The video continued to play.
This time, the timeline had clearly jumped forward again.
Rainbow had grown noticeably taller.
The baby fat on her cheeks had faded, though her bright golden eyes remained just as lively as ever.
The setting was no longer Cerulean Gym, but an unfamiliar beach.
Asher Winter stood knee-deep in the seawater, holding an ordinary fishing rod.
His relaxed posture made him look more like a tourist on vacation than someone seriously fishing.
Rainbow crouched on the shore, carefully watching the surface of the water.
Every so often, she glanced over at her father’s movements.
“Dad, do Pokémon really bite bait like that?”
“They do.” Asher yawned lazily.
“But you need patience.
Pokémon are like people.
The smart ones don’t bite the first thing they see.”
“What about the dumb ones?”
“The dumb ones have already been caught.”
Rainbow blinked, only half understanding.
“Oh…”
From farther down the beach came Misty’s voice.
“Honey!
Rainbow!
Lunch is ready!”
Asher reeled in his line and waved to his daughter.
“Come on.
Your mom’s calling.”
Rainbow didn’t move.
Her eyes remained fixed on the water.
“Just a little longer…”
“As if waiting for what?”
“I think something’s coming.”
Asher raised an eyebrow, glanced at her, then sat back down and handed her the fishing rod.
“Then you do it yourself.”
Rainbow grabbed the rod with both hands and held her breath.
The ocean remained calm for several seconds.
Then suddenly, the fishing line went taut.
“Eek!”
The pull nearly dragged Rainbow forward.
Asher reacted instantly and caught her shoulder before she could fall.
“Don’t rush.
Stay steady.
Feel its strength first.”
Rainbow bit her lip.
Her face flushed red as she gripped the rod with all her might.
Beads of sweat began forming on her forehead.
“It’s…
not very heavy…
but it’s really strong…”
“Then reel it in slowly.
Don’t force it.”
Rainbow carefully turned the reel little by little.
The water churned.
A red shape gradually appeared beneath the surface.
“It’s…
it’s a Magikarp!”
Her excited shout echoed across the beach.
The fishing rod bent into a deep arc.
The Magikarp clearly had no intention of being caught and thrashed wildly in the water.
Rainbow was pulled from side to side, stumbling repeatedly, but she refused to let go.
“Come on!
Come on!”
She cheered herself on.
Asher stood nearby and watched.
He never offered to help.
Finally, the Magikarp was dragged into the shallows.
“Pwah!”
She squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head, but her grip on the rod never loosened.
The Magikarp seemed to have exhausted itself.
After a few final flops on the water’s surface, it stopped moving.
Rainbow carefully set down the fishing rod and crouched beside the fish.
“That’s a huge Magikarp…”
The Magikarp rolled its eyes and opened and closed its mouth as if voicing a complaint.
“Um…
sorry about that.”
Rainbow gently touched its scales.
“I didn’t mean to disturb your life.”
The Magikarp immediately flicked its tail again.
Another splash landed directly on her face.
Rainbow burst into giggles.
Instead of getting angry, she laughed even harder.
“You’re pretty feisty, huh?”
“Rainbow!”
Misty’s voice rang out again, much closer this time.
Asher turned around to see Misty walking toward them, carrying a lunchbox.
“I’ve been calling you two to eat.
Why aren’t you…”
She stopped mid-sentence after noticing the Magikarp.
“Oh?”
“Mom!
I caught a Magikarp!”
Rainbow practically bounced with excitement.
Misty walked over and examined it carefully before turning to Asher.
“You let her catch it herself?”
Asher nodded.
“Yep.”
Misty fell silent for a moment before crouching beside the Magikarp.
The fish seemed to sense something.
Its previously vacant eyes shifted toward her.
“This doesn’t look like an ordinary Magikarp.”
Rainbow tilted her head.
“Huh?”
“Look at the color of its scales.
They’re darker than normal Magikarp.
And…”
Misty gently touched one of its scales.
“There’s a faint golden sheen.”
Asher leaned over for a closer look.
“Oh?
You’re right.”
“You didn’t notice earlier?”
“I never look at what I’m fishing.”
Asher answered with complete confidence.
Misty shot him a glare before turning back to her daughter.
“Rainbow, do you want to catch it?”
Rainbow’s eyes lit up.
“Can I?”
“That depends on whether it wants to come with you.”
Misty paused briefly.
“But Magikarp evolve into Gyarados, and Gyarados can be very aggressive.
Are you sure?”
“I’m sure!”
Rainbow answered without hesitation.
Then she turned toward her partner.
“Wartortle, what do you think?”
“Wartortle!”
Wartortle patted its chest confidently and nodded, clearly having no objections.
Misty smiled.
“Then go ahead.”
Rainbow pulled an empty Poké Ball from her belt and took a deep breath.
Crouching in front of the Magikarp, she met its eyes.
The Magikarp opened and closed its mouth thoughtfully.
Three seconds later…
It flicked its tail and bumped the Poké Ball in her hand on its own.
A flash of red light appeared.
The Poké Ball shook three times.
Click.
Capture successful.
Rainbow hugged the Poké Ball tightly.
Her eyes curved into happy crescents.
“Mom!
Dad!
I caught a Magikarp!”
[General Audience Chat]
“Why is she so excited about catching a Magikarp…”
“Hey, shut up!
What’s wrong with Magikarp?
Magikarp are Pokémon too!”
“Exactly!
And didn’t Misty say it wasn’t an ordinary Magikarp?”
“Darker scales with a golden tint…
could it be a Shiny Pokémon?”
“Not necessarily.
It could just be an exceptionally talented specimen.”
“Either way, a kid catching and capturing a Pokémon entirely by herself is impressive.”
“Wait, how old is Rainbow now?
The time skips are happening so fast I lost track.”
“Probably seven or eight.
She’s definitely taller than before.”
[VIP Chat Group]
James: A golden Magikarp…
this is bringing back some unpleasant memories…
Jessie: Yours was bought from a scammer.
James: My Magikarp evolved into a Gyarados eventually, didn’t it?
Ash: You’ve got some nerve saying that.
That Gyarados wouldn’t listen to you at all.
We almost got killed because of it.
Lorelei: Rainbow’s Magikarp definitely has excellent potential.
Scale coloration and fin development are both indicators of natural talent.
If raised properly, its strength after evolving into Gyarados could be quite impressive.
Cynthia: I noticed something interesting.
Asher didn’t help her at all.
Steven Stone: I noticed that too.
He only steadied her when she nearly fell.
Everything else, from hooking the Magikarp to pulling it ashore, was done entirely by Rainbow.
Wallace: That parenting style is interesting.
It’s like he’s deliberately giving her room to grow on her own.
Professor Oak: Many parents choose that approach.
If something is within a child’s capabilities, they should be allowed to try it themselves.
Even failure is a valuable learning experience.
Bruno: Well said!
True strength is forged by standing back up after every failure!
Steven Stone: But there’s one more thing I’d like to confirm.
Phoebe: The fishing rod?
Steven Stone: Rainbow is still a child.
Her physical strength is limited, and that Magikarp was clearly putting up a serious struggle.
Yet that fishing rod remained perfectly stable the entire time.
It never looked close to breaking or slipping from her grasp.
Wallace: You’re saying the rod wasn’t ordinary either?
Steven Stone: Or perhaps Asher specially prepared it for her.
Cynthia: …That man seems prepared for every little detail.
Lance: At this point, there’s no doubt about it.
This man called Asher Winter is the true centerpiece of this entire series.
Ash: Huh?
Isn’t Rainbow the main character?
The title is Water-Type Pokémon Master, isn’t it?
Gary: …Just stop talking.