At Arthur's command, his two Pokéballs erupted in radiant light, the Pokémon gleaming figures materializing in the air beside the table.
As the brilliance gradually faded, their true forms became clearer.
Princess Rosaria, Wentia, and Reden watched with keen curiosity as two large insects, each standing just over a meter tall, emerged.
One was a striking yellow-and-black, wasp-like creature, its body adorned with three sharp stingers—one on each arm and one jutting from its abdomen. It has large, crimson eyes and two pairs of translucent wings that shimmered like a painter's brushstrokes in motion.
"Beedrill!" it buzzed, its voice edged with a slight aggression.
The other was a delicate, purple butterfly-like creature, its slender frame framed by large, translucent wings adorned with simple yet mesmerizing patterns. Its deep red eyes sparkled as it fluttered gracefully, and long, thin antennae swayed gently in the air.
"Butter~free~" it chimed, its voice soft and melodious.
Arthur smiled warmly, gently stroking the heads of both Beedrill and Butterfree. Turning to Princess Rosaria, he explained, "These are my Pokémon and companions—Beedrill and Butterfree." He gestured toward the wasp-like creature when he said 'Beedrill' and the butterfly-like one as he spoke 'Butterfree.'
At that moment, Princess Rosaria's own Pokéball stirred, and with a flash, Ponyta broke free from her Pokéball, eager to reunite with her old friends. She had spent countless days alongside Beedrill and Butterfree ever since she first opened her eyes to the world. Now, with the prospect of leaving to join a new Trainer, she felt a deep yearning to make the most of her remaining time with them, cherishing these final moments together.
"Ponyta~" she neighed happily, nuzzling up to Butterfree before turning to affectionately nuzzle Beedrill as well.
"Beedrill!" the wasp-like Pokémon snapped irritably, gently pushing Ponyta's joyful face away with one of its large stinger-laden arms.
"Butter~free~free~" the butterfly Pokémon seemed to chuckle, thoroughly enjoying the lighthearted antics between its two companions.
The three Pokémon communicated in a language that no one present could comprehend. Even Arthur, their creator, couldn't quite grasp how they understood each other. Still, he attributed it to the shared connection between their species, a bond formed from his careful design.
It was a sight that warmed Arthur's heart. He couldn't help but smile as he watched them play, imagining how he could easily spend days doing nothing but rocking in his chair, simply enjoying their company.
Seeing them together only solidified his resolve to introduce Pokémon to the people of Ocasia.
Ecosystem be damned!
Technically, many of the monsters here were invasive species, so adding another would hardly cause a ripple—at least, that was his hope.
He sighed, knowing that potential consequences could be dealt with later. For now, his focus remained on safely spreading the knowledge of Pokémon, and, in time, introducing the concepts of Gyms, Pokémon Leagues, and more.
He couldn't deny the itch inside him—a longing to partake in an official Pokémon Battle, perhaps even a Gym Battle, ever since he successfully created his first Pokémon, Caterpie!
We all know that Caterpie eventually evolves into the Legendary Sky Dragon, Rayquaza! So having Caterpie as his first Pokémon carried a significance meaning!
Joking aside, Arthur had never intended for Pokéballs to be a form of confinement for Pokémon. If they wished to leave, they were free to do so at any time, just like Ponyta. The Pokéball was merely a convenient way to carry multiple Pokémon.
He had only programmed one additional rule: a newly captured Pokémon couldn't leave its Pokéball of its own will for the first week. If, even after a week, the Trainer still hadn't managed to befriend the Pokémon, then that was simply a matter of skill issue when the Pokémon chose to leave.
Except for Lena, who had an aversion to insects, the others were immediately charmed by Beedrill and Butterfree as they watched the three Pokémon interact.
However, their reaction was less enthusiastic than Ponyta's. After all, Beedrill and Butterfree just seemed like oversized versions of a wasp and a butterfly. While Ponyta was still just a horse, it was a fire horse—a creature of flame and wonder.
Yet, doubt crept into their minds, with Princess Rosaria being the first to voice it. "You said they're the same species, correct?"
Arthur nodded, and she turned her gaze toward Ponyta.
With a fiery mane and tail that resembled dancing flames, her cream-colored body, and blue hooves made Ponyta far from an ordinary horse. Still, she was, undeniably, a horse.
How could she be of the same species as two insects?
Suppressing her inner curiosity about why a wasp-like creature was called 'Bee'drill, Princess Rosaria focused on the more confusing aspect. "But those two are clearly insects."
Arthur gave a patient nod before explaining, his voice measured, "They belong to a very unique species category called Pokémon. Despite their vast differences in appearance, abilities, and types, all Pokémon share certain biological mechanisms. For example, they all have similar life cycles involving hatching from eggs or evolving through specific experiences or exposure to special items.
"Many Pokémon can interbreed and produce offspring, even if they belong to different types or categories entirely. This is particularly true of Pokémon in the same Egg Groups. For instance, my Butterfree can breed with a Caterpie or Metapod, which are early evolutionary stages of Butterfree, and other Pokémon from similar groups can also interbreed..
"In many cases, Pokémon aren't strictly defined by biological concepts like being a horse or an insect. Instead, they're more defined by their connection to certain Elements, also known as 'Types'. Pokémon can be seen as embodiments of elemental forces, such as Fire or Bug Elements, and while their forms may differ, they all stem from a common origin..
"Furthermore-"
"Wait, wait!" Princess Rosaria's voice rang out, cutting through his explanation.
Snapping back to reality, Arthur noticed that Wentia, Reden, and even Lena seemed dazed, lost in thought, their expressions conveying that they couldn't quite grasp what he was saying. Their expressions seemed to say: The more you explain, the more confusing it gets!
Feeling a bit awkward, Arthur scratched the back of his neck, waiting for them to snap out of their dazed state.
After a moment, Princess Rosaria spoke softly, "Um... could you keep it short, please?"
Arthur nodded sheepishly, took a moment to clear his thoughts, and spoke slowly, "In short, although Pokémon come in many different forms and show significant biological diversity, they share enough common traits, evolutionary processes, and metaphysical connections to be seen as variations of a single species or family of species, all originating from the same origin."
After a long silence, Princess Rosaria's eyes stiffened slightly as she muttered, "I... I see..." Although she said that, her expression clearly revealed that she had barely understood what he had explained.
Meanwhile, Reden, standing behind her, adjusted her glasses with sparkling eyes and said in a dreamy tone. "What a unique and fascinating species! Why have we never discovered such creatures before!? It makes me want to dissect— I mean, study them with the utmost respect!" She quickly corrected herself, sweat beading on her forehead after receiving deathly glares from Princess Rosaria, Arthur, Lena, and even the three Pokémon, who had momentarily paused their conversation.
Arthur couldn't help but think, I knew it! This woman is far more dangerous than Wentia! He frowned but quickly masked his expression as he turned to Princess Rosaria. "So, what do you think?"
Princess Rosaria fell into deep thought, recalling Arthur's earlier words about Pokémon and his actions from their first meeting up to this moment.
An imaginary light bulb seemed to appear above her head as realization dawned. With a slightly mischievous grin, she turned her gaze to Arthur.
"You madman... You were testing my character just now, weren't you?" she said with a chuckle, leaning back in her chair, her eyes still locked on Arthur.
Her words made her two bodyguards realize what had been going on. It wasn't that they hadn't considered the possibility before— in fact, they had suspected it early on. However, the sheer audacity of a lowly commoner daring to test the princess had led them to dismiss the thought as absurd.
Now, it seemed their suspicions were right. Arthur had indeed been testing Princess Rosaria!
The audacity!
Lena broke into a nervous sweat, her hands trembling beneath the table. She stole a quick and concerned glance at Arthur but didn't dare to speak.
Arthur offered a wry smile and spread his hands. "You got me. But in my defense, I had no choice. Ponyta suddenly vanished from my sight, and when I saw her again, she was already in front of you, Rosaria. So, I took the chance to assess your character."
At this point, it didn't matter that he'd stopped calling her "Your Highness" and instead used her name directly. After all, he'd already been caught testing the princess, something that could easily warrant a death sentence.
That's why he might as well try to act friendlier by calling her Rosaria.
As expected, the two royal bodyguards bristled, on the verge of drawing their weapons.
But Princess Rosaria didn't flinch as she immediately stopped her bodyguards from taking any action. Her blood-red eyes locked onto Arthur's blue ones, her gaze steady. There was a slight tremor behind her pupils, but she remained silent, reevaluating the boy sitting across from her— a boy three years her junior.
After a long pause, she broke into a genuine smile and giggled, "Alright, let's be friends!"
She extended her hand, signaling for him to take it.
Arthur silently exhaled, thinking to himself, That was nerve-wracking! I thought I might have to run off and hide deep in the forest with Beedrill and Butterfree!
His actions had been reckless, with little planning, especially since everything had happened so quickly after Ponyta previously ran off.
Fortunately, he had correctly judged Princess Rosaria's personality, and everything had turned out fine...
For the first time, Arthur offered an actual, genuine smile—no acting involved—as he reached out and shook Rosaria's hand.
However, his face twitched as pain shot through him. "Ouch! Ouch!"
Rosaria squeezed his hand firmly, a playful yet icy glint in her eyes as she said with a slight smirk, "This will be your punishment for stepping over your boundary, hmph!" She then released his hand and returned to her bright, genuine smile.
Arthur's hand was already reddening, but he smiled back stiffly. "Yes, Rosaria."
It wasn't much of a punishment for his earlier disrespect, so there was no need to complain.
Lena, sitting beside him, let out a relieved sigh and smiled in relieve at Arthur.
"Alright," Rosaria said as she relaxed into her chair, crossing her arms. "Originally, I only planned to ask about your experience raising Ponyta, but let's talk business first, shall we?" She fixed him with a keen look. "You want to use me as a shield, don't you?"
Arthur nodded. "Yes. My dream is to make Pokémon a common part of life, spreading their existence far and wide until people all across the continent—and even throughout all of Ocasia—live with Pokémon, making them trusted companions."
How many Pokémon are there exactly, and where did he get them from? Rosaria couldn't help but wonder after hearing Arthur speak of his dream.
However, her expression remained unchanged, a smile playing at the corners of her lips as she responded. "That's a grand, unrealistic plan. Even I wouldn't dare claim to have such a dream."
Confused, Arthur asked, "Why?"
She sighed deeply before answering vaguely, "It's not something a commoner would understand if I tried to explain... actually, I take that back. You, specifically, might understand—but it would take a long time to explain."
Arthur had a vague sense of what she meant, but he decided it wasn't something he wanted to directly involve himself with.
Isn't that one of the reason why I need a powerful backer? he thought to himself. He wasn't about to force himself to tackle something he wasn't good at. Better to leave it to the professionals—assuming Rosaria agreed to help him.
He nodded thoughtfully and asked carefully, "So... what do you think? Are you willing to help me achieve my dream?"
Rosaria let out a hearty laugh, her tone thoughtful as she said, "Hmm, I'm more inclined towards 'yes', but I'd like to learn more about Pokémon first before giving you my answer."
"That's what I was hoping for," Arthur nodded, expecting this response. After all, owning mythical creatures like Pokémon came with both benefits and risks, not to mention the challenge of spreading their existence to the public.
"Alright, we've strayed too far from our original topic," Rosaria said enthusiastically, her tone bright as she leaned forward, eager to learn more. "Now, please tell me how to care for Ponyta."
Her current evaluation of Pokémon was optimistic, despite her limited knowledge. She was willing to trust what Arthur had explained so far, taking it all into consideration.
Types, Bug Element, Evolution… Though she didn't fully understand what those terms actually meant in relation to Pokémon, one thing was certain: Pokémon were a powerful species if raised properly.
Perhaps this would even pave a way for her to claim the Krosia's throne…
As that thought crossed her mind, she immediately shook her head, pushing it aside. Greed could only undermine her self-worth. She refused to become like some of her older siblings, driven only by ambition.
"What's wrong?" Arthur asked, noticing that Rosaria had shaken her head.
"It's nothing," she replied, smiling at him as he began explaining how to care for Ponyta and what to look out for.
In truth, taking care of Ponyta wasn't much different from looking after a normal horse. Arthur hadn't invented anything like Pokémon berries—or Pokéblocks tailored to each Pokémon's taste—yet. He might get to it eventually, but for now, he saw no need to focus on them. Regular food would suffice for their diet, as many ingredients in this world already contained mana or magical particles, which were useful for enhancing various attributes of Pokémon.
After a lengthy explanation, Rosaria nodded and glanced at Reden, who had been taking notes with starry eyes and a scholarly demeanor.
"I can't believe such a mythical creature isn't high-maintenance at all..." Rosaria murmured, still in slight disbelief. Her gaze shifted to Ponyta, who, at some point, was happily munching on apples, now accompanied by Butterfree and Beedrill.
Arthur smiled, nodding in agreement. "That's the basics you need to know. Now, let's move on to something that's exclusive to Pokémon—something you won't find in any other species here in Ocasia."
From his waist bag, he pulled out a rectangular device.
As curious gazes followed, including Lena's, whose expression clearly read: When did you invent another strange artifact?, he placed the device on the table and said, "This is an essential tool if you want to become a Pokémon Trainer. A Pokédex!"
Before anyone could ask further questions, he smiled meaningfully and added in an excited tone, "To better demonstrate why a Pokédex is necessary to understand the uniqueness of Pokémon, let's have our first official Ocasia Region Pokémon Battle!"
His words left them all in Confusion.