Give a Man a Fish...
Give a Man a Fish...
by Havoc
"...and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime."
-Chinese Proverb
Many generations ago, in the days before humans and pokémon lived and traveled together, in the days before many humans even knew what pokémon were, a young man named Jiang lived alone in a forest with his wife, Qing. Jiang was a fisherman, but not a happy one. His wife, although she was beautiful and he loved her, was older than him and had been unable to bear him children. This led to bad feelings between them, and their marriage was a troubled one. Every night, Jiang looked forward to the next day when he could leave his small hut for the lake where he fished. Although, this was small comfort; Jiang never caught many fish, and he and his wife barely had enough to eat each day.
One morning, Jiang left his home and walked through the woods to the lake to begin his day. A small river flowed into the lake, and it was at the mouth of this river that the fisherman set his net each day before leaving. Jiang went to the net and pulled it from the water to check it. He sighed and let his shoulders fall. As usual, he had caught nothing overnight. Jiang carried the net from the river to a clump of bushes by the side of the lake, where he kept a small boat. He tossed the net into the boat and dragged the vessel to the water. Shoving it out, he jumped inside and paddled to the middle of the lake. Once there, he threw his net over the side and sat back to wait.
This was the part of fishing that Jiang enjoyed the most, no matter how successful he was. In the early morning hours, the forest was quiet, and yet alive with life all the same. Birds flew across the lake, singing their morning songs to one another. The water murmured all around him, lapping at the sides of his boat and rocking him like a baby in a cradle. Mist rose from the surface of the lake. Insects flew around, some occasionally lighting on his face and arms to partake of breakfast. To them he paid no mind. Eventually, the sun rose above the trees, illuminating him and banishing away the slight chill lingering from the night. The light shone through the mist, dazzling his eyes with its brilliance. He took the sun's greeting as a cue to check his net. Jiang leaned over the side of his boat and began pulling the net in.
Suddenly, a flash of motion caught his eye. Jiang looked up, towards the far side of the lake. Something was moving out there, dashing back and forth at blistering speed. Even squinting, Jiang could only make out a blue blur. He watched the spectacle, entranced. Then, the blur appeared to stop moving. It took a few moments for him to realize that this was because it was heading straight for him. Uttering a cry of alarm, he ducked to the floor of his boat, still clutching his net in his fists. The blue blur flew across the water and over his boat, rocking it and threatening to toss Jiang into the water. When the boat settled, he dared to glance up. The blur was gone, off to some unknown place.
Stunned, Jiang got up from his hiding spot. He knew not what the apparition had been or where it had come from. He shook his head and began pulling his net in again. But now it was harder to pull, and he strained to drag the web of ropes into his boat. As the net came up, to his joy he discovered that it was heavy with fish, the largest catch he had ever made. There were more fish than he could possibly carry back to his hut. Happier than he had been in many months, Jiang paddled to the lakeshore. He loaded as many fish into his sack as he thought he needed, and released the rest. For once, he and his wife would eat well tonight.
Before leaving, Jiang reset his net into the river. Perhaps the next day he would have the same stroke of luck.
Jiang left his hut in the morning in high spirits. He and his wife had gone the whole night without yelling at one another. A small thing for many married couples, no doubt, but in terms of his own marriage it was a giant leap. They had even had enough fish left over to have a light breakfast. He whistled a little nonsense tune as he made his way to the lake for the day.
Expecting a large catch, Jiang pulled his net from the mouth of the river. He was disappointed to see that it was as empty as ever. Dejectedly he carried the net to his boat, as his routine dictated. Once he was out in the middle of the lake, he set his equipment out and settled in for a normal day. Well, it had been stupid to get his hopes up. One lucky day shouldn't have set a precedent in his mind. He lay at the bottom of his boat and waited for the sun to drift overhead.
As light began to filter through the treetops, a ruckus from the forest made him sit back up. His heart rate increased as he saw the blue blur from the previous day scattering birds into the air. Eagerly, he watched as the thing went back and forth through the forest beyond the lake. This time, whatever the thing was did not approach him, but when he went to check his net it was just as full of fish as it had been yesterday. As he had the day before, Jiang took what he needed and released the rest.
For the next five days, the cycle was repeated. Jiang would arrive at the lake in the early morning to find his net empty. He would stay in the middle of the lake until the sun rose higher in the sky, and then the blue blur would appear and his net would fill with more fish than he could possibly need. Each time, he would take what he required and release the rest. When he told his wife of what was happening, she would not believe him. But he did not complain, for he was happier than he had been in as long as he could remember.
Then, one day, Jiang went to the lake as usual. He looked at the mouth of the river for his net, but the strangest thing had happened. The net was nowhere to be found! He jumped into the river and waded around, searching for it. Jiang kicked up the silt at the bottom of the river, overturned rocks along the riverbed, and searched in the tall reeds that lined the banks. But to no avail. His net could not be found. Jiang was distraught, for the net was his only way to gather food for him and his wife.
We will surely starve, he thought. There can only be one explanation. Some dishonest traveler must have been walking through the forest, and they have stolen my fishing net! Angry and saddened by this unfortunate turn of events, Jiang forlornly walked up the river, as if hoping to find the thief who had taken his net. But he had no way of knowing if the net had been stolen minutes or hours ago. Perhaps it had gone in the middle of the night, while he was asleep at home. He had to find it, for he did not have the rope available to make a new one. And even if he could somehow make it to the nearest village, almost two days walking time from his hut, he had no money with which to purchase materials or a ready-made net.
All of a sudden, Jiang began to hear strange noises coming from just around a river bend. His pulse quickened, and he soon broke into a run. Perhaps whatever was making the noises had his fishing net! As he approached the turn in the river, the volume of the cries grew louder. He followed the bend, and came to a halt with a cry of shock and fright.
Lying on the ground, thrashing about, was the most unusual creature that Jiang had ever seen. It was a four-legged beast, with a blue-and-white furred body and white diamond patterns in its fur. Purple fur coated its back, and it had two thin white tails. Upon its head was a strange, hoop-shaped six-sided crest. As Jiang got closer, he saw to his surprise that its legs were tangled in his fishing net. The beast bared its teeth when he was quite close to it. He saw mist around its jaws, and could feel its cold breath. To his astonishment, the creature spoke.
"Human," she said, for the voice was obviously female. "Do not come any closer, unless you wish for your head to be bitten off."
"Forgive me," Jiang said, bowing low to the ground. "Are you...are you a goddess? I have never seen a being as strange and beautiful as you, my lady."
The creature growled. "Stand up," she said. "You need not bow in my presence. If you wish to call me a goddess that is your choice, for this forest and the waters within are my domain, and I know and see all who inhabit them. It little matters to me what you wish to call me."
Jiang was afraid, but he did as the goddess told him and stood up, returning his eyes to gaze upon her. She was beautiful, and for some reason it pained him to see her in distress such as she was. Cautiously, he inched forward.
The goddess's eyes flashed red. "Stop! What do you think you're doing? I'll attack you if you come any closer!"
"My lady, how can you attack me?" Jiang said. "You are tangled in my fishing net. I only wanted to help you out of it."
"Nonsense," the beast said. "I can help myself. I do not need a human to assist me." She pulled her legs, straining against the net. Her kicking was furious, but it only served to tangle her legs further. Finally, she ceased her struggle and stared at him resentfully. "Very well. If you desire to help me, then I shall allow you to come near."
Jiang knelt beside the goddess and began to unwind the net from her legs. She flinched the first several times he touched her, but eventually she stopped moving altogether as she saw the progress he was making. Every now and then, he spared a glance up at her. Her beauty was unsurpassed by anything he had ever seen. She caught him looking at her, and growled sharply. Jiang returned to his work, and eventually succeeded in freeing her from his net, although to his dismay he saw that it would be of no more use to him due to the goddess's thrashing.
Joyfully, the goddess sprang up from where she had lain. She flexed her legs and sprang into a run, dashing here and there amongst the trees. Jiang watched her, until she returned to stand before him.
"Thank you," she said, bowing her head. "I am grateful for what you have done, Jiang."
Jiang blinked, surprised. "You know my name?"
"I know much about you," the goddess said. "I have been watching you. You and your wife, Qing, are not happy. You love each other, and yet you have no children. You fish every day in my lake, and yet you catch nothing. I see how hard you work whenever I am near my lake. And so I decided to reward your hard work with a bounty."
A realization flashed through Jiang's mind. "You are the creature that I have seen running through the forest around the lake," he said. "You made the fish appear in my net."
"Yes."
"What is your name, my lady?" Jiang inquired. "Please, grant me the honor of hearing it."
The blue beast in front of him smiled. "My name is Suicune. I am the caretaker of the forests and the waters of the world." She sat on the grass, as a cat might. "I have observed carefully what you have done with the gifts I have sent you. No matter how many fish I cause to appear in your net, you only take what you need, releasing the rest to swim free. Instead of hoarding the fish and working less often, you faithfully return to my lake every day." She tossed her head, sending a wave through the purple fur on her back. "And now you have helped me when I became careless and ran through your fishing net. To reward this service you have rendered to me, I will grant you three things. Whatever you may wish for, please speak your desires."
Jiang thought hard for several minutes. "First, I should like my fishing net to be repaired."
"It is done," Suicune said. The words had scarcely left her mouth when the net mended itself in Jiang's hands, as perfect and strong as the day it had been made.
"Second, I would very much like for my wife and I to have a child."
Suicune nodded. "That is more difficult, but upon my honor it shall be done." She tilted her head to the side. "And your third wish?"
The fisherman searched his heart for a long time. He already had everything he had ever wanted out of life. He was finally catching enough fish to support his wife, his fishing net was mended good as new, and, if the goddess spoke the truth, his wife would soon bear him a child.
As the wish came to him, he blurted it out without thinking. "I would know what it is like to lie with a goddess like you." He gasped sharply at hearing his own words.
Suicune looked shocked. "That is your wish?" she asked. "To...lie with me? To take me as a mate would?" She walked towards him slowly, her eyes piercing him.
Frightened, Jiang fell to his knees and put his face to the ground. "Forgive me, my lady!" he cried. "I meant no disrespect! Please, spare my life despite this foolish thing I have said."
The goddess halted in front of him. "Rise, Jiang," she commanded.
Wordlessly, Jiang took his face from the ground and sat back on the grass. He watched as Suicune bent her head down. She grasped his fishing net in her jaws, and then tossed it aside. It landed some distance away.
Suicune leaned forward, touching the tip of her nose to his. "Fear not," she said, her icy breath stinging his cheeks. "You shall have your wish."
His heart racing, Jiang tentatively reached up and brushed her face. She angled her head to his touch, rubbing the fur of her cheeks against his skin. Their lips came together, her tongue brushing against his mouth before intruding inside. Although her breath was cold, her mouth was quite warm. Their kiss was deep, and Jiang traced his hand through the purple fur just behind her head.
Suicune drew her head back, breaking their kiss. She smiled, a purr in her throat. "Now, I shall show you how to please a goddess." She closed her teeth over the bottom of his shirt and, with surprising dexterity, pulled it over his head and off. Another nip from her jaws severed the tie that fastened his pants, and those were swiftly removed. Suicune trailed her eyes down Jiang's body, resting her gaze on his groin. "Hmm...a bounty for me today, it would seem." Winking at him impishly, she reclined on her side on the grass, giving him a view of her luxurious white underbelly. "Now, come to me."
Obeying the goddess, Jiang crawled to her on his hands and knees. "What would you have me do first, my lady?"
"Whatever you desire," she replied. "It is your wish, after all."
Taking her at her word, Jiang took both of his hands and pressed them to her belly fur. They sank in to the wrists. It felt like he was digging his hands into the softest of pillows. The fur felt like the down on a baby chicken, and he rubbed his fingers through it. He felt his goddess's heart beating. He explored her stomach. She let out a small gasp as his roaming hands discovered her nipples hidden in the forest of white. Her head went to the grass and she pivoted her back, putting her front paws in the air as he lightly twisted them; two, three, four pairs.
"That tickles!" Suicune said.
"Should I stop?" Jiang asked her.
"No!" she said quickly. "But...I need more..." She rolled completely on her back, presenting herself to him. He sucked in a breath as her entire body was revealed to him. She was very beautiful.
Jiang ran his hands down her belly, approaching her hips. Suicune tossed her head impatiently. He took his time, feeling every bit of her. Her belly tapered to a thinner waist, and then widened again slightly until he was at the top of her legs. He finally allowed himself to look down. She was visibly aroused, swollen with need and wet with desire. He trailed one hand from her hip around, closer and closer. One leg kicked beside his head in anticipation. Suicune's breath was coming faster now, and cloudy mist came from her mouth as she panted.
"My lady," Jiang said. He touched her sex, and was astonished at the heat that he felt there. He ran a finger around the outer lips, feeling the slickness of the glistening pink flesh.
"Yesssssssssss...," Suicune hissed, pleasure dripping from her voice.
Jiang rubbed at her, moving his fingers in a clockwise pattern. At the same time, his other hand was moving over her lower belly. Suicune pawed at the air, making appreciative whining noises. The fisherman could feel the heat intensifying as he pleasured his goddess. On an impulse, he took his hand from her and tasted the moisture that had collected on his fingers. The flavor was indescribable to him. He had never tasted anything like it. His lady's essence was sweet, pure, and smelled like a meadow on a bright, sunny day. He eagerly inserted a finger inside of her, searching for more of that wonderful flavor.
As Suicune felt him penetrate her vagina, she cried out in a burst of passion. "Oh, yes!" she gasped. "More, more!" Her twin tails came to the back of his head, and pushed him closer.
Following the words of the goddess, Jiang bent his head to her nether lips. He put his tongue out, and slowly licked from the bottom to the top. Suicune growled deep in her throat, turning her head to the side. The grass near her mouth frosted as her frigid breath hit it. Jiang dipped his tongue inside of her, feeling the walls of her vagina contracting against his intrusion. He probed with his tongue repeatedly, as though he were a hummingbird. When he had taken his fill of her nectar, he moved his mouth up and closed his lips over her jewel.
Suicune's back arched, and her mouth opened in a wolf-like howl. Jiang suckled at her bud, holding her in a state of intense ecstasy. She bucked underneath him, her thrashing almost tossing him into the river. He managed to hold on, but only just. She calmed down, returning to earth from the pinnacle of her pleasure, but her appetite had not decreased. He could see it in her eyes, a lustful hunger that cried out to be satiated. Jiang sat back from her, waiting.
She rolled onto her stomach and backed towards him, her tails raised in a sensual offer. She looked over her shoulder.
"Come, my lord," she purred, seduction coloring her voice. "Take what is yours."
Feeling as though he were in a dream, Jiang rose to his knees. By now he was in painful need of his goddess, his member swollen and ready. He put his hand on her haunches, caressing the silky blue fur there, and pulled her closer to him. He twitched as her wet warmth contacted him. Tortuously he teased her with the tip of his erection, sliding the head of his cock around her sex, never quite penetrating her. Suicune moaned repeatedly in frustrated eagerness. Smiling, he continued his blissful torture. This was his wish, and he would have it however he pleased. She turned her head to look at him, her eyes showing desperation quite unbecoming of a being so powerful.
"Please...," she whimpered.
Relenting, Jiang pressed against her entrance. Her body welcomed him, and he slid inside of her with ease. They both exhaled with satisfaction as they joined together. Jiang could feel the heat of her body all along his length. The sensation provided a scintillating contrast with the coolness of her fur. He gently pulled himself out of her, and the moisture that now clung to his penis brought a chill to his skin. He continued to withdraw until he was nearly out of her, and then he laboriously pushed back in. Suicune purred her approval, begging him without words to continue.
With every movement, Jiang increased the speed and intensity with which he thrust into his blue goddess. Responding to him, Suicune pressed back against him with each inward stroke. His cock speared its way deep inside of her, stabbing towards her very core. She could feel every inch of him as he worked himself in and out of her vagina. His hands squeezed her flanks, holding her to him as he had his way with her. Soon, he was rocking her body with the force of his motions. Suicune dug her front claws into the ground and laid her head on the grass, awash in the bliss of the moment, a haze starting to cloud her mind.
Jiang stopped for a moment, putting a hand on her upper leg and pushing her to the side. Surprised, she allowed herself to be rolled onto her back. She looked up at him curiously.
"I want to look at your eyes," he explained. "I want to see your expression, my lady."
A charmed smile on her face, Suicune craned her neck, tenderly licking at his face. "Of course, my lord." She laid back once more, keeping her eyes firmly locked on his. She held his gaze as he continued to thrust into her.
Jiang could feel that he was reaching the peak of his pleasure. He slowed his motions slightly, wanting to savor the experience as long as he could. Underneath him, Suicune looked as though she was nearing the end as well. Her breath was coming very quickly now, and her tongue sagged from her mouth as she panted. Suddenly, she gave a series of short yelps, and then her eyes squeezed shut and she let loose a piercing howl, one which echoed through the forest. Jiang could feel her body squeeze down upon him, almost painfully. He sped up again, wanting to climax with his lady. He pushed his cock in and out of her feverishly, sensing her twin tails lashing the ground behind him. The pressure of his ecstasy built up inside of him, and he finally cried out as his seed erupted inside of his goddess. Jiang fell atop her, sinking into the soft, thick fur below him. The last thing he knew was her paws clasping over the back of his head, and then he was cast into darkness.
When Jiang awoke, the sky was growing dark. He sat up, naked, and put a hand to his head. He felt dizzy, and it took a moment for him to remember where he was. As it came back to him, he looked around. Suicune, his blue goddess, was nowhere to be seen. His clothes sat beside him, neatly folded and laying on top of his fishing net. Beside his clothes, twinkling slightly in the fading daylight, was a single stone of the palest blue. Jiang picked the stone up, turning it in his hands. It was the size of a coin, in the shape of a teardrop, and had a hole at the point where a string might be threaded through. The fisherman put his clothes back on and tucked the stone safely away in his pocket. He gathered his net up in his arms and walked back down the river to the lake, his worry now what he and his wife would eat tonight.
He needn't have worried, for when he returned to where he had left his things in the morning, he found that his sack had already been filled with the plumpest and freshest fish that he had ever seen. He looked back to the river, a grin on his face. There stood his goddess. She bowed her head once to him, and then turned and dashed away into the forest.
Jiang returned home to find his wife waiting for him at the door. She asked him where he had been; he was late and she needed to get supper ready for them. He apologized for his tardiness and explained that he'd had to work a little harder for his catch than usual. Satisfied with his explanation, his wife embraced him, thanked him for his hard work, and set about preparing dinner. Before entering his hut, Jiang turned one last look towards the lake, and then he went in, closing the door behind him.
Jiang never saw his goddess again. But, true to her word, his wife soon became pregnant and eventually gave birth to a beautiful daughter, whom they named Lian. With the stone given to him by Suicune, Jiang made a necklace, which became his daughter's most treasured possession. Their family was blessed with good fortune for the rest of their days, and his descendants continued to live and fish by the lake, where a town still stands to this day. And some say that on the brightest of summer days, when the sun is highest in the sky, one can hear the sounds of something running through the trees.
"Each generation will reap what the former generation has sown."
-Chinese Proverb