Chapter 44: Capturing Pichu

Pokémon Center.

The emergency room light dimmed, and a doctor in a white coat stepped out. Nero quickly stepped forward.

The doctor reassured him, "Don't worry. Pichu's treatment is complete. It just needs some rest and a bit of electricity replenishment."

"Doctor, thank you so much." After expressing his gratitude, Nero turned his eyes toward the small Pichu lying on the hospital bed. "Can I go in and talk to Pichu now?"

The doctor nodded. "You can, but keep it short. Pokémon need their rest."

"Understood."

After giving Gard Lovas a thorough beating in a real-life PK match, Nero had rushed straight to the nearest Pokémon Center to get Pichu treated.

Once the doctor left, Nero walked into the ward.

Pichu's right arm was wrapped in bandages, but it seemed far more preoccupied with gnawing on a blue Oran Berry, its face full of satisfaction, most likely due to hunger.

"Pii~~"

As soon as it saw Nero, Pichu let out a cheerful cry.

Nero smiled and approached Pichu, then took out a yellow-and-blue Pokéblock.

This Pokéblock was a mixture of three different kinds of berries. The Sitrus Berry and Oran Berry helped restore a Pokémon's stamina, while Pecha Berry was mainly used for detoxification. However, in this particular Pokéblock, the Pecha Berry was primarily included to balance out the sweetness.

After all, Nero knew that Pichu absolutely loved sweet things.

Since the Ralts Mart next door frequently had half-off sales on milkshakes and potato chips, Nero often bought them.

Between potato chips and milkshakes, Pichu clearly preferred milkshakes.

Milkshakes had an almost fatal allure for Pichu, forcing Nero to visit the mart every few days just to buy them.

It was always insatiable, which was quite the hassle.

Not to mention, after every drink, its little mouth was covered in white froth, which left Nero feeling helpless.

Upon seeing the Pokéblock, Pichu's eyes lit up. It eagerly took the treat and affectionately rubbed its cheeks against Nero's hand.

Its fur was soft and fluffy, and the sensation tickled his palm.

Especially in certain spots.

Watching Pichu devour the Pokéblock with its adorable expression, Nero couldn't help but feel touched.

"Hey, Pichu. What do you think about becoming my partner?"

Nero had thought about this for a long time. He originally wanted to slowly build a bond with Pichu over time...

Uh… to be precise, he wanted to befriend Pichu and gradually strengthen their relationship before eventually trick—er, persuading it into joining him.

However, the events of the past two days had changed his mind.

Spiky-eared Pichu was extremely rare. Even though it had been carefully avoiding danger in this area, there was no guarantee that another Gard Lovas wouldn't come along.

Today had truly been a close call.

A high-quality Poké Ball had such strong performance that, in Pichu's weakened state, it would have been captured instantly if it had been hit.

If that had happened, Nero would have been powerless to stop it and would've had to watch as Pichu was taken away.

To prevent such a scenario, as Nero waited outside the emergency room earlier, he made up his mind: he had to capture—er, persuade—Pichu.

Once a Pokémon was captured by a Trainer, it officially belonged to them. Unless its Poké Ball was destroyed, no other Trainer would be able to capture it, no matter how many Ultra Balls they threw.

Of course, before making his move, Nero wanted to respect Pichu's wishes and let it decide for itself.

Hearing Nero's words, Pichu paused in its eating.

It lifted its head and locked eyes with him.

With a blink of its large, black eyes, Pichu remained silent. Then, with a soft gulp, it swallowed the last of the Pokéblock and slowly walked toward Nero.

Under his gaze, Pichu suddenly leaped up and landed lightly on his head.

Its tiny hands gently clung to his short black hair.

"Pii Pii Pii~" (Dummy! Dummy! Dummy! Dummy!) (ू˃o˂ू)⁼³₌₃

"Ouch, ouch, ouch! Pichu, take it easy! If you keep this up, I'll go bald just like Combusken!"

Inside its Poké Ball, Combusken froze for a moment. It recalled how Nero had been making it use Feather Dance more and more frequently lately. Connecting that to what was just said…

Combusken suddenly felt a deep sense of fear!

Pichu: ｡°(°¯᷄◠¯᷅°)°｡

After hopping off Nero's head, Pichu turned around, puffed up its cheeks, and sulked.

This kind of thing…

Wasn't it already a fact for a long time?!

Why bring it up again? That's just weird!

Noticing Pichu's reaction and little mood swing, a smile played on Nero's lips. He reached out and ruffled Pichu's tiny head, speaking indulgently, "Pichu, that was my bad~ Forgive me, okay?"

Pichu: Hmph! ╯^╰

Inside the Poké Ball, Combusken was utterly confused. Why don't I get treated like this? (ovo)

But after thinking for a moment, it decided to let it go. After all, its Trainer was the same gender as it.

It might like chickens, but it definitely wasn't into that kind of stuff.

Pichu was still sulking, but Nero had a way to deal with her. In the next second, he pulled a milkshake out from his inventory.

Nero thought the inventory system was incredibly convenient. Not only could it store items from the dimensional world, but in reality, scanning an object was enough to store it inside. It even allowed long-term food storage without worrying about spoilage.

And when milkshakes were stored inside, the inventory kept them chilled, ensuring they wouldn't melt.

"Chu~"

As soon as Pichu caught the scent of the strawberry milkshake, she was instantly captivated. She turned around and gazed at Nero with sparkling, starry eyes.

The corners of Nero's mouth lifted slightly as he handed the milkshake to Pichu.

Pichu licked her lips before eagerly digging in.

Before long, her tiny mouth was completely stuffed, and by the time she finished, a bit of white froth was left at the corners of her lips.

After the last sip, Pichu patted her little belly in satisfaction.

"So? Have you forgiven me now?"

"Chuuu~"

Pichu, now in an excellent mood after her milkshake, completely forgot about her earlier grumpiness.

Seeing how easily Pichu was appeased, Nero couldn't help but sigh. Little lolis are so easy to trick. (ovo)

Picking up a brand-new Poké Ball, Nero placed it in front of Pichu. Without any hesitation, Pichu gently tapped the white button at its center.

In an instant, she was enveloped in red light and entered the Poké Ball.

The Poké Ball gave a few symbolic shakes before settling still.

Nero picked up the Poké Ball from the hospital bed, his gaze soft as he murmured meaningfully, "Don't worry, Pichu. I'll take good care of you."

The Poké Ball in his hand shook a few times, as if responding to Nero's words.

Nero's second Pokémon—Pichu.

Successfully captured!

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