Chapter 127: Success! The Strange Ball!
"Alright. If you change your mind, you can find any Nurse Joy in the world," Joy said. She was, after all, not a villain. Although she was disappointed by Will's refusal, she wouldn't force him to do something he didn't want to.
"Thank you for understanding," Will said. He picked up the pouting Sprigatito, preparing to leave.
"Grovyle, while you're in Azalea Town, could you come by often? I'd still like to record your data. Please~"
"No problem," Will nodded. He was happy to help with a small request like this, not for any complex reason like getting on the Joy family's good side, but simply because it was no trouble. Thinking back on the help he had received from Sola, Tom, and Myra, his heart felt warm. If he could pass that warmth on to others, it was a meaningful thing to do.
"Thank you. Oh, by the way, Sprigatito is a Pokémon that gets jealous very easily. If its Trainer shows affection to any Pokémon other than itself, it will throw a tantrum. Sprigatito clearly sees you as its 'Trainer'," Joy said as she and Chansey walked him to the door. She clearly felt that since Will was a Pokémon himself, he wouldn't know the specifics of the Sprigatito species.
"You hear that? She's talking about you," Will said, not at all surprised. He poked the Sprigatito in his arms.
"MEOW! HISS!" Sprigatito angrily hissed at Nurse Joy, looking as if she were about to pounce and bite her.
Smack.
Will didn't hesitate, tapping her on her little head. He then carried her back to Myra's house.
"Yo, Lizard, you're back! Where'd you go without saying a word? Hurry and bring the kitten, time for breakfast," Myra called out as she was placing a giant basin of mush on the table.
Will looked at the massive pot and instantly felt full.
"I'm going to Uncle Gunther's today to learn how to make Poké Balls. You stay here and play with Eevee. I'll be back for lunch," he said, putting Sprigatito on the floor. He left the house and ran to Gunther's.
Clack.
He opened the door. A wave of heat hit him in the face.
"Hm? You're here early? Good. We're eating. Come have some," Gunther said. He was feeding his Slow-pig with a large ladle. On the table was a serving bowl the size of a washbasin, filled with colorful, jelly-like crystals.
Will, who was already full just from looking at Myra's breakfast, now felt even more stuffed.
"Don't just stand there! Get in here! This is the secret to how my Slowpoke got bigger than Myra's Eevee. Don't you dare let her find out!" Gunther urged.
Will didn't even want to respond anymore.
Ten minutes later.
I have to get out of Azalea Town as soon as possible, Will thought, lying flat on the floor, his stomach feeling like it was about to split open. But... his body felt warm. He didn't know if it was his imagination, but his physical stats seemed to have increased, just slightly. The change was so faint he almost thought he was imagining it. But he definitely felt he had a bit more stamina.
"This is made from Apricorns. According to my father, food made from Apricorns is very beneficial for a Pokémon's body. If you can still eat, have some more."
"I don't doubt that, but eating too much... isn't that also bad?" Will said, glancing at the Slow-pig. He couldn't see how its current physique had anything to do with being "healthy."
He rested for a bit, and then the day's lessons began. During his lunch break, Will would go to the Pokémon Center to let Joy record his data. In the afternoon and evening, he would continue to help out at Gunther's workshop.
The days passed quickly. Before he knew it, Will had been in Azalea Town for five days, which was longer than he had planned. Mainly because the technique of hand-crafting Poké Balls was far more difficult than he had imagined.
Even Sprigatito had left her infant stage this morning. Her height had reached 0.3 meters, though she didn't look much taller. Her weight, however, had already reached 4.5kg, heavier than an average male Sprigatito. Although she didn't look fat yet, if she stayed here for a few more days, that might change.
Will was already planning to leave with her in the next two days. If not for the obsession that had taken root in his heart—to personally craft his own Poké Ball—he would have left this pig-raising town long ago.
On the afternoon of the sixth day.
"I'm going to try to make one myself today."
"Hm? You're going to try it on your own?" Gunther looked at Will, who had spoken up suddenly. Having spent the last few days together, he could now roughly understand his meaning.
Will nodded.
"With your current skill, it's too early to successfully craft a Poké Ball. Don't think this is a simple task!" Gunther said in a stern tone, probably thinking he was being too hasty.
"I want to try."
"Hmph! Overestimating your own abilities!" Gunther scoffed. But even as he said it, he quickly stepped aside to make room.
Will wasn't surprised. After a few days together, he already knew what kind of person his "Uncle Gunther" was.
"Put your back into it! Didn't you eat lunch?"
"Are you even looking at the ruler? Is it straight? Are your eyes crooked?"
"You can't even hold the knife steady? What was the point of me making you carry water all those days?"
In just one simple set of actions, Will made over a dozen mistakes, nearly giving Gunther a fatal stroke from anger. But even as he cursed, he never left, nor did he intervene.
Time passed, and it was past midnight. Normally, Will and Gunther would have been fast asleep. But the lights in the workshop were still on.
"Now," Gunther's voice rang out.
Will, his hands (claws) holding the two halves, snapped them together.
Ting!
The moment the Poké Ball was successfully crafted, a red light shot out and absorbed Will into it. Gunther was so startled he almost grabbed a hammer to smash it. But he quickly realized what had happened and sighed in relief. He looked at the Poké Ball, a hint of gratification in his eyes, and the corners of his mouth turned up in a slight smile.
Ting.
The same sound rang out again. A red beam of light shot out of the ball, expanding and gradually reforming into the shape of a Grovyle.
"I did it!" Will cheered, looking at the pale green Poké Ball on the table, and did a happy little jump. That was so hard!
As for what it felt like inside, there was nothing special. In his vision, it just looked like a normal, small house, with all the basic necessities. It probably looked different to different Pokémon. In any case, it was a comfortable environment, just a bit cramped, and it gave him a feeling of not being free.
"Hmph. Don't get too happy. With your skills, you'll need another hundred million years of practice before you're a master!" Gunther's voice came from the side.
"Thank you, Uncle Gunther," Will grinned, giving him a slight bow. He was truly grateful that Gunther had been willing to teach him his skills without reservation. This was a technique he could use for countless lifetimes.
"Alright, alright, cut it out. Take your ball and get lost. I'm dead tired," Gunther said, unable to stand Will's sentimentality. He yawned and walked past him, preparing to go to bed.
"Uncle Gunther... I'm leaving tomorrow."
"What?" Gunther froze and turned to look at him, unsure if he had heard him correctly.
"I'm leaving," Will said, pointing towards the village exit.
"...Is that so? Then get lost already. I can finally get some peace and quiet," Gunther said after a two-second silence, turning his back and waving a dismissive hand.
Will smiled. He picked up the pale green Poké Ball from the table and walked out.
"It looks a bit like a Strange Ball," Will mused, walking home and observing the ball in the moonlight. The exterior was rough. If not for the nice color, it would be ugly. But it was the first one he had ever made, and he loved it. The "Strange Ball" was a special type of ball from the Legends: Arceus game. In reality, its function was no different from a regular Poké Ball; it just had a different appearance.
"A pity, I only have one. I'll have to find a way to buy one for Sprigatito in Cherrygrove," Will scratched his head. He didn't have the heart to ask Gunther for another one. He had already taken up so much of the man's time, and he still had that big League order to finish.
Back at Myra's house.
"Meow~"
Sprigatito's voice was the first thing he heard. As he entered, he saw the little cat come to greet him.
"You're not asleep yet?"
"Meow~"
Having left her infant stage, Sprigatito seemed a little more mature. In the past, she would have been angry at him for coming home so late, but not anymore.
"Let's go to sleep."
"Meow?"
Sprigatito, now in Will's arms, saw the Poké Ball in his hand and patted it.
"This is a Poké Ball. You'll have one too, someday," Will said, rubbing her head. He placed the ball in his backpack, and the two of them went to their room.
"We're leaving here tomorrow."
"Meow?"
"We will. If we have the chance, we'll come back."
"Meow~"
"Goodnight."
After saying goodnight, Will drifted off to sleep in the sweet fragrance given off by Sprigatito.
But next door, in Gunther's house, where the forge had gone dark, a light quietly flickered back on, and the faint sound of hammering began to echo.
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