Shunya didn't move.
Not because he couldn't—but because he was afraid that if he did, this moment might disappear.
The small Pokémon stood just beyond arm's reach, its yellow fur softly ruffled by the breeze. It wasn't aggressive. It wasn't scared either. Just curious, dark eyes studying him the same way Shunya was studying it.
"Pikachu…" he whispered again, voice trembling.
The name felt different when spoken out loud here. He'd said it thousands of times before—watching episodes, reading guides, arguing online about power levels—but this time, it wasn't a name from a screen.
It was someone standing in front of him.
Pikachu's ears twitched. It took a cautious step back, paws brushing against the tall grass.
That movement snapped Shunya out of his daze.
"W-Wait!" he blurted out, instantly regretting how loud he sounded.
Pikachu froze.
The silence stretched, thick and heavy. Shunya's heart hammered against his chest. This was it. His first real interaction. His first real chance.
Slowly, carefully, he lowered himself into a crouch.
"I'm not here to hurt you," he said, forcing his voice to steady. "I just… I just want to meet you."
He didn't know if Pokémon could understand full sentences. The system hadn't explained that yet. But Pokémon had always been more than beasts. They felt emotions. They sensed intent.
So Shunya focused on that instead.
The Poké Ball at his waist pulsed faintly, as if reminding him of its existence.
He hesitated.
Throwing it now would be easy. One quick motion. One attempt. The thought sent a rush of adrenaline through him.
But something stopped him.
This wasn't how he wanted it to begin.
Shunya reached into his spatial bag instead.
A small red berry appeared in his palm, cool and slightly rough to the touch.
Pikachu's nose twitched.
Its eyes locked onto the berry.
"See?" Shunya said softly, extending his hand just a little. "No tricks."
The seconds crawled by.
Then—one step.
Another.
Pikachu approached, movements cautious but deliberate. When it reached the berry, it sniffed it once… twice… then took a small bite.
Shunya held his breath.
Pikachu's eyes lit up.
"Pika!"
It finished the berry in seconds, cheeks puffing slightly as it chewed. When it looked back up at Shunya, something had changed. The distance in its gaze was gone, replaced by something warmer.
A soft chime echoed in Shunya's ears.
> Bond Level Established: Basic Trust
His breath caught.
"So… you can understand," he murmured.
Pikachu tilted its head again, as if amused.
Then, without warning, it hopped backward, electricity crackling faintly around its cheeks.
Shunya tensed.
A battle stance.
"Oh—right," he said quickly, scrambling to his feet. "That makes sense."
This was still the wild.
Trust didn't mean ownership.
The air shifted.
A faint, transparent interface appeared at the edge of his vision—no menus, no clutter. Just simple cues.
> Wild Pokémon Encounter Initiated
Pikachu moved first.
A spark leapt forward, fast and sharp.
"Whoa—!" Shunya barely managed to dive to the side, the electricity zipping past where his head had been a moment earlier and striking a tree with a loud crack.
His heart nearly jumped out of his chest.
"That was close…!"
So this was real-time combat.
No turns. No waiting.
Pikachu darted forward, small but fast, its movements fluid and unpredictable. Shunya's mind raced. He wasn't commanding a Pokémon yet—he didn't have one.
That meant this was on him.
"Okay… okay… think," he muttered, rolling to his feet.
The Poké Ball.
He reached for it.
Pikachu noticed the movement instantly and leapt, electricity flaring brighter.
Shunya threw himself sideways again, skidding across the grass. The shock slammed into the ground where he'd stood, sending dirt flying.
His hands shook.
Not from fear.
From excitement.
"This is insane," he laughed breathlessly.
He popped up, turned, and threw the Poké Ball—not wildly, but with intent.
The ball struck Pikachu in a flash of red light, pulling it inside. It hit the ground and began to shake.
Once.
Twice.
Shunya clenched his fists.
"Come on…"
The third shake slowed.
Stopped.
A sharp chime rang out.
> Pokémon Captured Successfully.
The Poké Ball clicked open.
Shunya stared at it.
For a moment, he couldn't breathe.
Then the realization hit him all at once.
"I… I caught it."
His legs gave out, and he dropped to his knees, laughing softly. Tears blurred his vision, though he didn't bother wiping them away.
He reached forward and picked up the Poké Ball with trembling hands.
"Pikachu," he said, smiling wider than he ever had in his life. "We did it."
The ball warmed slightly in his grip, as if responding.
Another notification appeared.
> First Pokémon Acquired.
> Partner Registered.
> Trainer Path Activated.
Somewhere deep within the world, unseen by Shunya, invisible gears began to turn. Systems acknowledged his presence. Records updated. Fate shifted ever so slightly.
But Shunya didn't notice any of that.
He was too busy holding the proof of a dream come true.
This was only his first Pokémon.
His first step.
And yet, somehow, it already felt like the beginning of something far bigger than he could imagine.
To be continued.[1]
[1] About pokémon's wild behaviour, 'They're designed to make first move on trainers. Though I've always imagined that animaters intentionally skipped things like these as anime was made for kids, but here I'm not writing for 3-12 years kids, so I'll try to make it more realistic. Yeah, I know that mc is only 11 years old, it also doesn't mean he never saw attacking behaviour from animals in reality. I hope you now understand what I mean here.