Poliwag leaped from the water in a beautiful arc, landing on the wetland with its small, color-matched feet, splashing water.
After landing, Poliwag didn't rush to walk, instead calling out toward the calm water.
Seeing this, Lucas and Luxray paused, curious about what Poliwag was doing.
Poliwag kept calling and encouraging the surface of the water, looking a bit anxious.
About a minute later, bubbles appeared, and three more Poliwag poked their heads up.
They were a group, with the first Poliwag as the leader.
The lead Poliwag kept opening and closing its thick lips as if encouraging the others to be brave.
After hesitating, the three Poliwag finally left the water and clumsily followed their leader onto land, wobbling as they learned to walk.
From a distance, Lucas murmured, "Not bad."
Poliwag hatch from eggs without feet, like real tadpoles, and grow legs after a while—driven by a genetic longing for land. Once they get legs, even with danger on land, they risk it to learn to walk.
What surprised Lucas most was the leader—it already showed courage and leadership potential. With some training, it could evolve into a Politoed!
Lucas instantly decided to capture all four at once!
There are usually three ways to catch Pokémon:
Food Temptation: Human cooking is irresistible to wild Pokémon. Trainers' food often causes wild Pokémon to steal or attack for a taste. In the wild, food that provides energy is limited, and most berry trees are already claimed by the strong. Hunger is normal for wild Pokémon.
This is the real life of many weak wild Pokémon.
Swampert (when it was still a Marshtomp) was convinced by Lucas in this way.
Battle and Capture: Beat the wild Pokémon and put it in a Poké Ball.
Considering Luxray's battle power, Lucas decided to skip this method.
Emotional Bond: Build trust until the Pokémon is willing to follow you.
Lucas chose food temptation—start soft, go hard if needed.
The Poliwag lined up near the lake, practicing walking. They looked a bit like the Pokémon Falinks with their formation.
Fearing Luxray would scare them, Lucas approached alone.
His footsteps quickly caught their attention. The three at the back shivered, ready to jump into the lake. The leader stared at Lucas, curious but wary.
Seeing the leader step forward to protect its friends, Lucas smiled even more. He stopped two meters away, squatted, and gently tossed out some food he'd prepared.
Plop.
Several small smoked fish snacks landed on the wetland. The leader Poliwag froze, unsure what Lucas meant.
The snacks were one of Lucas's travel foods—easy to carry and store, tasty, and nutritious.
Pokémon, unlike typical pets, can eat human seasonings without a problem, so Lucas wasn't worried.
While the leader was still confused, the three behind couldn't resist any longer.
The faint fragrance of smoked fish was irresistible to their hungry stomachs. They looked longingly at their leader.
The leader looked at Lucas.
Lucas smiled kindly: "Go ahead, treat it as a sign of friendship."
The leader wasn't much older than its friends and had little experience. It believed Lucas's words and tried a snack.
Once it ate, the others followed.
After they finished, Lucas moved closer, now just a step away.
The Poliwag were much less wary; in their eyes, Lucas—the food-giver—was already equal to a good person.
Lucas went to the final step, smiling warmly, and placed four Poké Balls on the ground: "Want to come with me? You'll have plenty of food and no danger—way better than just smoked fish!"
After a moment's silence, the three Poliwag jumped to the Poké Balls, looking at their leader.
"Boss, free food, no danger—this is a hundred times better than the wild, right? (/^▽^)/"
The leader was stunned by how quickly its friends gave in. After a moment's hesitation, it decided to stick with its friends and entered the Poké Ball first.
With the leader's example, the other three followed suit, selling themselves to Lucas.
"Lux~."
Luxray strutted over, finding Lucas's stunned expression amusing.
All that preparation and the four Poliwag just gave themselves up before he even tried.