Damn, Kalos?

Not So Bad After All

'"Well, I thought that at least this time nothing would go wrong but how wrong was I...." I looked on.'

Alain and I had officially hit the road, and so far, nothing out of the ordinary had occurred, which meant we were in the clear for the most part. We had just left Lumiose and were now on Route 5. Along the way, we encountered a horde of Gulpin, and, by some stroke of luck, we even spotted a few Abra. Alain attempted to catch one, but every single one teleported away, and I couldn't help but find it amusing.

"So, any luck?" I asked Alain, struggling to stifle my laughter at his failed attempts. He shot me a glare and continued walking, which only made me burst into laughter.

As we continued on, the sound of rustling leaves caught our attention. Alain instinctively readied his Poké Ball, while I stood by, amused, waiting for yet another failure. Yes, I knew I was being a bit malicious, but it was too entertaining to resist.

Out from the bushes popped a Chespin!

"A Chespin?!" I exclaimed, my surprise evident. Alain looked equally stunned but quickly sent out his Charmeleon. The sudden appearance of Charmeleon startled the Chespin, which dashed away, leaving Alain helplessly watching yet another Pokémon escape him. Honestly, how could I not laugh? The rest of our walk was filled with my laughter and Alain's colorful curses directed at me. Life was definitely entertaining.

When we stopped for lunch, the routine kicked in. Larvitar helped me set up camp while Alain and Charmeleon went in search of firewood and other ingredients. Once everything was set up, a familiar rustling came from the bushes again, and this time, Alain merely looked on, unimpressed.

Then, out came another Chespin!

You should have seen the murderous look on Alain's face—pure gold! Being the good person I am, I called out to the Chespin and offered it some Pokémon food. It accepted happily, digging in with enthusiasm. "You like it, buddy?" I asked the wild Pokémon, and it nodded vigorously in response before continuing to munch away.

As Alain approached, he watched the Chespin enjoy its meal. After finishing its first round, the Chespin glanced up, hoping for seconds. Instead, it was greeted by Alain, and the poor creature looked terrified, ready to bolt. Alain swiftly caught it by the nape of its neck and glared, challenging it to run. Reluctantly, the Chespin submitted and watched in awe as Alain offered it more food. It hesitated, glancing between Alain and the food, as if unsure whether this human was truly generous. But after a few double-takes, it dove back into the feast.

Alain watched happily as the Chespin ate to its heart's content. "You should ask if it wants to join you," I suggested, noticing his curiosity as he turned back to me. "Huh, do you think that would work?" he asked, genuinely intrigued. I recalled how many Pokémon Ash had captured simply by asking rather than battling. Based on that, the chances of this working out were 80 to 90%. "You won't know unless you try, buddy," I replied with a smile.

He studied me for a moment before turning back to the Chespin, which was still happily munching away. "Hey, Chespin! Would you like to join me on my journey?" Ugh. That sounded... awkward? It was charming when Ash asked, but for others? Not so much. The Chespin paused its meal, looking back and forth between Alain and me before eyeing the food again, repeating the action ten times. Finally, it let out an enthusiastic "Chespin!" Guess that was a yes!

Alain was ecstatic at the Chespin's approval. Without hesitation, he produced a Poké Ball and tossed it. The ball wobbled a few times before clicking shut, signaling the capture. It struck me that this was the first time I'd witnessed someone catch a Pokémon in real life. Damn.

Catching Pokémon, huh? I had contemplated it during the past month spent in the Professor's lab. As much as I admired Ash's approach to making friends with Pokémon, his method felt too uncertain for me. Don't get me wrong; I'd happily catch any Pokémon I formed a bond with. But as a gamer, I preferred to seek out Pokémon I had experience with. In that sense, I was playing a real-life game, so even if I didn't have specific preferences, I would still aim for Pokémon that had the potential to grow stronger.