"Our territory was attacked by a beast tide a few days ago. Although we successfully defended it with everyone's effort, many houses were still damaged. So, I need you to cut down some trees to repair the houses."
Ryan pointed at a few carts parked nearby.
"There are logging tools on the carts. Each of you should take one cart. This time, I'll join you."
"Uncle White, please lead them to the city gate. I'll go get Scyther."
At this moment, White understood Ryan's solution for the timber shortage. However, he wondered if these esteemed guests from the divine realm were really willing to do the hard labor of chopping wood.
He was about to ask Ryan when he saw the guests eagerly lifting the carts, already impatient to set out.
White immediately dismissed the thought of questioning Ryan. It seemed a mere mortal like him could never understand the mindset of beings from the divine realm. From now on, he decided to follow Young Master Ryan's lead.
Ryan also noticed the players' enthusiasm and found it amusing. However, he could relate, as he used to get excited about tasks when he played games too, especially in what they saw as a virtual reality game.
"Alright, let's head out. We'll meet at the town gate."
"Understood!"
The players eagerly lifted the carts and followed White.
After seeing the players off, Ryan didn't rush to find Scyther. Instead, he went to his study to do a lottery draw.
He had six lottery chances from the rewards of the last two main quests, but he hadn't used any yet.
Ryan and the players were heading into the Firefly Forest, where there were many Pokémon. Their relationship with humans wasn't great, and some Pokémon might even be hostile.
Although he had Scyther as protection, Ryan thought it would be wise to try his luck with the lottery to see if he could get something useful.
"Let's try a single draw first to test the waters. Oh Jesus... wait, no Jesus in this world. Arceus, bless me with a jackpot! Here goes!"
[Congratulations! You have drawn: 3 Poké Balls]
"Poké Balls?" Ryan looked at the classic red and white balls in his hand, unsure if he should be happy.
On one hand, these were just basic Poké Balls, the most common in the Pokémon games and anime, far from what he had hoped for.
But on the other hand, Poké Balls were a groundbreaking invention in the Pokémon world, completely replacing the current beast apparatus.
"Why only three though? And can I make more of these myself? I remember they were made from apricorns, right?"
Ryan could only speculate. He had no idea how to make Poké Balls, and even if he did, he wouldn't dare mass-produce them.
He was still too weak and understood the saying, "The tallest tree in the forest is the first to be felled."
"I'm just too weak right now. There are too many things to worry about. Forget it, let's not dwell on this. Time for a five-draw streak!"
[Congratulations! You have drawn: 1 Repel, 5 Tiny Exp. Candies, 3 Sweet Honey, 3 Poké Balls, 5 Sticky Orbs]
The panel displayed the uses of each item, slightly different from the games and anime.
Poké Balls were self-explanatory. Repel, in the games, prevented players from encountering weak wild Pokémon for a set number of steps, but in this world, it had to be sprayed manually to drive away Pokémon.
The Tiny Exp. Candies worked similarly to the in-game Exp. Candies, used to level up Pokémon. However, the amount of experience gained wasn't specified.
Sweet Honey was used to attract wild Pokémon, while Sticky Orbs could be thrown to hit Pokémon and restrict their movements.
Looking at the items laid out in front of him, Ryan felt a slight sense of disappointment.
He had thought that ordinary quest rewards would include basic supplies like Pokémon food and potions, and that all the good stuff would be in the lottery.
While the items he got were useful, they didn't quite meet his expectations.
Sensing Ryan's thoughts, a line of text suddenly appeared on the panel after the lottery:
[This is a basic lottery. Complete certain tasks to unlock higher-level draws.]
"Huh? There's a higher-level lottery? What can I get from that? How many tasks do I need to complete to unlock it?"
Ryan excitedly asked, but the panel didn't respond.
"Tch, I thought you'd be like those systems in other stories, ready to answer all my questions. Looks like that line was preset to show after the first lottery."
Although the panel didn't answer his questions, Ryan's mood improved. Regardless of how many tasks it would take, at least now he had something to look forward to.
"No more overthinking. Let's go get Scyther and meet up with the players."
Ryan packed up his items and went to find Scyther.
When he reached the resting area, he found that Scyther's condition had improved a lot from the day before. It no longer looked dejected and had a fierce glint of determination in its eyes.
"Looks like you've really pulled yourself together. Nice! That's the Scyther I remember, the one that never gives up. Can you still fight?"
"Scyther!" Scyther raised its scythe-like arms, signaling it was ready.
"Good! But before we go, there's one more thing to do."
Ryan took out a Poké Ball and said to Scyther:
"No matter what happens next, don't resist, okay? Trust me."
Scyther was confused but nodded.
With Scyther's consent, Ryan lightly tossed the Poké Ball toward it.
As the Poké Ball opened, Scyther transformed into a red energy and was sucked inside, and the beast apparatus on its body fell off.
The Poké Ball wobbled on the ground a few times before making a "ding" sound.
"Yes! I caught Scyther!" Ryan struck a pose, holding the Poké Ball.
It might have been a bit embarrassing, but it felt amazing, like fulfilling a childhood dream.
"Ahem, come out, Scyther."
Feeling a bit self-conscious, Ryan glanced around to make sure no one saw his earlier antics, then released Scyther.
"Scyther?!"
Scyther emerged, looking confused at the tiny Poké Ball in Ryan's hand.
It couldn't understand how such a small ball could contain it, and even more surprising, it was quite comfortable inside.
"This is a Poké Ball. You can rest inside it whenever you want, and you don't need to wear the beast apparatus anymore."
Scyther then noticed the fallen beast apparatus on the ground. After hesitating for a moment, it used its scythes to pick it up, signaling for Ryan to put it back on.
In truth, Scyther and Ryan's father had a deep bond of trust, so they didn't need the beast apparatus anymore.
The reason Scyther continued to wear it was to reassure the townspeople.
But Ryan was determined to change the relationship between humans and Pokémon. The beast apparatus symbolized mistrust between them.
Humans would select young Pokémon and craft beast apparatuses tailored for them. If the Pokémon disobeyed, the device would punish them with electric shocks or needles.
After experiencing multiple punishments, Pokémon would develop a psychological barrier. Even if they grew stronger, they wouldn't dare to break free and would continue to obey humans.
Ryan couldn't accept such a device. As long as it existed, there would never be true harmony between humans and Pokémon.
He wasn't worried about others being suspicious of him for not using the beast apparatus.
Although controlling Pokémon with these devices was common, many people either couldn't afford them or simply chose not to use them.
Seeing Ryan's firm stance, Scyther didn't insist any further. It also found the device uncomfortable and felt it couldn't fully unleash its strength while wearing it.
"I remember in Pokémon Legends: Arceus, there were wooden Poké Balls in ancient times. Could the era I'm in be even older than that, or is this a parallel world?"
"Whatever, thinking too much won't help. Let's go, Scyther. Time to meet those lovely players."
"Scyther!"