Vita Magicis (HP SI-WC) (Patreon)

Chapter 52: Catching Chaos

Our first stop after leaving the Pokémon Center was, of course, the Poké Mart.

The moment we stepped inside, chaos erupted. The girls went into a full-blown shopping frenzy, snatching up everything in sight. Shelves emptied faster than you could say “Gotta catch ’em all.”

The poor shopkeeper looked on in horror as his store was completely ransacked.

With a sheepish smile, I walked up to the counter and offered an apologetic shrug. “Sorry about them. It’s their first time in a big city like this, they grew up in a small town you see. Here, this should cover everything… plus a little extra for the trouble.”

I dropped several thick stacks of Poké-dollars onto the counter, grateful that the Company offered free currency exchange in every world.

The man’s eyes widened; his expression did a complete 180 as a grin lit up his face. “No problem at all, young man! Please, take all the time you need!”

Yep. No matter the world, no matter the culture, money always speaks louder than words.

“While I’m at it,” I said, glancing around the store, “do you have any Poké Balls in stock? I didn’t see any on display.”

“Of course we do!” the shopkeeper said quickly, rubbing his hands together. “We’ve got plenty of regular Poké Balls, Great Balls, even Ultra Balls.” His smile had turned unmistakably greedy.

“Perfect.” I grinned. “Then I’ll take one hundred of each.”

The man nearly choked. “O-One hundred!? Are you sure, sir? Great Balls and Ultra Balls aren’t exactly cheap—”

“Don’t worry. Money’s not an issue.” I waved him off and placed a few more stacks on the counter.

For a moment, I swear I saw actual Poké-dollar signs flash in his pupils. “I’ll be right back with your order, sir!” he said, practically skipping to the back room.

Leaning against the counter, I listened to the frantic sounds of him packing up my order while the girls continued tearing the store apart aisle by aisle.

“The question now,” I murmured to myself, “is what Pokémon do I want as a starter?”

=====

Several Hours Later

After buying what was easily a small fortune’s worth of supplies for our journey, including every kind of Pokémon food imaginable, we finally made our way back to the Poké Center, where Ilulu welcomed us with a warm dinner we all gratefully devoured.

Before heading to bed, I turned toward Rin, Illya, and Hermione with a serious look.

“No experimenting allowed while we’re under the roof of a Poké Center,” I said firmly.

Rin and Illya flinched in perfect sync, both avoiding my gaze like guilty schoolgirls.

“I mean it,” I continued. “I don’t want us getting banned because one of you decides to test something and ends up blowing the place sky-high.” I gave Rin a pointed look that made her blush.

“The Poké Centers are one of the only places trainers can rest for free, not to mention the only reliable place to heal Pokémon. And, this one should hit home, we actually get real beds here. Not tents. Not sleeping bags. Beds.” I said dryly.

“Geez, Onii-chan, no need to lay it on so thick,” Illya pouted, arms crossed. “We got it. No experimenting inside the Poké Center.”

“I’m laying it on thick because some people—” I turned to Rin again, who winced “—are not exactly patient and tend to let their ‘passion’ get the best of them.”

“Way to go, gorilla,” Illya muttered under her breath. “Thanks to you, we have to sit through Onii-chan’s lecture.”

“Alright, that’s enough,” I cut in before Rin could retaliate. “We’re leaving at sunrise, so everyone get plenty of rest, alright?”

“You got it!”

“I can’t wait for tomorrow~”

“We can finally capture Pokémon now~”

=====

Following Day

Waking up at the crack of dawn wasn’t easy. It took several minutes, and some minor threats, to get everyone moving, mainly because Rin, Ginny, and Rose were definitely not morning people.

After a quick breakfast made by my lovely Ilulu, we finally set off toward Route 2 and Viridian Forest for our first captures.

“Hey, Aether,” Luna called as she skipped along beside me, arms swaying freely.

“Yeah?” I turned to her, one eyebrow raised.

“I just thought of something. Who’s going to take care of our Pokémon while we’re at school? Don’t they need to eat and stretch their legs sometimes?”

That got everyone’s attention.

“That’s… actually a good question, Luna.” Hermione admitted, blushing. “I’m a little embarrassed to admit that I didn’t even think of that due to the excitement of traveling to another world.”

“Can’t they just stay in their Poké Balls?” Daphne asked curiously.

“That sounds kind of cruel though,” Rose murmured, frowning slightly, no doubt thinking back to her days with the Dursleys.

“Don’t worry, everyone,” I said with a reassuring smile. “I already have that figured out.”

“Your house, I’m guessing?” Astoria asked, hands clasped behind her head as she strolled along, eyes taking in the beautiful scenery.

“Partly,” I nodded. “While Daphne’s right that they can stay in their Poké Balls, or more specifically in my inventory, where time basically stops, I figured not everyone would like that. So…” I glanced at Ilulu, who blushed and ducked her head as I grinned. “With the help of my ever-resourceful Ilulu, we picked up a bunch of Vivariums. Each one with its own environment.”

“Vivariums! Why didn’t I think of that?” Hermione groaned, facepalming.

“That’s wonderful~” Luna sighed dreamily, then leaned up to kiss my cheek for my thoughtfulness.

“Thanks~” I smiled. “Anyway, the Pokémon can roam freely in the Vivariums while we’re at school, and the girls back home can help take care of them.”

“Oh yeah,” Ginny blinked. “You do have like, an army of maids.”

“Huhuhu~” Illya suddenly let out her trademark ojou-sama laugh, flashing a smug grin at everyone, especially Rin. “And guess who’s responsible for that army of cute maids?”

“Isn’t it still Senpai?” Sakura asked innocently, head tilted. “He was the one who saved you and them, right?”

Illya immediately deflated. “…When you put it that way…”

“The important thing is that we don’t have to worry,” I said, pulling Illya into a side-hug that instantly lifted her spirits again.

“Hihihi, you’re right of course, Onii-chan~” she giggled.

“I see a Pidgey!” Astoria suddenly shouted, and bolted off without further notice.

“Wait, Astoria! It could be dangerous!” Daphne yelled immediately running after her, but the younger girl ignored her and kept running.

“Well,” I sighed with a grin, “might as well follow. I kinda want to see how this goes, I never actually explained how to catch a Pokémon.”

My thoughts wondered in amusement as I wondered if she would just throw a Poké Ball at it and expect to catch it without battling it first. A clear rookie move.

I started walking after them, hand on my chin, amused.

‘Though… I wonder how everyone will react when they learn you basically have to beat them up first and then throw a Poké Ball?’

=====

My predictions proved true after all.

“Ugh! Why won’t it get into the Poké Ball!?” Astoria groaned in frustration as, for the third time, the Pidgey she was trying to capture popped right back out of the ball.

To make things worse, the Pidgey didn’t even bother to flee, it just stood there, glaring at her like she was the annoying one.

“Hihihi, you were right, Onii-chan~ This is extremely entertaining,” Illya giggled openly beside me.

The rest weren’t much better, all trying (and failing) to stifle their laughter. Rose, Hermione, and Luna at least had the decency to cover their mouths, but their shaking shoulders gave them away.

“Haha, alright. I better step in before she kills it out of rage and embarrassment,” I muttered with a sigh.

“Boo, no fun,” Illya pouted.

“Astoria!” I called out, raising my voice.

“What!?” she snapped, clearly at her limit.

“You have to weaken a Pokémon first before you can capture it. Since that Pidgey’s weak, a few Flipendos should do the trick.”

There was a pause… and then a loud smack as she facepalmed hard enough for us to hear it. Without another word, she pulled out her wand and vented her frustration on the poor bird.

The next throw hit true. The Poké Ball shook once, twice—click!

“I finally did it!” Astoria cheered, holding her prize up high before running back and launching herself into my arms, kissing me soundly.

We were all congratulating her when Sakura tilted her head innocently. “Senpai? Does that mean we have to… basically beat up any Pokémon we want to capture?”

The group went silent.

Pulling away from Astoria, I gave a dry smile. “Sounds barbaric, doesn’t it?”

“Yes.”

“A little.”

“Very, yes.”

“I somewhat agree,” I admitted. “But believe it or not, Pokémon are tougher than they look. There’s a reason Gym battles and battle tournaments are world-famous, they’re televised, regulated, and insanely popular.”

“So… people use them for entertainment?” Rose asked, frowning.

“Pretty much,” I nodded. “But it’s not as cruel as it sounds. Most Pokémon love to battle, it’s part of how they grow stronger. And besides, in this world, other than a few scumbags, trainers take care of them like companions or family. Poké Centers exist for a reason, they heal them for free, remember?”

My words seemed to calm the group a bit, though Hermione still looked uneasy.

“I can’t say I agree with it entirely,” she said at last, “but… if it’s part of how this world works, I suppose we can’t really interfere.”

“Exactly. And don’t forget—” I flashed a smirk and pointed at myself, “you’ve got one of the best healers in any world right here. Any scrapes or bruises they get? I can take care of that in an instant.”

That earned a mix of smiles and chuckles.

“Hihihi, as expected of my dependable Onii-chan~” Illya preened with her hands on her hips and nodding at me.

“Senpai is the best,” Sakura added sweetly cuddling up to my side with a lovesick expression.

“I guess you do have your moments,” Rin huffed, blushing and looking off to the side.

With the mood lightened, we resumed our journey, next stop: Viridian Forest.

=====

Several Hours Later

Eventually, Route 2 ended, and Viridian Forest loomed before us, a place most of the girls weren’t exactly thrilled about once I mentioned it was crawling with bug Pokémon. Luna, naturally, was the only exception.

On the way there, I’d used Bounty Tracker to snag a pair of Nidoran, one male and one female. After leaving the girls to rest, I backtracked to Route 22 to capture a Mankey and a Poliwag before catching up.

Being here, in the actual Pokémon world, stirred something deep inside me, a familiar itch from my past life. Every time I played, from Generation 1 all the way to 9, that same urge came alive: the compulsion to Catch ’Em All.

Basically, I was a bit of a hoarder when it came to Pokémon.

Now, standing here surrounded by real Pokémon, that old obsession was clawing at me again.

“What’s wrong, Aether?” Ginny asked curiously as we walked beneath the shade of the tall trees.

I waved it off. “It’s nothing, trust me.”

The skeptical looks I got made me sigh in defeat. “Alright, fine, it’s silly, really.”

“Ooh~ what embarrassing secret is Onii-chan hiding I wonder?” Illya teased, practically bouncing in excitement.

Artoria leaned in too. “Yes, do tell.”

Of course, they’d be the most eager to hear it, brats that they were.

“I just… have this ridiculous urge to catch every Pokémon in this region,” I admitted with a sheepish look while scratching the back of my head. “It happens every time I play the games. I know it’s impossible right now, but… the habit’s hard to kill.”

“A completionist, huh?” Hermione muttered thoughtfully, tapping her chin. “That actually sounds very Ravenclaw of you.”

“Same,” Daphne added softly, a faint blush on her cheeks.

“Hihihi~ I think it’s adorable,” Ginny giggled.

“I do too,” Sakura agreed with stars in her eyes.

“I’ll help you, Aether,” Luna declared suddenly, looking up at me with a determined gaze.

Meanwhile, Illya and Artoria both pouted. “Boo~ I thought it was going to be something scandalous.”

“Thank you, Luna,” I said warmly. “But that’s impossible for now.”

Her face fell, so I quickly clarified, patting her head. “Not because I don’t want to. It’s just… time. We can only stay for a while. But the good news is, now that we’ve opened the path to this world, we can come back whenever we want.”

Luna’s eyes lit up. “Really?”

“Of course. I might even need your help. There are over a thousand known Pokémon species out there, and that’s just the ones I remember about with my limited knowledge. I’ll definitely need a capable partner.”

Her eyes practically sparkled. “Then you can count on me! I’ll join you whenever you want!”

“Thanks,” I said with a grin, still patting her soft hair. “For now, how about I help you catch that Pikachu you wanted? There should be some around here from what I recall.”

“A Pikachu…” Luna whispered in awe before straightening with new determination. “Okay! Let’s find one!”

And just like that, she was off, scanning the area with her Bounty Tracker like a woman on a mission.

=====

It didn’t take long for Bounty Tracker to ping.

“There!” she exclaimed, pointing ahead where a bright yellow blur darted between the roots of a massive tree.

Sure enough, a Pikachu stood there, nose twitching curiously as its tail flicked. When it spotted us, its ears perked and it tilted its head, adorable, but definitely cautious.

“Oh… it’s so cute,” Luna whispered reverently, hands clasped like she’d just found the world’s most precious secret. “I must have it.”

“Remember, Luna,” I said, resting a hand on her shoulder, “you need to weaken it first before you throw the Poké Ball.”

She nodded solemnly… then took a deep breath and said, “Okay, Mr. Pikachu, please be gentle with me.”

Before I could react, Luna flicked her wand and shouted, “Stupefy!”

The spell shot past the Pikachu and hit the tree behind it, sending bark flying. The Pikachu blinked… then narrowed its eyes and let out an indignant “Pikaaa!” before launching a small Thunder Shock directly at Luna’s feet.

The resulting flash and zap made her squeak and jump three feet into the air.

“Luna!” I shouted, readying a barrier spell, but to my surprise, she only giggled, sparks still dancing through her hair.

“He’s feisty!” she said cheerfully. “I like that in a partner!”

The Pikachu tilted its head again, clearly confused by this crazy blonde witch laughing off its attack. It sparked once more, but before it could release another bolt, Luna aimed again, this time, the spell landed perfectly.

The Pikachu yelped and stumbled back, dazed but still conscious.

Without hesitation, Luna threw her Poké Ball with dramatic flair. “Go, Poké Ball!”

The ball struck the Pikachu and snapped open with a flash of light. It shook once. Twice.

Click!

Luna gasped, then screamed, “I did it!” before running back toward me, jumping up and down like a child on Christmas morning. “Aether! Did you see? He’s mine now!”

“Hahaha, I saw! Nicely done, Luna,” I said, laughing as she practically tackled me in a hug.

“Sir Sparksalot is going to love living with us,” she said proudly, already holding the ball close to her chest. “I’ll make sure he’s happy every single day!”

“That’s the spirit,” I said, ruffling her hair. “Just… maybe go easier on the next one. I’d rather not have you electrocuted before lunch.”

Illya snorted behind us. “Honestly, I was kind of rooting for the Pikachu.”

Rin sighed. “Of course you were.”

As Luna kept spinning with her new Poké Ball in hand, beaming like the sun itself, I couldn’t help but smile.

Endearing chaos at its finest.