Pokemon: A Fisherman's Tale

It was sunny on the twelfth day of Ryan's survival on the desert island.

He was awakened by the cry of seabirds. Stretching as he stood, it was the first night he'd slept in the treehouse and truly felt safe. Unlike sleeping out in the open, where the fire going out or any disturbance would wake him, this treehouse provided much-needed peace. His previous nights had been restless.

Last night's sleep was the first restful one in a long time, though he felt that something was missing. The foam board mattress kept him warm, but he wished he had a proper quilt for extra comfort.

Ryan had woken up early because there was a lot on his to-do list. He wanted to scavenge for resources, especially a Pokeball He also needed to gather dry firewood in case it rained, craft a stove from the paint bucket he'd picked up yesterday, and—perhaps most importantly—completely tame Caterpie. Fishing also crossed his mind, but today was going to be too busy.

As he began his morning, he turned to his companion, Poliwag. "Time to get up, Poliwag…" he called.

Poliwag blinked its sleepy eyes, letting out a big yawn before following Ryan out of the treehouse.

"Poliwag, today I'm going to tame the Caterpie," Ryan said. "That means we won't be eating it."

Hearing that it wouldn't be eaten, Poliwag perked up, though it was confused. Why weren't they eating it?

Ryan pointed to Poliwag, to himself, and to the Pokeball. Poliwag began to understand. It was just like when Ryan had tamed it—food and warmth were shared. They would treat Caterpie the same way, accepting it as a partner.

"Yo," Poliwag nodded, agreeing. Though it didn't quite understand why Ryan wanted to share their food, it trusted him. Ryan was the best. Poliwag's simple mind reasoned that if Ryan was sharing, then everything was fine.

"Okay, no attacking yet," Ryan said. "And don't let Caterpie escape. I need to talk to it first."

After agreeing with the Poliwag, Ryan released Caterpie from its Pokeball.

Caterpie, eyes wide with tears, let out a series of distressed cries. Ryan wasn't sure what to do at first. He hesitated but then spoke gently, "Caterpie , do you want to join us?"

Caterpie turned its head away, clearly unimpressed by Ryan's offer. It held back its tears, refusing to look at him.

Seeing the caterpillar's indifference, Ryan was at a loss. He decided not to waste the morning trying to win it over, so he recalled it back into the Pokeball. If it wouldn't cooperate, he'd let it starve a little longer.

Poliwag was confused throughout the interaction. It wasn't sure if the negotiation had succeeded or not, but it followed Ryan's lead.

"Come on, Poliwag, time for a run," Ryan said, signaling the start of their exercise routine.

Two hours later, after completing their morning training, Poliwag was enjoying a bath in its bucket while Ryan worked on transforming the paint bucket into a stove. He opened ventilation holes in the bucket to allow the wood to burn more efficiently, using nails and basic tools to create the necessary airflow. The paint bucket was the height of his calf, and by mid-morning, he had finished the stove.

As noon approached, it was time to find lunch.

"Poliwag?" Ryan called out. At first, he thought Poliwag was still in its bucket, but it wasn't there.

Following the sound of its calls, Ryan found Poliwag on the beach, digging in the sand. Ryan started to call it back when something red caught his eye.

"Is that…?" Ryan rushed over, taking over the digging from Poliwag. He unearthed a red and white Pokeball buried in the sand. Finally, a Poké Ball he had been searching for!

Excited, Ryan immediately opened the ball to check its quality. There were some scratches, but it seemed functional. To be sure, he decided to test it by catching another Caterpie.

After a quick search near the jungle's edge, Ryan spotted a Ceterpie. Without needing instruction, Poliwag rushed over and attacked with its water gun. Caterpie was quickly defeated. Ryan captured it with the Pokeball, and after testing the ball's functionality, he and Poliwag returned to their shelter.

On the way back, Ryan gathered kelp and shells. Though the caterpillar's potential wasn't impressive, Ryan had other priorities at the moment. Once back at the shelter, he used the modified stove to cook a pot of shell and kelp soup.

After lunch, Ryan released Caterpie to join them. However, when Caterpie saw the soup, particularly the remains of its kin, it was paralyzed with fear. The sight of the decapitated head caused it to tremble, too terrified to move.

Ryan, oblivious to the caterpillar's fear, offered it some soup. He thought it was simply weak from hunger, but as the caterpillar tasted the shell soup, it struggled with conflicting emotions. It couldn't deny that the food was delicious, but knowing what it was made of horrified it.

Seeing the caterpillar's internal struggle, Ryan realized it was afraid. But, as he understood it, Caterpie didn't naturally eat just leaves—its position in the food chain forced it to.

After the meal, Ryan retrieved the caterpillar back into the Pokeball, still uncertain about how well they could get along. He took a nap with Poliwag by his side, and when he woke, it was time to store more dry firewood in preparation for the next storm.

With Poliwag's help, they quickly gathered enough firewood to fill the treehouse. As night fell, they ate another shell and kelp soup dinner, reflecting on the challenges of survival. They returned to the treehouse to rest, lying in the shelter of the wind…