After Noibat eats its fill, I take out a Luxury Pokeball and ask, "Noibat, do you want to become my first Pokemon?"
At my question, Noibat tilts his head in pure confusion, those big yellow eyes blinking up at me like he's trying to process what the fuck I just said.
"So… being my Pokemon means that… uh… yeah, you can be with me forever. Yeah, that's right," I say awkwardly, scratching my cheek.
Noibat lets out a small "Noi" again, like he half-understands.
So, I gently tap Noibat's head with the Luxury Pokeball. In a flash of red light, Noibat disappears inside. The ball wiggles twice before the red dot in the center fades and lets out a soft 'ding' — the sound of a successful capture.
I can't help but grin. "And that's how you become my first Pokemon."
I call Noibat back out, and the ball opens with a burst of light. Noibat appears again, flapping his wings immediately, like he's testing them or showing off.
"Yeah, right," I sigh. "You still need to learn flying, little guy."
This is going to be tough. I don't have any flying-type pokemon who can demonstrate proper flight, and explaining aerodynamics to a baby dragon bat isn't exactly an option. The scientific explanation would fly right over his tiny head.
"Noibat, try flapping your wings really fast," I say.
He tries, bless him. His wings blur for a few seconds, and for a brief, glorious moment, he's actually lifting off the ground — almost flying. Almost.
Then, predictably, he gets tired and starts to fall. I dart forward and catch him before he hits the ground.
"Don't worry, I'm here," I say softly.
"Noi," he chirps, clearly frustrated, and immediately starts trying again — only to fail over and over.
"Hmm," I mutter, watching him wobble, "Maybe your muscles just need time to adjust before you can fly properly."
Noibat looks confused again, his head tilting in that adorable way that makes it hard to stay annoyed, making me understand why so many people loved Pokemon in my last life. Noibat is clearly better than the real bats of my previous life.
"How about you try to feel how the air moves first?" I suggest, placing him on a sturdy tree branch. "Let the wind flow around your wings before you start gliding."
But the stubborn little thing tries to fly again. I hold up a hand. "No, wait! First, feel how the air moves and how it feels against your wings."
Noibat pauses, then nods — or at least I think he does — and spreads his wings wide, eyes half-closed as the breeze rustles through the forest.
After a while, he looks back at me and gives another small nod.
"Okay, Noibat. Now try gliding — just glide on the air, don't flap too much. Let the wind do the work."
Noibat pushes off the branch, wings outstretched. He almost falls, catches himself, wobbles, and almost falls again. I run beneath him and catch him each time before he can hit the ground.
"Don't worry," I say, smiling. "Let's try again."
We keep at it for a while. I help Noibat learn to balance, adjust, and trust the air currents. Everything feels almost futile. But by the end, he's actually managing to glide for a few seconds longer than before. Not bad for a first flight lesson.
I'm about to continue, but when I glance up, I notice how low the sun is almost at the top. "Shit, I've been out too long."
I recall Noibat back into his Pokeball and finally decide to test something that's been bugging me. Can a Pokeball with a Pokemon inside be stored in my system inventory?
I try placing it in the same box where I keep my other Luxury Pokeballs — nothing. I try again — fail. Then I try another box in the system inventory, and this time, it works.
"Oh? Nice!" I grin. "That makes things easier."
Still, I've been gone long enough. If I don't get home soon, Delia's going to panic and call everyone in Pallet Town to start a search party.
Thanks to all my morning jogs, my stamina's been improving a lot. I start running back, breathing steadily. By the time I reach the house, I'm a little winded but fine.
As soon as I step in, Delia rushes over. "Oh, Ash! Where were you? You took so long, I was so worried!"
"Sorry, Mom," I say, rubbing the back of my head. "I lost track of time when I ran into some wild pokemon."
Her eyes soften with relief. "Oh, okay then. But next time, don't stay out so long. You know how worried I get."
She knows the forest around Pallet Town isn't too dangerous — most wild pokemon are harmless. The really dangerous ones live deeper inside. Still, typical mom response.
"Okay, Mom. By the way, I was thinking of increasing my jogging time. You know, when I become a Pokemon Trainer, I'll probably be walking most of the day, so I should build up my stamina now."
Delia smiles but folds her arms. "That's good, but from now on, do your jogging nearby so I won't worry so much."
I freeze. "Uh-oh." That's going to make training Noibat a nightmare.
"Uh, Mom, you know I'll have to walk through different terrains and—"
"No more excuses," she cuts me off firmly. "If you want to jog that far, you can do it after you turn twelve. Till then, normal training is enough for you."
"Okay, Mom" I sigh.
Great. Another obstacle. As if being stuck in a kid's body wasn't already fucking annoying enough.
"Alright," Delia says, her tone softening again. "I made your favorite breakfast." She walks toward the dining table with a warm smile.
I follow her, eat quickly, and then return to my room. Lying on the bed, I stare at the ceiling. "If I can't train Noibat during the day… then I'll just have to do it at night."
Noibat's still in his early stage. If I let him stay weak too long, it'll hurt his future growth. I can't afford that.
So yeah — daytime's for sleep; nighttime's for training.
But it's risky. Sure, Noibat's supersonic helps him navigate darkness, smoke, or anywhere sound travels well. But I don't have night vision. If Noibat falls or flies too far, I won't even know where to look.
And if he starts crying again, that supersonic screech will wake half the damn town.
Using a torch is out of the question too. Any light will attract attention, and I can't risk someone finding out I have a powerful pokemon already — and from the Kalos region, no less.
That leaves only one option: training in Professor Oak's backyard. But even that's risky — the man's fucking sharp, and if not him, his pokemon will definitely notice. Not to mention the trainers who've left their pokemon there for research… those guys talk.
I groan and cover my face with my arm. "What the fuck do I do now?"
Between keeping secrets, acting like a kid, and trying to train a baby dragon-bat without getting caught, my so-called second life is turning into a damn juggling act.
Still, as fucking annoying as it can be, I can only hope the system has its answers too — but I also don't want to rely too much on it.
Sigh. Only one way to do it then. I am sorry to all those pokemon.