Tame First, Catch After

"So, I know you have caught a Pokémon before, but you should try to weaken it first. You are just going to have to be careful because the Pokémon around here are the same level as Lumi. She might hurt them too much if you use Psybeam. There is a good number of Pokémon here like Lechonk, Pawmi, Hoppit, and Diglett, so you should be able to find one that you like," Tallia explained, and I could see a Pawmi up the road, but I noticed something that was closer.

"Do I have to fight them?" I asked as I walked over to an apple tree and grabbed a few off the ground before turning back to Tallia.

"Hmm? I guess you can try distracting them. There really is no right way to catch a Pokémon, just whatever works. I will stay back here so you can make your first attempt on your own, but if you need anything, I will be just over here," Tallia explained, and I nodded as I walked forward. I guess she would hold her questions until after I caught my first Pokémon.

Lumi, my Cosmog, was my first, and then Feebas, but this would be the first time catching a Pokémon in Paldea! I was nervous but excited, and as I got closer to the Pawmi, it started to back away from me.

I tossed it an apple and then tried to call it over to me. I wasn't stupid, and I knew that Pokémon could be dangerous, but I was at a bit of a crossroads there. Knowing that if I caught them, they would become more human-like made it hard for me to process hurting them. Doing something like that felt counterproductive, and there was more than one way to shake a stick at a tree.

Finally, after much coaxing of apples and some kind words, the Pawmi hugged my leg before raising its head to look at me with its bright eyes. I smiled and reached down to pat it on the head before taking out a Paradise Ball from my inventory and squatting down as I scratched behind the Pokémon's ear.

"Would you like to become partners with me?" I asked the Pokémon, and then Pawni squeaked her name.

I smiled and pressed the Paradise Ball button on the top of Pawmi's head, and she burst into light as the ball opened. The energy was sucked inside, but when the ball closed, it only clicked as the light faded from the Paradise Ball.

"What?! Did you just tame that Pokémon before you even caught it?!" Tallia exclaimed as I stood up and walked back down the path to where she was waiting.

"Considering that I am catching partners that I will most likely get very close with, I am having a bit of a hard time being mean to them and attacking them. I know that some will not want to be caught, but I am going to do my best to try to get through to them," I explained, and Tallia nodded thoughtfully but then looked up at the sky where the sun was slowly starting to make its way down to the sea.

"So, does that mean that you will... be with Pawmi... like you know..." Tallia asked with her voice trailing off, and I nodded.

"There is a good chance, but that is not how it always happens. So far, I have gotten Quests to satisfy both Nurse Joy and Lumi and got special Ultra Points for it, but I don't think it will always be the same. My AI, Cryo, told me that not all Quests will be the same, so I don't know what will happen yet until I go into Prisma myself," I explained, and Tallia blushed furiously as she nodded slowly.

"Do you want to come over for supper? I am sure that my mom won't mind having you come since she is interested in meeting you and your Pokémon. She thinks it is amazing that you make a team of close partners and friends rather than just having Pokémon that battle for you," Tallia said, and I smiled.

"That sounds nice. I would love to come over for supper with your family," I replied, and then we both started walking back towards the path leading up to her house. The sun was getting closer to the water now, and the sky was a mix of oranges, pinks, and purples.

"So, what were you going to ask me before?" I asked Tallia as we walked up the path toward her house, and she blushed again.

"I wanted to know what it was like inside the Pokeballs and what it is like to like more than one girl?" Tallia asked shyly as we got closer. The house was mostly one story, but there was a second story on the right side. It wasn't as crazy as Nemona's, but it was still really nice.

"That is a tough one to answer. It's hard to explain what it is like in the Pokeballs, but they are designed to create the best. As for liking more than one girl, it really isn't as complicated as people might think. All you need to do is be honest with yourself and the girls that you like and respect their feelings. It can be difficult, but it is possible, I think. I am still trying to figure things out," I replied, and Tallia nodded.

"That makes sense. I know it might not seem like much now, but thank you for answering my questions," She said before we got to the front door of her house as opened the door.

"Tallia? Is that you?" A woman called as we walked in, and a beautiful blonde in a yellow apron turned from the stove to look at us. "Oh! You brought a friend! You should have told me, Tallia! I am a mess!"

"Mom, you look fine. This is Landon that I told you about," Tallia said as I looked around the house.