"Bewear, be gentle!" Carver called out.
"Guu!"
Bewear looked at the wild Oddish and immediately understood its trainer's intent.
It stood up and began walking toward the Oddish.
Bewear's massive form, over two meters tall, made the ground thud heavily with each step, causing vibrations that to Oddish must have felt like the earth was shaking.
The Oddish, basking peacefully in the evening sunlight, suddenly snapped awake.
When it opened its eyes, a towering Pokémon was standing right in front of it, blocking its path.
"Oddish?"
The little Pokémon blinked sleepily, its tiny eyes filled with confusion.
But in the next second, realization struck.
"Oddish!"
It yelped in surprise, leaping up in a panic. Almost instinctively, it turned to flee.
Boom!
Bewear swung its arm, slamming a Hammer Arm into the ground ahead of Oddish, cutting off its escape.
The tiny Oddish turned around, looking warily at the massive Pokémon and the human standing behind it.
Do they want to catch me?
This wouldn't be easy!
If that was the case, then it would fight!
Oddish shook its grassy leaves, and instantly, a fine powder sprinkled from them, drifting toward Bewear.
"Stun Spore?" Carver called out. "Bewear, hold your breath and use Tackle!"
"Guu!"
Bewear's massive form charged forward like a tank, barreling straight toward Oddish.
The tiny Pokémon had no time to dodge before it was sent flying through the air, crashing into the ground, fainting instantly.
Carver quickly pulled a Poké Ball from his pocket and tossed it toward the fainted Oddish.
Click!
A beam of red light shot out, enveloping Oddish and pulling it into the ball.
The Poké Ball fell to the grass and began shaking.
Once...
Twice...
Three times...
Then, it came to a stop.
The capture was successful!
Carver let out a sigh of relief. He walked forward, picked up the Poké Ball, and smiled. Now, the breeding house would have its own Grass-type Pokémon to help tend to the herb garden.
But before that, he would need to properly get to know Oddish.
Poké Balls in this world didn't have any brainwashing capabilities; even if a Pokémon was forcibly captured, it wouldn't necessarily listen to its trainer.
Only by proving one's strength or character could you genuinely earn a Pokémon's trust.
When Carver returned to the breeding house, the sky had already gone dark.
The soft and bright moonlight spilled across the land, illuminating everything even without artificial lights.
He pushed open the door, switched on the lights, and sat down with Bewear on the sofa. He then pulled out Oddish's Poké Ball.
With a flash of white light, the little Oddish appeared on the table, blinking nervously at the human and the massive Pokémon before it.
Carver took out a spray potion used for treating Pokémon injuries. He gently applied it to Oddish while speaking in a calming voice.
"Don't be afraid, Oddish. I'm Carver, and this is Bewear. We're happy to meet you!"
As the cool mist sprayed over its body, the wounds from the earlier battle immediately began to heal. Oddish's eyes grew wide, and it seemed to relax a little.
"Oddish!"
Seeing Oddish accept its new reality, Carver smiled and said, "From now on, we'll be taking care of each other, Oddish!"
Oddish stared at the human in front of it, blinking its small eyes.
"Oddish…"
Carver glanced at Oddish's information and saw that its Joy value had dropped from 20 to 10.
But its Friendship value had risen from 0 to 10.
A line of text followed:
[Your strength has earned Oddish's respect. It acknowledges you as its Trainer.]
Seeing this, Carver smiled slightly.
Friendship could always be developed over time. As long as Oddish was willing to follow him, everything would work out.
"Grumble, grumble…"
Suddenly, the sound of a stomach growling interrupted the moment.
Carver and Oddish both turned to look at Bewear.
"Guu…" Bewear scratched its head in embarrassment.
Carver couldn't help but laugh. "Alright, I'll go prepare dinner."
Since the breeding house was still limited in supplies, Carver made himself a bowl of noodles and prepared a Berry Feast and some Pokémon snacks he had bought from Fallarbor Town for Bewear and Oddish.
Under the warm light of the room, the three of them sat around the small dining table, eating happily.
"Eat up, Oddish. Once you're done, I'll show you around our home!" Carver said cheerfully.
Having grown up in the wild, only drinking dew and surviving off the forest, Oddish had never tasted such delicious food. It eagerly stuffed its face with snacks, nodding as it chewed.
"Oddish!"
By the time they finished the meal, Oddish's Friendship value had jumped from 10 to 30, and its Joy value had risen from 10 to 50.
This 40-point increase in Joy brought Carver a brand-new reward.
[Oddish's mood improved, Joy +40. Received Oddish's Gift: "Sleep Powder" TM.]
[Sleep Powder (TM): Scatters a fine powder that puts the opponent to sleep. Can be used 9999/9999 times.]
"A new move…" Carver didn't expect such a nice surprise.
Nice! Now the breeding house had another service to offer.
After dinner, Bewear headed to the kitchen to wash the dishes, while Carver took Oddish outside to the courtyard where the berry trees, herbs, flowers, and crops were planted.
The grass was lush and green, the moonlight blanketed the ground, and the night breeze rustled the leaves of the berry trees, creating a dreamlike atmosphere.
Behind them, the breeding house glowed with warm light, and a wooden fence encircled the garden, keeping everything safe and separate from the outside world.
The sense of security was almost palpable.
"Oddish…"
With just one glance, Oddish had fallen in love with the place. Its tiny eyes sparkled with delight.
"Do you like it?" Carver crouched down, speaking to Oddish at eye level.
"Oddish!" Oddish nodded eagerly.
"This is the breeding house, and this garden is a place I prepared specifically for growing flowers and plants. It's also going to be your home. You can sleep under the berry trees or rest in the grass—no one will bother you."
Carver's voice was gentle.
Oddish began to imagine it:
On a peaceful, beautiful night, it could lie on the soft grass of the courtyard, the evening breeze gently sweeping by, and above it, the vast, deep blue sky. It could just lie there, enjoying the breeze, basking in the soft moonlight.
"Oddish…"
What a wonderful feeling!