Fishing is a sport in real life that involves catching fish. It also exists in the Pokémon World, but to encounter Pokémon that inhabit bodies of water.
Description
Fishing is done using a fishing rod equipped with a hook, bait and line. Fishing is done in the Pokémon World for a variety of reasons. Fishing is done mainly by Pokémon Trainers looking to encounter wild Pokémon and battle them, either to train their Pokémon or to catch them. Some Pokémon are encountered only through fishing, making it the only method of catching these species of Pokémon and adding them to the player's Pokédex. Some characters do fishing as a recreational sport, in which they catch a Pokémon before returning it to its natural habitat. Magikarps are the most commonly encountered species of Pokémon through fishing. There is an entire Trainer class dedicated to fishing, Fishers, which fish for any of the aforementioned purposes.
Appearances
Games
Core series
The mechanic of fishing has existed throughout the core series since Generation I. However, its functionality has varied throughout the generations.
Generation I
In the Generation I games, fishing can be done using one of three fishing rods—the Old Rod, Good Rod, and Super Rod—each causing an encounter with a range of higher level Pokémon than the previous. To go fishing, the player has to select their fishing rod from a Bag while standing at a shoreline. If a Pokémon bites, a battle starts immediately. If a Pokémon does not bite after some time has passed, the player withdraws their rod automatically. While fishing, the player can withdraw their rod at will by pressing the A button. The player repeat the process of fishing as many times in a row as they desire.
Generation II
In the Generation II, the general mechanic of fishing is the same as in the Generation I games. However, the game introduces a Poké Ball variation named Lure Ball, which increases the possibility of catching a
Generation III
The sport of fishing was expanded by Generation III. Fishing is initiated in the same way, by standing in front of a shore and casting a fishing rod of choice. Unlike before, the fishing rod not only influences the range of levels but also which species of Pokémon are encountered. It is now possible to go fishing while using Surf, which is required to catch Feebas.
When a Pokémon takes the bait, the character is seen pulling back on the rod, and the player has to press the A button only once when "Oh! A bite!" is displayed in a dialogue box. Fishing is more complex for upgraded rods in Pokémon Ruby Version, Pokémon Sapphire Version, and Pokémon Emerald Version to reflect the stronger Pokémon encountered: After the A button is pressed a first time, the character pulls back on the rod again, requiring the player to press the A button at the correct time, because if either the A button or B button is pressed at the wrong time, the Pokémon escapes. Fishing is simpler in Pokémon FireRed Version and Pokémon LeafGreen Version because the player can press the A button the instant the Pokémon takes the bait instead of having to wait.
Generation IV
Fishing in the Generation IV games is similar to the previous generation. A difference is that while fishing, an exclamation mark appears, which is when the player must press the A button, pulling the Pokémon out of the water and starting the battle. In Pokémon HeartGold Version and Pokémon SoulSilver Version, the exclamation mark appears above the walking Pokémon instead.
Though the Dive Ball originally had a higher catch rate on Pokémon encountered via diving only, this would extend to Pokémon encountered via fishing and surfing since Pokémon Diamond Version and Pokémon Pearl Version.
Generation V
In Generation V, the Super Rod is the only fishing rod available and therefore a method of fishing in general. Fishing is mostly the same as in Generation IV, but it is no longer possible to fish in waterfalls. It is possible for the player to fish in rippling water, causing a rare Pokémon to be encountered.
Generation VI
In the Generation VI games, the Old Rod and Good Rod were readded alongside the Super Rod. The fishing mechanics are still the same, but with a minor difference in which two exclamation marks appear above the player's head instead of two. In an area, if the player reels in multiple Pokémon in a row without failing, there is a slightly increased chance that they encounter a Shiny Pokémon, though this possibility ends after fishing in twenty Pokémon successfully.
Generation VII
Fishing appears in the Generation VII games Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon and Pokémon Ultra Sun and Pokémon Ultra Moon, but not in Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Pokémon: Let's Go, Eevee!. There is only one usable fishing rod, like in Generation V, except it is the titular Fishing Rod instead of a Super Rod.
Fishing is much more restrictive, because it can be done only at piles of rocks in the water. Regardless, fishing at one of these spots is done either near the shore or from a Poké Ride on a Lapras. Besides wild Pokémon, fishing can sometimes unearth a certain rare item, usually a Pearl, but this depends on the rate and location. The rarest item that can be uncovered is the Gold Bottle Cap.
To go fishing, the player has to press the A button at a pile of rocks in the water. Just as before, the player has to wait for the exclamation mark to appear above their character and press the A button with good timing to either encounter the wild Pokémon or unearth the item they caught. Rarer and higher-level Pokémon are more likely to appear within bubbles between piles of rocks, comparable to the function of the Good Rod and Super Rod in earlier games within the core series; likewise, fishing at bubbles has a higher chance of unearthing a rarer item.
Generation VII
In Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield, fishing is done using the Fishing Rod item, like before. In the remakes Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Pokémon Shining Pearl, the Old Rod, Good Rod, and Super Rod all return, functioning the same as before.
PokéPark: Fishing Rally DS
Fishing was the central focus of the defunct downloadable title PokéPark: Fishing Rally DS.
Pokémon: Magikarp Jump
The main gameplay of Pokémon: Magikarp Jump involves fishing, similarly to PokéPark: Fishing Rally DS, except it is focused on fishing out Magikarps in particular.
Anime
In Pokémon the Series: The Beginning and Pokémon the Series: Gold and Silver, Misty designed a unique fishing lure designed in her likeness, titled Misty's special lure.
