Paradise Pokeball System

Vol. 2 Chapter 41: Not Again, Popsicle!

"Are you the same one from before?" I asked, and the Sobble looked down but didn't move. It looked back up at me, and then nodded, but then burst out crying.

Suddenly, I was hit with a smell that instantly made my eyes tear up. It was like nothing I had ever smelt before, and it was overwhelming. I started to gag, and I tried to fight the urge to throw up, but then I couldn't handle it anymore. I fell to my knees, and then threw up right there, not being able to hold it in.

I looked back up at the Sobble and saw it had stopped crying, but it looked worried. I reached out to it, and it jumped back a little bit, and I sighed, but then coughed some more. "Don't worry. I am not here to hurt you."

The Sobble seemed to understand me, but I was still having trouble breathing with the acrid smell of its tears still lingering. I backed up, and rolled back, trying to get out of range of the smell.

"Sobble, please come here. I promise I won't hurt you," I pleaded, but it stayed put, not coming closer.

I sat up, rubbing my eyes more as I did, trying to figure out how I was going to tame this Pokémon. The smell from its tears was dramatically worse than I had thought, but nothing could have prepared me for this. Then, a flash of light came from my body, and Popsicle appeared.

"Hey! You sorry sap of a Pokémon! Quit your crying or you are going to scare him away!" My Pawmi shouted at the Sobble.

To my surprise, rather than running away, the Sobble cheeped at Popsicle. "Huh? You were scared? Of what? He hasn't even tried to attack you or even pulled out a Poke Ball, you numbskull!"

I finally caught my breath and was able to see again, so I scowled at Popsicle. She was not the best one with words, nor the kindest when it came to Pokémon I was trying to catch. Last time she kicked the Poke Ball in my Charcadet, Knighty's face, so I was a bit worried about this interaction. At least she seemed to be communicating with the Sobble, and it wasn't running away.

Sobble cheeped at Pawmi again, and Popsicle threw up her paw-like hands in frustration. "What do you mean you don't know what to do?! Why not just let him catch you already!? What is there to be afraid of?!"

"Popsicle, you can't force them. Not everyone is as excited as you were when I first caught you," I said, and she looked at me with a pout.

"But, master, she is so stupid! She won't even let you catch her when she wants you to!" She complained, and I smiled at her.

"Everyone has a different personality. Just tell her that I mean her no harm, I just want to add her to my team," I explained, and Popsicle rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, yeah, she can understand you," Popsicle complained, but then rounded on the Sobble, pointing her furry finger at the other Pokémon. "It's you that he can't understand! You could be the one telling him how you feel, but no! You won't let him catch you! Want to look like me? Want to be the Syrupy Apple in my master's eyes?" She demanded, making the Sobble jump back, but then Popsicle turned back to me with a determined look. "Give me one of those empty balls!"

I frowned at this, but against my better judgment, I caved and summoned a Paradise Ball, handing it to my Pawmi.

Popsicle turned back with the ball in her hand and pointed at it. "You see this? It isn't some normal trainer ball that you have probably seen before, right?"

"Cheep!"

"Good, now get in the ball!" Popsicle shouted and then threw the ball at the Sobble.

I tried to dive forward just before she threw the ball, but I was too late, and the ball hit its target. "What are you doing?! I thought we talked about this!" I complained, but Popsicle rolled her eyes.

"Master. You are a trainer, and you are supposed to throw the ball at us, not wait for us to pick! She is much stronger than me, so if she doesn't want to join, she will just break out when she wants while it is still shaking. Most trainers have to make us submit, and we are trapped in the ball as a bouncing light. When you use these balls, we can see all the other habitats while we are being caught. There is no better way for you to convince them, and it is much faster," Popsicle explained, and I sighed, but then Sobble's Poke Ball stopped and clicked after one shake. "See? Told you! Now do we get to train? I want to see the master in action!"

I picked up the ball and shook my head at my Pawmi. "First, you need to apologize to Sobble, and tell her that you didn't mean to insult her."

Popsicle huffed but then went to the Poke Ball, and pressed the button. In a flash of light, Sobble appeared.

"You big meanie!" My new Sobble shouted as she appeared, and then she ran over to me. "Master, that one is a bully! I was trying to tell her that other girls were always mean to me, but she just kept saying all that stuff!"

Thankfully, Sobble had come out in a dress, but even though she was now the same height as Pawmi, she had a very thin and undefined, yet much more human body. I was surprised that the green dress she wore even fit her, but it went well with her gray skin and purple hair. She had a purple fin that went from her forehead and curved to her back. Her eyes were a pretty turquoise color, and I could tell that she was not happy with Popsicle.

"Hey, Sobble, it is okay. Popsicle is just really aggressive when she wants to be, but she means well," I said, trying to calm her down.

"Cheep! I will say! She is so mean! Why are you with someone like that?" Sobble asked, looking at Popsicle, who put her hands on her shapely and puffed out her chest.

"Cause I am pretty!" Popsicle retorted, and I put my hand over my face as the comeback came hard and sharp.

"Yeah, pretty stupid!" Sobble growled back, and I returned Popsicle to Prisma before her mouth got her into a fight she couldn't win, yet.

With a sigh, I turned and bowed to Sobble. "Sorry for that. I really didn't think she was going to throw it at you."

"Please don't do that, master! I am sorry for being so rude! What she did was not bad, it was how pushy and rude she was. That is the only part that bothered me... But, you like me, right? You don't think I am funny-looking?" Sobble asked me with big eyes, and I smiled, patting her head.

"I think you look cute, and I am excited to see what your evolutions look like! You just have to gain another level, right?" I asked, and Sobble nodded but then gave me a questioning look.

"Can I have a name?" Sobble asked, and I nodded, but then wracked my brain for something cute that fit her.

"Well, how about Lyssandra, since you are going to evolve into Inteleon, a Secret Agent Pokémon? It is kind of edgy," I suggested, and Sobble cheeped happily, even though she now had a more human form.

"I love it!" She cried, and I chuckled, but then I heard a gasp from behind me, and I turned to see a wide-eyed Crispin.