The place Ludwig chose for their arrival had no trainers nearby, only an uneven area of grassland that stretched toward the distant tree line. Wild grass grew tall enough to brush against their knees, bending slowly whenever the wind moved across the field. From where they stood, the faint outline of Cerulean City could still be seen.
The teleportation ended the same way it always did. Then the groaning started. Rimuru bent forward almost immediately, one hand braced against his thigh while the other pressed against his stomach. "I hate that."
A few steps away, Professor Oak steadied himself by placing a hand on a nearby rock. Looker didn't comment at first. The agent just turned away from the others, one hand covering his mouth while he stared toward the grass fields as if focusing on the horizon would help his stomach settle faster.
In the meantime, Claire stood upright, though both hands rested on her knees while she exhaled slowly.
Ludwig watched them for a moment.
"You're getting better." He told her.
Claire lifted her head slightly, though her expression suggested she disagreed. "I am just tolerating it."
Rimuru straightened up slowly while rubbing his temples. "I swear that thing scrambles my insides every time."
Looking at the slime, Ludwig chuckled before giving him a teasing remark. "It'll get better. Just look at Claire."
"Ugh." Rimuru groaned. But then, as if he just realized something, he looked at both Claire and Ludwig. "If it's already better for her, it means she has traveled with you before. Where?"
Ludwig hummed before his eyes went to the tree line. There he could see some Pokemon frolicking without care. When his eyes went back to Rimuru, he smirked. "Well, I just brought her along to the discussion with the demonkin in my world."
"Your world? And you didn't even ask me to tag along? How can you?" Rimuru snapped.
Ludwig chuckled at his tantrum. "It's not planned. She just happened to be in the restaurant."
"Gugugugu." Rimuru… growled? "Then! You should take me to your world too!"
"Fine, fine." Ludwig answered. "We'll go soon."
After getting a promise from Ludwig, Rimuru calmed down. Not like he's angry in the first place, Ludwig knew it was just theatrics.
At that moment, Oak and Looker finally could stand on their two feet.
Oak adjusted his glasses once he was certain the ground would no longer move beneath his feet. "It appears I will need time to grow accustomed to that method of travel."
Rimuru snorted softly. "You say that like there's going to be a next time."
"There will be." Ludwig replied with a hint of chuckle.
That answer earned him another displeased look from the slime, though the complaint died before it reached his mouth. Something else had already caught Rimuru's attention.
When Ludwig followed where Rimuru's eyes were looking, he could finally look closely at what he had just gazed at for a few seconds before.
A pair of Pidgey lifted from a nearby fence post when the group began moving, their wings beating sharply before they disappeared toward a cluster of trees further down the hill. A moment later, something small rustled through the grass near the path, the movement quick enough that it vanished before anyone could identify it clearly.
Rattata, most likely.
Further ahead, Ludwig noticed several small patches of soil where blue leaves stuck out from the ground like misplaced plants. One of them shifted slightly as they passed.
An Oddish.
The Pokemon blinked sleepily before sinking back into the soil as if deciding the group wasn't worth the trouble.
Rimuru looked around slowly.
"So they really just walk around like this."
"Of course." Oak replied. "Pokemon are part of the environment here. Tall grass simply happens to be where many of them prefer to hide."
Ludwig took the explanation deeper than Rimuru. This was the first time they saw Pokemon in their true habitat. Yes, Oak's sanctuary tried to mimic what they were seeing right now, but in the end, it was only an imitation.
And to be honest… it's overwhelming. If he had to compare it with the wilderness of Ortus, it felt like this world had a different genre altogether.
Only a minor species of monster in Ortus would just decide to get back to sleep after thinking the human meant no harm for them. But most of the time? They would attack because that's why the human was there in the first place. To hunt them.
But here…
The human side knew how to respect them. And it seemed like almost every Pokemon reciprocated that respect.
It was fascinating, really.
Not long after his train of thought finished, the group started walking.
The path gradually faded until only scattered stones and flattened grass hinted at where travelers usually passed through the fields. The further they moved from the road, the quieter the surroundings became. Even the occasional rustle of movement in the grass seemed cautious, as if the wild Pokemon here preferred observing strangers from a distance rather than revealing themselves openly.
Oak slowed his pace after a few minutes.
"This area should be suitable."
Rimuru glanced around.
Ludwig did the same too. The place they were currently at looked much like the rest of the field. A place overgrown with rolling grass, scattered rocks, and a few berry bushes growing unevenly along the hillside.
"Suitable for what?" Rimuru asked.
"For Abra."
Oak gestured lightly toward the open terrain around them.
"They prefer wide spaces where approaching threats can be sensed early. Their primary defense is teleportation. Dense forests limit their ability to react in time."
Rimuru folded his arms.
"So basically the worst Pokemon to try catching." He said in a joking manner.
"Well, that depends on the trainer."
They spread out slightly after that.
Not far enough to lose sight of each other, but enough to cover more ground without stepping through the same patches of grass repeatedly. Ludwig moved at an unhurried pace, letting his eyes follow the natural movement of the field rather than using his mana to look around.
Why? Because sometimes, the process was more important. And this kind of looking around to find a Pokemon was essential in learning about the world more deeply.
Or that was what he would say if someone asked him about it. The true reason? Because he enjoyed it.
However, the first Abra appeared sooner than expected.
Claire was the one who noticed it.
"Over there."
When Ludwig walked closer to Claire, he could see a small yellow Pokemon sat cross-legged beside a flat stone with its eyes closed as if it had fallen asleep while meditating. From a distance, it almost looked like a doll someone had forgotten in the grass.
Oak lowered his voice immediately.
"Do not rush."
Claire nodded once at his word before stepping forward.
But then, the Abra's ear twitched.
Not long after, it vanished with no sound nor flash. Only leaving empty grass behind.
Rimuru blinked.
"…That's it?"
"That is normal." Oak said calmly.
Thankfully, Claire was someone experienced. Ludwig could bet that if it was a newcomer, they would sulk for quite some time before they reset their mindset. But Claire only needed a second before walking around again.
Unfortunately, the second Abra also did not even give them the chance to approach. It opened one eye the moment they stepped into the grass nearby and disappeared instantly, leaving only the faint disturbance of flattened stalks behind.
Rimuru sighed. "Ugh… My trauma resurfaced."
"Pardon?" Oak asked.
"Ah, nothing." Rimuru chuckled quickly. But of course, there's awkwardness in that.
Only Ludwig knew what he meant. And yes, he had experienced the same thing as Rimuru. Catching Abra was never easy. And once it became easy, he already got a better team to challenge the Elite Four, so why bother?
The group continued moving through the field after that. Another stretch of quiet walking passed before Ludwig noticed the next one. Near a low berry bush, a third Abra sat quietly in the grass with its eyes closed. Like the others, it appeared to be asleep.
Claire approached it again.
One step.
Then another.
As she took the third step, the Abra's ear shifted slightly.
However… it didn't teleport.
Ludwig, and maybe everyone present noticed the difference almost immediately.
The Abra slowly opened one eye. Then, it looked directly at Claire.
For a few seconds, nothing happened. The wind continued to move all around them while the small Pokemon studied the human standing in front of it. Unlike the previous two, there was no sign of alarm in its posture. Its body remained relaxed, and its ears did not twitch again as if preparing to teleport.
Then the Abra unfolded its legs. It rose from its seated position and took a small step forward. The movement was slow enough that everyone present noticed it immediately. Rimuru was the first to react, though his voice stayed low as if speaking too loudly might ruin whatever fragile moment had just begun to form.
"…Wait."
The Abra continued walking.
Not away from Claire but toward her.
The distance between them closed gradually until the Pokemon stopped only a few steps in front of her. From where Ludwig stood, he could see Claire's expression shift slightly. Not surprise exactly, but something close to uncertainty. She had clearly prepared herself for the Abra to disappear at any moment. Instead it simply stood there and looked at her.
After a moment, she spoke.
"Uh, hello?"
The Abra continued looking at Claire after she spoke, its half-opened eyes calm and unreadable. From where Ludwig stood, it did not appear frightened at all. If anything, the small Pokemon seemed… curious. It tilted its head slightly as if examining her the same way a cautious animal might study something unfamiliar but not immediately threatening.
However, Claire did not move. It seemed like she understood that rushing the moment would only ruin it, just like what the Pokedex said.
She lowered herself slowly until she was crouching in the grass.
"Are you… comfortable with me being here?" She asked quietly.
The Abra did not answer in words, of course. But it did not step away either. Its ears twitched once before settling again. The Pokemon watched her for another moment before shifting its weight slightly forward, as if acknowledging the question.
Behind her, Rimuru whispered to Ludwig.
"…Is she negotiating with it?"
Ludwig smirked faintly. "Looks like it."
Claire extended one hand, not close enough to touch, only enough that the Abra could see the gesture clearly.
"I'm not here to force you." She said, her voice remaining calm and steady. Then, she started to lay out the story on why she was there, where she came from, and why she needed a pokemon. It was a complete package of backstory and vision. And she did it like she was convincing an investor to open their wallet on whatever venture she wanted to dive into.
The Abra's ears moved again by the time Claire finished her pitch. For a brief moment, its gaze shifted toward the others standing a short distance behind her. It lingered on Ludwig for half a second, then on Rimuru, before returning to Claire.
Then it took another small step forward.
Rimuru leaned forward instantly.
"…Did it just agree?"
Claire did not look back at him. Her attention remained entirely on the small psychic Pokémon in front of her.
"If you come with me," She continued, "you'll see more than this field. Different places. Different worlds."
The Abra blinked slowly. For a moment it almost looked like it was thinking. Then, quite simply, it sat down in front of her.
Cross-legged. The same posture it had been using when they first saw it.
Claire stared at it for a second before letting out a quiet breath.
"…I'll take that as a yes."
Only then did Oak step forward. The older man reached into his coat pocket and retrieved a small red and white sphere before placing it in Claire's hand.
"You will need this."
Claire looked down at the Pokeball briefly, then back at the Abra still sitting calmly in the grass before her. The small Pokemon had not moved since it sat down again. Its eyes remained closed, as if the conversation had already drained the little energy it cared to spend for the day.
Then she moved it slowly towards the Abra's head. When the Pokeball touched Abra, the ball opened in a brief flash of red light. The small psychic Pokemon them vanished into the beam, before it closed once again.
Everyone watched.
The Pokeball in Claire's hand shook several times. The third movement lasted a little longer than the others before a click could be heard echoing softly through the sound of rustling leaves.
For a moment no one spoke. Then Rimuru exhaled slowly. "Never thought I will be able to see that with my own eyes."
Ludwig, who heard his whisper, could only chuckle. Yeah, he never expected opening a restaurant would end up in catching a Pokemon either
Just like that, Claire got her first Pokemon. Leaving both Rimuru and Ludwig one step behind her.
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