[center][color=gray][h3]Leisy Takigawa[/h3][/color][/center]

[color=gray]”Bidein, you did it!”[/color] Leisy said, grinning ear-to-ear. The Fletchling did a loop-di-loop of joy in the air, chirping as the blue bird Pokemon on the ground chirped in agreement.

Leisy spun around with wide eyes to look at the blue-and-white bird Pokemon. The bird Pokemon was mostly white and light blue with a dark blue coat-like layer of down draped over its head and back. Leisy reached for her Pokedex and used it to scan the Pokemon.

[indent][b]Piplup, the Penguin Pokémon. It's very proud, and its thick down protects it from the cold.[/b][/indent]

[color=gray]”Piplup,”[/color] Leisy said, testing the name of the Pokemon on her tongue. Looking up, she looked on with surprise at the Pokemon as it didn’t run but rather walked over to her and chirped politely. [i]’Thank you?’[/i] Leisy thought, eyes widening. [i]I didn’t think Pokemon could be polite.[/i]

Smiling, Leisy knelt down to the Pokemon. [color=gray]”Piplup, how would you like to join my team?”[/color] Leisy asked, retrieving her other Pokeball from her bag and holding it out to the penguin. Piplup looked up at Bidein, and the Robin flew down to perch on his trainer’s shoulder, warbling his answer to the other bird Pokemon.

“Pip,” Piplup said, tapping the button on Leisy’s Pokeball. The classic red-and-white capture capsule didn’t move in Leisy’s hand as the Piplup flowed in, and it stayed just as still after.

[color=gray]”Welcome to the team, Naunet,”[/color] Leisy said, clutching the Pokeball to her. Bidein ruffled his feathers on her shoulder.

[hr]
[center][color=lightsteelblue][h3]Cillian Weiss[/h3][/color][/center]

Cillian’s first instinct was to run from the fire Pokemon, but he swallowed that and fumbled in his backpack for his camera instead. Pulling it out and turning it on quickly, Cillian managed to snap a picture of the Charmander in the ring of burning nylon that was beginning to stink up the air just as the Charmander came charging towards him, arms outstretched.

[color=lightsteelblue]”Gwah!”[/color] Cillian shouted, dodging the Pokemon and taking off running. [i]Thank god I wore my shoes,[/i] Cillian thought as he ran. [i]Now all I have to do is get a Poke—[/i]

Cillian slapped his head internally, cursing his stupidity. He was so used to snapping pictures of Pokemon and running that he’d forgotten that his goal now was to [i]catch[/i] them. [i]That Charmander better still be there![/i] Cillian thought, sprinting back to his campsite. When he arrived, he found the Charmander looking forlornly at the still-glowing embers of the campsite, kicking a pile of ashes and scattering it about.

Cillian hesitated—what was he supposed to do? Waltz up to the Pokemon and declare his ownership? He didn’t have a Pokemon to weaken the Charmander, and in reality he was still just an unarmed, half-dressed human. 

Deciding the best thing to do was probably to pitch the Pokeball over from afar, Cillian retrieved a ball from his bag and threw it at the Charmander. It bounced off the orange Pokemon, opening and sucking the Pokemon in with a red beam before closing and glowing red as it rocked back and forth on the floor. Cillian didn’t even have time to cross his fingers before the Charmander burst out of the Pokeball with a cry and came charging over.

[color=lightsteelblue]”Wah!”[/color] Cillian cried, turning to run again. This time, however, he tripped over a rock behind him and plopped onto the floor as the Charmander ran towards him. Cillian put his hands up to shield his face—if anything was going to get mauled, it wasn’t going to be his face—but he needn’t have. The Charmander enveloped Cillian with a hug, cooing.

“Char, Char,” the Charmander said, and Cillian parted his arms to give the Pokemon a confused look. 

[color=lightsteelblue]”Are you… Not going to attack me?”[/color] he asked, brows scrunching. Other Pokemon that he’d snapped pictures off usually either ran for cover or came at him with the intention to kill. He’d almost suffered a minor heart attack when he taken a picture of a Nidoran and had a Nidoqueen come charging after him, and he wasn’t looking to reliving that experience with a Charmander that had a angry Charizard parent hiding out somewhere. [color=lightsteelblue]”No parents hiding in caves waiting to swallow me up?”[/color]

The Charmander shook his head, waving at the tent before cooing again. Cillian looked at the Pokemon in confusion before realization washed over him—the Charmander was apologizing for burning his tent down. 

[color=lightsteelblue]”'Sorry?'”[/color] Cillian asked, just to make sure that was what the orange fire Pokemon was saying. The Charmander nodded profusely, causing Cilian to chuckle. [color=lightsteelblue]”I can’t say it’s okay that you burned my tent to a crisp, but I’m alright with it,”[/color] Cillian said, looking up with a glint in his eyes. [color=lightsteelblue]”If you agree to be my Pokemon.”[/color]

The Charmander nodded profusely again, looking sorrier than ever. Cillian felt bad, but he settled for a head-pat and retrieved the fallen Pokeball, holding it out in front of the Charmander. [color=lightsteelblue]”Whenever you’re ready,”[/color] Cillian said. The Charmander didn’t hesitate as it punched the white button, opening the device. This time, the Pokeball glowed red only briefly before settling down.

[color=lightsteelblue]”Yes!”[/color] Cillian cried, punching air in joy as he celebrated. [i]First Pokemon down—really down,[/i] he thought, pocketing the Pokeball and collecting what supplies he could from the ruins. [i]Not gonna complain though—I just got myself a fire-breathing dragon in the making, albeit a oddly apologetic and happy fella.[/i]

[hr]

[@balthazar007] Leisy caught a Piplup, Cillian caught a Charmander.