The line would then suddenly bend—and a decidedly piscine shape would come rising out of the water; and the Kabuto was quick to click their mandibles menacingly in the direction of the Magikarp!

‘There’s one!’

“Wait, where—whoa, hold it!” he would exclaim, pulling on the line and grabbing on it just hard enough to make sure the Magikarp stayed out of the water; before squinting at the pattern…

“Okay, this one doesn’t have orange and white flecking, this one’s orange and yellow—be right back!” he would exclaim; as he would ‘freeze’ in that weird position while the Kabuto eyed the Magikarp suspiciously.

Back in the real world, he would grab the notepad he’d already written his observations on; before adding a new line of notes to it.

In short order his ‘avatar’ would start moving again; and the Kabuto would click in greeting.

‘You have it listed down?’

“But of course,” he would confirm, before wiggling the line and attempting to set the Magikarp free.

here we go again

The line would shake and tremble once more; the clicking mandibles the only warning sign he was getting that there was something waiting for him on the other end of the line—

‘Another one!’ the Kabuto would exclaim; and he would whip his head around so fast he thought he heard his neck crick a little.

“Whoa… okay, this one’s a keeper!” he would exclaim; ‘freezing’ in the same position again to do the exact same thing he did earlier (which was writing down the observation on the notepad) before returning and then blurting out, “Since you’re here… let’s go!”

‘What, you want me to take on the Magikarp?!’

“Unless you want me to beat the ever-living daylights out of it?!” he would exclaim in shock.

‘Alright, alright. Have at you!’ the Kabuto would click, before literally throwing himself at the Magikarp; in a mirror of what happened the last time.

here we go again

Eventually, the Kabuto would return back to where he was waiting, having already reeled in the line and kept the Fishing Rod.

‘Well, how did I do?’

“Absolutely fantastic,” he would complement the Kabuto—never mind if the clicking noise would always signal that they were in the middle of fighting whatever the hell came screaming their way.

“Don’t tell me. You did the same thing as last time?” he confirmed; while the Kabuto’s multiple mandibles would just click his way.

‘I can neither confirm nor deny.’

“Ooh, snarky.”

He would then pull out the golden Pokéball and lob it at the purple Magikarp that was flopping on the sand; and two pairs of eyes would watch as it was sucked into the red beam of light…

---

catch attempt on the purple Magikarp!

get the fish, Altair!