ALL NOVEL Chapter 172 – Introducing Pocket Ball
AN: There's too much drama. I didn't expect that live broadcasts would take so long, and currently, I still haven't finished it. I want to skip it, to be honest, and go straight to the main event of the story.
...
September 23, 2005,
3:00 PM
At Kurogane Kajiya, Tetsuya carried his tools as he entered the house.
Ting Tang Ting Tang Ting Tang
Inside, his father, Kurogane Kazuma, was deeply engrossed in forging a new weapon.
"I'm back, Father," Tetsuya announced as he entered, setting down his tools and preparing to assist his father.
Kazuma merely responded with a brief "Oh," barely glancing up from his work.
"I was assisting the professor with a project," Tetsuya explained, setting his tools aside and preparing to help his father.
"I see," Kazuma nodded, his response suggesting he had anticipated this.
Tetsuya sensed the hidden pain behind his father's stoic facade. Taking a deep breath, he braced himself and revealed, "Father, I've decided to leave our home and join them."
Tang!
At this declaration, the rhythm of the hammer on the alloy ceased. Kazuma turned, his gaze filled with anger and disbelief.
"Father, before you get upset, please, just hear me out this time," Tetsuya pleaded, bowing his head in a show of respect.
Kazuma, initially wanting to scold Tetsuya, paused, taken aback by his son's earnest appeal. After a moment to compose himself, he said sternly, "Speak."
His voice carried a threatening tone that seemed to pressure Tetsuya to provide a satisfactory explanation. Tetsuya retrieved a sphere ball from his backpack. "It's because of this," he said, presenting the object.
Kazuma examined the strange ball, noting its two-tone color scheme, divided horizontally. The top half was red, and the bottom white, separated by a black band. At the sphere's center was a circular button or latch.
"What's this? Some kind of toy?" Kazuma frowned, unimpressed. As a seasoned weaponsmith, he saw no value in what looked like a child's plaything.
"This is what we we're working on," Tetsuya informed him.
"What a joke!" Kazuma scoffed disdainfully. He couldn't fathom a mere toy ball being of any significance.
Anticipating skepticism, Tetsuya pressed the button. In an instant, a red laser light materialized, forming a silhouette. Moments later, a female Machoke materialized and appeared from the sphere.
"Machoke!" the Pokémon exclaimed.
"Wha-wha-what?" Kazuma was startled by the unexpected appearance, stepping back nervously. "W-what in the world? We need to call for help, now!" he stammered, completely taken aback by the sudden emergence of the Pokémon.
Seeing his father panicking, Tetsuya quickly pressed the button on his Pocket Ball, and the Machoke was reabsorbed into it in a flash of red light. This Machoke was lent to him by Kanraku to assist in his work. He was responsible for feeding it daily and had been given Pokeblocks by Kanraku, which he presumed were its food.
Kazuma, utterly stunned by what he had just witnessed, pointed at the Pocket Ball and stammered, "Wha-wha-what is that?"
"Father, would you believe me if I told you I made it?" Tetsuya asked, looking earnestly at his father.
"You... you made this?" Kazuma was incredulous, finding it hard to believe that his son could create something so advanced, far beyond their traditional scope as weaponsmiths.
"I'll show you," Tetsuya said and began his forging process.
Half an hour later, Kazuma stood dumbfounded as he beheld the newly crafted Pocket Ball. Tetsuya released Machoke from its current Pocket Ball, then, after allowing the newly forged ball to cool, gestured to Machoke, who nodded in understanding. Moments later, Machoke entered the new Pocket Ball, and Tetsuya released it, bringing Machoke back into view.
Kazuma, overwhelmed by the spectacle, trembled with excitement and an itch to try his hand at it.
"Son, would you teach me?" Kazuma asked, his voice tinged with eagerness. The allure of crafting such a novel item overshadowed any fatherly pride. At that moment, pride seemed inconsequential. What is pride? He couldn't eat it. He was even willing to set aside his ego and kneel if it meant learning this groundbreaking technique.
"Uhm," Tetsuya, seeing the genuine interest in his father's eyes, nodded in agreement.
…
September 23, 2005,
8:00 PM
In a dimly lit basement, a figure laughed maniacally. "Hahahaha, I've done it at last! I've created the world's first Pokeball! Hahahaha!"
Akira reveled in his own accomplishment. Holding a Pokeball in his hand, he laughed with a mixture of triumph and madness. His laughter echoed through the room, a sign of both victory and the onset of grander ambitions. "With this, I could... I could dominate the world!" he proclaimed, his voice echoing with megalomania.
"Hahahahahahahaha..."
"Hahahahahahahaha..."
After regaining his composure, Akira walked towards his backyard, where two jets awaited, one gray and the other orange. He laid his hand on the orange jet, his sly smile indicative of the cunning thoughts swirling in his mind. "The time has come to set my plan into motion," he murmured confidently.
Pulling out his phone, he dialed a familiar number. After a few rings, a voice answered from the other end.
[Boss?]
"It's time," Akira declared, his voice now a mix of stern command and sharp focus. "Initiate the plan immediately."
[Aye, Boss!] The voice on the other end responded with evident readiness.
Ending the call, Akira's eyes gleamed with anticipation, "Finally, my time has come," before walking off.
…
September 24, 2005,
5:30 PM
It had been three days of mysterious absence for Kanraku and his team, causing a wave of restless curiosity among their group.
When the team finally emerged, they gathered not in the usual meeting room but in the Beast's Sanctuary, drawing even more attention.
The group of onlookers watched with bated breath as Kanraku, his disciples, Suzuki Akiko, Suzuki Ryota, Floyd, Tetsuya Kurogane, and Kazuma Kurogane made their appearance. Each of them had a unique sphere ball attached to their waist, sparking whispers and theories among the crowd.
"That should be it," Chen Yu speculated, his brows furrowed thinking about the sphere ball.
"But, is that all there is to it?" Kang Jihoon expressed disappointment but sensed something off about it, he couldn't explain why.
"There's something special about it, I'm sure," Ivan added quietly, unable to take his eyes off the mysterious object.
Despite their speculations, most concluded that these were just ordinary metal spheres.
Kanraku stepped forward with a knowing smile. "I suppose you're all wondering what we've been up to these past few days, right?" he said, his voice filled with a hint of pride.
"Just tell us already, Professor!" Jonathan exclaimed, unable to contain his excitement, and urged impatiently.
"Professor, does it have something to do with that sphere on your waist?" Chen Yu inquired, pointing at the Pocket Ball.
"Bingo!" Kanraku exclaimed, removing the Pocket Ball from his waist. "This device represents the pinnacle of our combined efforts. It's not just my achievement; everyone here has played a significant role, especially Tetsuya," he said, pointing to Tetsuya.
Xin Yuexin leaned towards Chen Xin, whispering, "He's quite handsome, don't you think? I wonder how old he is."
Chen Xin rolled her eyes, choosing to focus on the matter at hand rather than engage in such gossip.
"This is Tetsuya's father, Mr. Kazuma Kurogane," Kanraku continued, introducing the elder Kurogane.
"Professor, enough with the introductions. What's so special about that ball? It just looks like any other ball to me," Jonathan interjected impatiently, eager to understand the significance of the sphere.
"Yeah, what's so unique about it? It's just a ball," the others chimed in, echoing Jonathan's sentiment.
Kanraku, hearing their remarks, couldn't help but smile. "Oh, you think it's 'just a ball'?" he teased.
"Well, let's see if it's really 'just a ball' as you claim. Come out!" With a flourish, Kanraku tossed his Pocket Ball into the air. A burst of red light materialized, forming a silhouette.
The crowd was utterly astonished, their eyes widening and jaws dropping in disbelief as Blastoise emerged from the sphere ball. What they had witnessed was something that seemed to defy the very laws of nature.