Fishing for an SSR

Even someone as shameless as Su Feng couldn't help but blush when his joke fell flat. In short, he was red with embarrassment.

[Warning! Warning!] 

[Hahaha, the streamer's reaction is funnier than his lame joke.] 

[Hey, hey, stop laughing already, hehehehe.] 

Su Feng: "..." 

What, are you about to lay an egg? 

Turning his embarrassment into determination, Su Feng quickly caught several more Water-type Pokémon. 

Staring at the dozens of Magikarp flopping on the shore, Su Feng fell into deep thought. 

"Something's off. Something's really, really off." 

"No matter how bad my luck is, it shouldn't be possible to catch only Magikarp, right?" 

Su Feng was frustrated, but the audience didn't share his sentiment. 

All they saw were the big, fat fish Su Feng had caught—each one a dream catch for any angler. 

[Streamer, my cherries are ripe. Send me your address, and I'll mail you some.] 

[Streamer, I was kidnapped when I was six. I vaguely remember playing by this lake as a kid. Can you share your location so I can reunite with my family?] 

[You anglers are really something else!] 

[The schemes of anglers.] 

[Anglers are everywhere.] 

Su Feng was sweating. "Fellow anglers, there's really no need. Magikarp are super common Water-type Pokémon. Once the restrictions on entering forests and such are lifted, you'll find piles of them anywhere." 

"By then, you'll probably feel the same way I do now when you catch one." 

[I doubt it. If I could catch fish this big every day, I'd be grinning ear to ear.] 

[Exactly! My wife would never call me a 'no-catch' again.] 

[But you *are* a no-catch right now.] 

[Shut up! (ノ｀Д)ノ] 

Looking at the pile of Magikarp behind him, Su Feng felt a headache coming on. Still, he released them back into the water one by one. 

"Once you're back in the water, please don't come up again. I'm begging you." 

With only a little bait left, Su Feng decided to cast one last line. No matter what he caught, he'd call it a day. 

"Arceus, bless me!" 

After a silent prayer, Su Feng cast his line again. 

Perhaps the prayer worked, as the float in the middle of the lake remained still for a long time. No Magikarp bit. 

Su Feng chatted with the audience while waiting, growing a bit drowsy. 

But suddenly, a tremendous force yanked the rod, startling Su Feng. He tightened his grip just in time. 

If he hadn't reacted quickly, he would've lost his rod. 

"This strength… it's not a Magikarp!" 

Gritting his teeth, Su Feng wrestled with the giant creature in the water. The drone flew overhead, capturing the intense moment. 

Su Feng's physique had been enhanced by the system, so he could easily reel in a regular Magikarp. But whatever was underwater was putting up a serious fight. 

[Go, streamer!] 

[What is it? It looks strong!] 

[I think I saw a glimpse. It has limbs, so it's not a fish.] 

[Whoa, is it a water ghost?!] 

[Maybe it's a water monkey?] 

[@Xiao Liang, new material for your show!] 

Su Feng, busy battling the creature, didn't see these comments. He felt like the thing had infinite stamina, and he was losing the tug-of-war. 

Finally, the creature seemed to get angry. Su Feng felt the rod go slack, and the sudden change sent him tumbling onto his backside. 

Then, a blue figure burst out of the water, landing gracefully in front of him. 

"Grawa!" The blue figure roared at Su Feng in displeasure. 

"Ouch, ouch, ouch." 

Su Feng rubbed his sore backside as he slowly stood up, locking eyes with the Pokémon before him. 

Su Feng: "..." 

Greninja: "..." 

"Have you eaten yet?" 

"Grawa!!" 

Realizing that Torchic was no match for Greninja, Su Feng quickly backed down. 

"If you're hungry, I've got some food here." 

Su Feng immediately offered the remaining Energy Blocks with both hands. 

Sensing that the human meant no harm, Greninja looked at Su Feng, then at the Energy Blocks. After a moment of thought, it accepted the offering. 

Opening the package, the unique aroma of the Energy Blocks filled the air. Greninja nodded in satisfaction. 

It patted Su Feng's shoulder, signaling its approval of this sensible human. 

"Gra." 

Greninja pointed at Su Feng, then at itself, and finally at the ground. 

Su Feng roughly understood its meaning. 

"You're saying you'll have my back?" 

Greninja nodded slightly. 

Su Feng: "..." 

He never expected to be under Greninja's protection one day. 

[666, the streamer surrendered instantly.] 

[What Pokémon is this? It looks so cool.] 

[Its design reminds me of a ninja from Japan.] 

[What's that scarf? The material looks special.] 

"Ahem." Su Feng cleared his throat. "This big guy is called Greninja, a dual Water- and Dark-type Pokémon." 

"As you can see, Greninja is a bipedal frog-like Pokémon with a dark blue body and light yellow accents on its chest. Its forelimbs have three fingers, while its hind limbs have two." 

"They move like ninjas, appearing and disappearing mysteriously. The scarf around its neck is actually its tongue, which it uses to sense air currents and detect nearby enemies." 

"Also, they can compress water to create shurikens, which can easily cut through metal." 

"But let me clarify: the Dark type doesn't mean the Pokémon is evil. It's just an attribute. This Greninja, for example, is very kind and has offered to protect me." 

Although Greninja didn't understand what Su Feng was saying, it appreciated his explanation and nodded approvingly. 

This kid knows what's up. 

"Grawa!" 

Greninja stepped forward and thumped its chest. In this area, it was the undisputed king. 

Most of the Pokémon that came to drink here didn't cause trouble largely because of Greninja. Those that did were promptly beaten up and driven to other areas. 

Su Feng didn't know the full story, but he could tell this Greninja was strong. Trading a bit of bait for a powerful bodyguard was an absolute bargain. 

In the end, both parties were very satisfied with the deal.