Chasing After A Legend

Catching Up With Family

"Human talking"

'Human thinking'

"Talking in a Flashback/Memory"

"Pokémon talking"

---

Early the next morning...

The bottom of the cliff that overlooked the ocean south of Pallet Town was a popular fishing spot. Its proximity to town made it a prime area for people wanting to grab a water Pokémon – either for capture or for breakfast. Even in the wee hours of the morning, a pair of fishermen could be seen sitting in a raft.

"I hate fishin'."

Well, one fisherman and one grumpy passenger.

"Aw, shucks. Y'know, that's exactly why we ain't getting' no bites," complained a fat, thick-bearded man wearing nothing but a pair of trousers while holding his fishing rod steady.

"Implyin' I give a damn," his companion, a lanky, slightly younger man wearing a white undershirt and dirty jeans, bit back. "Matter of fact, I'd be happy if y'all didn't get nothin' to eat this mornin'."

"Sunuva bitch, this again?" the thicker man rolled his eyes. "For Mew's sake, you take one trip ta Ecruteak City n' you come back thinkin' yer some kinda saint for not eatin' meat."

"Now don't you go talkin' 'bout 'Mew's sake'," the younger one stood up and pointed a finger at his companion.

"Whoa whoa, watch it kid!" the older one fumbled and nearly let go of his fishing rod. "You stand up suddenly like that, we gon' tip over! N' last time I checked, y'all can't even swim!"

The lanky one blanched and sat back down. "Tsk. Still don't know why ya dragged me out here."

"I didn't even want ya here in the first place. If it wasn't for granny gettin' on my case 'bout bondin' with my cousin, I woulda been more than happy comin' out here alone."

"Y'all shouldn't be comin' out here, period." The younger one shook his head. "Buncha criminals, all of y'all. Killin' Pokémon just 'cuz yer hungry."

The fisherman stared at him with a deadpan expression. "Gee, know who else does that? Other Pokémon!"

"Y'all know that's different, n' don't you deny it. Don't go tryna justify yer actions with that Tauros-shit reasonin'."

The fat man shrugged. "There ain't nuthin' ta justify or vilify. Eatin' Pokémon is as natural for us as it is for them. We eat 'em, they eat other Pokémon, and they even eat us. N' it just so happens that we also get along with Pokémon, they get along with other Pokémon, and they get along with us. That's just how it works."

"Yeah, 'cept unlike 'em, we don't hafta eat Pokémon ta survive. We can deal just fine without includin' Magikarp or Farfetch'd or Slowpoke or none of 'em in our diets. But y'all go 'bout n' do it anyways, 'cuz you thinkin' you can do whatever y'all want with mother nature." He spat to the side distastefully. "Buncha damn fools, that's what I think of y'all. No respect for the peckin' order, I swear to Mew almighty..."

"Alright, ya gawd damn tree hugger," the older of the two rolled his eyes, "whatever gets ya on PETA's payroll. Jeez, if I knew you were gon' be this much of a killjoy, I woulda just left ya on the beach..."

"Like hell you would, granny would kick yer ass all the way to Johto if she found out. N' hey, don't go talkin' 'bout Pokémon's Ethical Treatment Alliance with that kinda tone. They happen ta be a very respectful organization, thank you very much."