Chapter 11: The Players’ First Capture

By evening, the players had all returned to the territory.

"I'm so exhausted, I feel like my body's falling apart," Bryan complained, rubbing his sore shoulders. He had never worked this hard even in real life.

"It's definitely tiring, probably because our physical stats are still low. Maybe it'll get better after we level up. Plus, it's not like we'll be chopping trees forever," Vrix added.

"I think it's not so bad. With so many Pokémon around, it's actually kind of fun," Bell, still full of energy, chimed in.

"Well, of course it's fun for you. You've already roped in a Pokémon! If I had one following me too, I wouldn't feel so tired either," Bryan said enviously, glancing at the Spinarak perched on Bell's shoulder.

"How is it possible that none of the Pokémon are drawn to my handsome face? Could it be they feel too inferior in comparison? Sigh, sometimes being this good-looking is a burden!" Bryan lamented dramatically.

"Give it a rest!" Vrix snapped, wishing he could smack Bryan against a wall. Why did he ever invite him to try this game together? Huge mistake!

"If only I could snag a Heracross. Too bad it left as soon as it finished helping us. Didn't even spare us a glance," Leaf reminisced about the majestic Heracross, clearly still smitten by it.

"No worries. Judging by today's haul, we won't finish the task until tomorrow or the day after, so you've still got a chance," Vrix reassured him.

As they talked, the players arrived at the castle, where a servant led them to the study. Seeing Ryan busy with paperwork, Bell whispered to Stella:

"I just realized our lord here is super handsome! He's even better looking than a young Leo DiCaprio."

Stella nodded in agreement.

Before they could continue their discussion, Ryan looked up and addressed them.

"Thank you for your hard work today, but the task is not yet complete. I still need your efforts."

"Understood..." the players replied weakly.

Noticing their lack of enthusiasm, Ryan sympathized. Chopping wood was indeed both boring and tiring. He needed to find a way to reignite their passion.

With that in mind, Ryan continued, "Of course, I won't let your efforts go unrewarded. Once the task is completed, I will distribute rewards. The player with the highest contribution will even receive a special reward."

The word "reward" instantly perked up the players.

"A reward? What kind of reward?"

"I suddenly feel energized!"

"Who cares about rewards? I just love chopping trees!" The players' spirits soared, eager to get back to work.

"Alright, it's getting late. You should all return to the Divine Realm. The tree-chopping can resume tomorrow," Ryan said.

The game world's time flowed the same as the real world, and dawn was about to break back on Earth.

"We're logging off? Has it really been a whole day in the game?"

The players still felt like they hadn't had enough.

"Excuse me, Lord Ryan, what should I do with this Spinarak when I log off?" Bell asked, pointing at the Pokémon on her shoulder.

Ryan, noticing the Spinarak for the first time, was genuinely surprised. He hadn't expected anyone to capture a Pokémon on the first day. In his initial plans, it would have taken at least a few days of bonding before a Pokémon would trust a player.

It seemed this female player, Bell, was quite remarkable.

"Don't worry. The castle has staff who can take care of your Pokémon for now. But in the future, you'll have to figure it out yourself," Ryan explained.

For now, with so few players, Ryan could help care for their Pokémon. But once more players joined, they'd have to manage on their own.

"There is another solution. Since you are the first player to capture a Pokémon, I have a special reward for you," Ryan said, pulling out a Pokéball and handing it to Bell.

Giving out Pokéballs as a reward was a decision Ryan had carefully considered. His concern was that if people found out he had a large supply of items that could capture and control Pokémon, it might attract unwanted attention. However, upon further thought, he realized this world wasn't devoid of items capable of sealing Pokémon. For example, the Sealed Crystals at the Temple of the Sea could do the same thing.

As long as he didn't distribute Pokéballs on a large scale, it shouldn't raise too many eyebrows. Besides, the territory was already in a precarious position. Whether he revealed the Pokéballs or not, they could still face attacks. So why not empower the players and increase their strength?

"What's this? A decoration?" Bell asked, curiously examining the small ball.

"This is called a Pokéball. It can shrink and enlarge. As for its use... Come out, Bounsweet!" Ryan tossed another Pokéball into the air, and after a flash of light, a Bounsweet appeared.

"Bounsweet~!"

"As you can see, this is a tool that can capture and carry Pokémon. You can put your Spinarak inside, so you won't have to worry about it wandering off when you return to the Divine Realm."

"That's amazing! But won't the Pokémon feel uncomfortable being inside such a small ball?" Bell asked.

"No, the environment inside is quite comfortable. It even helps restore some of their energy and heal minor injuries," Ryan reassured her.

"Wow, that's awesome! Thank you, Lord Ryan! How do I use it?" Bell asked, excited.

"You just need to touch the Pokémon with the Pokéball. However, the Pokémon must either willingly accept or be unable to resist. Otherwise, it can break free, and the Pokéball will be destroyed."

"Wait, does that mean this device can forcibly capture Pokémon?" Vrix interjected.

Ryan hesitated for a moment before answering truthfully, "Yes, as long as you can defeat a Pokémon, you can capture it using a Pokéball."

Ryan hadn't initially wanted to reveal the Pokéball's ability to forcibly capture Pokémon. But then he remembered that battling to capture was a core mechanic of the Pokémon world. Most Pokémon respected the humans who defeated them, and rarely resisted being captured.

As for players capturing Pokémon recklessly, Ryan wasn't too worried for now—he didn't have that many Pokéballs anyway.

"What if I let Bell defeat a Pokémon for me, and then I capture it with a Pokéball? Would that work?" Vrix asked.

"It would work, but the captured Pokémon wouldn't acknowledge you. Not only would it not follow your commands, but it might even attack you," Ryan warned.

"I personally dislike that approach. I hope you'll form friendships with the Pokémon and have them follow you voluntarily."

Vrix got the message: capturing a Pokémon through others' help wouldn't just result in a disobedient Pokémon, but it might also lower Ryan's opinion of them.

Bell, having figured out how to use the Pokéball, enlarged it and asked her Spinarak, "Spinarak, would you like to be my partner?"

The Spinarak looked at Bell's hopeful expression and willingly touched the Pokéball. It turned into a red light and was absorbed inside. The Pokéball wobbled a few times before emitting a "ding."

"Did it work? Yay! That's amazing!" Bell, seeing Ryan nod, jumped around happily in celebration.

"Ugh, I'm so jealous! How did she get so lucky, with both a Pokémon and a Pokéball?" Bryan groaned, feeling envious.

"This Pokéball must be a reward for being the first to capture a Pokémon. No worries, we still have tomorrow. Let's log off for now," Vrix said, already guessing what tomorrow's special reward might be.

Ryan had the servants lead the players to the pre-arranged rooms to log off, while he prepared to implement his refined game plans.

Meanwhile, back in the real world, these logged-off players were stirring up quite a buzz.