Zhou Ping Catches Pidgey, Sending the Entire Shop into an Uproar

Zhou Ping Catches Pidgey, Sending the Entire Shop into an Uproar

When Bulbasaur landed on the grass, Zhou Ping's first reaction was not excitement, but nervousness.

It was too small.

Smaller than many ten-year Soul Beasts.

Yet when it raised its head to look at Zhou Ping, its eyes were bright and steady, and the seed on its back rose and fell gently with its breathing. It was not the look of a Soul Beast regarding prey, nor was it the look of a pet begging for food. It was more like it was waiting for a newly acquainted companion to give an order.

A Pokédex prompt appeared at the edge of the screen.

[Bulbasaur.]

[Type: Grass, Poison.]

[Category: Seed Pokémon.]

"Grass and Poison?"

Grandmaster murmured it once, his frown deepening.

Douluo Continent also had plant-type Martial Souls and Soul Beasts of the Poison type, but the "types" in the Pokédex were clearly not Spirit Ring attributes. They were written too cleanly, too clearly, as though they belonged to an entirely independent classification system.

Zhou Ping tried to speak.

"Bulbasaur, walk forward?"

Bulbasaur lifted a foot and took two steps forward, then looked back at him, as if confirming whether the command really was that simple.

A wave of stifled laughter immediately rose in the shop.

Zhou Ping blushed.

"It's my first time being a Trainer."

Lin Chuan said, "That's normal for your first time. Check the Pokédex prompts first."

A beginner Trainer guide appeared on the screen.

[Trainers may command Pokémon in battle through orders.]

[After a wild Pokémon's stamina has been reduced, Poké Balls may be used to attempt a capture.]

[Capturing is not killing.]

[Please respect Pokémon life.]

When the final line appeared, several people in the shop subtly changed expression.

They were accustomed to hunting Soul Beasts.

When they saw creatures in the wild, their first thoughts were always age, Spirit Rings, and value. Yet Pokémon World had written "capturing is not killing" directly into the beginner prompt. It was practically like someone had knocked them on the forehead.

Zhou Ping continued onward.

The grass rustled.

A small brown bird suddenly flapped its wings and flew out.

It was not large, but its eyes were sharp. With a flap of its wings, it stirred up a light breeze, then landed atop a wooden stump some distance away and tilted its head as it examined Zhou Ping and Bulbasaur.

A Pokédex prompt immediately appeared.

[Pidgey.]

[Type: Normal, Flying.]

[Category: Tiny Bird Pokémon.]

[A wild Pokémon has appeared.]

The shop instantly heated up.

"So this is a Pokémon?"

"It doesn't look like a Soul Beast."

"There's no age fluctuation."

"And no Spirit Ring aura."

Chen Xin watched the screen, a trace of surprise surfacing in his eyes.

He could tell that Pidgey's movements were light, and it wasted almost no strength while flying. Yet it had none of a Soul Beast's oppressive presence, nor the accumulated weight brought by years of Soul Power. It was simply itself, a tiny bird Pokémon living according to the rules of another world.

Zhou Ping gripped the virtual Poké Ball in his hand.

"Should I throw it now?"

Lin Chuan said, "Battle first. Its stamina is too high right now, so the capture rate will be low."

Ma Hongjun immediately began shouting instructions.

"Hit it! Make Bulbasaur charge!"

Ning Rongrong shot him a glance.

"Can you stop sounding like you're trying to claim a mountain every time you open your mouth?"

Zhou Ping did not blindly listen. He looked at the move menu on the screen and selected the most basic move.

"Bulbasaur, Tackle."

Bulbasaur kicked off with all four limbs and charged at Pidgey. Pidgey reacted quickly, flapping its wings and twisting aside to avoid part of the attack, but Bulbasaur still struck the base of its wing, sending it flapping backward several steps.

Pidgey immediately counterattacked.

It beat its wings and stirred up a small gust, which grazed Bulbasaur's face. Bulbasaur was blown half a step back, but it did not panic. Instead, it looked back at Zhou Ping.

Zhou Ping's heart tightened.

The feeling was strange.

When he had fought Soul Beasts in Douluo Continent before, no Soul Beast had ever looked at him like that. It was not waiting for him to protect it, nor was it begging him for help. It was waiting for him to continue giving orders.

He suddenly did not dare shout commands carelessly.

"Tackle again. Don't chase too far."

Bulbasaur understood. It lowered its body and charged forward. This time, Pidgey was a step too slow to dodge. It was knocked from the stump onto the grass, its stamina visibly reduced, but it still did not fall.

A prompt appeared at the edge of the screen.

[You may attempt to use a Poké Ball.]

Zhou Ping's hands trembled.

"I'm throwing it?"

No one in the shop laughed at him.

Because everyone was staring at the red-and-white Poké Ball.

Zhou Ping took a deep breath and threw the Poké Ball.

The Poké Ball traced an arc through the air and struck Pidgey. A flash of red light appeared, and Pidgey was drawn into the ball. The ball landed in the grass and shook lightly.

Once.

Twice.

Three times.

Ding.

[Pidgey has been caught.]

The shop exploded.

This time, it truly exploded.

Ma Hongjun slapped the table.

"Caught it! It really got caught!"

Ning Rongrong could not help rising to her feet as well.

Yue Guan's smile vanished completely, his gaze seeming to have been pricked by a needle. Ning Fengzhi's fingers slowly clenched, while Chen Xin stared at the Poké Ball for a long time without looking away.

Grandmaster's voice was hoarse.

"It isn't a contracted Soul Beast, not a Spirit Ring attachment, and not a Martial Soul manifestation... It was put inside that ball?"

Lin Chuan nodded.

"A Poké Ball. It is used to catch Pokémon."

Zhou Ping stared at the prompt on the screen, still unable to process what had happened.

He had originally thought that capturing something would probably be like taming a Soul Beast. First suppress it, first establish dominance, and preferably make it thoroughly afraid of him. But what had just happened was completely different. Bulbasaur had not beaten Pidgey until it was at death's door, and not the slightest bloody scent came from the Poké Ball. The little ball had merely shaken three times before informing everyone with a crisp prompt that Pidgey had joined his team.

For a moment, Zhou Ping could hardly believe it.

He had not subdued Pidgey through Soul Power, nor had he bought it with family status and resources. He had simply followed the Pokédex rules and seriously fought the first battle a beginner Trainer was supposed to fight.

[Capture successful.]

[Pidgey has joined the Trainer's registered party.]

[Current number of Pokémon allowed to undergo Real-World Transfer during the testing period: One.]

[Would you like to bring it out?]

Zhou Ping froze.

Real-World Transfer.

He looked at Bulbasaur, then at the Pidgey he had just caught. Bulbasaur was his starter partner and had accompanied him through his first battle. Pidgey was the first wild Pokémon he had personally caught. When asked to choose, he found that he could not bear to leave either behind.

Outside the screen, Ning Fengzhi watched Zhou Ping's expression, and something stirred faintly within him.

This was not choosing a Spirit Ring after hunting a Soul Beast. Once a hunting party killed a Soul Beast, a Soul Master only needed to judge its age, attributes, and absorption risk. Few would ask whether that Soul Beast was willing. But Pokémon World had been forcing Trainers to consider another question from the very beginning: who would you take with you, and did you have the ability to take responsibility for them?

To the strong, this might merely be one more rule.

But to a low-level Soul Master like Zhou Ping, it was like a path he could finally step onto.

On the screen, Bulbasaur seemed to understand his hesitation and gave a soft cry.

It did not fuss or compete. It simply stood in the grass and looked at him.

Zhou Ping's heart ached.

"Bulbasaur, can I bring you out again in the future?"

The system prompt responded.

[Registered Pokémon may continue to be trained within the game.]

[The Real-World Transfer quota may be changed in the shop, but may only be changed once per day.]

Zhou Ping let out a breath of relief.

He looked at the Poké Ball.

"Then I'll bring out Pidgey first."

It was not because Bulbasaur was unimportant, but because he wanted everyone to see that he had truly caught a Pokémon.

[Real-World Transfer registration: Pidgey.]

[Trainer: Zhou Ping.]

[Deployment confirmed.]

The next moment, a real Poké Ball suddenly appeared beside Zhou Ping's hand.

Red and white, cool to the touch.

It was not a Soul Tool.

It was not a Martial Soul manifestation.

Nor was it an illusion.

Zhou Ping picked it up with trembling hands. Everyone in the shop followed that ball with their eyes. Lin Chuan raised a hand and lightly tapped the edge of the counter.

"Pokémon may be released inside the shop. No one is allowed to test them by force, and no one may suppress them with Soul Power."

No one objected.

Zhou Ping pressed the button at the center of the Poké Ball.

A flash of red light appeared.

Pidgey appeared on the floor of Grand Dao Internet Cafe.

It first tilted its head, seemingly curious about its new surroundings. Then it flapped its wings and lightly flew onto Zhou Ping's shoulder.

Zhou Ping froze.

The tiny bird Pokémon stood on his shoulder, its claws light, its feathers brushing his cheek. It was so real that his eyes began to burn.

At that moment, Grand Dao Internet Cafe was silent enough to hear a needle drop.

Because everyone had seen it.

A low-level Soul Master had truly brought a Pokémon that did not belong to Douluo Continent out of a game.

Even more critically, Pidgey had not collapsed upon arriving in an unfamiliar world, nor had it turned into points of reward light. It was alive. It could breathe, observe, and choose to stand on its Trainer's shoulder. Compared to any system explanation, this scene was far more convincing.