beast's shoulder.
He rested one hand on its horn and sat firmly in place. Rhydon didn't resist at all. Instead, it affectionately extended its tongue to lick Hisoka's cheek. Then, the beast grabbed the rope at the front of the small boat and began walking toward the beach.
Under the setting sun, between the waves and the sand, a handsome youth with a long black ponytail sat atop the shoulder of a giant beast. It was a bizarre sight, yet in that moment, it exuded a strange harmony.
Three days of constant companionship were enough for Hisoka to leave his mark on the "white paper" that was Rhydon. It hadn't even been entirely deliberate; for the most part, they had simply spent their time together naturally.
These three days had been the happiest of Rhydon's life. Previously, its existence had consisted of nothing but eating, sleeping, or sitting on the beach staring blankly at the ocean as the tides
rose and fell day after daya cycle that likely would have continued until the end of its life. But now, for the first time, Rhydon enjoyed the feeling of companionship. They played together, caught fish together, and ate delicious food together.
There was already a large bamboo basket full of fish and shrimp on the beach. Combined with the one Rhydon was carrying, it was enough to sustain the beast for two days.
A full basket likely weighed over four hundred pounds; two baskets meant over eight hundred pounds of food. For Rhydon's immense strength, however, it was a mere trifle. It carried one in each hand and strode toward the camp in the forest. Its 1.2-ton frame surged forward like a heavy tank, sweeping through the landscape.
...
Thud! Thud!
The two massive baskets were placed before Lulu. These baskets, which Hisoka had custom-made for Rhydon, stood two meters high. The average height of a Kirlia was about 0.8 meters; Lulu was considered tall for her species, but even she only reached about 1.1 meters.
The two-meter baskets loomed over her like small mountains, completely hiding her figure. The little girl couldn't help but roll her eyes, wrinkling her nose at Hisoka, who was snickering from his seat on Rhydon's shoulder.
Lulu opened her left hand and lifted it. The fish and shrimp in the left basket immediately surged out as if caught in a gale. Then she raised her right hand, and the contents of the right basket followed suit, pouring out in a frantic wave.
Lulu's ruby-like eyes suddenly flashed with a brilliant blue light. This was a physical manifestation of her psychic power being consumed on a large scale. Petals of sharp, blade-like Magical Leaves began to manifest around her petite body.
Swish! Swish!
More than twenty Magical Leaves darted through the sea of floating fish. The razor-sharp leaves effortlessly stripped scales and sliced open bellies. For a moment, scales and entrails rained down from the sky like a downpour.
Lulu discarded all the useless parts. The little girl was a bit of a perfectionist and couldn't stand the slightest flaw in her work. The snow-white, translucent fish and shrimp meat were neatly rearranged back into the two large baskets.
In less than fifteen minutes, over eight hundred pounds of seafood had been perfectly processed.
Looking at the scales and guts littering the ground, Lulu's eyes filled with disgust. With a wave of her hand, the mess floated into the air and was collectively dumped into a nearby stream.
The air was thick with the scent of fish. The little girl had come prepared, pulling a mask over her face. Though she could still smell it, it was no longer unbearable.
Hisoka and Rhydon didn't mind. Both man and beast were rough characters who couldn't care less about the smell.
Rhydon, however, looked a bit regretful at the significantly shrunken volume of the baskets. In the past, when it ate fish and shrimp, it just stuffed them into its mouth without a second thought.
But the seafood processed by Lulu only left the best and most tender parts. The parts she deemed inferior had been tossed into the stream along with the scales and organs.
It wasn't enough just to be full; one had to eat well!
This was an important life lesson Hisoka had taught Rhydon over the past three days.
...
The sun had long since set. A sky full of stars and a massive, bright moon now held dominion over the heavens. Suddenly, a dazzling meteor streaked across the night sky, disappearing toward an unknown destination.
Hisoka lay on the grass, reaching out his hand toward the void as if trying to catch the fading meteor.
"Hey, Big Guy, I might have to leave here soon," Hisoka said suddenly, gazing at the starry sky.
"Woo..."
Rhydon, who had been lying beside him, sat up and scratched the back of its head. After these few days together, it knew "Big Guy" was its name, but it still struggled to understand the rest. Rhydon had never seen a human before meeting Hisoka, and it still needed time to learn the language.
Lulu, who was also lying nearby, floated up to Rhydon's shoulder and used Telepathy to translate Hisoka's meaning.
"Awoowoo!"
Understanding the message, Rhydon scrambled to its feet. Fearing it might hurt Hisoka or the others, it deliberately slowed its movements. It didn't know how to describe its current feelings, and its actions became clumsy and overwhelmed.
"Friends. We are friends. I don't want to go back to being alone," Rhydon whimpered, large tears welling in its eyes.
🚨 Note: Consider supporting this story on Patreon.com/kleinmoretti to access 100+ advance chapters and 2 new chapters daily! (Full story bundles also available without a subscription).